Garrett’s Adventurevideo
First sail on my new 40-foot boat
25 December 2025 · 22 min · 230K views · Fiji
What this video covers
Garrett splashes his newly acquired Hans Christian Christina 40 in Fiji after two years sailing a 27-footer in the South Pacific, then spends several weeks working through a cascade of mechanical and rigging problems before departing for Vanuatu.Watch At launch, the engine starts cleanly but a heat exchanger drain plug — its O-ring failed and the hose kinked by a previous owner as a temporary fix — leaks salt water near the wiring harness; Garrett tracks down a quarter-inch NPT replacement plug after a false start at a local shop.10:09 The windlass jams when the chain stripper bends and locks the gypsy, requiring the crew to back down on the anchor rode to break it free; the chain stripper is removed, straightened in a vice, and reinstalled.13:57 A headsail furler requires excessive force to operate and needs a self-tailing winch setup for single-handed use.17:56 A cracked, possibly rotten chainplate area alarms the crew; a rigger judges it cosmetic rather than structural.20:39 A four-degree port list is corrected by shifting jerry cans and the outboard to starboard.2:24 The first actual sail — mainsail, staysail, and genoa — runs to Kuata Island in 20–25 knots, confirming the boat is far more comfortable and 50% faster than his previous 27-footer.17:17 Garrett adds roughly 60 gallons of diesel at Denarau before departing downwind to Vanuatu, then New Caledonia.20:54
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