Gone with the Wynns · video

What this video covers

Henair Paduga built the Balatik, a 72-foot traditional Filipino sailing outrigger, in El Nido, Palawan, completing it in 2014 after two years of construction.1:17 The hull uses medium-density local Palawan wood, assembled with ancestral joinery techniques that have produced zero water leaks in ten years.4:33 The outriggers span 40 feet; the bamboo deck is replaced every three to four years; the roof replicates the original nipa-and-bamboo design.4:13 Paduga navigates by star sights — Orion's Belt, the Southern Cross, and Polaris — without GPS, and uses Google Maps over Navionics because he finds the local charts inaccurate.2:37 Three salvaged pickup-truck engines, each water-cooled through a custom manifold, provide auxiliary power; Paduga fabricated the clutch, throttle, and forward-neutral-reverse controls himself from junkyard parts.9:52 The boat carries 25 passengers, with a gravity-fed freshwater shower drawing from the engine cooling circuit.13:35 Paduga learned to sail on a Laser and Alcort Sunfish at a small Puerto yacht club, then crewed on yachts to Africa, where Arabian Sea dhows and Maldivian traditional vessels inspired him to research and revive Philippine sailing heritage.16:47 He now takes village children aboard to show them what their ancestors sailed, arguing that wind is more reliable and sustainable than fuel.2:08

More from Gone with the Wynns

This Cost a Fortune... We Removed It AnywayJun 2026We Thought We'd Never See These AgainMay 2026600 Miles Across the Most Feared Ocean on EarthMay 2026Ice Camping Overnight on AntarcticaMay 2026

From Gone with the Wynns — see the channel’s boat, crew, and every analyzed video.

The Sailing Directory Newsletter

One email with the fleet's best finds — the moments, boats, and stories worth your watch time. Enter your own address to get your own copy.