Vagabond Voyages · video

What this video covers

Tom and Anissia depart Tonga for Fiji aboard their sailboat, and the autopilot fails three hours into the four-day passage.11:24 A wind vane self-steering system takes over as backup but struggles below 10 knots, forcing Tom to hand-steer for two to three hours when wind drops.11:51 Anissia's seasickness patches are expired and ineffective; she relies on Mercalm instead and recovers by day three.2:09 Without a functioning spinnaker pole (tangon), the crew cannot sail dead downwind and completes five gybes over the passage, several at night, adding distance and stress.12:31 They arrive at Navi Marina in Fiji, where customs and biosecurity board the boat — officers are relaxed and friendly, though operating on "Fiji time."17:10 A cruising permit is expected Wednesday.17:57 At the marina, Tom diagnoses the autopilot failure: a feedback sensor mounted backwards on the hydraulic ram, a part he does not have as a spare.19:58 After three days of troubleshooting with ChatGPT, the autopilot remains unrepaired; the wind vane will handle the next leg to the Yasavas if wind holds.23:59 New Zealand's strict biosecurity rules — hull cleanliness, food restrictions, wicker baskets, and live animals — come up as context for why departing cruisers offloaded food stores onto Tom and Anissia before heading south.5:07

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