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biggest catch sailing across pacific

Biggest Catch Yet & We Almost Sink The Drone (Sailing Across The Pacific)

We’ve been at sea for over twenty days now and we’re down to the last few hundred nautical miles. It’s our last days at sea and we can almost smell land.

Knowing we’re on the home stretch gives us a heightened awareness of the journey we’re on and puts us in an introspective frame of mind.

We diagnose our engine problem, almost sink the drone and a colossal catch steals the day.  Join us for days twenty through twenty-three as we sail across the Pacific Ocean making our way to French Polynesia.

I still don’t know which move impressed me most.  Jason gaffing that fish like he had done it a thousand times before or swooping in like superman to bring home the drone.  The smooth downwind sailing really agrees with him.  Well, that and knowing there’s only “one” more day to go (as long as the wind cooperates).

sailing across the pacific ocean

sailing across the pacific ocean

biggest catch sailing across pacific

sailing across the pacific ocean

sailing across the pacific ocean

Portable Nav Station You Say?

You’ve seen us talk about using our ipad as a portable nav a few times now and I’ve gotten a lot of questions about it. I won’t dive into all the details, but I don’t want to leave all the inquiring minds hangin’.

The wonderful world of technology and connected devices is infiltrating the marine world.  While Garmin certainly isn’t the only one with options to connect other devices, they make a lot of extra-cool gadgets.  It’s one of the big reasons we choose Garmin when replacing our nav gear on Curiosity.

We can connect our phone, tablet, smartwatch and our new camera all to our chartplotter using the built-in apps.  With the ActiveCaptain app we can mirror our chartplotter and we can control everything the same as if we were at the helm.  Plus, we can plan and view routes on our phone or ipad anytime, anywhere, and the information transfers as soon as we connect to our helm. This comes in handy when we’re at the local watering hole and a fellow sailor wants to share all their fave anchoring and SCUBA diving spots.  Our charts are always with us.

And since I mentioned charts…  I feel its important to say, we don’t only use Garmin charts.  We also use Navionics charts on our mobile devices.  We actively use and check both…backup & secondary charts in sketchy reef-laden areas is a must!

Gear Used In This Video

Sailing Report

sailing across the pacific ocean tracking map

We use our Garmin InReach to track our sail and send updates to family & Patreons.  We take a screen capture every day at 5:30pm, because that marks another 24hrs logged for our sail across the Pacific.  It’s a fun way to follow along in real time and hear what’s happening on board.  This video covers May 13-17, 2018.  Here is the screen capture from May 17th.  The little dots share real-time trip info and the little message pop-up is us writing to the people following along from home.

 

Hello there! I honestly don’t know what to say, so I am going to tell you a bunch of random facts instead. I'm a fish eating vegetarian who hates spiders and loves snakes. I almost never took vacations growing up. I wanted to be Pippi Longstocking (still do). I misspell about every other word I write and still struggle with grammar. I love splurging on a good high tea (which is really hard to find these days). And whatever you do, don’t tell me I can’t do something, because then I'll HAVE to do it!

Comments (42)

  • norman

    re-watched video 11/7/19. Watching Curiosity from the drone view against the vast ocean with that beautiful spinnaker was great! love that you caught the spearfish and noted that you both must have a selection of sunglasses on board!

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  • Michael

    Absolutely great aerial views. Thanks so much.

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  • Joseph Diaz

    LOL you know there’s a certain trick to finding one person in your life you can hang around and not feel like you want to kill them all the time. I think it’s called love and it’s very apparent to me after watching these videos you guys have committed to each other. I like it!

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  • Doreen Colnaghi

    To see your sailboat as a tiny dot in a giant ocean! Makes me shiver all the more. Nikki, I love you but I want to hate you as I watch you do everything, down to filleting a fish! LOL. Just hoping my husband doesn’t expect more from me! I loved the way you cooked the potatoes in the griddler, never thought of it, but it gets both sides. I was wondering how you still had a tomato fresh enough to eat that many days out? Your meals always look so good and healthy. The dolphins were so cool. Glad you made it to land, we worried about you this whole time. Stay safe, happy and healthy!

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  • Kudos to you both for completing your crossing without going crazy or killing each other. I am living your journey vicariously, so keep it up!

