Ep 26 Sailing Solo France to Shetland Islands
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- Опубликовано: 5 май 2018
- My final, solo sailing passage of 300 NM to the Shetland Islands. I show how to get weather at sea with Garmin InReach, and how I manage very strong winds when running downwind. Is Isabelle an honorary Viking?
'The odour of a mudflat on a falling tide is greatly overrated' Made me laugh
I love the Erik Aandera reference!
He is The Boss. Love that guy's spirit -- and his camera work is fantastic.
This is by far my favorite RUclips sailing channel
You made my day Roger. Thanks
Patrick, it was a great pleasure to watch your latest. You always seem very calm and collected. It is a shame the BBC does not broadcast a regular Patrick Laine monologue as you have a most pleasant speaking voice and seem to be a cultured and interesting chap. Best of luck with your next leg.
Far too kind James. Many thanks for watching and commenting.
Great videos! I truly enjoy them and learn a lot from you, most of all to stay calm, be always conscious of what I am doing and about to do, and not to become complacent.
Thank you very much!
Thoroughly enjoyed your journey and pleased to see you reached your goal safely. Fair winds and following seas for the next part of your journey wherever that may be.
Shield Maiden Isabelle, I like the sound of that. She earned her Viking colours.
Well done Sir..!!!⛵️⚓️👍
Chapeau Patrick, chapeau!
Thanks a ton for that demonstration , I wasn't aware my Inreach could download weather.. Another terrific video. Fair winds ! Here I go again binge watching your videos ! Just in case I missed one. LOL I love them all.
You Sir, are a great inspiration. Thank you. Fair winds.
You made my day Evan. Many thanks.
Patrick, you're a hero! Can't wait to hear about that new tattoo! ;-)
Patrick, I really enjoy your videos and wanted to tell you how much of an inspiration you are to me. Keep up the good work!
Very kind of you SG.
Hello Patrick. I'd like to congratulate you on your excellent videos. I've watched them all now. I love the way you include a lot of useful hints, tips and how to sections that other channels don't. You seem to be a real gentleman as well. Keep up the good work. Regards Billy
Very kind of you Billy. Many thanks.
Thank you Patrick, another very informative video.
Thanks for the feedback Rick.
Well done Patrick and thank you; you're such a great encouragement, inspiration and guide; not to mention your super filming, presenting and editing skills. You're such a blessing; thanks again!
Far too kind Mike. Much appreciated.
Great video excellent sailing journey . It was done professionally with every detail taken seriously. To celebrate go find Eric it would be fun to see the two of you in viking country.
Very educational Patrick! As always big kudo for your enormous efforts to photograph and provide sequence of events along with conditions--that takes effort, always unseen to the viewers. Thanks
Thanks for the great feedback Bill. Much appreciated.
The best sailing RUclips channel ever, fair winds Patrick⛵️👍
Best sailing videos !
Thanks for the kind feedback TC. Much appreciated.
Hi Patrick, congratulations for the successful landing in the Shetlands. Really like your videos, keep,them coming, they are getting better and better. Very inspiring! Fair winds and all the best for the continuation of your journey!
Much appreciated Sascha. Very kind of you.
Well done! Congratulations! I really like your videos. Keep them coming :) Enjoy sailing!
Much appreciated Szymon.
You, Patrick, make the use of this weather forecast and in general a rout planning process look quite easy, but for those of us who watch it for the very first time it feels like quite a complicated (and therefore - stressful) process. I could be wrong of course. Thanks for sharing anyway. It was worth it.
I may indeed oversimplify it Fit Outpost -- after all, I have been doing weather and navigation 44 years. That said, it really isn't that complex --- and tools available today make it MUCH, MUCH simpler than it was years ago. I thought about doing a video on route and wx planning, but I just feel it would be incredibly boring. A good weather tool (like Predict Wind), and a simple navigation software program (like Navionics), covers 80% of my process. I then study pilot guides closely for port departure and arrival guidance, and tides for depth of water timing and favorable currents. I really don't think I spend more than 20 minutes on passage planning….. Lessons with a pro are, of course, the starting points. :-)
Excellent video Patrick. Well done on the voyage. Inspirational.
Thanks for the encouragement Mark.
