Mar 23 – Apr 5 | $4950
This trip is a blue water passage with a route that crosses the equator. We’ll toast to Neptune and any pollywogs will now be shellbacks underway! There will be a bit of time to explore the jungles nearby the marina in Panama before setting off. Get a good dose of green with monkeys and sloths before then endless stretch of blue horizon. There will be a bit of time in the schedule to explore San Cristobal when we arrive, but if you’re keen to really see the Galapagos in depth, you should plan a few days after departure from Sea Dragon.
All meals on board Sea Dragon are delicious and vegetarian, with the addition of fish if we catch any along the way.
This is not a trip for the infirm or physically unfit – you MUST be able to go up and down the companionway and move safely about the boat while in rough conditions, have good balance, and be in reasonably good health. Please contact us with any health questions or if you answer “YES” to any of the questions on our health questionnaire prior to signing up for the trip!
Ardent Training is offering a significant discount on the RYA Day Skipper Theory online course to anyone signed up for this trip. If you’re interested in taking the course, let us know when you sign up and we can give you the discount code!
KEY POINTS
- Distance: 900 nautical miles
- Cost: $4950
- Date: Mar 23 – Apr 5, 2024 (14 Days, 13 Nights)
- Start: Shelter Bay Marina, Colon, Panama
- End: San Cristobal Island, Galapagos
For more details, please explore the drop down menus at the bottom of the page.
Tentative Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Panama
Plan to arrive at Shelter Bay Marina at 1600. We’ll get right to crew and boat introductions, with the evening to settle in. We’ll spend the night alongside at the dock.
Day 2: Safety/Briefings
We’ll spend today going further into safety and boat briefings and getting Sea Dragon ready for the passage. There will be a bit of free time to explore nearby the marina. Spend the night on the dock.
Day 3: Set sail to Galapagos
Today we’ll slip lines and hoist sails! Next stop San Cristobal Island, roughly 900NM away.
Day 4-8: Underway
We’ll settle into the watch rotation and find the rhythm of life at sea. No two days will be the same and we’ll keep our eyes on the horizon for wildlife coming to visit us along the way. There will be time to dabble in celestial navigation, sit back with a good book, and get to know your fellow crew members.
Day 9: Arrive San Cristobal
Land Ho! After that endless horizon, San Cristobal will pop up beckoning the shellbacks of the sea. Time to anchor, clear customs and immigration and have a wander on shore. We’ll spend the night on anchor.
Day 10-13: Explore Galapagos
While there will not be any formal excursions pre planned, there will be ample time and opportunity to explore in whatever way you choose. More than likely some of your fellow crew members will want to do things together as well. Take a bike ride down the volcano, dive/snorkel with a local operator, and much more! Spend these nights on anchor. There is a water taxi that lets you come and go from Sea Dragon as you please.
Day 14: Departure in San Cristobal
You’ll need to plan to leave Sea Dragon by 1000.
Sign Up Now
The deposit is only $500. It’s non refundable if you back out, but if we cancel or modify the trip we are happy to return your money or apply it to a different voyage. Please review the Crew Contract for full details. The remaining balance is due 60 days before the trip begins. Please contact us with any questions.
Contact Us
Call Us: +1 (305) 330-4212 (Pacific Time) If we don’t pick up, please leave a message and we’ll get back to you ASAP.
– 13 nights accommodation on Sea Dragon
– All meals (vegetarian), snacks, and drinks on board
– Sailing Instruction
– Safety equipment and foul weather gear
– Mask, fins, snorkels
– Use of inflatable paddle boards
Contribution does not include:
– Transportation to Shelter Bay Marina and from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno in San Cristobal.
– Transportation from Toucumen International Airport (PTY) in Panama or to San Cristobal Airport (SCY).
– Additional nights spent ashore
– Personal expenses while in port
It will be a warm trip! Take a look at our Tropical packing list.
Tocumen Internacional Airport Panama (PTY) is about a 20 min taxi from Panama City. San Cristobal Airport (SCY) is a short taxi from the anchorage.
All Crew members are responsible for their own passports and any necessary visas. You must have at least 6 months remaining on your passport beyond our arrival in the Panama.
Please look into the specific type of visa you need for arriving at these destinations by sea, or contact us directly to discuss.
Holly first started sailing at 19 on what she had thought was a “once-in-a-lifetime” passage from Plymouth, UK, to La Coruna, Spain with a youth sail training organization, but during the voyage she became totally invested in a life at sea. She volunteered for that charity for a few years before becoming a full-time sailor in 2015. Since then she has worked for similar charities around the UK, all of which specialize in providing valuable experiences for vulnerable or disadvantaged young people, and also instructs adults on adventurous coastal and offshore trips anywhere from arctic Svalbard to the Caribbean – with some of the ocean crossings being undertaken by celestial navigation only. Holly has been fortunate enough to sail on Sea Dragon several times in the last 8 years: on eXXpedition voyages researching the prevalence of oceanic plastic pollution from Senegal to Guyana, in the Caribbean, and around Britain, and most recently across the Pacific from Mexico to Tahiti in 2023. Holly is a Yachtmaster Instructor, and holds Yachtmaster Ocean with commercial endorsement and Proficiency in Medical Care certificates. She has sailed 65,000+nm.
Abi Davies, First Mate
Abi grew up in Dorset, UK and exhibited a passion for all things sport and outdoors early on, spending most non school time playing/competing in various sports or being outside along the SW Coastline. Having completed her BSc in Geophysics at the University of Liverpool and an MSc in Exploration Geophysics at the University of Leeds, she decided to join the RAF to seek more adventure. Initially joining as a Fighter Controller, she changed branches to become a Communications and Networks Engineer and has deployed on various operations and exercises, giving her a breadth of experience in different high stress environments. During her time in the RAF she has represented the service in volleyball, athletics, bobsleigh, waterskiing/ wakeboarding… and sailing, both racing and on expeditions. The most memorable expedition was sailing from Iceland to Greenland, having to navigate huge icebergs/shelves and experiencing midnight sunsets. In 2023 she sailed with Sea Dragon from Hawaii to Tahiti via Kiritimati, which was the final confirmation needed to pause the military and pursue life as a professional sailor. Abi holds a commercially endorsed YM Offshore ticket and MCA Medical First Aid qualification.
