Girl with patreon account goes sailing in hot place

[Jud - s/v Sputnik]

In 2015/16 most boats we knew of went via S.Africa. When you see big ships in Seychelles putting razor wire all around the deck you sort of conclude that their intended route may not be that friendly.

We also knew of a big cat that took on armed mercs just offshore of Maldives. Again, when you need to pay $20K or more for a few armed guys with assault rifles to help security on a passage, maybe that route is not the best choice for a cruising sailboat...

Right. Armed mercs and razor wire. Makes sense

Not having looked into it in any detail (not having imminent big sailing plans) I was under the impression things had calmed down there in recent years in terms of piracy, etc. Sailing up the Red Sea sea sounds brutal, but quite an amazing place, the desert.

 

[TheDragon]

You can easily follow at least two boats with YT channels that have gone either way. Zatara and Aquarius went north, Florence and Nahoa went south. As you note, I am from SA so I will go south, if I get that far. Currently two weeks out from left shoulder rotator cuff surgery, with at least four months recovery to go, so nothing is certain.

 

[kiwin]

You can easily follow at least two boats with YT channels that have gone either way. Zatara and Aquarius went north, Florence and Nahoa went south. As you note, I am from SA so I will go south, if I get that far. Currently two weeks out from left shoulder rotator cuff surgery, with at least four months recovery to go, so nothing is certain.

Going around SA just seems like a no brainer to me. Whatever you call it with armed mercenaries and razor wire it's definitely not called cruising. And yes I know Zatara went that way, but those people were never the most.....analytical. Fucking Neanderthals. The problem with places like that is that you are 100% good until the nanosecond when you are 100% fucked. And 99% of the time non locals are not going to see it coming. Why take the risk?

 

[ProaSailor]

Well now......that certainly gave a boost to my basal heart rate!! Almost felt young again, at least for a few thrilling moments. Thanks for that!!

On the edge trapeze sailing, hard core!

 

[MagentaLine]

Amazing interview!

 

[Kurtz]

On the edge trapeze sailing, hard core!

1:20 for some upside down action

 

[TheDragon]

Salt & Tar have made it to Mexico in their 8-year-build retro-wooden boat. This episode is one of their best, great to see everything working so well, sailing nicely, and an amazing mixture of old- and new-school Among the latter is a Starlink on deck that presumably allows them to post near-real time videos versus some channels that are 3-9 months behind. I was particularly interested in their GOSUN solar oven. There is a small version that is perfect for a single meal, available for $60, which would suit me. Anybody have experience with this?

 

[Russell Brown]

The Tornado video's make my heart go pitter pat. I love that design. Very interesting history and a decades-long run as the fastest B-class cat and Olympic class.

 

[TheSDOtter]

Amazing interview!

The propane locker inspection is especially priceless!

 

[Jud - s/v Sputnik]

I was particularly interested in their GOSUN solar oven. There is a small version that is perfect for a single meal, available for $60, which would suit me. Anybody have experience with this?

I’d never heard of that solar oven - seems like a great idea. Simple. I’d also be interested in hearing anyone’s experience with one.

(That company’s $13,000 inflatable solar electric boat-like floating object, not so much… https://gosun.co/products/gosun-elcat-solar-powered-electric-boat)

 

[Jud - s/v Sputnik]

The problem with places like that is that you are 100% good until the nanosecond when you are 100% fucked. And 99% of the time non locals are not going to see it coming. Why take the risk?

Of course, those qualities also describes lots of other risky pursuits that some people choose to do (attempting very dangerous ice climbing routes; backpacking to dangerous, war-torn places; soloing nonstop around the world on small boats, etc.) Human behaviour is actually hard to account for.

(I suppose the only other way to get to the Med via SA is to sail NW in the SE Trades from SA, cross the Equator, then work your way north then across to Europe in the Westerlies, then back south to Gibraltar. Very long. And probably safer . But maybe the shorter route is “worth” the risk….depends, I guess…)

 

[Raincoast]

Salt & Tar have made it to Mexico in their 8-year-build retro-wooden boat. This episode is one of their best, great to see everything working so well, sailing nicely, and an amazing mixture of old- and new-school Among the latter is a Starlink on deck that presumably allows them to post near-real time videos versus some channels that are 3-9 months behind. I was particularly interested in their GOSUN solar oven. There is a small version that is perfect for a single meal, available for $60, which would suit me. Anybody have experience with this?

