Wind Hippie Sailingvideo
No Charts? No Problem Solomon Islands Cruising WHSE138
March 19, 2024 · 27 min · 42K views · Marovo Lagoon
What this video covers
Sailing through Marovo Lagoon — the world's largest saltwater lagoon — Holly navigates the Solomon Islands aboard her boat Gekko using satellite charts and Navionics, with Navionics proving unreliable for showing reefs and bommies throughout the region.11:59 A 13.5-mile passage inside a double reef requires Holly to cross a shallow coral shelf alone, watching the depth sounder drop to 20 feet while bommies appear on both sides, with no one on the bow to spot coral through cloudy water.9:01 A second uncharted coral pass is tackled by sending Dan up the mast in a bosun's chair with a handheld VHF to direct Holly from aloft; the minimum depth over a coral range reaches three feet under the keel before they clear into a wide, easy anchorage.14:03 The Offline Maps app (Android only) supplements satellite imagery for route planning where charts are blank.3:19 Offshore at night, Holly and Dan encounter unlighted bamboo FADs every couple of miles eight miles offshore, nearly closing to 20 meters on one before altering course further seaward.18:04 A WWII plane wreck in the jungle at Marovo Lagoon, a failed manta ray search at a cleaning station, kite sessions, and a stop at Sanbis Resort near Gizo Island for wood-fired pizza round out the passage.Watch Mast-top lookout is the practical substitute when both charts and satellite imagery fail at a coral entrance.12:18
Boats in this video
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