Sailing Zephyr IV · video

What this video covers

Dave, 76 years old, completes his first solo cruise aboard Zephyr IV, a Westerly Yachts Ltd. Oceanquest 35, sailing a multi-day loop through the Solent and English Channel.▶ 1:39 The route runs west from the Solent to Cowes, Newtown Creek, Hurst Point, and into Poole Harbour, then back east through the Needles and up the River Medina to the Folly Inn.▶ 0:30 Wind conditions range from negligible to just over 20 knots, with a wind-over-tide chop at Poole Bar entrance.▶ 4:09 Dave practices solo mooring on pontoons, picking up mooring buoys at Newtown Creek and in the Wych Channel north of Brownsea Island, and anchoring off Pottery Pier in Poole Harbour.▶ 5:35 The boat's electric windlass makes anchor retrieval straightforward.▶ 6:15 The autopilot proves essential for single-handed sailing, functioning as a second crew member on passages.▶ 8:46 Dave moors alongside pontoons without assistance at each stop.▶ 8:31 The cruise confirms that a 76-year-old can handle solo coastal cruising on a 35-foot boat, provided passages are broken into short legs and mooring practice is built in from the start.

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