Hugh Robertson Sailing · video

What this video covers

A solo sailor aboard the 38-ft SeaChange navigates the busy shipping lanes between Mauritius and South Africa, contending with light, variable winds and heavy commercial traffic. During the 14-day passage, the vessel encounters numerous container ships and bulk carriers, including the Goldendorf and Maersk Saigon, requiring constant monitoring of an ICOM VHF AIS receiver to avoid collisions. In light, lumpy conditions, the Pacific Wind Pilot struggles to maintain a steady course, causing the boat to oscillate and the sails to bang; the sailor mitigates this by using a lighter wind vane with a spinnaker tape. To prepare for potential heavy weather, the crew removes stern-mounted outboards and anchors, instead keeping a Jordan series drogue ready in the cockpit. After drifting in adverse currents and light northerlies, the boat catches a favorable northeast breeze from a high-pressure system, allowing for a steady run south of Madagascar. The sailor confirms that port tack remains the preferred configuration for cabin comfort and mainsail reefing geometry.

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

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

The Sailing Directory Newsletter

One email with the fleet's best finds — the moments, boats, and stories worth your watch time. Enter your own address to get your own copy.