The Crossing to South Georgia

It took us four days of travel just to reach Stanley, the small capital of the Falkland Islands, where the boat trip started. From there we headed for South Georgia on the m/v Plancius. South Georgia sits about 900 miles east of the Falklands, and there's no airport, so a ship is the only way in. It's a little over two and a half days at sea with no land in between, at about 13 knots, which is around 15 miles an hour, in six- to ten-foot seas.

The seas were rough the whole way. A lot of people got seasick and stayed in their cabins until mealtime, and plenty skipped meals altogether. The tables were bolted to the floor and had rails along the edges. When the ship rolled, you grabbed the rail so you didn't tip over in your chair.