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S/V Quetzal- Don’t Fear the Wind!

March 10, 2024 · 26 min · 6K views · Banks Channel, Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina

What this video covers

The 42-foot cutter-rigged sailboat SV Quetzal transits the U.S. East Coast from the Chesapeake Bay to St. Augustine, Florida, during a late-autumn southward migration. After a failed initial departure due to a leaking shaft seal, the crew completes a 140-mile passage from Hilton Head, South Carolina, to St. Augustine entirely under sail.0:47 The vessel utilizes a reefed main and staysail to manage winds gusting into the 30-knot range, favoring offshore westerly winds to minimize sea state and fetch.21:28 The crew navigates through several key East Coast waypoints, including the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, Hatteras, and Masonboro Inlet, while utilizing mooring balls at the Daniel Island Yacht Club in Charleston and the Palmetto Bay Marina in Hilton Head.15:05 The passage planning emphasizes timing arrivals at major inlets like the Savannah Ship Channel for daylight hours to avoid heavy commercial traffic.13:28 The crew maintains the vessel’s rigging, including a rebuilt Leisure Furl boom and a new staysail furler, to ensure reliability during the coastal run.0:24

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Boats in this video

Cabo RICO 38Their boatSea SPRITE 30Their boatCabo RICO 56Their boat

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