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  • Ernie

    Great job guys! I don’t think I could do what you’ve accomplished. My respect for you has gone up 10 fold. The longest I’ve been way out at sea with no land in sight was 11days by myself and it can give you an eerie feeling so congrats on this long passage!

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  • Bernard Schaer

    Another great and exciting video! Thank you guys! Would’ve loved to see you filet that fish Nikki! Great drone footage you two. Stay true and be well. Bernard

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  • Del V

    I’ve been following your adventures for awhile, and this passage has earned respect from me.
    It’s quite an accomplishment and courageous of you two to take it on.
    Noticing the flat horizon in your videos and I can’t help but wonder if you’ve ever noticed any evidence of curvature?
    (c;

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  • Alan Solomon

    Thanks for another terrific video. The blue of the Ocean is so deep in contrast to a white Curiosity. The drone footage really captured the color, the action and the continuous dream you experience that I enjoy week after week after week, not just me but, for all of us according to the other reply’s.
    Just because you are in the middle of the deep blue Sea you still eat better than I eat. I know you have oodles of time on your hands but, your cooking looks amazing or as someone else mentioned ahhhmmaaazzzing!! I am sure it tastes better than it looks.
    I am a Wildlife and Animal lover. Nothing compares to the Spearfish you caught for me, for I am not a seaman yet but, you way deserve that fish. It must have been in the stars above or maybe the troll inside the Spinnaker that was good luck. I could write about this video for hours. You both and those Awesome kitties put numerous smiles on my face every Sunday night.
    Thank you, Safety First Always….

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  • Sally Crawley

    We have been watching faithfully, love this whole adventure you are on, from the beginning it truly has been amazing. I was excited to see all the videos and all the places you have embark on, kinda miss seeing your travel companions, those were fun to watch and it was nice getting to know them too. I know this has been a long solo journey for you two, but by now I know you made it…yeah!!. So we will be watching until then enjoy. Ben and Sally

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  • Gene

    Great, Jason you finally got a fish! Your ok in my book. Great job Nikki fulfilled that fish.. what a girl.. I’m More interested in your trip now. Keep that pole out there fishing. Would be fun to meet up with you sometime.. be safe.. let me know if you got this

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  • Joy Gross

    That is so freaking awesome you caught that monster Spearfish. You guys are awesome and I am so excited that you are actually on land as I type this and getting much needed rest The grind is real ?? You truly are so amazing and I always wait with excitement to see how you are doing, how far you have gotten. I hope you both understand how huge this undertaking is. I love how real you are ❤️

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  • Deborah Kerr

    I loved that beautiful drone footage!! And the puppet show!! lol
    You both have such a good attitude about life and even when things break and go wrong… you just roll with the punches! Keep smiling!! 🙂

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  • Jimbo

    Singing spinnaker troll, or a projection of Jason after he touched that positive wire to the starter? ???

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  • Laura Pitre

    My husband and I and our two cats are going through the Panama Canal to French Polynesia early 2019. Can you please tell me how hard it was to get all the paperwork, etc for the cats? It would be a great help to hear it from someone who’s done it.
    Thank You in advance.
    We love your videos!!

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  • Sandra & the 2 Spaniels

    I always look forward to Sundays and a new video. This one was just bonus! Actually, I would have loved to see Nikki gutting the fish. I’d like some instruction. Please tell me that you are working on that cookbook! Thos spanish potatoes looked amazing and your fish steaks looked browned but juicy. Can’t wait for the recipes!!

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  • Roger B

    Do another drone proximity sensor failure flight video. That was an exciting catch. I mean the swordfish catch.

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  • Susanne

    SO Thrilled you’re about to reach your destination. Been following since Day 1 & all the prep. You two are SO AMAZING!!!
    But dying to know which Port you will sail into first??? Did I miss something???

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    • Curious Minion

      Hey Susanne. It was written at the bottom of the video but easy to miss. The first port of call is Hiva Oa in the Marquesas Islands FP.

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  • Bill

    Hey Jason, How about a large butterfly net to catch the drone. Could prove to be more affective than the fingers etting hurt. Great videos of your trip.
    Thank you

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  • Paul B

    Congratulations on landing that spearfish! Am I understanding correctly? Are you posting from the middle of the ocean? Amazing!

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    • Curious Minion

      The videos are always several weeks behind real life. They cannot upload these videos over satellite at sea.

