Garrett’s Adventurevideo
5 Days at Sea (Lightning Close Call)
January 9, 2026 · 20 min · 106K views · Somewhere between Fiji and Vanuatu, South Pacific Ocean
Sailor braces as lightning strikes near sailboat at dusk
What this video covers
Garrett sails his newly acquired 40-foot monohull 700 miles from Fiji to Noumea, New Caledonia, with two inexperienced crew members, Nina and Jonathan, on a passage that was originally planned for Vanuatu.Watch The genoa clew ring tore off on day two, taking the headsail out of action for the rest of the trip; Garrett ran the spinnaker instead until squalls made it unworkable, then motor-sailed the final stretch.2:32 The autopilot shear pins failed despite a recent installation, replaced with improvised screws.6:30 Garrett lost his second drone overboard the same way he lost the first.4:21 The route change from Vanuatu to Noumea was driven by slower-than-expected progress and a desire to avoid being stuck through cyclone season.6:16 The most serious event came on the final night: a lightning storm produced strikes Garrett estimates at under 100 meters from the boat, with no delay between flash and blast.13:34 The storm did not appear on satellite forecasts beforehand.13:52 Entering Noumea required timing the pass to avoid a 4-knot outbound current and completing an 8-hour motor to the harbor in daylight.14:05 Genoa clew repair in Noumea cost nearly $500.19:31 Passage planning on an unfamiliar boat with green crew demands conservative routing and extra watch coverage.
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