With an initial goal of 20 days at sea, the Aqua Fox crew set sail. With a bit of work and help from the wind, they made it in 18 days. That long on the open sea gives you plenty of time for contemplation, along with some potential starvation and aggravation. Things started off rough and choppy, but to quote the Captain of the Aqua Fox: “The enemy of adventure are the comforts of home”. The crew has come to learn that we can, in fact, do hard things.
During this part of the journey it’s important to keep the mind occupied. Especially with children, you need a few activities planned. One recommended activity is audiobooks. Specifically from the Captain, “The Road” from Cormac McCarthy. He speaks on the book a bit in his journal regarding survival in an apocalyptic setting and how the crew would fare if the world came to an end. A determining factor: would they catch enough fish? With their first Bonito in the bag, the fish were starting to come in.
Day 10 at sea. The Aqua Fox is in it’s most remote location during the entire journey. Land is farther away than any point during the rest of their journey. For reference, they were around 1000 miles north of Point Nemo, the most remote location on earth. On average, the boats traveled at 20 mph. Imagine driving slowly in a truck over large speed bumps at a diagonal… for days on end.
The beautiful views keep things worthwhile. One passenger’s favorite thing to enjoy was the Bioluminescence at night, which came consistently and rode the waves along with them. On days 16-17 the sea started to calm down, and eventually on day 18 they arrived at the Marquesas!
First stop, Nuka Hiva! Here they were able to visit tiki ruins, enjoy star fruit, and even witness a welcoming committee for a cruise ship. Aqua Fox visited Controller’s Bay, picked up veggies from a local market, and went to church on Easter Sunday. In Anaho Bay, they visited a waterfall, and crafted a “swing” from a TrunkTech™ hammock on the boat deck in their down-time. On Ua Poa, they met a German man who makes and sells chocolates, and attempted to swim at a beach, but one shipmate got stung by jellyfish shortly after entering the water. They found a nice local shop with wifi, crepes, and French fries.
Next up: Island Hopping!