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  • Carrie

    Up here in cold-weather Canada, your videos are the best medicine for our soul. Our whole family adores you all (Jason, Nikki, Cleo and Singa) very much! Thank you for all that you do to show us your adventures and for your honesty and explanations. We really appreciate all the hard work you put in to make the videos incredibly beautiful.

    Us seeing the blueness of the ocean water, all the sunshine, and your gorgeous smiles (you all are so gorgeous; cats included) lifts our spirits as we battle an early winter and dark continual days here. Your blueberry coffee cake recipe is a hit with us and we toast you all every time we enjoy another slice and when we light candles for light and heat, we say a prayer for your safety and continual good health. You have taught us how important it is to stop and enjoy the moment, especially relaxing before the splendour of a sunset with our loved ones. We all look forward to seeing when you head to the bow to watch the sunsets together on Curiosity. The love you have for each other is awe-inspiring to witness. Thank you for reminding us how beautiful true-love and nature are.

    Please know how much you all are loved and appreciated by us all, all over the globe. More recipes please, when you have time! Thank you! We would love to know what salad/veggie dressings that you make. And some of your fancy drink cocktails too! Perhaps a recipe book in the future??! We would buy a copy.

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  • Pam McClure

    First, yes I did appreciate the drone footage. What a perspective. Second, Jason your words and presentation are wonderful. Nikki too. Third, thanks for not showing the real part of taking apart the fish. I’m a weenie. And last, thank you so much for all of these films. I’m proud to be a Patreon.

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  • Steve Blanck

    Remember “You catch it, you eat it, you eat it!!”

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  • David Hobson

    Jason and Nikki,
    My name is David Hobson and i am 66 years old. I am so proud of you two for your courage and determination in all that you have done. I have followed you since you made your trip to Alaska in your RV. For y’all to give up the life you had RVing and go full throttle in your sailing adventure is mind boggling to me. Your story telling and images are inspiring. I feel so much like I am living my life through your adventures. I pray always for your safety and I can tell for sure God has blessed your marriage. If you ever get back to Texas, my family and I live in Killeen, Texas just 60 miles north of Austin and we would love to meet you. I must tell you though, I prefer to watch your RV experiences as I learned so much from you two. There is no way I will ever get on the water like you brave souls but I am willing to hit the open road you have shown.

    May God Bless a keep you safe,
    David Hobson

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  • Tev

    You can say it–accomplishment! It’s something you’ve done and succeeded at so own it. Jason, don’t apologize for being real. Who needs poetry and we definitely don’t need acting. You and Nikki both just express your feelings and it’s what each of us might also feel so that’s why we all relate to you both. Keep doing just that. Looking forward to all your adventures in French Poly.

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  • Jerry Merrifield

    We live vicariously watching your adventures. Please continue sending the videos and don’t fret the dialogue it’s perfect. We can’t wait to see you reach land . Thank you and save passage.

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  • Jack Nelson

    I remember watching the episode of house hunters when you got the RV. You two really and truly are living the dream. Prayers are with you for a safe journey.

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    • Roger B

      The program was named “Going RV” and I have a saved episode on the DVR which I go back to occasionally to remind me of when they bought their first RV. Boy they’ve come a long way.

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  • Nancy Kerry

    Congratulations to you both!! Been following you for years. I have been mama-worried for you this crossing and often prayed for you, sent you good wishes and vibes and I presume you have likely arrived to Hiva OA Island by the time you get this…. it’s an amazing accomplishment! Ahhhhmazing. Congratulations.

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  • Nikki you are fantastic , Jason you are one fortunate guy to have such great lagy with you , she is definitely a keeper . You two are doing what many dream of doing so keep your spirits high and have fun .

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  • Yona Edwards

    Great stuff guys. I’m always looking forward to your next video. You guys always seem to make me smile which is a good thing. I’m here with my five dogs and some cats in Kentucky next to Lake Cumberland and I really get a lot out of your guys videos. I’m a 68 year old guy who really enjoys nature. I live in the Daniel Boone National Forest literally. So anyway, Nikki I think you’re an old soul, and I don’t think Jason’s quite as old but not particularly new. I’ll finish with this I think you guys are really blessed and are seeing the bigger picture. How cool is that, that’s awesome thanks for all you do.

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