Sailing La Vagabondevideo
Our Vanuatu Farm Dream Got Complicated FAST!
18 May 2026 · 45 min · 750K views · Vanuatu
Family walks through grassy clearing in Vanuatu jungle
What this video covers
Riley and Elayna have secured a large piece of land in Vanuatu — a property with a waterfall — but the purchase immediately hit a legal complication: the original owner, Hans, who had stopped paying and lost the land to a bank, contacted the people living and farming on the property and told them to bar Riley and Elayna from entering.10:03 A drone flight attempt by friends Lydia and Axel was turned away.10:00 The situation leaves the purchase in doubt, and Riley acknowledges other land in Vanuatu may still be available.11:27
Separately, the process of asking the existing occupants to leave — people who had been working the land for Hans — is described as a deeply sensitive challenge.2:24 Despite that, Riley reports the conversation ultimately went well, with both sides ending up happy.26:09 On the property itself, Riley walks the river boundary, confirms a public waterfall trail does not encroach on their land, and identifies a stinging plant called Nangalat as a hazard to clear.28:47 A friend named Michael, treated as a planning expert, walks the land to advise on road placement, staff quarters, and sight lines.36:42 His daughter Emma scouts the property for horses.36:55 The couple also discuss needing a road, caretakers, an architect, a builder, and a permaculture consultant before construction can begin.1:20 Two cyclones — Judy and Kevin in March and Cyclone Lola in October, two years prior — devastated the island, and Riley and Elayna reflect that land ownership, unlike sailing, removes the option to sail away from a storm.15:08 A viewer comment questioning whether their move constitutes a form of colonialism is read aloud and addressed directly.43:35
More from Sailing La Vagabonde
From Sailing La Vagabonde — see the channel’s boat, crew, and every analysed video.
The Sailing Directory Newsletter
One email with the fleet's best finds — the moments, boats, and stories worth your watch time. Enter your own address to get your own copy.