WEsailvideo
Final Push to Sail to Fiji from Minerva Reef| Episode 312
10 September 2025 · 17 min · 20K views · Fiji
Catamaran sails under stormy dusk sky near Minerva Reef
What this video covers
Warren and Erica depart Minerva Reef aboard their 44-foot catamaran for a 424-nautical-mile passage to Fiji with a damaged forestay — the forward stay on the bow — already compromised from a previous incident. To protect the mast, they rig two extra halyards forward, tensioned as tight as possible, and plan a conservative 5-knot average under heavily reefed sails, using only the headsail for most of the passage.▶ 2:16 The forecast calls for winds in the high teens to low twenties from behind the beam, which keeps pressure directed aft rather than loading the damaged forestay.▶ 2:39 They depart Minerva Reef at night, navigating three passes in 20 knots of wind in the dark.▶ 4:29 Wind direction takes longer than forecast to clock south, forcing a due-north heading when northwest was needed, but models agree it will eventually shift to southeast for a straight downwind run.▶ 6:08 Averaging 120 miles per day, they raise land 126 miles out and reach their Fijian port of entry the following morning.▶ 7:50 Customs officials clear them at the dock, where 20–30 locals greet the boat in song.▶ 12:20 Sailing conservatively downwind is the correct strategy when a forestay is damaged, as it shifts mast loads forward rather than aft.
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