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We Sail Into Heavy Weather Way Offshore! / 1300 Mile Passage Pt 2 Ep 136
5 November 2023 · 26 min · 47K views
What this video covers
During a 1,300-mile passage from French Polynesia to Tonga, the crew of the 40-ft yacht Atlas encounters unforecasted gale-force winds and cross seas.11:43 While sailing in 20 to 30-knot winds, a sudden squall brings gusts up to 35 knots, forcing the crew to heave to for five hours to avoid beam-on waves that threaten the vessel.16:17 The crew employs a double-reefed mainsail and utilizes their autopilot, nicknamed Neppy, to maintain position.20:30 During the heavy weather, the masthead VHF antenna is lost, which subsequently disables the AIS system.22:29 The crew confirms the VHF radio remains functional via a handheld unit but notes the loss of AIS significantly impacts morale and necessitates increased visual watch-keeping for the remainder of the voyage.24:45 To stabilize the mast while running twin headsails in lighter conditions, the crew rigs a temporary running backstay using the mainsail halyard secured to a cockpit cleat.6:28 The vessel continues toward Tonga, managing wind shifts and squalls while monitoring progress via chart plotter.10:51
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