![[Fall in Love with Sailing with a Young Captain] Offshore Living: Sailing to Penghu's Southern Four Islands National Park — East Yupingyu (東嶼坪) Edition](/_images/a1cc8b64faeb-1440w.webp)
Without a doubt, Penghu's Southern Four Islands National Park has become the most talked-about offshore diving destination in Taiwan in recent years. I've been seeing post after post from fellow divers checking in from the waters there — and yes, I'm jealous. I haven't had the chance to explore the legendary dive sites beneath the Southern Four Islands myself. But then I thought about it, and wondered: have I actually already done something far rarer and more worth bragging about than most?
Days at the Southern Four Islands
Slowly but surely, diving at the Southern Four Islands is becoming less of a novelty. But sailing there on a yacht, experiencing a night passage, gazing up at a sky full of stars over open ocean, dropping anchor in the crystalline bay of East Yupingyu, living aboard a luxury leisure sailboat, soaking in the unspoiled simplicity of a tiny island, and standing at the island's highest point to take in the vast ocean — I realized I have it better than most.
Diving at the Southern Four Islands is getting less rare — island-hopping by sailboat is the fresher adventure
After I was discharged from the military last year, I got a call from a sailing friend. "Ray, I've got a job for you — not sure if you're interested. The boat owner is looking for someone who can sail, dive, and shoot photos. I couldn't think of anyone else. It's a trip to Penghu's Southern Four Islands. You in?" The moment I heard "Southern Four Islands," I was practically in tears. I didn't even stop to think about whether I'd be stretched thin — didn't ask about the details, didn't ask about the pay. I just said yes.
Drifting freely in the blue waters of East Yupingyu
A few weeks later, the day of departure arrived. I was buzzing with excitement and anticipation. I packed a carload of gear and drove south to the Anping Marina in Tainan. Before I'd even gotten out of the car, I spotted a tall mast rising from the marina — and I knew right away this was no ordinary sailboat. The vessel was a 50-foot leisure sailboat, the Beneteau Sense, from the world-renowned French sailboat manufacturer Beneteau. As you'd expect, the design was elegant and refined: full teak decking, supremely comfortable underfoot, a spacious and bright cabin below. I've skippered quite a few boats in my time, but one with karaoke onboard? That was a first.
I took some time to stow my gear and settle into my crew cabin, then joined the captain and the boat's host to head to a warehouse store to stock up on food and supplies for the crew over the coming days. This is actually one of my favorite parts of preparing for any voyage. Before setting sail, you have to carefully calculate provisions based on how much each person on board eats and drinks — working out precisely how much food and water you'll need for the trip. Life aboard isn't exactly a feast; space is limited, and you want to avoid going hungry without creating unnecessary waste. But the inevitable internal battle at the snack aisle of a warehouse store before every voyage is always one of the most endearing little dramas of any sailing trip. After the shopping run, we returned to the boat, wrapped up the pre-departure briefing for the next morning, and with the hour getting late, turned in for the night.
The sailboat used for this trip: Beneteau Sense 50 (left)
The passage from Anping in Tainan to East Yupingyu is about 6 hours. Does that sound like a long time? It really isn't. During the sail, we walk guests through the basics of sailing, let them help raise the sails, haul lines, and take the helm — giving them a taste of what it feels like to command a vessel. Since we leave port early in the morning and some guests need time to find their sea legs, the initial excitement of leaving the harbor eventually gives way to the gentle lull of a sea breeze, and the boat gradually grows quiet as people drift off to sleep…
A professional sailing experience briefing during the passage — guests get to raise sails and take the helm, savoring the thrill of cutting through the waves
Returning to the Southern Four Islands — East Yupingyu
Time flies — and there it was: East Yupingyu! The guests were wide-eyed and energized; we crew members were quietly on edge. Islands sitting more than 30 nautical miles offshore are typically swept by strong ocean currents, making them well-known current zones. Before we even entered the bay at East Yupingyu, the shifting sea conditions had already put me on high alert. The changing water color, sudden swells rising and falling, and lines of broken chop told me this island meant business — and perhaps that's precisely why the underwater world of the Southern Four Islands is so breathtaking.
Fortunately, the captain and I worked seamlessly together, and we navigated through the hazard zone without incident, easing our way to the anchoring bay we had planned. With a 50-foot boat drawing deep on her keel, the moment the seafloor came into view through the water, the warning lights started flashing in my head again. I stood watch on the bow, calling back to the captain at the helm, the two of us working in tandem until the boat was settled safely at anchor.
