Seventeen days on a (not so leaky) boat

Mare Pacificum, the Latin name for the Pacific Ocean, means peaceful ocean. Calm and peaceful conditions on the sea are what I'm hoping for when I set sail from Kiritmati Island - a coral atoll in a far flung corner of the Pacific - on a trip that will lead me up the remote Line Islands then across enough open sea to make me feel a little nervous, with the end destination being sunny Hawai'i - aloha!

Kiritimati Island is the largest coral atoll in the world. Photo: dxing.at-communication.com 

Leaving tomorrow, it'll be a 28 day trip altogether, with the first few days to acclimatise (yes, that's what I'm telling myself!) in Fiji, before flying to Kiritmati Island on June 14. I'll be spending a week on Hawai'i after arriving on the boat on June 30.


But what the frick are you doing? I can hear you asking. Well, back in February I got a little excited and decided it would be a good idea to invest all the pennies I've saved since starting work as a graduate journalist, in this 17 day trip. I'm going as crew on 72-foot yacht Sea dragon, which has been making its way around the world on a research expedition surveying the state of our oceans and their islands. Click here to find out exactly what the boat will be researching...

Satellite image of Kiritmati Island.

Photo: Oceandots.com

I must admit I'm a little nervous about the whole trip. The thought of so much ocean slightly scares me, and I'm not even sure if I get seasick (I know, slight issue). But I guess there's no point in worrying.


Along the way I plan to blog about my experiences. The hope is that I can convey the issues - such as plastic pollution and overfishing - that Sea Dragon and its crew are exploring, in a way that makes it relevant and interesting to everyone back home.


The republic of Kiribati straddles the equator - it's the only country in the world to lie across the north, south, east and west hemispheres. Photo: www.climate.gov.ki

When I think about all the sea I'll be covering, I feel like a tiny little drop in the ocean. But sometimes its the small things that make a difference - every drop counts towards creating a consciousness of the issues our oceans face. Keep checking in to this blog for updates about the trip; for interviews, photos, and research info; and to find out if I actually do get seasick... I really hope not!