Sam Holmes Sailing · video

What this video covers

A solo sailor navigates a St FRANCIS 44 from an inlet bay to Luperon, Dominican Republic, covering approximately 100 miles. The passage requires extensive upwind tacking, followed by light-wind sailing that necessitates the use of a spinnaker to maintain speed. During the transit, the sailor installs an Orca tablet as a backup chart plotter, noting that while the device features useful physical buttons for wet-weather operation, its native charts lack the resolution and depth detail provided by Navionics. Upon arrival in Luperon, the sailor completes customs and Navy check-in procedures, which cost $25 for a three-day anchoring permit. The sailor inspects a St FRANCIS 44 for sale in the local boatyard, evaluating its balsa-cored deck, sail drive configuration, and forward cockpit design before deciding the vessel requires too much restoration work to be a viable project. The passage highlights the necessity of detailed charts for navigating shifting harbor entrances and the significant maintenance requirements of older cruising catamarans.

Boats in this video

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