Sampson Boat Co · video

What this video covers

Leo Goolden prepares for a passage from Port Antonio, Jamaica, to Santiago de Cuba by addressing two equipment failures.▶ 0:49 After his VHF antenna breaks, he constructs a temporary replacement using a silicon bronze welding rod and an electrical connector; the jury-rigged antenna successfully receives AIS targets from 20 miles away.▶ 0:58 To improve the performance of his trysail, he replaces makeshift broomstick beads with 100 custom-turned mahogany parrel beads sourced from local artisans in Kingston.▶ 3:30 Upon departing Jamaica, the crew encounters squally, unsettled weather with fluctuating wind speeds, necessitating a switch from the trysail to the mainsail as conditions stabilize.▶ 10:05 The vessel completes the overnight passage to Cuba in calm seas, maintaining a speed of 3.5 to 5 knots.▶ 13:08 Goolden notes that while the trysail and jury-rigged antenna performed adequately, he continues to seek reliable shipping options for replacement parts to the Bahamas.▶ 17:08

More from Sampson Boat Co

crossing the North Atlantic on my wooden boat day 6Jul 2026Tally Ho in Florida! ...preparing for our longest voyage.Jul 2026An update from the ocean - Cuba to the BahamasJun 2026Sailing into Cuba with half a ton of humanitarian suppliesJun 2026

From Sampson Boat Co — see the channel’s boat, crew, and every analysed video.