They said Cyclones DON’T Come Here...

We Sailed to the Equator to Avoid Cyclones. We Were Wrong. ⛈️⛵ They told us cyclones don't form this close to the equator. They told us we were safe in the Solomon Islands. But as the barometer began to drop and the sky turned a bruised purple, we realized we were sitting directly in the path of a developing tropical system. In this episode, our journey through the stunning Marovo Lagoon takes a sharp turn from paradise to survival. Before heading for shelter, we experienced the incredible hospitality of the Solomon people. From our friend Stevenson—who saved us with a "feast" of smoked fish and cassava cake when we were nearly out of food—to the villagers of Cheke, who traded us weeks' worth of fresh produce for a single fishing lure. With the latest weather charts confirming the worst, we retreated deep into a remote river system to hide among the mangroves. For a week, we hunkered down as the storm intensified around us. But surviving the wind and rain was only half the battle; an unexpected encounter up the river forced us to make a hurried exit back to the open sea. Previous Video → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Pu3JSmskm4 ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 | The Warning: An Impossible Storm 00:15 | [Intro Sequence] 00:45 | Stranded & Hungry: A Miracle from Stevenson 02:15 | Tracking the Low: Breaking the Rules of the Equator 03:10 | Survival Prep: Provisioning at Cheke Village 04:20 | Trading for Life: Sago Seeds and Local Abundance 05:30 | The Art of the Solomons: Wood Carvings 06:10 | Finding Shelter: Seeking a Hole in the Mangroves 06:40 | The Forecast: Facing Our First Cyclone on a boat 08:05 | The Eye of the Storm: An Eerie, Dead Calm 08:40 | Intensifying: The Long Wait Up-River 10:30 | Escape from the River: Unexpected Guests 14:30 | After the Storm: Freediving Karikana Island 🎥 Episode 5 – Sailing Solomon Islands Become part of the crew 💡 PATREON ☞ https://www.patreon.com/c/onceuponareef ☕ Support Our Journey ☞ https://buymeacoffee.com/onceuponareef Or 🎁 Send us a gift ☞ https://throne.com/onceuponareef 🌍 Follow us: 📸 INSTAGRAM: @onceuponareef & @wheres.poppy 🎥 Poppy's YouTube Channel ☞ https://www.youtube.com/wherespoppy 📧 BUSINESS INQUIRIES - onceuponareef@protonmail.com Hey there, we’re Ryan and Poppy, a couple of adventure junkie sailors out to explore the most amazing reefs and islands in the world. We hope by documenting everything this lifestyle encompasses, we will inspire, raise awareness and support on going research to do our part in protecting these natural life systems. Subscribe if you’re on board! 📍Location: Marovo Lagoon, Western Province, Solomon Islands #sailingvlog #SolomonIslands #onceuponareef#SailingAdventure #Cyclone #MarovoLagoon #SurvivalAtSea #BoatLife #StormPreparation #SouthPacific