Beach Church, Pig Roast, and a Sinking Dinghy
Since our broken fridge had us sticking around George Town longer than planned, we decided to make the most of it. We headed to shore again on Sunday morning, back to Chat N Chill beach, for Beach Church.
There are lots of other boat kids to play with after Beach Church!
Beach Church is one of those special cruiser traditions—an informal, come-as-you-are gathering where fellow boaters line up the benches on the beach or bring their camp chairs, sit in the sand (or climb the trees if you’re a kid!), and worship together. Something about singing hymns with your toes in the sand and the wind in your hair makes it all feel extra meaningful.
After church, the kids ran off to play with other boat kids, and we soaked up the morning, chatting with fellow cruisers. Before long, we realized it was that time—Chat N Chill’s Sunday Pig Roast! We lined up, grabbed a few plates, and dug into delicious barbecue while watching the steady stream of dinghies coming and going.
Meanwhile, the kids' homemade toy boat races were kicking off in the mooring field affectionately known as The Fruit Bowl (thanks to the fleet of houseboat rentals, all named after fruit). Earlier in the week, they had spent time constructing boats, and now they were putting them to the test, cheering as their builds bobbed and raced across the water. It was a perfect cruiser Sunday—full of community, good food, and fun.
And then, just when we were ready to head back to Fika… we found a giant hole in our dinghy.
For a cruiser, a dinghy is more than just a boat—it’s your car, your bike, your link between the shore and your floating home. And ours, Cuppa, was suddenly not going to float.
Thankfully, we were still in George Town, not on a remote island. God provides! Our friends on SV Maka gave us a lift back to Fika while we figured out a plan.
A temporary “pirate” dinghy from our friends on SV Wander.
That same day, we put out a call on the Cruisers Net—the daily VHF radio broadcast that connects boaters in the harbor. Within hours, fellow cruisers had rallied. A couple of boaters came to help Chris on the beach, bringing glue to try patching Cuppa’s wound.
And then, another unexpected provision. Just the day before, MV Silver Linings had shared their cooler and freezer while we dealt with our broken fridge (which, by the way, is still broken!). Within 24 hours of Cuppa’s deflation, our friends on SV Wander stepped in with a temporary dinghy. They had just upgraded their own, and their old “pirate dinghy” (named for its impressive collection of patches) was available for us to borrow. It needs air added regularly, but it floats—and right now, that’s all that matters!
Cruising isn’t just about the places we visit; it’s about the people who lift each other up along the way. We might be dealing with a busted fridge and a holey dinghy, but we’re also surrounded by a floating community that takes care of each other. And that makes all the difference.
