Sam Holmes Sailing · video

What this video covers

Departing Patong Bay, Thailand, Sam Holmes sails his skater boat catamaran roughly 500 nautical miles to Barren Island — India's only active volcano — before clearing into Port Blair in the Andaman Islands. The passage begins with a burst exhaust hose on the Ford engine, repaired before departure, and 18–23 knots of beam-to-broad-reaching wind that pushes the boat to 7–9 knots under screecher.2:17 A stop at the Similian Islands on mooring balls breaks the passage into two legs.6:17 On the offshore leg, the boat averages over 8 knots and covers 200 nautical miles in 24 hours — a personal goal for the catamaran.19:17 Watch shifts run three hours overnight; fishing boat traffic is light beyond coastal waters.15:15 A watermaker membrane replacement mid-passage, prompted by sulfur-smelling output, restores clean water production at 25 liters per hour; spinnaker blocks are found heat-damaged and melting in the sun.13:54 Starlink does not function in Indian waters, complicating contact with a customs agent at Port Blair.25:13 The crew reaches Barren Island in daylight and witnesses multiple eruptions and visible lava flow from close range before anchoring at Havelock Island overnight and proceeding to Port Blair for check-in.21:55 A 200-mile day in 24 hours is achievable on a catamaran with a strong, consistent beam-reach wind window.

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