Amazon Expedition – Day 15

Blog written by Shaya

Every single night aboard the Pangaea is an unforgettable experience! For 15 days we have slept in places we never dreamt of sleeping in. From the sail bag, to the bow under the stars, every night lets you drift off into a profound magical sleep surrounded by dark water and jungle; that is when sleep finally hits you because this expedition is way better than any wild dream and everyone fights hard to stay awake in order to experience every minute to the fullest.

This morning, however, was slightly different, as this night had set place to our first watches. Waking up at 3.30 am in the complete darkness of the Rio Negro is unreal! Surprisingly you find yourself wanting to wake up and learn all about the radars, barometers and the rest of the tools that make Pangaea advance smoothly downstream.

After a few hours of sleep after the watches, it was back to sailing, When Mike Horn wants a sail hoisted, he wants it done fast! When we hear “hoist the main sail” the boat scatters into a buzz of excitement as we progressively see the main sail get closer to the top with our efforts.

One of the most important things we have learned through sailing is precision. Any uncalculated movement could lead to damage for the boat. It is through teamwork that we achieve this precision and it is always with a sense of achievement that we proudly see this enormous sail blow with the wind. Rapidly our boat becomes alive!

On deck as the wind blows through our hair and the sun kisses our skin, we still have trouble believing this journey is not a dream. Everyday we push our personal barriers and try new things. Each night we go to sleep excited about the surprise tomorrow holds!