Sam Holmes Sailing · video

What this video covers

A 120-mile, two-day passage from the Spanish mainland to Formentera involves light winds and significant upwind beating. During the transit, the jib leech line tangles around a spreader in 25-knot winds, forcing the crew to wait for the sail to luff until the line rips free.0:47 The vessel motors the final 40 miles to reach the anchorage after wind conditions remain unfavorable.5:23 Upon arrival at Formentera, the crew navigates a crowded anchorage of 50 to 60 boats, prioritizing sandy bottom areas to comply with local seagrass protection regulations.10:42

The passage also serves as a long-term test of EZC winches.13:51 The owner concludes that the folding winch handles are too fiddly for reliable use, noting they bind easily, lack sufficient leverage for heavy conditions, and frequently fold down unintentionally during high-load operations.14:21 The handles also interfere with line handling when the boat is heeled.16:38 After 600 miles of use, the owner plans to remove the EZC winches in favor of standard winch handles.17:20

More from Sam Holmes Sailing

Hundreds of miles of rough sailing only to be turned away from our dream destinationOct 2026Making big miles offshore sailing through IndonesiaSep 2026Orca sighting! we repair one daggerboard only to break another oneSep 2026Sailing to Maratua, a rarely visited Indonesian island Sep 2026

From Sam Holmes Sailing — see the channel’s boat, crew, and every analyzed video.

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