59° North Sailingvideo
On the Wind TV // Sailing Uma!
15 January 2026 · 2h 22m · 48K views · Olbia, Sardinia
Uma’s weathered hull rests in sunlit boatyard
What this video covers
Dan and Kika of Sailing Uma join Andy Schell for a long-form podcast conversation recorded while the couple lives in a 20-foot shipping container at a boatyard in Olbia, Sardinia, mid-refit.1:29 The core of the discussion covers why they chose to rebuild Uma rather than switch boats: after completing an Arctic loop through Norway, Svalbard, and Iceland — routinely sailing in 35–40 knots — they concluded their skills had outpaced the boat's structural integrity.1:40:13 Sailing out of Iceland between two storms, Kika heard the hull flexing and decided the boat needed a full rebuild before any further ocean passages. By the time they reached Italy, roughly 70 percent of the refit planning was already done, drawn from ten years of accumulated ideas about layout, storage, and systems.1:48:09 The rebuild involves removing 200–300 kg of saturated glass and wood and replacing it with lighter structural laminate and plywood, replacing a 150 kg aluminum spar and heavy boom to save roughly 100 kg of rig weight, and redesigning the interior.2:07:52 They expect the stiffer hull and lighter rig to improve pointing ability and reduce heel even if overall displacement stays similar.2:09:28 The conversation also covers their income model — YouTube revenue funds an open-ended Italy stay — and their audience split between refit followers and adventure viewers.1:34:47 A full rebuild of a well-known boat is cheaper and faster than starting from scratch on an unfamiliar hull.
Boats in this video
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