Well done Patrick! Thank you for your videos. You are an inspiration. I grew up as boy in the Shetlands. I was at the helm of fishing boat from age seven going from Lerwick to Out Skerries, a small island. Safe sailing.
I'll be passing in the direction of Whalsay/Out Skerries later today Innis. :-) Thanks for watching.
Congratulations, well done Patrick and thanks for your videos
Muchas gracias José.
Hi Patrick, congratulations to you and Isabelle for the passage. You became a Viking. Thanks for the instructive tips. Keep them coming.
I don't know about me, but Isabelle is certainly a Viking! Thanks Kleman.
You make it all looks so smooth, even though you had that headwind during this leg. Thankful that you share your experiences in your way of explaining! 👍🏽
Welcome back MiQ. Much appreciated.
J'ai tout apprécié de ces reportages. Une très belle série racontant avec une rare élégance une bien belle histoire. À bientôt Patrick!
Très aimable Jean. Thanks for returning this season.
Always a pleasure watching your videos Patrick, now head for Norway ⛵️
The wind voted Jacob. I'm sitting in the Faroe Islands as I write this. :-)
awesome! and you put a preventer on the boom, finally! thanks for sharing!
I've always had one (actually a brake). The banging noise you have been hearing is a filming timing error, not a sailing error. (I always filmed in that first season at the same time ---- just after shaking out or putting in a reef in the morning/evening, but before resetting the brake. Lesson learned. You will hear much less banging in seasons 2 and 3.)
I would think a pint or two would suffice. Nice safe passage and now, on to a new adventure.
Congratulations Patrick on reaching you goal. Very well done 👍🙂
Much appreciated Peter.
Well done Patrick! Quite an impressive journey indeed. Keep on sailing and keep on filming👍
Many thanks Henk. Fair winds to you.
Well done Matey! Great to watch your videos.
Many thanks WG. Much appreciated.
Congratulations Patrick, that was a great trip.
Many thanks Jorge. Thanks for the encouragement.
Patrick... 26 outstanding videos in a row as I "binge-watch" your series. FYI - no other YT video channel has kept my interest like this. Outstanding content, Sir. And much appreciated.
Again, thanks for the kind feedback RHRE. Fair winds to you.
Great video, and a great passage Patrick.
Thanks for the kind feedback Edward.
Fair play Patrick you're videos are a credit to you and I am enjoying the sail with Isabelle. Hopefully in the near future I can apply some of you're tips as I plan passages from the UK.
Thanks for the feedback Craig. Very kind of you.
well done Patrick
love your videos ( from Melbourne Australia )
Much appreciated from Down Under. Thanks for watching.
Well done on reaching Lerwick, enjoy the Shetland hospitality and good luck for your next passage. Look forward to seeing which way the wind takes you. P.s. very good demonstration of obtaining weather updates at sea. David (SV Mr Benn, Nairn).
Many thanks David. Fair winds to you and Mr. Benn in Nairn.
Congrats Patric. Nice journey👍
I'm sitting in the Faroe Islands now Leif. I still have to get home. :-) Thanks for watching.
Hi Patrick,
Watching episodes 24,25 and 26, the following came to my mind : Knowledge, Skills and Attitude.When one posess these three aspects in life,then one earns the respect of his fellow men, and you SIR is that person.Hope you don't freeze in Norway.God Bless.
I must say Louis, that the weather in Shetland, with 20 minutes of sunshine, followed by three hours of cold wind and drizzle, makes me respect these Noble Viking decendants even more. !
Really excellent trip Patrick, I'd like to see you go on to Norway then back to France along the coast, cheers
Many thanks Phil. I'm being pulled by the wild (Faroes) or the beautiful and civilized (Norway). I've decided to let the wind decide. :-)
Great stuff Patrick. A joy to watch with really useful tips. Also, nice to see good passage planning using charts supported by tech, and demonstrations of good seamanship. I follow KTL too, As I understand it, Dylan's approach in a shoal draft, bilge keeler centaur is more about exploration and pottering rather than passage making. Looking forward your next passage! Fair winds shipmate!
I love the KTL videos. He invests a lot of time and effort learning all about places he visits -- history, commerce, etc. And, his production quality is terrific (sound/photo). I can never compete with that --- I just respect it.
