30 mistakes I made and things that broke on my solo circumnavigation on Sea Change, Part 1 of 3
17 December 2025 · 26 min · 5K views
Sea Change sails calm turquoise waters near lush island peaks
What this video covers
A solo circumnavigator aboard a 1989 Pacific Seacraft 34 named Sea Change catalogs the first 12 of 30 mistakes and failures from a circumnavigation begun in Panama in 2019.0:57 The boat was 30 years old at purchase, with original standing rigging and sails from Ullman.1:00 Dinghy problems consumed roughly $4,000 — six dinghies across the voyage, starting with a Zodiac that blew a seam in the sun at Panamarina and ending with a Highfield aluminum-bottom dinghy bought at Opua, New Zealand, for around $1,500.4:47 Four outboards cost another $4,000, including a seized Yamaha 9hp, a chronically unreliable Mercury 4hp, a 2hp Yamaha 2-stroke that worked reliably, and a 5hp Mercury 2-stroke purchased in Tahiti.6:18 A Windpilot wind vane's quarter-inch stainless connecting rod snapped north of the Galapagos; the Raymarine ST4000 tiller autopilot failed the same day.13:59 The repair — a plastic hose connector, two stiff wires, and hose clamps — held for two weeks until a replacement rod arrived in Fakarava.15:53 A shredded fan belt nearly grounded the boat leaving Shelter Bay Marina and later failed at the Port Clinton river mouth in Queensland.10:38 Three cockpit falls in the first week out of Panama City taught the value of always keeping one hand on something rigid.11:45 Preventive maintenance on fan belts and rigging components deserves more attention than their apparent simplicity suggests.
Boats in this video
More from Hugh Robertson Sailing
From Hugh Robertson Sailing — 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.