Wildling Sailingvideo
Trying to Leave the Marina… But It’s Not Happening
April 17, 2026 · 26 min · 84K views · Northern Spain
What this video covers
A Wharram Pahi 42 catamaran sits in a marina in A Coruña, Spain, unable to leave because of compounding mechanical and logistical problems. A leisure battery left connected over winter drops to 9 volts and fails; a replacement AGM battery is ordered, but wiring it in with reversed polarity blows a fuse.▶ 2:15 The marina's chandlery owner Hugo provides replacement fuses free.▶ 2:44 The electrical system — one AGM leisure battery, one starter battery, a Digital Yacht AIS, VHF, autopilot, and a Victron MPPT solar charge controller — is eventually sorted and simplified by separating starter and leisure circuits.▶ 9:30 A plywood sound-dampening box built for the autopilot proves ineffective.▶ 12:06 One outboard engine then fails: a cooling-water pipe blows off under high revs, a corroded raw-water intake restricts flow, and a suspected blockage in the engine block causes repeated shutdowns.▶ 21:20 Descaling with vinegar and a marine de-salting flush may have partially cleared the blockage, but the engine remains unreliable.▶ 22:39 A boatyard lift-out for hull work is ruled out — the nearby marina lacks a large enough crane and the swell outside runs 4–5 metres.▶ 17:05 A visa appointment in the French Alps for a post-Brexit residency extension adds further delay, with follow-up appointments scheduled into May.▶ 15:54
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