Sailing across the largest ocean in the world certainly sounds like a daunting endeavor - and at the right latitudes and wrong time of year, I'm sure it certainly is - however a tradewind ride across the tropics is actually rather pleasant. The winds stay at your back, and all the conditions predicted by our cruising guide came true: a fast shot to the Marquesas; squalls in the Tongan Trench; and blustery winter trades in the Coral Sea. Our route is commonly known as the 'Coconut Milk Run,' and is one of the easiest paths across any ocean.
A progressive visit through the islands of the South Pacific gave an insightful glimpse into the history of human migration. Polynesians settled the islands west to east, and each island culture developed in relative isolation with rather recent, common roots. Tracing this path backwards allowed us to notice trends and commonalities across language, food, and music.
Contrasts between European exploration and colonization attempts are also evident. French Polynesia, American Samoa, Samoa (formerly German), and Fiji (British Commonwealth) all have different political atmospheres nowadays - each owing itself to the residual impact of colonialism.
World War II left its mark on the South Pacific as well. Although much of the fighting occurred north of our route, Japanese and Allied forces jostled for many of the South Pacific Islands, each seen as a toehold for advancing towards the other's territory. We visited batteries built to guard the port entrances on Bora Bora and American Samoa, and we saw an impressive array of historical military equipment on Vanuatu.
At the far end of the ocean, we landed on our first continental landmass since Central America: Australia. Our hop north through the beautiful Great Barrier Reef and Australia's deserted north Queensland coast has been like a farewell party at an office job: enjoyable, fun, pleasant, yet bittersweet. We're saying goodbye to most of the other cruising sailboats (many of our friends will remain in the Pacific for several more seasons), the familiar routine of crossings broken up by island anchorages will cease (in favor of more land-based exploration), and the view from the window will change (for better or for worse). However, in the end, we're leaving the Pacific Ocean for the same reasons one leaves an established job - to chase new opportunities, to seek new adventures, and to explore new environments.
Southeast Asia, here we come.