The final stops of the trip and the return to Brazil (Almost 2 years later)
15 May 2025 · 15 min · 3K views
What this video covers
After completing a 20-month solo voyage from the United States to Brazil, a sailor details the final transit from Trinidad and Tobago to Ilhabela. In November 1997, he performed extensive maintenance at the Pix Marine yard in Trinidad, noting the strategic advantage of the duty-free zone for importing parts.0:58 To mitigate the challenge of sailing upwind toward Brazil, he sailed east to Barbados before heading south to cross the equator.5:19 This route aimed to secure a more favourable wind angle, though he still encountered difficult conditions, including heavy salt spray and constant tacking against south-east trade winds.9:25 He navigated past the Amazon River mouth, avoiding debris and logs, and crossed the doldrums under motor power.8:56 After 19 days at sea, he reached Recife, eventually continuing to Salvador and Ilhabela.10:54 He arrived in Ilhabela on March 13, 1998, just in time to witness the start of the Whitbread Round the World Race.13:05 The experience marked his first solo passage, providing lessons in boat maintenance, self-reliance, and long-distance weather management.11:37
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