Sailing Sweet Rucavideo
700 Miles To Go - Out Of Fuel & How We Fixed It - Sailing In Patagonia's Fjords [Ep. 129]
22 October 2023 · 18 min · 25K views · Canal Sarmiento
What this video covers
Sweet Ruca, a sailboat navigating the Patagonian fjords, ran out of fuel while transiting Canal Sarmiento toward Puerto Eden.11:34 Although the fuel gauge indicated one-eighth of a tank remained, a manual check with a dipstick revealed the tank was empty after heavy motoring through the Strait of Magellan.11:52 The crew hoisted sails to continue progress while close-hauled, eventually transferring fuel from a jerrycan to restart the engine.11:57 The vessel sought shelter in Bahia Hue, a tight, deep-water hurricane hole, arriving after sunset.15:33 Navigating the entrance required a spotlight to identify kelp beds and avoid submerged rocks in the low light.14:57 The crew also performed a temporary repair on the lazy jacks to prevent the mainsail from spilling onto the deck and refined a technique for releasing shorelines by untying them from the water to avoid kelp entanglement.5:19 Careful fuel management and manual tank verification are essential when navigating remote, current-heavy channels where wind and tide conditions fluctuate rapidly.
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