Podcast Maré Sonora ® · video

What this video covers

Marcelo Bonilla, a professional sailing instructor and skipper, operates a sailing school in Brazil that offers RYA-accredited Yacht Master training.12:36 Based in Itaparica, Bahia, he utilizes a Fast 303 named *Spray* for training and liveaboard work.4:37 His career transition from a business owner to a nautical professional involved extensive hands-on experience, including the complete refit of a 23-foot vessel and a 27-foot boat named *Dharma*.4:33 He emphasizes that excessive, complex equipment often creates more maintenance issues than benefits, a lesson reinforced during a 2021 transatlantic delivery of a catamaran.30:33 During that crossing, the crew managed technical failures involving the autopilot and battery systems, as well as a fishing net entanglement in the propeller that required an open-ocean dive to clear.37:43 His training curriculum includes a Level 2 course featuring a coastal passage from Itajaí to Porto Belo, which incorporates practical instruction on chart work, magnetic-to-true compass conversions, and night navigation.27:41

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