We hit another Log, also destroyed our Jib. Awesome Week. (Ep 308)
December 20, 2025 · 21 min · 4K views · Kasonaweja, Indonesia
Bryde's whale surfaces beside sailboat in deep blue water
What this video covers
Motoring along the Papuan coastline, Vernon strikes a large, barnacle-covered submerged log that slides under the 39ft catamaran, cracks the trailing edge of the rudder where it contacts the hull, and knocks the shaft anode down to the skeg.▶ 4:14 Vernon dives with mask and snorkel, swims the log clear, repositions the anode, and confirms the propeller shaft is unbent by running the engine in forward and reverse.▶ 4:30 The rudder crack is non-structural but will allow water ingress; the repair plan is to lift the rudder, drill drain holes, and re-glass it when a suitable stop allows.▶ 4:20 Rivers along the Papuan coast are identified as the source of heavy waterlogged timber — some estimated at half a ton to a ton — making log strikes a persistent hazard in this region.▶ 5:07 On an 85-mile upwind passage to the Aru Islands in 25–30 knots over steep, shallow-water chop, the jib — already overdue for replacement — shreds progressively from the head down and is retired.▶ 18:49 The crew also anchors overnight at an uninhabited island near Kaimana in 10–12 meters over sand, later learning the island holds a Chinese slave cemetery and is considered sacred by local Papuans.▶ 14:48 A Bryde's whale, approximately 16 meters and 40 tons, is filmed by drone off the Papuan coast.▶ 8:42 Keeping daggerboards retracted in log-prone coastal waters limits strike damage to rudders and hull appendages rather than the more vulnerable boards.▶ 7:05
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