A FAMILY at Sea, A THOUSAND MILES From LAND | Sailing South Africa to St Helena Island... Ep 448
30 June 2026 · 36 min · 34K views · South Atlantic Ocean
What this video covers
Nandji's 1,700-nautical-mile passage from South Africa to St. Helena Island hits sustained 35-knot winds on day five, forcing Josh and Tallulah to heave-to in pitch darkness to drop the mainsail and continue under a heavily reefed headsail alone.0:12 With no working radar and a faulty wind-direction instrument, the crew manages two consecutive rough nights by reefing down to third reef at dusk as a precaution, then reassessing under a rising full moon.0:59 Tallulah, 17 weeks pregnant, handles galley duties through constant motion, cooking Thai green curry from scratch mid-Atlantic.13:16 At the halfway point — roughly 820 miles remaining — conditions ease into the South Atlantic trade winds: broad-reaching at 7–10 knots, deep blue water, and eventually a successful asymmetrical spinnaker hoist after untangling a twisted sail.23:30 The crew discusses night-watch routines, navigational lights for vessels under 20 metres, watch-keeping without radar, and the decision to sail slightly south of the rhumb line to stay on a comfortable broad reach rather than an uncomfortable dead run.16:48 Flying fish appear as the boat approaches 26°S.21:52 The passage confirms that heaving-to is the practical method for dropping a mainsail in 35 knots of wind and steep seas at night.1:01
Boats in this video
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