Sailing from Mindelo Cabo Verde to the Saint Martin in the Caribbean.
15 January 2026 · 51 min · 436 views · Caribbean
Sailboat glides under full moon on calm blue ocean
What this video covers
Sailing vessel Reality departs Mindelo, Cabo Verde, completing a 2,200-nautical-mile Atlantic crossing to Saint Martin in 16 days and roughly five hours with a crew of three.28:41 The passage targets 6 knots average, with 4 days of motoring forecast; actual speeds run 4.5–9 knots under predominantly jib-only sail, with the Code Zero deployed in lighter air on days 14 and beyond.18:32 Following seas reach 3–4 metres; true wind averages 20–25 knots, spiking to 28–30 in squalls tracked on radar.7:45 The skipper falls ill from day one — suspected COVID or food poisoning — and barely eats for eight days while still standing 8–midnight watches.6:21 The watermaker fails several days before arrival, forcing the crew to drain rainwater collected in the tender into the main tank.24:47 A wind vane cable repair in Mindelo was settled by trading a bosun's chair rather than paying 120 euros.1:25 On approach, a 248-metre oil tanker and a 150-metre cargo vessel converge simultaneously; the skipper calls the cargo vessel on VHF and requests a 20-degree port alteration, which the vessel complies with.25:15 Reality anchors in Anse Marcel Bay in 3.5–5 metres with 50 metres of chain out.33:47 The passage is dedicated to the crew's father, who died shortly before departure.30:01
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