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Into the Wind: Sailing East to Sint Maarten

July 8, 2025 · 25 min · 3K views

What this video covers

The crew of the Vision Triple Four, a catamaran, departs Prickly Pear Island in the British Virgin Islands for a 12-hour passage to Simpson Bay, St. Martin. To avoid heavy trade winds, the crew waits a week for a weather window, eventually motoring the entire distance at an average speed of 6.5 knots. During the transit, the crew manages heavy sargassum patches that foul the props and rudder, requiring occasional shifts into reverse to clear the debris. Before departure, Connor installs an airlock system on the boat's two air conditioning units to mitigate mildew odors. Upon arrival in St. Martin, the crew anchors in Simpson Bay to access customs, immigration, and marine services, including a planned alternator upgrade. The project hits a snag when the new high-output alternators arrive as case-ground units, requiring additional hardware to connect to the engine block. The crew emphasizes that maintaining a flexible schedule and prioritizing safety over strict timelines remains essential when cruising against prevailing winds.

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Boats in this video

Leopard 58Their boat

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