Really enjoyed your Video. Single handed sailing up the North Sea is no easy task, well done. I`m very impressed with the Garmin Inreach Explorer sending the data to your Tablet. Great video.
Many thanks for the feedback Sailaway. Cheers.
Well done. Great achievement
Many thanks Greg. Much appreciated.
Great video as always Patrick! The winds in the North Sea sound more changeable than the winds we've had in the Med!
I spent much time on big ships in the Med Ryan. While the North Sea and the Bay of Biscay can turn ugly fast, I've also seen (less frequently) the Med show a side of itself that isn't in the charter holiday picture books!
Well done Patrick. Enjoyed your logs. We were in Lerwick last June from Dublin on way to Norway/Svalbard. Interested to see whether you turn to port or starboard for your next leg.
Svalbard --- that's polar bear country Anne. I think I'll stick to my 60ish degrees North and let you more hearty sailors go further North! Decision East or West in the next day or two. Am doing the tourist thing now. Thanks for watching.
Patrick I told you from day one, a couple of week's ago when you first mentioned the InReach that is was indeed a very very important tool for any sailor. Not only has a "backup" navigation + messaging but as a integral part of any Sea sailor equipment. And for the price of equivalent equipment it is actually a excellent value for the money. the functionality is superb in a very convenient package with good integration with any tablet/smartphone. I stand with my first comment. A Must have for any sailing vessel (or motor).
Yes --- I am now convinced. I have tested it at sea under various scenarios, and completely buy-in to its usefulness to a sailor (and relatively low cost as well). Thanks for the reinforcement of the message.
Patrick - great videos. Inspirational and instructive. I would like to see more sail trim, tacking, etc. like you did in this episode.
Thanks for the feedback Chris. Much appreciated. I'm a bit nervous about showing items like that because I am not a professional. The intent of my (flawed) videos is just to demonstrate a methodology for sailing solo that this guy has developed. There is an important nuance between teaching and demonstrating a technique. Best regards
Inspiring. Stay safe.
Safety before pride, always. Besides, you have nothing to prove re: your sailing skills - it's amazing to get to watch you in action. Thanks, Patrick.
Yeah, rafting under those conditions, single-handed, would have been a formula for disaster. I'm beyond caring about impressions. I called the Harbor Master and asked for a Plan B. He readily agreed to one.
You sir, are AMAZING. Thanks for sharing. If you ever need crew.. I'm in London and can fly anywhere in Europe for short passages.
Very kind of you Albert. I'll keep you in mind if I cross the Channel in that area. :-)
Another good one. I like your point of view. I'll admit to watching for tips. I see that you drop your dodger a fair amount and keep your bimini furled. I drop my dodger for the breeze, but in Texas the bimini is the difference between sailing and staying at home. Plus we tend to think 65 is kind of chilly.
Ron
I rarely put out the bimini except in port rlj, but I fully understand those crossing the Atlantic in the trade winds, or sailing off the coast of Texas or Florida --- it is a must or else you will be cooked. Many thanks for watching.
This is awesome. You mastered flying Navy Jets and off to the next big thing sailing the world. Visit Lake Michigan & head to Traverse City. Stay dry in the ocean. Big fan and be safe!
Hello to my old co-pilot friend. Fond memories of Traverse City with you Todd. Best wishes.
Congratulations. That leg is done. I understand it was an epic night ! Don't forget to rest a bit before next leg.
Fair winds and following seas (I saw you already took advantage from the current).
Am now well-rested, well fed, and well lubricated. :-) Merci encore pour l'encouragement Robert.
Patrick, and excellent well planned trip. Very impressive use of charts and weather information. A lot of sailors miss the changes associated with night winds. I see a lot of folks who fail to reef for night time conditions. Without weather info, it is the best practice. You confirmed it. As always your videos are some of the best on RUclips. First and foremost, the Vikings were great sailors. They were highly skilled and applied the skills practically.
Forget the romance, stay with the skills. A Nice cup of coffee made in a French press should be just about right. Thanks again for your fine work and helping sailors around the world.
