Its taken five days to traverse the 2365 nautical miles between Honolulu and Papeete, Tahiti. And as we tipped over the equator, back into the Southern Hemisphere, the days became muggier and the howling winds rather than abating appeared to howl louder.

With day after day of nothing but endless blue ocean visible from our cabin’s balcony, the vastness and emptiness of the Pacific Ocean are made well clear. A point highlighted when I find myself excitingly yelling to Darryl on day four – “...