Leading the Escapadevideo
We’re Going Nowhere… Trapped Off Cuba | Day 9-10 (Ep 222)
24 May 2026 · 21 min · 26K views · Cuba
What this video covers
A passage from the Bahamas to Colombia aboard Escapade stalls for two days off Cuba's coastline when 30-knot headwinds and a 3-plus-knot contrary current hold the boat nearly stationary.4:00 Motoring 13 nautical miles and tacking repeatedly along the Cuban shore, the crew ends up in the same position they started — burning fuel they can't afford to waste on a six-to-eight-day passage.5:15 A pushpit bolt snaps under the weight of the 45-kilogram outboard motor, which had been mounted there for security; Tom's quick lashing saves it from going overboard, and the crew heaves-to to lower it into the forward cabin.1:18 A previously repaired headsail had already forced one turnaround before this.3:02 Navionics and Windy both underestimate the current through the channel.4:00 Once through — passing Cuba to starboard and Haiti to port just before sunrise — conditions ease into champagne sailing: six hours of uninterrupted sailing, the watermaker running, laundry done, and a marlin hooked and lost.7:55 A small headsail tear appears, and a spinnaker deployment is discussed but shelved because the bowsprit is incompatible with the new furling system.12:35 Fuel conservation becomes a growing concern as the calm extends.16:29 Passages expose every structural weakness, and current data from standard apps can significantly underestimate actual set and drift in the Cuba–Haiti channel.
More from Leading the Escapade
From Leading the Escapade — see the channel’s boat, crew, and every analysed video.
The Sailing Directory Newsletter
One email with the fleet's best finds — the moments, boats, and stories worth your watch time. Enter your own address to get your own copy.