keeldraggervideo
Sailing to French Polynesia - Plotting My Course (Feb 2026)
24 febbraio 2026 · 13 min · 911 visualizzazioni
Sailboat glides toward Socorro Island under full sail
Cosa tratta questo video
A solo sailor on a Valiant Yachts 40-2 completed a 3,000-nautical-mile passage from Banderas Bay, Mexico, to the Marquesas in French Polynesia.0:09 To avoid stalling in light coastal winds, the route initially heads west toward Isla Socorro and Isla Clarion rather than directly south.3:54 These islands serve as a final shakedown point and a potential bailout location near Mexican Navy outposts.5:07 The passage strategy relies on timing departures to the taper of the El Norte wind cycle, which typically repeats every 7–10 days.2:11 For the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), the sailor utilized a paid weather router to identify a narrow crossing window between 3 and 10 degrees north, specifically avoiding crossing the equator west of 128 degrees to prevent a close-hauled final leg.8:29 During the crossing, the sailor used BNG radar in weather mode to track squalls, noting that they often cause a "push-suck" effect where wind speeds spike before dropping to near-calm.10:26 Starlink provided reliable communication for weather updates during the transit.10:49
Barche in questo video
Altro da keeldragger
Da keeldragger — guarda la barca, l'equipaggio e ogni video analizzato del canale.
The Sailing Directory Newsletter
Una email con le migliori scoperte della flotta — i momenti, le barche e le storie che meritano il tuo tempo di visione. Inserisci il tuo indirizzo per riceverne una copia.