Anchoring is a critical skill — part science, part art. You read the wind, read the swell, assess the underwater topography to choose the right anchor type, determine the number of scope, and decide how much chain to let out. Because the bottom here is almost entirely coral reef with only occasional patches of sand, there was absolutely no way I was going to set the anchor on coral. In the end, I found myself underwater, walking the anchor by hand across the seafloor for several dozen meters — a moment I haven't forgotten to this day.
The bays of East Yupingyu and West Yupingyu are naturally excellent anchorages — crystal-clear water and high coral coverage
The coral beneath East Yupingyu is dominated by Acropora and staghorn coral species, vivid in color and set in brilliantly clear water. Having spent so much time diving in the north, I couldn't hide my delight at seeing conditions like these — and with the 50-foot sailboat stealing the show on the surface above, it looked like a scene you'd only expect to find abroad. Yet there I was, right in the middle of it.
The "Lavender Forest" coral formation is one of the most popular sights in the Southern Four Islands
Crystal-blue water, white sand, and coral — it has a distinct Okinawa feel
With sunset safety in mind, we wrapped up our snorkeling session before dusk and motored slowly into the East Yupingyu harbor. The last rays of the setting sun painted the sea gold, shimmering and dancing on the water — everything felt romantic. That evening, the guests went ashore to stay at a local guesthouse while the crew, after dinner, picked up a few small bottles of liquor from the island's one and only shop for a quiet nightcap. With only a handful of households on the island, there was almost no light pollution, and the stars blanketed the entire sky. If it hadn't been for the mosquitoes, I would have seriously considered sleeping right on the deck — to me, that would have been the absolute pinnacle of romance.
Golden sunset over the island, with light shimmering across the sea
With almost no light pollution at night, East Yupingyu's sky is filled with stars (sailboat mast in foreground)
At the crack of dawn, I did a quick wash-up on the boat. Waking up aboard always takes me about 30 minutes to let my soul go wandering — I sit on the bow, mind empty, waiting for it to drift back before shouldering my gear: long fins (freediving), mask, GoPro, DJI — ready to go exploring the island's hidden corners.
East Yupingyu reportedly has a total population of just 15 people. Most of the houses on the island now stand empty. The stone-walled garden plots left on the hillsides look remarkably like Machu Picchu. Climbing to the island's highest point, my drone opened up an even wider view — the currents around East Yupingyu run fierce, while the channel between East Yupingyu and West Yupingyu glows clear to the bottom. A Japanese friend traveling with us said it reminded her of Okinawa back home: white sand, coral, blue sea.
The coral coverage on the seafloor of the bay is staggeringly high. West Yupingyu is just a short distance from East Yupingyu, though I heard the island's population is only 5. It wasn't on our itinerary this time, which was a slight disappointment — I'll save that discovery for next time.
Climbing to the highest point of East Yupingyu, with West Yupingyu across the channel and the open ocean stretching to the horizon
Most of the old houses on East Yupingyu now stand empty; including government workers, the island's population is just 15
The stone-walled garden plots on the hillside look remarkably like the sky city of Machu Picchu
On the far side of the East Yupingyu harbor there's a natural pool that didn't particularly catch my interest — until a friend of mine screamed from the water: "Lavender Forest!" I thought, really? Are you just trying to trick me into jumping in to take photos of you?! But the moment I got in the water, I was met face-to-face with a sweeping field of staghorn coral — a true lavender forest of the sea. Before we got out, we even ran into a whole family of Clownfish (Nemo), sending the female guests into delighted squeals.
Exploring a hidden island gem with friends on the trip
Just as we were preparing to leave port, the owner of the guesthouse where our guests had stayed cycled down to the dock to see us off — carrying a big bag of cactus ice cream for us to cool down with. After checking the boat stem to stern and confirming everything was in order, we cast off and said farewell to East Yupingyu, promising to return. On the way back, you could see the guests were reluctant to leave. Now that they had their sea legs, the sailboat's floating karaoke lounge officially opened for business — it turns out everyone had been holding back on the outbound leg. We sang all the way back to the Anping Marina.
Shhh~ This is a secret photo spot only insiders know about — the sail bag
Last year I fell a little in love with East Yupingyu in the Southern Four Islands. Life on a small island always takes me back to my carefree days working a working holiday on Ishigaki Island in Okinawa, Japan in 2015 — the human stories etched into the land, the marine life beneath the water, places that never let you go easily. This summer, I will definitely be back in the Southern Four Islands. This time I'll push on to explore the other islands — West Yupingyu, East Jiyuyu, and West Jiyuyu. Stay tuned — or better yet, let's meet out on the open ocean!
Let's meet at the hilltop this year and shout it out!
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