My last solo open ocean passage - S4 E13 Culebra to Turks and Caicos Islands
October 22, 2025 · 23 min · 670 views · Puerto Rico
What this video covers
A Pacific Seacraft 34, *Sea Change*, completes a 460-mile, four-day passage from Culebra, Puerto Rico, to the Turks and Caicos Islands.0:21 The solo sailor maintains an average speed of 5 knots while broad reaching in easterly winds, frequently encountering dense patches of Sargassum that interfere with the Windpilot self-steering system.5:49 During the final approach along the Caicos Bank, the vessel encounters a series of at least 12 squalls, with one gust exceeding 30 knots causing a full-panel tear in the 36-year-old mainsail.20:48 Upon reaching a mooring buoy off West Caicos, the sailor discovers the engine’s propeller shaft flange bolts have loosened, causing a clunking noise.22:03 The sailor repairs the mainsail panel using wide sail tape and sewing, and secures the propeller flange bolts.22:40 The passage demonstrates the effectiveness of a wind-vane steering system for long-distance solo sailing, though heavy squall activity and floating debris remain significant hazards for older sail inventories.
Boats in this video
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