Aqualuna - 3000 Miles, 2 Sailors, No Freezer: what ocean sailing is actually like on a blue-water cruising boat

Day 19, Leg 4: Galápagos Islands to Hiva Oa, Marquesas: Our freezer finally decided to throw in the towel a few days before we left the Galápagos Islands and with a terminal diagnosis of dead compressors we had no choice but to completely rethink our meal plan and provisioning strategy for our forthcoming 3000 mile voyage to the Marquesas that we reckoned was going to take us about 3 weeks to complete. In many ways it was a relief: it had been throwing a tantrum for quite a while and we were constantly on tenterhooks as to whether we needed to take a chance for this long leg by relying on it, or whether to provision with fresh, tinned and dry goods. At least now we knew what we were dealing with - and we thanked the gods that it had chosen to die before we left. Because there are just 2. read more...

Aqualuna - Galapagos: Not For The Fainthearted

Galápagos Islands: 17th February - 5th March.  The rollers piling into the shore are awe-inspiring, magnificent, fierce ….. and fearsome. I’ve just commented on exactly this when I realise that the boat has turned to face the shore and the skipper is in fact planning to breach them to enter the lagoon. There is a pause, and the other passengers realise what is happening. The skipper waits - and I feel as if we have stumbled into that Guinness advert with the heartbeat music and the surfers. He stands at the wheel, assesses the rollers, the boat heaving in the swell …. and everyone falls completely silent. The fear is palpable and the skipper watches, turning the boat slowly while he waits for his opportunity. A beat; a pause; and time seems to stop. Then suddenly: he sees his chance! The. read more...

Aqualuna - Aqualuna Turns Into A Stealth Boat

Day 1, Leg 4 Galapagos to Hiva Oa, Marquesa IslandsAfter the excitement of the racing start from the Galapagos yesterday, the sky became blacker over the course of the afternoon. I love the drama of sunshine against dark glowering skies but I also know that out at sea it signals a high probability of rain and squalls. These nasty little weather systems will at best deliver a strong increase in wind - often up to 30+ knots - so we have to be on high alert to shorten sail in plenty of time before we get walloped. At worst they harbour electric storms.Last night it was as black as all hell. Thank god for radar as these beasties show up in glorious technicolour - the deeper the red, the deeper the poo you may be about to experience. As I began the first night watch the radar was. read more...

Aqualuna - Invasion of the Boobies

Day 4 Leg 6: Panama to San Cristobal, Galapagos We have less than 100 miles to run until we make landfall in the Galapagos - and just under 2 hours until we cross the equator. I am BEYOND excited and finding it hard to believe we’re actually here. Ever since watching David Attenborough’s Life on Earth as a child, the Galapagos has been on my bucket list. And now we have sailed all the way from England to see it with our own eyes. I am so proud of us!We are already seeing a lot of wildlife: large dolphins and huge turtles with other World ARC boats reporting whales, spinner dolphins - and even sharks. In our case we have an enormous number of birds with us - and yesterday a red-footed booby (yes I know, less sniggering please) - an actual native of the Galapagos. However, it is. read more...

Aqualuna - The Final Tomato

Leg 2: Santa Marta to Panama via the San Blas Islands - 23rd-30th January 2025. It’s the end of an awesome off-grid week spent laxin’ n’ limin’ round the San Blas Islands but sadly if we stayed much longer we’d probably contract scurvy. The contents of our fridge consist of half an elderly butternut and 3 squidgy onions plus one defiant solitary tomato in the fruit net. We did also have camembert, sour cream and yoghurt but discovered that for some completely unfathomable reason the Colombians, where we provisioned, make all their dairy products “extra salado” and it is so very salty it’s completely inedible ….. so that all went overboard to feed the fishes (which were probably actually the ones we subsequently barbecued. Ah - the circle of life!)We were in fact inundated with. read more...