We’re in the final stretch of sailing with our flailing steering system. Just 250 miles stand between us and our much awaited steering refit, but we’re unwilling to face a Maramu hurling 14-foot waves on our rudders.

Sailing around the world it’s best to have specific sails for different sailing conditions. We have struggled to sail deep downwind but today we’re launching our new winged spinnaker and it is proving to be an absolute game changer.

Cyclone season has begun in French Polynesia and we need to sail 1,000 nm east upwind against the trade winds to get to the safety of the Marquesas.

Sailing flat water lagoons, diving with sharks, admiring beautiful coral, wandering pink sand beaches, eating from the land and sea; our time sailing the Tuamotus has been amazing and these islands are quite possibly our favorite cruising destination yet. But it seems we’ve tempted fate and lingered in paradise a bit too long…