After a month of exploring the Galapagos and stretching our legs, we were ready to hit the open seas once more. The forecast called for light winds but enough to get us moving. Our friends, S/V Halcyon, were sailing past the Galapagos as we finished loading the boat with fuel, water, and food for what would be our longest passage, crossing more than 3,000 nautical miles of open ocean.

We left the Island of Santa Cruz mid-afternoon with Halcyon 160nm ahead of us. They intentionally slowed down to let us close the distance.

The first day flew by as we were overwhelmed with excitement and anticipation for what lay over the horizon. I was in race mode as I tried to squeeze every tenth of a knot out of Agape that she could give, watching our estimated time to Gambier flicker between 19 and 20 days. None of us napped, and as night fell we all grew tired, but with pent up excitement and nervousness for the long voyage ahead, true sleep eluded us.

Our second and third days were much of the same as we tried to find a balance and rhythm to our new rolly lives. Even though this experience was nothing new to us, the realization that we were becoming further and further from shore, friends, and help set in. By day four we were fully in tune with the boat, the sounds, the movement, and the wind. We had a greater connection to Agape than ever before. I knew, even when dead asleep when the winds had lightened just from the change in the way the water sounded against the hull. Our bodies and minds had already become accustomed to the change in sleep patterns and we now feel fully rested.

Day five through the end of the passage felt like a blur. We would stand our watches, listing to music or audiobooks, watching movies, or talk when others were awake. After a while your mind seems to be slow shut down unnecessary parts, allowing you to sleep for longer and think less. Time becomes infinite as hours blur into days, we quickly lost track of what day of the week it was.

Time on a boat at sea loses all relativity and importance. Our watch schedules and SSB radio nets are our only keepers of a day once ruled by time, schedules, and deadlines. Life on passage is more about trying to pass time than anything else. I become less concerned with boat speed, finding comfort more important. Hearing the buzz of the fishing reel, or another impending line of squalls is the only thing that breaks the monotony. I try to be grateful for an uneventful passage, but the slowly dropping boat speed is adding to the dullness.

I still try to do one thing a day for Agape, one little task to keep the boat happy and try to circumvent any gear failures. Checking for chafe, adjusting the way lines are led, slightly tightening or loosening halyards, adding some grease to the steering bearings, anything that might keep us moving and trouble-free. More miles drift under Agape’s keel on this one passage than ten years of sailing for most boats.

The highlight of our trip was making the crossing with our friends on S/V Halcyon. For 21 of our 27-day passage, we miraculously stayed within VHF range. Not only did we get to talk with them on the radio every day but we could occasionally see their boat on the horizon. Halfway across the Pacific we even got to meet up, sailing so close we could speak without using the radio. We sailed alongside each other for a while talking and laughing about how cool it was to be able to cross an ocean together. We even passed Halcyon fish via a fishing line and they sent back a bag of Snickers!!!

We stayed within 100 nm of each other for the rest of the trip meeting up twice more while becalmed just a few days from Gambier. On these occasions, we had an impromptu abandon ship drill. I couldn’t contain myself, with the sails down and engine off, I jumped from Agape and swam to Halcyon. As soon as Rachel saw this she was in the water and swimming after me. Wilky, not sure what to do, and rightly not wanting to completely set Agape adrift, hesitated until we egged him on and he too swam over to our rendezvous party. We kept a close eye on Agape, making sure to not lose our floating home as the now six of us hugged, laughed, and congratulated each other on coming so far. Not many cruisers can say they have set their boat adrift in the middle of the Pacific!

The next day we did the same thing, just in reverse. The crew of Halcyon swam over to Agape for an afternoon of fun. It was incredible to be able to spend the day with our friends in the middle of the ocean, it was like we were not even making a crossing, just coastal cruising again.

We learned a lot on our crossing, both about boating and ourselves. For me, I learned that schedules and the feeling of productivity, though often taken to the extremes, are healthy and even necessary. When I was home and working I would fill my day with different activities and agendas trying to be as productive and goal-oriented as possible. I did not want to miss out or waste a single second. On our crossing, I think I finally let go of the need to do so much. I rediscovered the joy of sitting and just pondering, reading, or daydreaming as the swells rolled by.

Our passage was filled with light winds and we often found ourselves hoping for more. Agape did great though, even in the light winds, dropping the sails for two days to drift with Halcyon and blowing out our spinnaker, we made the trip in a respectable 26 days.

Crossing the Placid Ocean - 27 days at sea