pabloberrusailsvideo
Solo round-the-world sailing trip #15 - Bali / Thailand sailing (Part 1)
12 March 2026 · 42 min · 8K views · Padang Padang, Bali
What this video covers
Solo sailor Pablo decides to skip the Indian Ocean crossing this season after consulting weather advisors, citing the November hurricane season start and already-forming tropical depressions.0:25 Instead, he sails from Bali toward Phuket, Thailand, routing along Java's north coast, through the Sunda Strait, up Sumatra's coast, and through the Strait of Malacca — one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.2:14
The passage covers roughly 40–50 miles per day under motor and sail, with daily squalls reaching 20–28 knots and lightning. The Java Sea presents constant hazards: dense fishing fleets, floating log islands that snag the boat and break both boathooks, fishing net buoys strung with submerged lines threatening the propeller, and heavy plastic debris.29:55 Currents in the Bali–Java strait run hard against, slowing the boat to under two knots before easing.5:51 At Jepara, on Java's north coast, he stops to refuel from jerry cans and resupply.32:35 A furler profile repair requires climbing the mast at sea after two aluminum extrusion sections separate and lose their joining screws.38:05 The Prediwin app guides current timing through the Bali–Java passage.5:51 Whales, a turtle, and sharks appear en route.4:13
Skipping an Indian Ocean crossing due to late-season tropical depression risk and routing through Southeast Asian coastal waters instead demands constant vigilance against debris, fishing gear, and daily squalls.
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