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Velero Reginavideo
6 February 2026 · 15 min · 1K views · off the coast of Trinidad, near Chaguaramas
Sailboat reefed under squall, open sea, dramatic sky
What this video covers
Javi departs Chaguaramas, Trinidad, aboard Regina — a 38-ft, 13.5-tonne steel sailboat — and covers 80 miles to Prickly Bay, Grenada, in 11 hours 30 minutes.▶ 10:49 The passage runs at a sustained 7–8 knots in 10–15 knots of true wind on a broad reach, with two reefs in the main for squalls.▶ 9:13 Flat seas, chosen deliberately for the forecast low swell, make the close-reaching sections fast and comfortable despite several rain squalls.▶ 3:27 The autopilot remote control unit fails before departure, forcing Javi to adjust course from inside the cabin, but the autopilot itself keeps working throughout.▶ 1:04 On arrival, the engine intermittently refuses to start — a suspected corroded ignition button or alternator cable after months in Trinidad's humidity; Javi cleans and sands contacts but leaves the fault unresolved.▶ 11:50 The boat arrives at Prickly Bay with batteries at 99%, credited to lithium cells, a wind generator producing 6–8 amps continuously on the downwind point of sail, and motor charging during the light-air opening hours.▶ 13:02 Javi skips Grenada customs, anchors under a quarantine flag overnight, and departs the next morning for Carriacou or Union Island.▶ 12:12 Lithium batteries paired with a wind generator can sustain full electronics overnight on a cloudy passage with minimal solar input.
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