Sailing SV Cordelia · video

What this video covers

The crew of SV Cordelia, a Venus ketch, prepares for a 1,500-mile passage from St. Martin to Guatemala during hurricane season. Maintenance tasks include replacing a windlass motor and gearbox, which the owner modifies with neoprene gaskets to prevent saltwater intrusion. A leaking exhaust elbow, featuring a pinprick hole in the mild steel-to-stainless transition, is repaired by FKG in St. Martin for $71. The crew also replaces a failed freezer with a new Dometic unit, requiring partial disassembly to fit through the companionway. Preparations include hull scrubbing, provisioning, and batch-cooking meals for the transit. For weather routing and passage planning, the crew engages Chris Parker of the Marine Weather Center to navigate the route south of Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica. The vessel departs St. Martin with the crew anticipating potential weather challenges during the hurricane-season crossing.

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