Blue Horizonvideo
Unable to maneuver on the open sea. We've never experienced that before.
8 March 2026 · 26 min · 125K views · Cape Verde
Crew battles rough seas at the helm
What this video covers
A 23-knot beam reach between the Cape Verde islands of Sal and Boavista causes the steering chain on the sailboat to snap, leaving the crew unable to maneuver in heavy seas.3:51 The failure occurs suddenly under high rudder pressure.3:51 The crew immediately engages the emergency tiller, which allows them to maintain control despite the significant physical effort required to steer against the rudder load.7:05 They successfully navigate into the anchorage at Salrei, Boavista, opting to anchor further offshore to avoid the risk of maneuvering through a crowded mooring field with the emergency tiller in high winds and breaking waves.9:29 Upon disassembly of the steering pedestal, the crew confirms the failure is caused by a broken steering chain.14:43 They use a plastic ruler to measure the chain dimensions and cross-reference them with product specifications to source a replacement from Germany via a social media appeal.18:21 The crew also attempts to source local repairs in Salrei while coordinating the international delivery of the replacement part.19:37
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