Yeah --- I almost always (99% of the time) put in a reef at sunset. Yeah, it costs me a knot or two -- which is very much compensated for with peace of mind. :-)
Wise and smart. We are talking about cruising, not racing. Safety first. Especially solo.
After sunset, we systematically took a reef and staysail.
And besides weather report and traffic around, collision with UFO was one of our concern.
Probably some remains from physics courses about Newton and his law regarding reciprocal actions (For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction). If you consider a loss of speed of 2 kn (7 to 5), you reduce the impact force by almost 47% (calculation to be checked) - Spending time on a watch !
Yes -- your math is correct Robert (1/2MV^2) means a reduction from 7 to 5 kts is a 49% reduction in energy. ! ! Reef often, reef early is good advice.
Great video, greetings from coastal city Gistel (near Oostende), Belgium. If you pass Oostende, we can have a drink and talk about adventure, fighter planes and sailing. Thanks for sharing and stay safe
It would be a pleasure Tom. Many thanks.
Blimey Patrick! You certainly knock these videos out nice and quick. I've already watched one this morning. Well done on getting to the Shetland Islands. I've never been there, what's it like there? Well done to you me old fruit, I look forward to the next video. Thank you for replying to my earlier message on your last video. Good luck to you. All the best. Daryl.
Many thanks for the feedback Daryl. Am having a great time enjoying some Viking hospitality.
I love your positivism, Dylan kinda lost me 5 years ago.....no disrespect meant but you seem to be on a natural high and I like that. This is one of my favourite vlogs, you really impress with your hutzpah. Would love to hear more of your airborne adventures.
Big mistake getting a pilot to start talking aviation. You will regret it!
A good mileage so far and so early in the season and you have all summer left. I'll be watching your progress.
Hello again MJ. Yes, still lots of good sailing weather ahead of me this season. Thanks for watching.
Patrick,
I found several of your videos to the Azores quite interesting. I was in the Air Force stationed at Lajes on Terceira in 68-9 but never got out in any kind of boat. A few years later my Uncle, aunt and their son and his wife sailed from the Chesapeake Bay to Bermuda in late spring which was a wild experience and then on to Terceira. They had hoped to go to Spain but became becalmed for some time which made it impossible to go further, so a relief crew came out to help my uncle sail it back which went pretty well. I sort of doubt if my cousin or his wife who thought they were experienced EVER SET FOOT on another sail boat! My aunt had had enough and flew home. My grandmother in Maryland probably felt she would never see her son again, despite getting regular reports through friends of their progress as my uncle radioed home at noon each day. They had kept a journal of the trip which I was fascinated to read, but glad I hadn't been with them. Today you speak of many equipment improvements which make things somewhat easier, but still a challenge.
The lovely Azores…… I shall return!
Another great video series. Thanks Patrick. Please show more of your docking manoeuvres (even if the go wrong) they are great and it's something that other RUclipsrs seem to avoid.
Oh, I have a large selection of 'entertaining' arrivals. :-)
Please show them all Patrick :-) From personal experience you can guarantee that the perfect berthings are made when no one is around but when it goes wrong you always seem to have an audience sitting there with their score boards at the ready :-) I believe you learn very little from the good ones where you actually learn is when you have to recover from the bad ones.
That's very true. I've never liked those docking videos on days when the water is glassy, and there isn't a puff of wind in the air. Yes, some of mine are like that, but by accident of date of arrival and not by choice. I much prefer to see 'real world' scenarios' with a difficult cross-wind, or gusty situation that forces the operator to really maneuver the boat. The key is not to be pretty, but to be safe. Thanks Graeme.
Never approach a dock faster than you are willing to hit it. Slow and steady always.
There is no greater learning experience than your own failures or watching others’…
OH MY GOODNESS... is that a PENCIL I SEE in your hand Patrick?? LOL Don't see that any longer!! What does your description mean Patrick about final SOLO?? What will you do now Cap? I truly loved watching your video's & traveling with you!! :) I sure wish I could be there feeling that heavy wind and the salt in my face!! I too would walk out the door on COMFORT to be right there where you're at!! Have to take the bitter with the sweet! It isn't ALL smooth Sailing hey?? Life too can have its rough waters!! It's been an extraordinary journey to follow you thank you so much Patrick!! Where will you go next?
