Sailing to FIJI alone
11 November 2022 · 23 min · 197K views
What this video covers
A solo sailor navigating toward Fiji encounters persistent, unfavorable southerly winds and a series of fronts that force the 13-tonne steel boat off course.17:54 Using PredictWind for satellite weather updates, the sailor monitors incoming 30-knot winds and five-meter swells that frequently wash over the cockpit.9:36 The vessel experiences significant motion, causing interior storage to fail and the grey water tank to leak into the bilge.19:11 To manage the wind turbine during high-wind squalls, the sailor uses a boat hook to secure a lanyard, a maneuver that results in minor finger injuries.13:44 After failing to make progress toward the north, the sailor turns the boat downwind to surf the waves and avoid the worst of the conditions, reconsidering the destination as New Caledonia or Australia due to the unrelenting weather patterns.21:48 The experience highlights the physical toll of managing a steel boat in heavy, beam-on seas and the difficulty of maintaining a planned route when weather systems deviate from seasonal norms.
More from Adventures of an old Seadog
From Adventures of an old Seadog — 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.