Wind Hippie Sailingvideo
Torres Strait: The Lost Files
April 15, 2025 · 20 min · 31K views
What this video covers
A 27-foot sailboat navigated the Torres Strait and the passage to Gove, Australia, by timing tidal currents and wind windows to avoid hazardous conditions. The crew utilized tide tables to transit the 0.3-mile-wide Albany Pass, achieving speeds of eight to nine knots in flat water.9:00 After anchoring at Thursday Island, the vessel completed a 500-mile passage to Gove through the Gulf of Carpentaria, where 25-knot winds and beam seas caused five days of rough conditions.11:29 A second attempt to depart Gove was required after miscalculating local currents, which resulted in insufficient speed to reach the next anchorage before dark.15:24 The owner, who previously sailed the region as a child, used the stop in Gove to recreate family photographs and replenish water at a historic careening post.13:55 Proper timing of slack tides and current direction remains the primary strategy for safely navigating narrow, high-current passages like the Torres Strait and Hell's Gate.
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