We ran aground! Sailing Huahine to Tonga!
September 3, 2023 · 26 min · 2K views · Raiatea
What this video covers
The crew of the Viento Del Mar, a cruising sailboat, navigates from French Polynesia toward Tonga, encountering a grounding incident at Aitutaki in the Cook Islands. While attempting to exit the narrow, 20-meter-wide channel at Aitutaki, a rip current pushes the vessel onto a coral reef.8:43 Local yachties and a dive boat operator, Bubbles, assist in pulling the boat off the reef, where it sustains hull damage.9:05 To secure the boat in the confined inner harbor, the crew utilizes stern anchoring, deploying an anchor off the stern and marking the line with fenders to prevent fouling by local traffic.12:01 During the subsequent passage to Tonga, the crew encounters 25-knot winds and beam seas, forcing a course change from Nuku'alofa to Lifuka Island in the Ha'apai group to improve motion and comfort.22:41 The transit involves crossing the International Date Line and completing customs arrival forms 24 hours before reaching Tongan waters.24:18 Flexibility in route planning and relying on the local cruising community are essential when facing adverse weather or navigational hazards.
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