Thanks for the kind words DarInDar. I'm going to let the wind decide my next destination. I'll putter around the Shetland Islands a bit -- and then East or West depending on the wind. Thanks again for watching.
Good stuff. "No bullshit, just sailing", and a few great tips. Comme d'habitude.
I'm not in his class by any measure, but I am having a great time. Thanks much Pete.
Greetings Patrick, Another great video. You explain the Garmin's use it's weather forecast using predetermined coordinates. During the section of the trip when the wind is shifting greatly, I was hoping if you could comment on how the Garmin kept up with those changes and if it helped you to better sale those changes.
Any satellite service is only as good as the source of the data. Most of the services repackage info from the major sources: GFS (American) and ECMWF (European). I called Garmin to ask the sources, and they subcontract this to another company whose name escapes me. I called them, and they said 'The usual major sources and local sources where appropriate.' In slow sailboats, you can't really outrun wx fronts. On extremely long passages, it may help you in deciding if you want to favor a Northern or Southern trajectory (for example). If the revised forecast is really terrible, you may decide to turn and run with the wx rather than continue on. For me, it is mostly helpful in deciding 'Do I put in one or two reefs for the night?'
Really like your vlog
Very kind Staffan. Thanks again for watching.
Love how Americans get the pronunciation of Edinburgh wrong. Loving the vids Patrick, please keep them coming!
You've hurt my feelings Tony. I thought I'd get full credit for not saying Edin-berg. :-) Many thanks for watching.
I do the same even with headwinds at night, drop/furl the main and reef the jenny. Mostly for my crew and so I can get some sleep before I take the last watch. That way I don't have to worry about them breaking the boat! Plus I can make up the lost miles the next day when we are all awake. I call it, reef at night and sleep tight .
Ther eis a lot to be said for that. I systematically ease everything at night. I don't want anything to break then, so am very conservative with reefing and easing sheets and releasing the vang. Get some rest at night, recover, and make it up the next day. Good advice Lynn.
The north sea is a great place to learn sailing , its where captain cook used to live , you missed some great harbours on the way up and some beautifull castles , by kicking out away from the land , the coast line is full of history
This is better than PBS.....cool stuff and well done from Wisconsin.
Many thanks John. Much appreciated.
Yes I found the North sea and Baltic very/most challenging. And I am learning because in 20 yrs advancements technologically are tremendous.
Good call to not raft up. But it looked like they had loads of space anyway - strange that they wanted you to raft. And what would Erik do? Well, based on his latest video, probably march up to the top of the nearest mountain. - Personally if I were you, I'd sit down and have a nice cup of tea. I think you have earned it. Great video again. Cheers.
There is a lot of space there, but the relatively short floating pontoon is where they want boats to moor against, not the seawall. It was just too dangerous to try to raft single handed in those conditions, especially as none of the other boats had put out their fenders. The Harbour Master was very understanding, and immediately sent me to the adjacent berthing area which had available space along the pontoon. I like your suggestion --- have a cup of tea, and leave the mountain climbing to Erik! :-)
Patrick loving these as usual. So informative. Love the aviation parallels. Am a PPL-A (never reached your dizzying heights) and know many pilots who now sail. Thanks especially for weather info. Seems the InReach is an affordable sat phone proxy. Obviously much cheaper. Interested to hear you think it’s reliable enough in terms of marine forecast to actually use.
Yes --- I had my doubts to start, but have now used the InReach on several major passages and it brought me good peace of mind with its simplified, yet adequate forecast. There are many spillovers from aviation also. Navigation, air foil theory, wx, etc. It provided me a good background to get seriously interested in sailing.
Hi Patrick
I hope l’m not putting too much pressure on you as a result on my peculiar circumstances. I’m glad to say l’m about to vacate ICU, so things are really looking ‘up’, thanks again, I’m doing OK and will see where I end up - thanks Patrick, looks like you’re enduring ‘a Hooley’ so stay safe. I’ve got a team of carer’s around me and you’ve just got yourself and natural common sense. Congratulations ‘Isabelle’ and my personal congratulations on achieving your goal. I’m sure many more of your followers will agree.
