The Marinervideo
Swimming in the Open Ocean | Solo Sailing | Antigua to Bermuda
September 3, 2023 · 20 min · 18K views · North Atlantic Ocean
What this video covers
Chris Stanmore-Major manages electrical and rigging issues while solo sailing from Antigua to Bermuda. He troubleshoots a failing solar array by cleaning corroded connections within the molded junction boxes on the panels, using acetone and dielectric grease to restore output to the MPPT controllers. To improve autopilot performance in overpowered conditions, he switches the Raymarine system from cruising to performance mode and reefs the mainsail to reduce weather helm caused by heavy gear stored in the bow.0:04 He maintains his tool kit by treating rust with Starbrite Rust Eater and coating items with Lanarkote to combat the salt-saturated environment. During a calm period, he swims off the stern while tethered to the boat with a safety line and a Deckassist belt, emphasizing the necessity of redundant attachment points for solo sailors. He also demonstrates securing cooking pots on the cabin sole with wet tissue to prevent movement in heavy seas. Proper maintenance of electrical connections and redundant safety tethering are essential for solo offshore reliability.
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