Sailing Sweet Rucavideo
Setting Sail on an 1800-Mile Adventure: American Samoa to the Marshall Islands! [Ep. 171]
1 December 2024 · 20 min · 38K views · Pago Pago
What this video covers
The crew of the 40-foot sailboat Sweet Ruca departs Pago Pago, American Samoa, to begin an 1,800-mile passage to the Marshall Islands.6:40 Before departure, the crew completes the checkout process at the local harbormaster, customs, and immigration offices.3:21 They note that the port charges fees for every movement within the harbor, leading many cruisers to use jerrycans for refueling to avoid dockage costs.3:51 Once underway, the crew motor-sails to charge batteries and clear the island, eventually transitioning to a white spinnaker in 7 to 12 knots of breeze at a 120-degree true wind angle.8:16 During the initial days of the passage, the crew performs maintenance on a diesel filter and observes that heavy barnacle growth on the propeller, accumulated during their three-month stay in American Samoa, significantly reduces their boat speed.15:12 The passage requires navigating through the Intertropical Convergence Zone.3:15
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