It was 1 am and we were moored off the Ha’apai Islands near Tonga.

I was in the saloon of ‘Infinity’, a hundred-and-twenty-foot-long Ferro cement ketch. Atop the main mast, forty feet up, was a crow’s nest used to spot reefs when entering lagoons, and as a diving platform for people who enjoy scaring themselves.

It was party night again, I was dancing when I heard a god-awful thump! I knew immediately that somebody had hit the deck. For months I had been telling them that diving off the crow’s nest is fine, but not full of alcohol at night.

The guy was a 30-year-old uninsured American tree surgeon. I rushed up onto the deck to find him for all purposes, technically dead. I resuscitated him, fighting off drunk, well-meaning friends, and got him ashore on a surfboard. 

He had multiple injuries but was still breathing, and basically, as far as him having any next of kin or friend, I was it. I felt enormous anxiety. As much as I had dealt with critical situations in my medical career, I had had support and been in an official capacity. This was just me and a dying young man. The doctor at this small local hospital was young and had no experience of major trauma so I called old colleagues, neurosurgeons and intensivists for support.

 Two weeks later, I smuggled him out with hidden IVs and a hat over his injuries. He was fine but advised by her lawyers, Infinity had gone. My expeditions on her came to a big full stop as did my time as an expedition doctor.  Our journey had started in the Marquesas and taken us eleven months to cross the Pacific. Part of the reason I joined the boat that second time was that I wanted to establish if I would enjoy prolonged periods at sea, because I was seasick on a millpond. Early on, I learned to helm and vomit simultaneously. Fortunately, they invented Cinnarazine!

Living on Infinity was an experience. In my opinion, two or three months on that boat did more for everyone than a lifetime of psychotherapy. It was run as a commune, and nobody paid. You were accepted on board, with a spirit of adventure and any skill set. I was there as a divemaster and medic. I was the oldest by far and took on the role of mediator and sage, which suited me well. On Infinity, you were who you were in the clothes (or none) you stood in. People came from every background and lived in this free environment, exploring remote islands and living in their cultures.