Salt & Tarvideo
Salt & Tar: Ep.319- Absence Makes the Heart Grow Forgetful
11 December 2025 · 26 min · 76K views · San Juanico
What this video covers
Garrett and Ruth return to sailing aboard Red Aviva, a George Buehler design, after more than a year ashore, covering 26 nautical miles from Isla Carmen south toward San Juan Ico on Mexico's Sea of Cortez.0:02 The primary test is a newly installed Campbell Sailor prop, swapped in a calm anchorage over roughly three hours.0:21 Initial results at 1,500 RPM produce 4.6 knots in flat water — underwhelming against expectations but smoother, with less cavitation and less drag than the old prop.7:55 Speed improves to a sustained 5.8–5.9 knots at 1,800 RPM as they clear the Loreto island cluster, where unpredictable current — favorable the prior day, adverse this leg — adds a variable.13:53 The cooling system, freshly rebuilt, requires topping off after the first extended run under load; air locks in the system account for the low initial fill.1:29 Anchoring at San Juan Ico, they tuck between rock features in 8.5 feet with 5:1 scope on 25 feet of chain, the shallowest they have anchored.17:36 The Loreto island group's reef and current hazards get a brief navigation note.8:16 Garrett plans keel and rudder trailing-edge shaping at the next haulout to better match the finer blades of the Campbell Sailor prop, which should push cruising speed toward the target 6 knots.14:25
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