Sailing Sweet Rucavideo
Why We Anchored In The Rolliest Anchorage in the Marshall Islands - Goat Island [Ep. 179]
April 6, 2025 · 16 min · 31K views · Wotje Atoll
What this video covers
The crew of the Sweet Ruca navigates the Wotje Atoll in the Marshall Islands, executing short hops between islands to time their arrival at the Western Pass for a daylight departure toward Likiap Atoll.2:24 This strategy aims to shorten an 80-nautical-mile overnight passage to a 45-nautical-mile day sail, avoiding open-ocean travel in darkness.8:25 While transiting the atoll, the crew encounters treacherous coral heads and bommies, requiring visual navigation through sun glare due to sparse charting.10:34 At Goat Island, the crew experiences significant swell and rolling, forcing them to re-anchor after finding a coral head only four feet below the surface near their initial drop.13:57 During the approach, a sudden increase in wind gusts blows a chair off the transom, triggering an impromptu man-overboard drill in 20-knot winds.11:56 The crew ultimately secures the boat in a sandy patch for the night, confirming that while short hops avoid overnight watches, they often result in uncomfortable, rolly anchorages in remote atolls.15:46
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