Angela Harger Thompson embarked on a 4,000-nautical-mile sailing voyage from Panama to the Marquesas Islands with her on-again, off-again boyfriend, known as the Captain, three strangers, and a dog. What began as an adventure quickly turned into a nightmare when the coronavirus pandemic erupted, closing borders and leaving them stranded at sea. The journey, which she had hoped would rekindle their romance, instead exposed deep-seated issues and led to a toxic breakup.
A Promising Start Turns Perilous
Thompson met the Captain five years earlier in Austin, Texas, and they became inseparable. He was older, bald, and wrinkled, with a wealth of experience that she admired. After a cross-country road trip in his Tesla, she fell for him, but red flags—including age and value differences—led her to end things before moving to Los Angeles to pursue acting. However, after surviving a sexual assault by a producer, she turned to the Captain for support. He comforted her, but she still doubted their long-term compatibility.
In March 2020, Thompson accepted his invitation to sail across the Pacific on his boat, Alkemi, a 47-foot sailboat. She brought a Black Magic 6K camera to document the trip. Shortly after departure, news of the coronavirus pandemic reached them, and borders began closing. The crew received conflicting reports about quarantine rules in the Marquesas, and eventually, they were forbidden from landing. With Panama closed, they had no choice but to continue west.
Storms at Sea and on Land
After 26 days at sea, they anchored in Nuka Hiva Bay, only to find a ghost town under strict lockdown. The crew split: the European members headed to Tahiti, leaving Thompson and the Captain alone with the dog. The two-person watch schedule was grueling, with Thompson responsible for meals and safety scans every ten minutes. Anxiety mounted as they faced storms, including an 18-hour squall that heeled the boat 45 degrees, submerging the life raft.
Thompson's trust in the Captain collapsed when she discovered photos of him with another woman aboard the boat before her arrival. He refused to discuss it, leading to a tense silence broken only by necessary communications. She called her mother via satellite phone, crying about her jealousy and mistrust. Her mother advised forgiveness, and Thompson softened her approach. The Captain reassured her, saying, "Angela, stay with me, and one day you’ll be able to trust me like I trust you." She clung to that hope, but the relationship remained strained.
Quarantine and Confrontation in Hawaii
After 49 days at sea, they arrived in Hawaii, where they were forced to quarantine for 14 days on the boat. A welcome party on the dock left Thompson feeling ignored as the Captain avoided her. When she confronted him, he screamed, "I don’t want to see your face," and slammed a door. The next morning, agriculture officers confiscated all fresh food, leaving only canned goods. Thompson asked to quarantine elsewhere but was told she had no choice.
During quarantine, Thompson sought refuge in hot showers at the yacht club, experiencing "mal de débarquement"—the sensation of still rocking at sea. After quarantine, they rented an Airbnb, but their relationship deteriorated over disagreements about pandemic restrictions, the presidential election, and protests. The final blow came after a fight about wearing a mask at Pearl Harbor. The Captain ended the relationship, later sending vicious emails and texts, including one saying he wanted to "squash me like a bug." He also hired a lawyer to claim ownership of Thompson's documentary, changing its title to "Worst Tits Ever" to taunt her. After an expensive legal dispute, he backed off.
Finding Strength After the Ordeal
Thompson returned to Texas to help care for her father, who had a severe case of Covid. Her night watches at sea prepared her for monitoring his oxygen levels every ten minutes. He recovered. She eventually returned to California and stepped into the Pacific Ocean, feeling a sense of peace. "The water quickly swirled around my ankles, as if to say: ‘Hello, old friend. I have missed you, too,’" she wrote. Her memoir, Worst Tits Ever: A Raw Memoir of Survival, Humor, and Reinvention, is now available as an audiobook and on Kindle.
