Sam Holmes Sailingvideo

Making big miles offshore sailing through Indonesia

September 29, 2026 · 25 min · 59K views · Bunaken Marine Park

What this video covers

Sam Holmes and his crew sail the 160-nautical-mile passage from Bangka Island, North Sulawesi, to North Maluku, Indonesia, aboard their boat, *Catfish*.9:59 During the transit, the vessel records a personal speed record of 12 knots while maintaining 8 to 10 knots in 10 to 26 knots of wind.17:02 The crew manages heavy conditions by reefing the mainsail twice and hand-steering through steep waves.14:42 The route includes stops at marine parks for scuba diving, where they utilize local dive resorts for tank refills.0:34 Navigation and anchorage selection rely on the No Foreign Land app.23:57 The voyage faces complications when a 30-day visa-on-arrival extension fails to process on time, resulting in a potential overstay fine before immigration officials eventually resolve the error via email.23:11 The crew also contends with poor air quality caused by agricultural burning and volcanic ash from the active Dukono volcano.20:23

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More from Sam Holmes Sailing

Orca sighting! we repair one daggerboard only to break another oneSep 2026Sailing to Maratua, a rarely visited Indonesian island Sep 2026We hit a log sailing by strange Indonesian sea platformsAug 2026Replacing a window while sailing through pirate waters and wildlife of BorneoAug 2026

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