Apr 12 – May 17 | $7950
Join us as we sail a less traditional route into the South Pacific. We will spend the first few days in Galapagos, going through safety and boat briefings, before setting sail and embracing life of the endless horizon. This trip covers serious miles and is a true trip of exploration and blue water passage making. Our first stop will be Pitcairn Island, where we’ll anchor in Bounty Bay. Sea Dragon visited here in 2012 and we’re looking forward to returning. The second stop will be in the Gambier Islands of French Polynesia, where we’ll anchor off Rikitea. We’ll then sail to our final port of Papeete in Tahiti.
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 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: 3900 nautical miles
- Cost: $7950
- Date: Apr 12 – May 17, 2024 (36 Days, 35 Nights)
- Start: San Cristobal Island, Galapagos
- End: Papeete, Tahiti
For more details, please explore the drop down menus at the bottom of the page.
Tentative Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive San Cristobal Island
Please plan to board Sea Dragon at 1500 on April 12th. One of our crew will be on shore to direct you to the water taxi to take out to the boat on anchor. Everyone will start to settle in and start to get to know one another and Sea Dragon. Initial briefings for life on board. Spend the night on anchor.
Day 2-3: Safety/Briefings and Exploration
We’ll take the next couple days to go through the extensive safety/boat briefings and passage prep, as well as having some free time to explore ashore and have a last meal out if you like, before heading off to sea. Spend these nights at anchor.
Day 4: Set sail for Pitcairn (2700NM)
We’ll pick anchor and set sail. Next stop, Bounty Bay!
Day 5-21: Underway
Life at sea will take form and we’ll find the rhythm in it all. We’ll fall into the watch schedule, live sunrise to sunset to sunrise. We’ve got 2700NM to cover and everyday will be different. The Pacific is known for spectacular sunsets!
Day 22: Arrive Pitcairn
After an endless horizon, we’ll call Land Ho, with Pitcairn rising out of the sea getting bigger as we approach. We’ll anchor and check in to get clearance to this incredibly special stop in a place you can only get to by sea.
Day 23-24: Pitcairn
Day 25: Set sail for Gambier (290NM)
After a few days at anchor, we’ll set sail once again, but this time for a much shorter passage, to the Gambier Islands.
Day 26: Underway
We’ll settle right back into the watch rotation and spotting wildlife as we cover the 290NM to our next stop.
Day 27: Arrive Gambier
We’ll anchor off of the town of Rikitea. This will be a much different anchorage than Bounty Bay on Pitcairn! Much more mellow, protected and South Pacific postcard material. Spend the night on anchor.
Day 28-29: Gambier
There will be time to do as you please. Explore the town, take a hike, go snorkeling, take an island tour by boat with local operator, and much more. Spend the nights on anchor.
Day 30: Set sail for Tahiti (890NM)
It will be time to get underway for the last passage of the trip, as we sail to our final port of Papeete.
Day 31-34: Underway
This passage is 890NM of gorgeous sailing.
Day 35: Arrive Tahiti
The luscious hillsides and colorful waters will greet us at we make our way to Marina Taina.
Day 36: Depart in Tahiti
You will need to plan to leave Sea Dragon by 10AM on the 17th.
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.
– 35 nights accommodation on Sea Dragon
– All meals (vegetarian), snacks, and drinks on board
– Sailing Instruction
– Safety equipment and foul weather gear
– Use of paddle boards in port
– Mask, snorkel, fins
Contribution does not include:
– Transportation to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno Harbor or from Papeete Marina.
– Transportation from San Cristobal Airport (SCY) or to Faa’a International Airport (PPT) in Tahiti.
– Additional nights spent ashore
– Personal expenses while in port
It will be warm and the sun will be strong! Take a look at our Tropical packing list.
Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, where Sea Dragon will be anchored, is only a few minutes drive from San Cristobal Airport (SCY). Faa’a International Airport (PPT) in Tahiti is a 10 min taxi from Marina Taina, where Sea Dragon will be docked.
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 the end date of the trip.
Please look into the specific type of visa you need for arriving at these destinations by sea and 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.
