La Balade de Jade · video

What this video covers

During a passage from the Gambier Islands toward Chile, the crew of a cruising sailboat suffers a mechanical failure of the genoa furler on the third day.7:44 The furler system breaks, causing the sail to drop into the water, which requires a three-hour recovery maneuver in calm conditions.8:14 Unable to repair the furler at sea, the crew switches to a configuration of staysail and mainsail, maintaining an average speed of 4 to 5 knots.8:35 To optimize performance, they later rig a makeshift system using a ball to hold a portion of the genoa aloft alongside the staysail, which increases their speed by approximately 1 knot.22:39 The crew uses Starlink to coordinate weather routing with friends and shore-based support to avoid a high-wind system, eventually encountering 25 to 30 knots of wind during the transit.10:16 They maintain a practice of hand-steering daily to ensure readiness for heavy weather.16:07 The improvised sail configuration allows the vessel to maintain consistent progress despite the damaged furler.

More from La Balade de Jade

Jade#53 - From the Strait of Magellan to the Beagle Channel: 50 knots of wind for the New Year!Mar 2026Jade#52 - GULF OF SORROWS, PUERTO EDEN: Patagonian anchorages are anything but restfulJan 2026Jade#51 - Towards the SAN RAFAEL GLACIER: we're navigating among our first icebergsDec 2025Jade#50 - CHILOÉ and the GULF OF ANCUD: the adventure resumes, the crew is trainingNov 2025

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