A few sailors I respect have the GoSun and seem to enjoy it. I looked at it quite seriously but personally could not wrap my head around the utility of a cooking tube which is 18-24” long but only 2” wide, severely restricts your options for cuisine or forces very creative dicing of virtually everything IMO.

 

[Zonker]

versus some channels that are 3-9 months behind.

That is partly to avoid stalker types (seriously).

To get from SA to Europe we know several European folks that did it.

St. Helena - Ascension I - Cape Verde (a bit of close reaching)

then some motorsailing, some sailing before the winter trades were well established to get north. One of them were in a Nauticat 33 (34?) which is not noted for windward ability but does have a good motor.

 

[Jud - s/v Sputnik]

To get from SA to Europe we know several European folks that did it.

St. Helena - Ascension I - Cape Verde (a bit of close reaching)

then some motorsailing, some sailing before the winter trades were well established to get north. One of them were in a Nauticat 33 (34?) which is not noted for windward ability but does have a good motor.

View attachment 583052

Looks like you’d have to go way farther west for a reasonable (sailing) transit of the doldrums - super wide in the east, but maybe this is a seasonal variation? Am currently following the Golden Globe Race, and a sailor who went east (going N from Cape Horn) is being quite penalized by being stuck in light wind compared to boats farther W crossing the doldrums. (That would be a very, very long motor, like 1,000 if crossing in the E?)

Anyway, either way it’s a (very) long way to get to the Med, was my point, so I guess that’s why some chance the Red Sea…

 

[Diarmuid]

A few sailors I respect have the GoSun and seem to enjoy it. I looked at it quite seriously but personally could not wrap my head around the utility of a cooking tube which is 18-24” long but only 2” wide, severely restricts your options for cuisine or forces very creative dicing of virtually everything IMO.

It's useful if you eat a lot of snake, tho.

 

[justsomeguy!]

It's useful if you eat a lot of snake, tho.

Or in our case, eels?

 

[TheDragon]

The downside to the gosun cooker I see is that I cook my main meal at dinner just before sunset, so even when at anchor this would not be useful to me, and of course it becomes yet another something to carry around, and I already have way too much stuff on board.

 

[toddster]

The downside to the gosun cooker I see is that I cook my main meal at dinner just before sunset, so even when at anchor this would not be useful to me, and of course it becomes yet another something to carry around, and I already have way too much stuff on board.

Excellent point.
I was a little bit excited by that product, the first time I saw it. But I cook and bake a fair amount, and after eight months on board, I'm still surprised by how little propane I use. Although I'm cooking for one, not a crew of six, so maybe not all that surprising. I've changed out one of the ten pound cylinders in that time. Oh, and maybe three or four of the little bbq cans. (But some of those might have been due to not getting the valve closed fully.)

BTW, there are much cheaper, if not quite as polished, versions of the vacuum solar oven available. You can even buy the tubes and roll your own if so inclined.

 

[jmh2002]

... a Starlink on deck that presumably allows them to post near-real time videos versus some channels that are 3-9 months behind.

Channels that are months behind in their timeline is mostly due to delays with editing all their footage rather than a lack of Starlink onboard...

Many of them spend days editing just to create one video - as well as all the days to record the footage too of course. So even with Starlink the videos still wouldn't be uploaded immediately.

What seems to happen now, which may be even more confusing for some people, is that the edited and delayed long format videos go up on YouTube, but some unedited and more real time short format videos and updates are posted to Instagram, Facebook, etc.

Some of the big channels even have people ashore who they pay to do the editing for them.

 

[TheDragon]

Channels that are months behind in their timeline is mostly due to delays with editing all their footage rather than a lack of Starlink onboard...

Many of them spend days editing just to create one video - as well as all the days to record the footage too of course. So even with Starlink the videos still wouldn't be uploaded immediately.

What seems to happen now, which may be even more confusing for some people, is that the edited and delayed long format videos go up on YouTube, but some unedited and more real time short format videos and updates are posted to Instagram, Facebook, etc.

Some of the big channels even have people ashore who they pay to do the editing for them.

All correct, which makes S&T getting vids out within a month more impressive. Zatara is another that has timely uploads. One of the slowest was The Sailing Family, but nothing beats The Adventures of Tarka.