I heard that expression 'Hooley' on another channel, without knowing what it meant. A very technical meteorological term. :-) Delighted to hear you are feeling better. Quick recovery my friend.
I’m honored to be of service. However it’s like sailing, just when you think things have taken a turn for the better, you suddenly realise ‘it’s gone pear shaped’
Well Done!
Many thanks Nightingale.
Bravo! Great film. And welcome to the North Sea which I know a little bit about now! I really would not have taken on Lerwick from Blyth single handed. Aberdeen let me in once in heavy weather and gosh was I relieved by the pier heads there opening up! You did make the voyage! And made it in to a safe passage. If a passage is unremarkable its been exactly that. Just what one should hope for! Very well done Patrick! Calm and well organised. All that flight training! I do loathe the position of your main sheet and track. Its a nonsense! If the track was in the right place you would be able to down the main and forget about it. I have no idea how feasible it is on your Bavaria to move the track (for a different track) to the cockpit forward of the helm. It would need careful thought. Catch up again soon I hope. James
You're right James. There are a couple of layout issues that could be improved, but I classify them as minor annoyances rather than as material flaws. I also LOVE the German system on the main sheet (easing or sheeting in from either side). That is a Godsend. I have been on boats where it is downright dangerous to slide down to the lower winch when caught by a gust and you need to ease. As this is on my boat, I'm usually sitting to windward anyway, and just reach beside me and ease the sheet. Super cool. Thanks for the very kind comments. (Am sitting in Faroe Islands as I write this.)
My goodness well done. Well done indeed! I'm sitting in Oostende Harbour! All those weeks waiting last year in Orkney and Shetland waiting for a window for Faroe. Extremely envious and really pleased for you. How are the tidal streams around the islands?
Patrick, just ran across an excellent article in the April issue of Sail magazine on storm sails, Solent rigs and cutter rigs. I found it on Pinterest and it addresses a lot of the issues we have discussed about changing your rig.
Take a look.
SV Venceremos, out of San Diego
Thanks J.J. I'll check it out when I next have good connections, etc.
Hello Patrick, super videos, vraiment sympa. Did you ever describe how you manage to sleep during such a trip? This is something I will be very interrested in...Cheers, Xtoff
In Episode 2 I discuss sleeping Christophe. It is a controversial topic, as many experienced sailors don't think this should be allowed, or if allowed, follow a very strict protocol like 15 minutes. That's very hard to do if you are sailing for more than just one night. Très aimable de votre part.
Well done both i was expecting a cap with wings.Adlard coles Heavy Weather Sailing is the book we should all read sailing these waters. A storm jib can save your bacon
Completely agree. I do have a storm jib now (the wrap-around the genny kind). Thanks.
Patrick Laine actually talking bavarias sailing britaly are renovating a 350 it had a partially dissolved prop, bonding ie eArthing everything to the negative side of the engine seems key. Some have a winged keel i believe, and many are bought because two heads are better than one. If you can help them along they are a super crew.
Thanks Sean. I'll check out their site.
Great stuff, I’ll buy you a beer if you ever make it to Belgium
I've noted that Frank!
Many boaters should try to navigate without the mainsail with strong wind coming from behind; for one less knot, we really gain in comfort for the sailor and the boat; thanks for the advice :-)
Yes Thierry. I have used this tactic many, many times. The boat rolls a bit more (than when with the mainsail is out), but you don't get any of that violent rounding-up when hit by a gust. It's a great way to get some rest in high winds. Thanks for commenting. A+
Patrick, you look happier by the day ! :) .. if you don't mind me saying so.. Isabel is pitching and rolling because you keep her massively underpowered. 30 knots downwind is 20-22 apparent... that is full main and full genoa.. especially as Bavaria's, as all round cruisers and charteryachts, are underpowered by design... and : doing dead down wind is very difficult on the steering. ( hand or auto ) .. put in 1 (or 2) reefs and a smaller genoa and steer up west 40% .. the boat love 135° of the bow.. Isabel will be faster but more importantly a lot more stable and massively easier to steer....on trim : keeping only 1 reef in but releasing the boom downhaul will twist your main and reducing the Genoa will open the gap to let air go through between it and the main.try to put the deck point back.to twist the Genoa as well to keep it parallel with the main.. Isabel will be able to steer under that slot or groove of sails while always having traction but not overload.... if the wind then goes north over the west, the autopilot will just follow and drop you on target.... speed is your friend. it will also reduce tear as that flapping is detrimental to rigging and sails.. . :) enjoy !
