Sailing Zataravideo
We (almost) Bought an Island! 🏝️
July 16, 2026 · 20 min · 153K views · Raroia
What this video covers
Zatara departs the Marquesas on a 450-mile, three-night passage south to the Tuamotus — described as the final long passage of the Pacific crossing.0:03 Fuel runs low enough that the crew motors the last three days, arriving with roughly half their original fuel load from Nuku Hiva.5:06 Keith Whitaker reviews the Highfield 420 dinghy with a Mercury outboard, calling it the ideal expedition dinghy for remote cruising: fast enough to cover 20–30 miles at speed, large enough for a family, and trouble-free in service.9:02 Ashore on a deserted Tuamotu atoll, Keith walks through a survival-scenario analysis comparing a remote coral island, a live-aboard yacht, and a mountain retreat — weighing fresh water access (brackish lens water through coral), food sources (ciguatera risk on reef fish), defensibility, and long-term sustainability.10:09 He concludes the mountain option wins on water, agriculture, and defensibility.11:50 The crew also reveals they nearly bought a 17-acre island in Belize before purchasing Zatara instead, and they tour a debris-strewn, abandoned island structure in mock real-estate fashion, joking about turning it into an eco-lodge.15:01
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