Sam Holmes Sailingvideo

Virgin Gorda and Scuba diving with Shark Planes

April 18, 2025 · 15 min · 47K views · Virgin Gorda

What this video covers

A solo sailor navigates to Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands, managing wind shifts and autopilot malfunctions while preparing for arrival.3:16 During the transit, the sailor replaces a failing polyester control line with Dyneema to improve durability under pulley friction.1:37 Upon arrival at the marina, the sailor executes multiple docking maneuvers in high winds before attempting to clear Customs and Immigration.6:32 Maintenance tasks include an oil change, air filter replacement, and fuel filter service on the engine, complicated by a lack of correct-sized filters and a minor oil spill.8:51 The sailor later explores The Baths, a geological site featuring large granite boulders, and joins another captain to scuba dive on submerged aircraft wreckage using mini-scuba tanks.11:50 The dive requires manual buoyancy control without a compensator vest.13:08 The sailor plans to visit the Wreck of the Rhone in a subsequent passage.15:39

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Boats in this video

Lagoon 47Reviewed

More from Sam Holmes Sailing

Hundreds of miles of rough sailing only to be turned away from our dream destinationOct 2026Making big miles offshore sailing through IndonesiaSep 2026Orca sighting! we repair one daggerboard only to break another oneSep 2026Sailing to Maratua, a rarely visited Indonesian island Sep 2026

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