After Nick and Julie reached Barbados aboard The Aegre, the unexpected gift of some money led to a change in their plans, and lives. Instead of returning across the Atlantic to the UK, the Pacific beckoned. Could they sail their little Aegre across the Pacific? Deciding to take up the challenge, they paused on the island of Bequia in the West Indies to prepare The Aegre and themselves for the vast distances they would have to sail in their little boat. In Chapter 14, Across the Caribbean to Panama, Nick reflects on the enormity of what they were taking on.