Erik Aanderaavideo
Crossing a WILD North Sea for 500NM! -episode 5-
December 31, 2025 · 29 min · 113K views · Zierikzee
Crewman manages lines on heeled yacht in North Sea
What this video covers
A Contessa sloop departs Zierikzee in the southern Netherlands and sails 500 nautical miles solo to Haugesund, Norway, over four days in late December.0:17 The skipper leaves with a gennaker deployed and a storm jib rigged as backup, anticipating 20–22 knots downwind for most of the route and stronger winds in the final third.1:04 Exiting through the last lock into the North Sea, he navigates buoyed channels through sandy shoals and crosses two traffic separation zones, cutting each at 90 degrees.4:14 A Hydrovane self-steering vane handles most of the passage.5:31 The forecast 25–30 knots arrives early: winds jump to 28 then 40 knots, forcing three successive reefs in the mainsail and a rolled Genoa, with gusts reaching 40 knots and following seas building to 3–4 meters.17:52 The boat surfs downwind at 10 knots.18:42 On day four, 30 miles off Norway, the skipper deploys the gennaker in calming conditions for the final approach through Karmsundet into Haugesund.20:38 One mile from the berth, the engine runs out of diesel and the autopilot fails simultaneously; he refuels from a jerry can and motors in.24:31 A failing gearbox, present throughout, survives the full 1,100-mile expedition.26:02 The skipper announces the next voyage: Svalbard or Spitsbergen in June, with a new Gori folding propeller and gearbox refit planned beforehand.27:07
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