Sam Holmes Sailingvideo

500 Nautical Mile Offshore Passage in Catamaran

March 26, 2026 · 22 min · 68K views · Andaman Sea

Dolphins leap beside catamaran on open ocean passage

What this video covers

A 500-nautical-mile passage from Port Blair, India, to Langkawi, Malaysia, takes five days aboard a catamaran.0:33 The crew encounters light winds, requiring the use of a screecher and a parasailer to maintain speeds between two and six knots.3:43 Navigation involves using a sextant for noon sights, which requires specific mathematical adjustments for the Eastern Hemisphere.6:15 During the transit, the vessel strikes a floating mooring block, and the crew navigates through a dense field of fishing boats and squid boats at night.8:32 A leaking portlight gasket causes water ingress in the cabin.16:45 Upon reaching the 8-mile dive site near Koh Lipe, Thailand, strong currents and 20-knot winds force the crew to abandon a planned dive.19:54 The vessel eventually anchors in 96 feet of water off Koh Lipe, where the crew struggles with short scope and a fouled windlass chain.20:49 The passage concludes with the boat anchored in a crowded, chaotic anchorage before the final leg to Langkawi.

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