There’s a saying that revolves around a number of Ps – the number varies according to the vulgarity of the version you use, but the core moral is the same – prior preparation prevents poor performance. It’s an idea that inadvertently shaped James Ashwell and his crew aboard the Oyster 62 Uhuru over the course of six years and meant when he decided to take the plunge and explore the relative unknowns of Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, and finally Papua New Guinea (PNG), he was ready. What he couldn’t have prepared for, however, was the extraordinary experiences that would greet him, his partner, and his friends old and new.

But let’s rewind a little. Ashwell’s leap into the unknown began a few years back after starting a successful social enterprise following the passing of his parents. “The aim of the enterprise was to help people with dementia, and it did super well, and after five years I’d hit all the aims I’d intended for it,” Ashwell begins. “But without realising it, I’d completely burnt myself out.”