Sailing Yabá · video

What this video covers

A 50-mile coastal passage from an unnamed departure point to Ilha Bela, near São Sebastião on Brazil's coast, unfolds in near-calm conditions — 5 knots true wind — after an earlier 16–22 knot stretch covered the first half.0:11 Ben and MP troll lures with no success and motor the final 30 miles at 3.3 knots through the channel between Ilha Bela and the São Sebastião mainland.11:53 Mid-passage, they spot a whale — their first from Yabá — which MP identifies as out of season: humpbacks normally migrate to Antarctica in summer and return to this region in winter to breed.8:13 The sighting is bittersweet; she suspects the animal is lost.9:13 At anchor in Ilha Bela, 30°C in the shade, Ben prepares to begin an IYT Master of Yacht course at a local facility.13:49 A spontaneous side trip to a nearby island produces a snorkel session with an unusually friendly sea turtle.17:20 The crew also notes a design flaw in Yabá's anchor chain locker — the angle causes chain to pile up during retrieval, requiring a second person to reorganise it manually — and flags it as a planned modification.1:35

More from Sailing Yabá

Sailing to Rio: Exploring Brazil’s Most Famous City — Sailing YabáAug 2026Sailing to Ilha Grande: Prison Island transformed into Tropical Paradise! — Sailing YabáAug 2026This Anchorage Was Worth Every Miserable Mile — Sailing YabáAug 2026Sailing Fully Rigged at Night After Emergency Repairs — Sailing YabáAug 2026

From Sailing Yabá — 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.