The start of this leg has been hectic, to say the least. Clearing out of the Galápagos went smoothly. The team was professional and did everything they could to get me on my way quickly, and by around 4:30 or 5:00 in the evening I was finally back on the water and pointed at the open Pacific. Or so I thought.

Not long after departure, I realized the chart plotter was unhappy in a new way. The wind reading jumped to about a thousand knots, which is a bit aggressive for sailing, especially given that the actual wind at the time was closer to three. So began the juggling act, which is the technical term for trying to steer, keep the autopilot engaged, and tear apart electronics simultaneously. Of course, the moment I started pulling things apart, the autopilot also gave up, which led to a fair amount of spinning in circles, drifting, and general light chaos before we got the system back to a good-enough state. Not perfect, but functional. Tahiti will be the place for a proper fix.

I finally got some sleep around midnight. When I woke up I ran into the next problem, which was no internet. I had switched my Starlink to global coverage before leaving, but the connection was not coming back. At first I assumed I was simply too far offshore, so I waited it out. Eventually it became clear something else was going on. So I turned the boat around, back toward land, and sure enough as soon as I was within about twelve miles of the islands the connection came back to life. After digging into the account settings, the issue surfaced. I had switched to global, but the activation was scheduled for March 24, three days from then. Meaning, no internet until then. Less than ideal, mid-ocean. The little detour cost me about eight hours, four out and four back, and that is the thing about turning around at sea. You do not just lose time, you lose double.

With that sorted, I pointed the bow back in the right direction and carried on. Today has been a beautiful day. I spotted a massive turtle gliding through the water, one of those moments that reminds you exactly why you are out here. The fishing lines are out, the sea is calm, and we are motoring through light winds. The batteries are charged, the boat's and mine, and I am happy to be underway again. But I will miss the Galápagos. I met some good people, had a lot of fun, and did some unforgettable diving. It is a place that leaves a mark on you, and I already know I will be back.