What to DO Before Sailing the World
November 17, 2025 · 23 min · 24K views
What this video covers
Aubrey aboard the pirate-ship-style vessel Houdini prepares to depart La Cruz, Mexico, for the Panama Canal by completing a dense list of pre-departure projects.▶ 0:00 The centerpiece is a custom stainless-steel bowsprit fabricated by a local welder — a weeks-long back-and-forth involving repeated measurement trips, a failed attempt to weld at the slip, removal and return to the shop, and a 48-hour deadline before marina fees double for high season.▶ 20:39 The bowsprit is heavier than its predecessor, raising concern about bow-down trim and hobby-horsing, though Aubrey notes existing ballast forward could offset it.▶ 4:39 Parallel work includes sanding and painting the pilothouse ceiling, reinstalling a bent-then-straightened sail track on the starboard side, polishing butterfly hatches at a machine shop, rewiring the high-bilge pump after troubleshooting fails, cutting new foam for a salon berth to accommodate incoming crew member Katie, and clearing a cockroach from a deep bilge compartment.▶ 3:01 New crew Katie also builds an infant safety harness for baby Violet.▶ 12:59 The episode ends with the bowsprit bolted on but forestay, rigging tune, and sail-bending still unfinished — all due within 24 hours.▶ 22:31
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