Bad-tempered old sailor
30 May 2025 · 19 min · 80K views
What this video covers
During a passage in heavy weather, Barry Perrins experiences a series of equipment failures and cabin damage aboard his boat. Constant rolling causes canned food to rupture, creating a persistent mess in the bilge that requires repeated cleaning.Watch High winds and large swells lead to a tear in the Hydrovane cover and eventually cause the Hydrovane rudder to shear its pin and detach. Perrins recovers the rudder using a safety line and performs a difficult repair while balancing on the stern ladder in rough seas. Due to the damaged self-steering gear and a forecast of 40-knot winds, he abandons his original course for La Réunion and diverts 240 miles to Rodriguez Island to seek shelter and perform repairs. He manages the boat by locking the main rudder and using a small foresail to heave-to during squalls. The experience highlights the necessity of securing all interior stores and maintaining spare parts for self-steering systems during long-distance passages.
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