During the last six months Oceans of Hope has visited seven Western European countries, crossed the North Atlantic and toured the length of the diverse, dynamic East Coast of the USA. Now it is time for this ground-breaking circumnavigation to point its bow yet again at new horizons and destinations bringing its message of inspiration and hope to people and places further and further away from its home-base in Denmark. 

Next week the big orange boat will sail away from America bound for the iconic Panama Canal, gateway to the Pacific Ocean. En route there will be a brief stop in Jamaica, the home of reggae music and indeed of Usain Bolt – the charismatic fastest man on the planet.

Everyone on-board is impatient to witness and passage the Panama Canal. Celebrating its 100^th anniversary the Canal is testimony to what man can achieve when he decides to, albeit at great costs – financial, political and human. More on the history of Panama Canal in a later blog, but it will certainly be an epic part of this circumnavigation.

The Canal also represents the passage into a new world, one filled with new scenery, new languages and a tapestry of new cultures quilted together within the enormous boundaries of the Pacific Ocean.

First stop in the Pacific will be the Galapagos Islands – unique not just for their inhabitants, but for their historical influence. It is here that Darwin gathered proof for his brave and contentious theories of evolution, which have, arguably, shaped our world. If a small pacific island can change the world’s perceptions, surely a small orange boat can as well?

From Galapagos the journey will continue west, sailing in tropical trade-winds to the island of Tahiti and then beyond through a myriad of exotically-named South Pacific islands to Samoa and Fiji.

By early May, Oceans of Hope will be shaping her course into Auckland Harbor, City of Sails and the first big city lights for the team in five months. Here the crew will participate in the ANZAN 2015 conference before heading across the Tasman Sea to Sydney, Australia where MS Day 2015 will be celebrated with vigor. 

From Sydney, Oceans of Hope will sail north, taking in stops at the port-cities of Newcastle, Brisbane, Cairns and Darwin before crossing another cultural threshold into Indonesian waters, bound for Singapore.

Many nautical miles, many adventures, many cultures and many MS crew to be embraced during the coming six months and we shall be sharing them all with you right here.

Happy New Year, from everyone at Oceans of Hope!