Sam Holmes Sailingvideo

Barbados to St Lucia

January 25, 2025 · 11 min · 78K views · Rodney Bay Marina, St. Lucia

What this video covers

Sam Holmes sails his 8.5-meter boat Pickled Herring from Port St. Charles, Barbados, to Rodney Bay, St. Lucia — roughly 100 miles, completed in about 20 hours on steady trade winds.0:11 The passage is straightforward: he sets the wind vane, cooks chicken for dinner, sleeps overnight, and arrives the next morning.1:37 Approaching St. Lucia, the channel between Martinique and St. Lucia funnels wind and steepens waves, adding speed but requiring a careful jibe because a damaged spreader is held on only by lashing.2:38 He raises the Q flag and contacts Rodney Bay Marina on channel 16, securing slip B22 at $30 per night plus $10 for customs check-in.4:06 He reviews Sail Clear, a pre-clearance website recommended by Noonsite for $25, and concludes it saved no time in Barbados since he still completed all forms on arrival.4:46 At the marina he pulls the cracked spreader and finds it out of stock; he investigates 3D modeling a replacement for machining, noting Rig Rite prices the original at $300.8:34 A rain squall floods his bunk through a loose hatch while his laptop sits outside its Pelican case, destroying it.10:08 Dinghy theft reports in the anchorage factored into his decision to take a marina berth rather than anchor.6:04

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More from Sam Holmes Sailing

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