Our day began with exactly the kind of excitement that pairs wonderfully with a cup of coffee and absolutely no room for error.

As we entered the first islands and reefs of the Lau Group, the chart and reality decided to have a disagreement. The first couple of islands had apparently wandered a little further east than advertised—at least according to the radar. As for the submerged reef…we will never know, will we? With very limited wiggle room, let’s just say, staying awake wasn’t too hard.

Thankfully, sunrise made up for the elevated heart rate. The Lau Group revealed itself in all its beauty, instantly activating every single one of my exploration genes. Surely we’ll come back one day and explore properly… because that’s what every sailor says while sailing past somewhere spectacular.

Once Mark emerged, we hoisted the spinnaker and finally enjoyed what felt like mythical conditions: downwind sailing! Wind from behind! On this trip! I honestly wasn’t convinced anymore such a thing existed outside sailing magazines.

As the afternoon went on, the breeze slowly built until around 5:00 pm, when we decided the spinnaker had done enough work for one day and deserved a well-earned beauty sleep back in her bag. Out came the double-reefed mainsail and genoa instead.

Mark trusted the forecast. I trusted the view at the sky and a hunch. Our collective gut feeling deserved a medal.

Turns out, our gut was having an excellent day.

The rest of the day was surprisingly productive. First the pirates tackled their schoolwork, then it was my turn.

I crawled through every cupboard, locker and bilge compartment, making a complete inventory of all (!!!) — seriously, ALL (!!!!) — the food we have onboard. Have you ever written down every tiny jar of oregano in your pantry? No? I highly recommend continuing not to. It is a truly absurd exercise.

The only thing I left off the list was THE apple… still proudly sitting in the fridge with a giant countdown hovering above it.

Then came another 25 pages of arrival paperwork because, naturally, paradise requires enough documentation to qualify for a small mortgage.

After dinner I handed the night shift to Mark and grabbed a few hours of sleep.

Or at least I attempted to.

The wind soon after settled into a steady 30knots with stronger gusts on top, while the waves gradually remembered what oceans are capable of. Before long, we were flying along under only the small mainsail.

The wind alarm was set to 32 knots and seemed determined to earn Employee of the Month, reminding us every few minutes that, yes, it was still windy. Between the beeping and the feeling of driving a race car, sleep became more of a suggestion than an activity.

If all went according to plan, we’d arrive at the customs dock at Nawi Island Marina sometime between 3:00 and 4:00 am, hopefully leaving enough time for everyone to get a little rest before beginning the clearing-in process… so no harm done.

The real professionals onboard, however, are the pirates.

Nothing wakes them.

Thirty-five knots? Not a problem.

Boat launching off waves? Lovely.

Wind alarm screaming every few minutes? White noise.

These three simply burrow into their blankets and disappear into dreamland. By breakfast they’ll casually tell us about mountain biking with wolves, flying fighter jets, or some other completely reasonable overnight adventure while we look like we’ve aged five years.

I doubt even starting the engine will interrupt their beauty sleep.

We promised them we’d be safely in the marina by the time they wake up, and I think we’ll actually pull that one off.

Assuming, of course, we first manage to get the mainsail down without pointing into the wind as the waves are a bit crazy right now, thread our way through the entrance channel, and discover whether the promised 24-hour marina assistance actually exists at 3:30 in the morning. I’m choosing cautious optimism… but since the channel is apparently well lit, being disappointed won’t be a biggie.

One final question remains.

Now, if that apple were to mysteriously disappear on the way in… who exactly would get the blame?

Asking for a friend.