Chasing Horizons: Panama to the Marquesas with Qi

Where dolphins numbered in thousands, rigging tested our resolve, and volcanoes whispered ancient stories.

There are passages you take because the wind is right, and there are passages you take because your soul is ready. Our crossing from Panama to the Galápagos, and onward toward the Marquesas, was a blend of both—equal parts challenge, awe, and pure ocean-borne magic.

Leaving Panama: The First Stretch West

Casting off from Panama always feels like stepping off the edge of a map. The land slips away quickly, and soon enough the skyline is replaced by nothing but rolling blue and the shifting moods of the Pacific. Qi, loyal and steady, settled into her rhythm as we traced the long sweep toward the Galápagos.

But the ocean likes to remind you that she is always in charge.

The Shroud That Snapped

It happened suddenly—a deep metallic crack that shot straight through my spine. The front lower shroud had snapped. One of those things you inspect a thousand times, but the sea finds the one angle, the one gust, the one moment to test your preparedness.

The rig creaked with a nervous tension. We trimmed everything down, babied the remaining shrouds, and made the call every sailor hates:

We would have to motor the rest of the way to the Galápagos.

The engine droned for days, faithful but wearying. Still, we pushed on—knowing safety lay ahead among islands that had called to us for years.

We didn’t know the ocean had a gift waiting, to reward our effort.

The Dolphin Miracle

It began as a shimmer on the horizon—flecks of silver like light bouncing off broken glass. Then the water came alive.

First a hundred. Then hundreds more. And then the unbelievable:

A mega pod of dolphins—literally thousands—swam with us.

We’d never seen so many dolphins. It was like they’d found us and asked us to play

They stretched out in every direction, a living galaxy of motion. They bow-rode, criss-crossed beneath the hull, launched themselves in glittering arcs, and stitched the sea with trails of white foam. The sound of their exhalations—soft, rhythmic, wild—wrapped around us like a blessing.

For over an hour we were part of them, or perhaps they were part of us. Even Qi felt different, as though she too understood the privilege.

It was one of those moments that stamps itself into your memory so fiercely that even decades later, you know the colours, the rhythm, the taste of the air.

Making Landfall: The Galápagos

Reaching the Galápagos felt like washing up on another planet—stranger, older, and somehow wiser than places touched by human hands. We spent our days exploring Isabela and Santa Cruz, each island revealing secrets of the world before time.

Yeah! That’s how I roll! We toured the island on hired bikes. I could see a big dip running across the road, so I braked. hmmm. Straight over the handlebars

Isabela: Walking on Fire and Ash

Isabela, with her raw volcanic heart, holds a power you can feel through the soles of your boots. We hiked the volcanic trail—a stretch of blackened rock and distorted landscapes that look more like the moon than Earth. Steam curled from cracks, lizards scuttled, and the ground beneath us whispered stories in ancient, molten tones.

Isabella is actually the youngest of the islands. Only about 900 000 years old. It was full of wildlife and intriguing landscapes

Santa Cruz: Where the Giants Roam

Santa Cruz gave us an entirely different kind of ancient being:

giant tortoises, as serene as monks and as timeless as the islands themselves.

Walking among them is a reminder that speed is a human obsession. These creatures move with intention, unhurried and unworried, as though they know they’ll outlive most things anyway.

Life at Anchor: Sharks in the Blue

The waters around our boat were alive.

Sometimes too alive.

Sharks circled calmly beneath us—sleek, curious, endlessly present. They glided in lazy loops, sometimes alone, sometimes in small groups, indifferent to our awe. From the deck, looking into the clear water, they appeared like ink drawings drifting across a pale turquoise page.

When I returned with my injuries, Thomas jumped in first to scare the eleven sharks away from me as I jumped in for a soak

They weren’t threatening—just reminders that here, we were visitors, not residents.

Looking Toward the Marquesas

The Galápagos gave us rest, wonder, and a thousand moments to store away. Ahead lay the great blue expanse toward French Polynesia. A crossing many dream of. A crossing that demands respect.

But after everything the ocean had shown us—the dolphins, the challenges, the ancient worlds—we felt ready. Qi was repaired, restored, and eager for open water again.

And so were we.

Our Plea to Neptune as We Crossed the Equator

Oh Neptune, Mighty Neptune,

We call you from the deep,

We apologise in advance,

for disturbing your well earned sleep.

It is we your lowly subjects –

making such a din,

From Deutshland there is Thomas,

and from New Zealand, there is Gaylyn.

We humble ourselves before you,

so your blessings you will give.