8 years old and already adept at handling her own canoe

A smile can do a lot of things. In Nissan island, our first PNG stop, we have a canoe full of kids paddling up to the boat on our first morning there. They are grinning, gleaming white smiles from ear to ear but they have little to no words of English. There’s also a somewhat androgynous look to many of them as even the girls have quite closely cropped hair. So much so that when Rocket decides that a particularly smiley 8 year old child called Cedrica is her new best friend, she then has to shyly ask if she’s a girl or a boy.

Cedrica and friends having lunch on board, Nissan island

Every sailing family that writes a blog ends up with an entry on their childrens’ socialisation. This is probably to answer the queries and concerns that we encounter from that other life, the folks back in our home countries, gently questioning about how sailing kids might feel lonesome at sea. We’d always thought of ‘kid boats’ as being a group that didn’t quite yet include us, as we fell more into the ‘sailing with a baby / babies’ category. Kid boats often buddy-boat up and sail together for a season or so. They cluster together in favourite anchorages to have beach parties and go out in their dinghies on snorkelling expeditions together.

Rocket and Cedrica

Up until now, with our little ones being just so very little, their social engagements and adventures were somewhat just tacked onto what we ourselves were doing. But, this last year, things are most definitely changing.

Walking (or being carried) back from Cedrica’s house, Nissan island

Rocket has always made friends quickly. In New Zealand she had a close pal in every place we spent time. There’s Olive, her best friend in Wellington, Adam, she played with in Whangarei, and Taylor, who she adored in Opua. She revelled in the similarities she had with other boat children on the boats Carpe Diem, Fluenta and Field Trip, that we’ve been lucky enough to have fun reuniting with this year, after we all split off for different Pacific and SE Asia explorations.

Swimming and a picnic, Nissan island

But, I suppose what I’ve most delighted in is her ability to chum up with so many different children of different ages, languages and backgrounds, in every little island and village that has studded our route through to Indonesia.

Rocket shares her love of drawing with her new Nissan island friends

The aforementioned Cedrica, in Nissan island, Papua New Guinea, was instantly adopted by Rocket and, though they shared very few common words, they were able to bond through play, drawing, swimming and sharing food.

Rocket and Luisa, Kavieng, New Ireland

In Kavieng Rocket chooses five year old Luisa, at Nusa island, as her special person, and they play sandcastles on the shoreline. They get Indigo to join in with the game they invent of throwing floating coconuts far out of their reach and swimming out after them in the shallows.

Roberta, Alison and Neeiama join Rocket for a movie – Luf island, Hermit islands

It’s very relaxing pottering around ashore on these islands. With no roads or cars we can experience total ease in letting our small fry scramble round and explore, being led or picked up by the friendly village children. It’s lovely to allow them the freedom of being able to dictate where we wander, who they engage with and how long we spend there.

A village walk with friends, Luf island, Hermit islands

 

Rocket enjoying some drawing at the school on Luf island, Hermit islands

Luf island, in the Hermit islands atoll, has a little school that Rocket attends for a day. There’s a seven year old girl called Roberta that she takes a shine to here. She’s tall for her age and has a gentle manner, which even little Indi responds to. Then there’s Jennifer on Longan island, in the Ninigos, who bestows sweet handmade necklaces onto her. But, such friendships are at the constant mercy of the weather, and when the wind picks up allowing us to sail on to the next island group the inevitable goodbyes ensue.

Rocket and Roberta – Luf island, Hermit islands

So no, I don’t think anyone need be worried about our little ones ever feeling lonely. Besides, the big bonus of having a brother or a sister onboard is that there’s always a playmate at hand.

Let’s chase Indi! Longan island, Ninigo islands