I don't disagree with your sail trimming thoughts KD --- and think I actually do most of them. But context is everything…… 30 kts gusting to 35/37 --- not sure I would ever leave that with full sails, but especially in this case: night was falling! Peak winds were forecast for 0200. My problem wasn't lack of speed --- I averaged 7.4 kts all night long on just a partially furled genny. That's within 10-12% of max theoretical hull speed and plenty fine for cruising (especially for night). At dawn I was still doing 7 kts (as seen in the video), but I didn't raise the main then due to numerous squalls around. You are exactly right that running downwind with a genny only is fairly 'rolly'. If I had to do it again, I might put out the main with 3 reefs -- but not for extra speed, but just to stabilize the boat in the rolling dimension. Anyway, thanks for the excellent, and thought-provoking comment.
Patrick Laine 37 indeed is another story .. and images are deceiving :) cheers
Your basic point is correct though. I often run downwind on genny only --- and almost every time, I wish I had a bit of mainsail out --- but by then it is too late! Quite a bit of work to put the mainsail up once running downwind on genny only --- so I just live with the rolling. :-( Fair winds to you.
Another great video Patrick ! Despite the growing negative human impact and abuses that the oceans experience - after I watch your videos, I feel more encouraged and hopeful that the oceans are much more powerful and healthier than what I sometimes expect or imagine. That was a big trip. That was a lot of open water. You're the sailor ... just curious to know what's your POV on the condition of the oceans ? Cheers !
To be absolutely honest Runwat12, I was shocked by the amount of trash floating in the waters along the Eastern Coast of the UK. I think the rivers must carry quite a bit of waste out to sea. It was quite sad to witness. Once North of Aberdeen, the sea returned to what I thought was a normal state --- relatively free of human waste. I don't have any miracle solution for this problem, but I wish that guy that told Dustin Hoffman in 'The Graduate' to go into 'Plastics' had said, "Go into dentistry".
To celebrate in the Shetlands, you could always go ride the Ponies! >:)
Best regards
I consider one Shetland Pony to be my entitlement right to plunder of the locals. :-)
Hi Patrick, I love your informative and VERY modest videos and congratulations on a great personal achievement. I am heading to the Faroe islands and onto Iceland in mid June but nothing as adventurous as your travel . . .. . .ferry from Denmark !! Can you tell me when you took up sailing ? Has it always been a life long passion or did you take it up in more recent years. Best wishes, Michael
Thanks Michael. While I was in Shetland a huge cruise boat pulled in. Wow. I learned the basics of sailing (tacking, gybing, etc.) when I was in my late teens, but never beyond the level of 'confirmed beginner'. I then turned to my passion in aviation for 40+ years. I just took up sailing again seriously a little over 2 years ago.
Hi Patrick a great series of videos and very educational, thanks! Would it be possible to run through your weather gaining information from satellite again at some point. I would like to use it as it appears to be very useful. I find it is not always possible to get a clear coast guard radio weather forecast.ie a bullet point instruction list Wishing you fair winds (Sv Esfani )
I have the same problem with 'radio weather' Andy. In the UK they have an excellent radio service, but they start it by saying, 'This is the forecast for XXXXX", and if you are not familiar with where XXXX is, you are out of luck. Or, the radio transmission is garbled with static..... Ideally, an Iridium GO will give you a great grib style weather report, but the equipment is expensive, and the subscription even more so! I went for a much lower cost Garmin InReach --- you get summary weather info, but not a Grib, but I found it very helpful in confirming or adjusting earlier forecasts I had before leaving port. I do show how I use this in another episode -- the one where I help deliver a boat (560 NM) with a professional delivery skipper --- probably about episode 21 or so.
Patrick Laine many thanks I'll go for what you have got
Patrick, what a great job your doing educating us! Really enjoyed this leg. How are you doing on getting and keeping your fuel clean.
