Vela Sin Rumbovideo
Episode 2, The crossing begins
14 January 2026 · 18 min · 3K views · San Carlos
Whale breaches beside sailboat in open ocean
What this video covers
Renán and Fer, a Mexican couple living aboard with four dogs, spent three to four months at Marina San Carlos, Sonora, preparing for their first offshore crossing of the Sea of Cortez to Santa Rosalía, Baja California — 78 nautical miles.▶ 0:55 Repairs included a full engine service to fix oil-leaking valve cover gaskets (parts delayed because they shipped from Japan), a broken transmission spring, replacement of all non-stainless hose clamps, new hoses, and a switch from starting batteries to deep-cycle batteries for the house bank.▶ 1:26 An EcoFlow emergency power system was added.▶ 3:21 Rigging work addressed a corroded cable and loose fittings.▶ 3:33 Both sails needed repair: the genoa's UV cover tore and was re-sewn, and two mainsail sliders broke in a wind shift.▶ 6:27 Fer dropped the 35-kg Nissan outboard motor off the dock into the water; the stator failed and no replacement parts existed for the discontinued engine, leaving them rowing the dinghy for two months before buying a 13-kg, 2.5-hp Suzuki outboard.▶ 4:08 The crossing departed at 4–5 a.m., passing Isla San Pedro Nolasco and Isla Tortuga as waypoints.▶ 13:45 Santa Rosalía's entrance is open and unprotected, with significant swell on arrival.▶ 15:43 Order parts before disassembly — delays on imported components in Mexico can stall a refit for weeks.
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