Written by: Shelly Brennan

I first met the captains cruising along the main
 street of puerto ayora in the galapagos islands.  their
 friendly faces and intriguing travel tales enticed me
 to learn more about them and their sailboat,
 Spetakkel.  after a few encounters over the next
 couple of weeks amongst the enchanted isles, i managed
 to land the dubious role of 'cook' as part of their
 crew.
 
 I felt immediately at home as i stepped foot aboard
 Spetakkel. an instant rapport amongst us water babies
 maybe?  i am overwhelmed by our backyard, the crystal
 clear water looks different every day, always
 brilliant and always inviting us in for a swim.  our
 maintenance free garden consists of cliffs and
 cacti, real works of art that would look more at home
 on canvas.  our neighbors are great as well, diverse
 and friendly, the sea lions, birds, iguanas and fish
 hangout in harmony and are never noisy after bedtime.
 
 spetakkel brings together beautiful people in
 beautiful places with beautiful energies.  she
 understands the elements of mother nature, rocks us to
 sleep and lends a hand when its time to stir delicious
  meals with her motions.  she’s a springboard for fun,
 water sports galore, a platform for stargazing and a
 maestro of great music.  with a little help from her
 offsider, the dinghy, she makes islets easily
 accessible and secluded spots explorable.  there are
 no time limits, no schedules and no hidden agendas
 with spetakkel.  she allows us to simply be, live and
 experience the magical places she takes us on her big
 blue liquid carpet.
 
 it is fantastic to be amongst people living their
 dreams, rather than just talking about them.
 acknowledging the choices they have made and
 appreciating the opportunities that inevitably follow.
  there is no stress, no blame and no agitation, which
 cannot be easy living in such close quarters, 24/7.
 the relaxed natures of the captains is wonderful to
 witness, working together to overcome situations,
 co-ordinate meetings and repair equipment with ease.
 i am impressed with the responsible way in which they
 regard regulations, codes of conduct and navigational
 safety, all the while maintaining child-like wonder at
 the beauty of the environment that envelops them.
 
 we got chatting one day over a few empanadas and a few
 beers and came to the same conclusion: if we won the
 lottery, we would all be doing the exact same thing in
 the exact same place. with paradise being the location
 of past and future destinations. is it any wonder
 though?
 
 thank you captain daryl, thank you captain kjell and
 thank you spetakkel for your hospitality, warmth,
 love, laughs and the time of my life.  i wish you good
 wind always and look forward to seeing you all again
 someday in this aquatic playground dominating our
 planet.
 
 lots of love,
 shelly from oz.