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S/V SeaSprite - Offshore Sailing Challenges! Is Neptune Angry with us?
29 March 2020 · 6 min · 863 views · Banks Channel, Wrightsville Beach
What this video covers
The S/V SeaSprite encounters dense, unforecast fog and autopilot failure while sailing from Charleston toward North Carolina.2:29 Broken gear teeth render the autopilot inoperable, forcing the crew to hand-steer the vessel.2:40 Stronger-than-forecast winds and heavy swells initially require sailing under headsail only, followed by ten hours of motoring when the wind dies.3:49 Upon reaching the Cape Fear Inlet, the crew finds all marinas in Wrightsville Beach closed to fuel services.3:56 They divert to Bald Head Island to top off fuel tanks as a precaution.4:03 The crew eventually anchors in Banks Channel, noting heavy recreational boat traffic and crowded conditions along the Intracoastal Waterway.4:52 The experience confirms that mechanical failures and unforecast weather shifts require immediate contingency planning for fuel and navigation.
Boats in this video
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