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Sail Life - Crossing the Atlantic Ocean ⛵️ The ultimate DIY test ⛵️
April 30, 2023 · 19 min · 75K views · Mindelo, São Vicente
What this video covers
During a 2,000-mile Atlantic crossing from Cape Verde to Barbados, the crew of the 1987 Warrior 38 Athena encounters a steering failure caused by a new, overly tight rudder bushing.7:43 The component expands as the engine warms the rudder stock, creating excessive friction that makes the wheel nearly impossible to turn.7:43 Mads resolves the issue by sanding the bushing to increase tolerance.8:03 During the passage, the crew monitors fuel consumption, burning 80 liters of diesel over the first 223 nautical miles at 1,500 rpm, resulting in a calculated range of 943 nautical miles.15:03 They also test a wind vane for the first time, successfully steering the vessel on a beam reach in light winds.17:52 The crew maintains a conservative spinnaker policy, switching to white sails when gusts exceed 15 knots.17:19 A short-duration test sail in the marina failed to reveal the bushing's thermal expansion issues because the rudder stock did not reach operating temperature.9:41
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