Goodbye Fiji, hello Tuvalu - Sailing in the Pacific Ocean - (Ep. 23 2023)
3 December 2023 · 30 min · 5K views · Tuvalu
What this video covers
A couple departs Savusavu, Fiji, for a 460-nautical-mile passage to Funafuti Atoll, Tuvalu, timing their departure to avoid weekend customs surcharges.0:58 They use PredictWind to plan the route, selecting GFS and ECMWF models to navigate around Taveuni and Vanua Levu.7:34 The crew prepares for the transit by securing solar panels and the dinghy, while monitoring weather data that predicts 11–14 knots of wind and 1–2 metre swells with 8–12 second periods.9:07 Shortly after departure, the boat’s alternator fails, forcing the crew to rely on solar power and a portable generator to maintain battery levels.18:11 The passage involves a mix of motoring and sailing in light winds, with the crew maintaining speeds between 5 and 7 knots.19:45 They successfully clear customs in Savusavu before departure and navigate the final approach to the Funafuti pass using satellite imagery and Navionics charts to avoid shallow areas.12:14
Boats in this video
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