This one was inspired by our night sail through the Tuamotus in the Pacific in 2017. I was super happy to see the dawn that day. It was a really stressful night watch for me- lots of wind, invisible islands and reefs, strong currents, confused seas with waves from all directions and a very wet cockpit with the occasional drenching for me. Dietmar slept like a baby while I saltily chewed my lip on deck.

We had planned our passage so that we would arrive in Tahiti by daylight, but this meant either sailing all the way around the outside of the Tuamotus (a cluster of tiny little atolls that are barely visible above the water), adding 150 miles to our journey, or picking a path through the middle. In the dark. We chose the latter. It seemed like a perfectly plausible idea while we were planning in the daylight.

By night, things looked and sounded very different. It was absolutely pitch dark, we had winds up to force 8 and I could hear the waves breaking over the reefs, able only to judge by the volume how far away that might be. I knew the charts were not 100% reliable so my every sense was straining for 6 hours or so. I normally love the night watch but this one was a challenge.

We made it (obviously) and without a scrape. I have never been so happy to see that beautiful golden orb rise above a silvery, tormented ocean.

Oil on box canvas, 15cm x 15cm

Framing available - please message me.