Today officially marks one week at sea for our Galapagos Glide crew! We have some remarkable human beings on board and its amazing what friendships can be formed after 7 days at sea. A group of total strangers at the beginning of this trip has turned into a strong crew that have weathered highs and lows together, fallen into the flow of life at sea together, and shared this adventure of our lives alongside. Amongst us we have a heart transplant specialist, an ER doctor, a ski patroller and travel guide, someone who helped design the international space station, loving parents, four veterans se ..read more

26th January  We are currently entering day 3 at sea of our trip to the Galapagos Islands. Sea Dragon is feeling great after our refit period, everything’s shiny and working nicely. After so long ashore I was keen to get back to sea, and I think she was too- maybe it’s just the freshly polished and painted hull but she’s definitely leaping through the water much faster than I remember!  We shall miss San Jose, a very sweet, artistic place with some of the friendliest people I have encountered. The crew enjoyed exploring for a couple of days and it has certainly helped them bond as a ..read more

Today marks our 12th day at sea. For most on board this is the longest they’ve been at sea and slowly conversation is turning to what they’re looking forward to on land. The chance for the mind to wander to shore side delights is helped by the lack of wind we’ve been experiencing of late. This crossing of the North Pacific gyre is a bit of a tricky one in terms of tactics. To be honest I’m not sure I’ve played a blinder as the skipper, the engine having to be in use far more than I would wish on a sailing vessel. After a ‘sporty’, as the North Americans would say, shoot north from Hawaii, we w ..read more

Three quick impressions from our 1,300 miles at sea as we approach Kiribati after leaving Honolulu about 11 days ago: First, the sailing. Does this boat smile? It feels like Sea Dragon is giving us a ride intro her playground. She loves 20-25 knot winds and moderate seas. A lot of the smaller boats I’ve sailed would struggle in these conditions but Sea Dragon is just getting started. She is forgiving of newbies. She rolls easily over big swells. And she eats whitecaps like candy. They say sailing is about the journey, not the destination, right? It has to be because it’s quite a journey. But t ..read more

Waikiki Yacht Club, under the soaring glamorous beach front hotels, was our embarkation point. Once briefed, we headed south from Hawaii into remote Pacific. Boobies our only companions at sea for the next 6 days. No other boats in sight. The immenseness of the Pacific became clear, as guided by the Southern Cross we made our passage to Palmyra Atoll -A National Wildlife Monument. We tried to interpret the clouds for signs of land underneath, as the Polynesians did, or smell the land as we approached. And there it was , with waves breaking into the distance, as the Ocean swells met the sand ba ..read more

May 16,2023. First day of the first leg Waikiki to Palmyra Atoll. Winds currently 15 knots off off the beam in a steady sea.  The crew is elated to get off of the dock.  Smiles all around.  We have several hitchhikers on the rail.  I wonder if these birds know we are going to Palmyra?  They choose to fly when Drew takes the helm.  Who can blame them? We had a fish on but broke the leader. It hit on a plain cedar plug, so much for fancy lures.   -Darrin The post Finally Free of Waikiki appeared first on Pangaea Exploration ..read more

April 14, ship’s time (April 15 local Kiribati time). 3am. We’re bobbing along gently in a light breeze this morning, much as we have been doing the last few days. With only a few knots of wind, often coming from dead ahead, we’ve been mostly motor-sailing lately. Occasionally we’ve raised the staysail or unfurled the yankee when the wind picked up hopefully or favorably for a few hours, only to strike them again soon after. Yesterday though we had over an hour of beautiful fast sailing during the morning 6-12 watch. The wind suddenly picked up to 16 knots, Sea Dragon heeled over, and we dance ..read more

The crew of Sea Dragon bonded quickly after coming together in Marina Taina, Tahiti and the impressive level of experience with our fledgling team was immediately apparent. After an initial day of safety briefings and final preparations we fueled up on Thursday 6th April and departed for a brief stop in the stunning anchorage of Cooks Bay, Moorea. A welcome swim in the vibrant green waters provided well needed respite from the humidity of the tropics and as the new team formed so the sounds of laughter and chatter resonated throughout the boat. Departing for passage was a little more entertain ..read more

After spending several weeks in the middle of the Pacific, the crew has found a new appreciation for the vastness of the world’s largest ocean. Without the hustle and bustle and dramas of land life we have learned to live simply and become creative with our entertainment. We are now overly excited by any signs of life that we encounter, completely mesmerized by watching flying fish glide across the water and utterly captivated by sightings of birds soaring around us. Eager to make bird friends, one morning many hours were spent singing to the boobies circling our mast encouraging them to “come ..read more

Our journey south towards Tahiti has started off far less sporty and splashy than our departure from Oahu. However, less wind has converted the cabin to a sauna with the sweet pungency of fruit beginning to rot with a mixture of body odors and a dash of salt. To add to the sweatbox, we have recently opened for business as the worlds best floating bakery with five star views of the middle of the pacific. We are pumping out the best baked goods for thousands of miles with an average of two tasty treats a day. Some honorable mentions include brownies, lemon tart, tropical loaf, blueberry muffins ..read more