Sailing Jibseavideo
The Best Kind of Fixes on a Boat! - Sailing the Scottish Highlands - Ep 272
24 May 2026 · 23 min · 16K views · Oban
Sailboat slicing through waves under dramatic sky near Scottish Highlands
What this video covers
Steph and Travis aboard their Custom Aluminum boat Jibsea depart a rainy anchorage and motor roughly an hour to Oban — described as the gateway to the Hebrides — before continuing north through the Scottish Highlands toward Norway.0:29 The central repair: a sluggish windlass traced to a seized brush that degraded the contact point and caused low voltage.3:39 Travis disassembled the motor, cleaned the brushes, and restored full speed without ordering a replacement unit; the fix cost nothing, and replacement brushes run about a quarter the price of a new motor.3:56 A second resolved issue involved intermittent instrument failure across multiple passages from Iceland through the Faroe Islands and Scotland.6:22 Travis performed ohm, volt, and continuity tests on every backbone cable and bus bar, isolating the fault to a 15-foot backbone cable and a bus bar in the aft locker — both replaced.7:09 The system turned out to be SeaTac SNG, not NMEA 2000.8:06 Underway, winds peak around 45 knots true near Loch Horn, with two knots of favorable current pushing boat speed to 10 knots.10:00 The crew anchors off Plockton, a small Highland village of a few hundred people with a scenic harbor, Gulf Stream-warmed waterfront trees, and a dinghy landing fee of £7 minimum.17:54 Seized windlass brushes and a faulty bus bar are worth testing before leaving a marina with easy parts access.5:23
More from Sailing Jibsea
From Sailing Jibsea — 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.