Sure, you may have borrowed a kayak and dipped your oars in the Caribbean on your last beach vacation. But we’ll bet you a rum punch that no matter how tiring and ambitious your ocean outing may have been, it pales in comparison to the endeavors of Will McCreadie and George Parry, who are currently kayaking 2,000 miles from Grenada to Miami.

McCreadie and Parry

McCreadie and Parry, who started their Golden Arc Expedition on October 1 and hope to reach the U.S. mainland sometime in December, aim to raise money for and awareness of the Get Exploring Trust, which they’ve established to award small and medium grants to “people from all backgrounds to get into the outdoors, to test themselves in different environments, and to push their limits.”

Rowing without a support vessel and relying on their own physical and navigational skills, the adventurous 21-year-old students face myriad challenges, including sleep deprivation, heat exhaustion, dehydration, high seas and strong winds, as well as the enormous physical challenges of rowing for up to 30 hours non-stop.

McCreadie and Parry in Nevis.

Currently off the northwest coast of Anguilla, the pair stopped in Nevis earlier this week, where they performed maintenance on their kayak and recuperated at Four Seasons Nevis. As their journey continues they’ll stop in several Caribbean countries, including Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Turks and Caicos Islands.

— Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon, CJ Travel Editor