Sailing Triteiavideo
OUTTAKES from the Sri Lanka Passage films
17 July 2026 · 1h 9m · 11K views
What this video covers
A 61-year-old sloop, Triteia, completes a 15-day, 2-hour passage from Thailand to Galle, Sri Lanka, navigating light winds and frequent calms.0:03 The solo sailor relies on Starlink for communications after the Iridium Go unit suffers a recurring hardware failure, marking the second device to fail in under two years.49:03 Power management remains a critical constraint due to limited fuel reserves and underperforming solar arrays; the vessel’s 400-watt solar system, consisting of a Renogy panel and a lower-quality replacement, fails to reach full output, necessitating engine use to maintain battery levels.51:26 The sailor notes that weather models, including ECMWF, proved unreliable in the Indian Ocean compared to the Pacific, leading to a shift in strategy toward sailing by current conditions rather than relying on GRIB files.37:33 The passage concludes with preparations for arrival in Galle, where the sailor plans to visit Yala National Park.8:49 The experience highlights the unreliability of specific satellite communication hardware and the necessity of redundant power sources for long-distance, light-air passages.
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