Vagabond Voyages · video

¿Qué cubre este video?

Tom and Anissia depart Tonga for Fiji aboard their sailboat, and the autopilot fails three hours into the four-day passage.11:24 A wind vane self-steering system takes over as backup but struggles below 10 knots, forcing Tom to hand-steer for two to three hours when wind drops.11:51 Anissia's seasickness patches are expired and ineffective; she relies on Mercalm instead and recovers by day three.2:09 Without a functioning spinnaker pole (tangon), the crew cannot sail dead downwind and completes five gybes over the passage, several at night, adding distance and stress.12:31 They arrive at Navi Marina in Fiji, where customs and biosecurity board the boat — officers are relaxed and friendly, though operating on "Fiji time."17:10 A cruising permit is expected Wednesday.17:57 At the marina, Tom diagnoses the autopilot failure: a feedback sensor mounted backwards on the hydraulic ram, a part he does not have as a spare.19:58 After three days of troubleshooting with ChatGPT, the autopilot remains unrepaired; the wind vane will handle the next leg to the Yasavas if wind holds.23:59 New Zealand's strict biosecurity rules — hull cleanliness, food restrictions, wicker baskets, and live animals — come up as context for why departing cruisers offloaded food stores onto Tom and Anissia before heading south.5:07

Más de Vagabond Voyages

We were running out of everything… | Vanuatu Vlog #139sep 2026We had to leave… we didn't know what to expect | Vanuatu Vlog #138sep 2026We didn't expect this in Ambrym! | Sailing Vanuatu. Vlog 137sep 2026Vanuatu: Teak bungs... then the worst seasickness of my life. Vlog 136ago 2026

De Vagabond Voyages — ve el barco, la tripulación y cada video analizado del canal.

The Sailing Directory Newsletter

Un correo electrónico con los mejores hallazgos de la flota: los momentos, barcos e historias que valen tu tiempo de visualización. Ingresa tu propia dirección para obtener tu propia copia.