Hugh Robertson Sailing · video

What this video covers

A solo sailor completes an eight-day passage from Opua, New Zealand, to Nouméa, New Caledonia, aboard the sailboat Sea Change.0:09 Departing May 6, the vessel encounters heavy weather, including 10-to-15-foot seas and squalls that force the crew to heave to and eventually drop the mainsail due to a tear.3:57 The Raymarine tiller autopilot fails when its plastic mounting ends break under load; the sailor repairs the unit using hose clamps.19:11 Navigation through the Bulari Pass requires engine power, which is restored after the sailor grinds corroded engine-ground contacts.18:10 Upon arrival at Port Moselle Marina on May 14, the sailor finds the city under lockdown due to violent pro-independence riots, with burning infrastructure and curfews restricting movement.21:54 The passage highlights the effectiveness of a twin-headsail configuration—using a jib and staysail—for stability in heavy following seas.10:59

Boats in this video

More from Hugh Robertson Sailing

26 differences from most other cruisers, part 2 of 2Apr 202626 differences from most other cruisers, part 1of 2.Apr 202630 stories of sailors less fortunate than me during my ocean-sailing years on Sea ChangeJan 202630 mistakes I made and things that broke on my solo circumnavigation on Sea Change, Part 3 of 3Dec 2025

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