Take care,
Good question. My strategy while away is to keep the tank absolutely full as much as I can -- to prevent stirring up any sediment in the bottom. I also filter the fuel going from my jerrycans into the tank. (I looked at my jerry cans (plastic), and every one of them has a little bit of diesel bug in the bottom. I wasn't expecting that.) I'm catching it in the filter I bought before it enters the main fuel tank.
Patrick Laine very good idea to filter each transfer. Did you bring you homemade polishing system? And I have to ask if you can get "Biobor" in the U.K.?
awesome job! i would not dare to do that on my own. i wil stay in canals.
Thanks Kitty. I'm getting my 'fluvial' license next month. Don't know if I'll ever use it though. The draft on my boat is a little too much for the rivers of France, but fun to have anyway.
as long as we go on the water we wil be fine. it was always the one thing that makes me smile is boating.
Interesting to see how you can just sail up to a harbour and request a berth. I guess it’s unlikely under normal conditions that there would not be any space? Is it costly to berth a vessel of your size?
Dylan Winter would probably say that you didn’t give the mud a chance! His principle is not to hurry .... and over the past few years he certainly hasn’t hurried! As for “blue water” .... welcome to the North Sea .... more often than not it’s a shabby piece of water. But the edges aren’t too bad. One question .... at some point please could you describe your patterns of sleeping and eating during the prolonged solo passage in those waters? Thank you ... meanwhile warm congratulations on your safe arrival. Roy
Many thanks Roy. Dylan is a gifted film maker. Nothing but respect for him, but as you say, he was in no hurry to go anywhere! I'll discuss sleep again in an upcoming video. It is a very important topic for all sailboats, but especially for solo sailors.
Hi Patrick, thank you very much for your video. It’s so pleasant to watch you. One of these days it will be my turn. Fair wind !
And best wishes to you Sea Sea. Just Do It.
You are not a dummy! Regards from Oslo!
Hi Patrick. Have you considered fitting radar to help with avoiding non AIS contacts?
I used to fly from Aberdeen to Scatsa and Lerwick in the 80's, (mainly oil workers). On these trips I discovered the Shetlands used to be Danish/Norwegian for many hundreds of years until the locals decided they'd rather be part of the UK!! I think this is why the Shetland islanders are so much friendlier than the scottish, just like the Danish and especially the Norwegians from where most of them are descended.
Yes --- that Viking influence is definitely present in the Shetland as well as the Faore Islands (which I visit later). I really enjoyed those trips.
Good going Patrick. These are "choppy waters" and not for the faint hearted.
That's a very good point John. You don't have to sail to exotic places to have great fun on a sailboat. Indeed, I imagine I will sell mine in the not too distant future, and buy a smaller one just for enjoying local day sailing in the bay where I live. Thanks for bringing this to light.
Patrick Laine
Well. You certainly don't appear to be at that stage yet. Your Bavaria too seems to serving you well. Your attention to detail is remarkable. A very important quality in these situations I guess you would agree.
Thanks I have been researching the inReach too. Good to see it work in the real world. Do you do a yearly or monthly subscription? Any issues with signal reliability?
I have a standing subscription Snake, but it can be suspended at any time, and restarted at any time (for €7). Very affordable. I like the information this gives me for short (2-3 day passages). No need for an expensive SatPhone or Iridium GO subscription.
Following your progress . Hope to be in Lerwick thi time next month. Where are you bound next East or West?
Going to let the wind decide. Enjoy your passage to Lerwick Frank. A great challenge, but fun as well.
Dear Patrick, Congratulations upon your safe arrival in Viking territory and another splendid video ! Thank you so much for sharing! One question, after such a q
1300 nm trip, what are your routine checks for before you head out again? Take Good care of yourself and Isabelle! Wishing you always enough water below the kiel. :-)
I check engine oil, cooling water, transmission fluid and the bilges religiously every day before leaving. Less frequently, but probably every third day, I do a complete walk around and look the entire boat over for fraying, bolts and securing pins missing, etc. It's surprising how often you find small things. A sailboat operates in a harsh environment, and the vibration and forces can do real damage. Good question.
Merci bien!
Patrick - like the Garmin Inreach you synced to your IPad - please advise if there is a service charge for the weather or other features it includes and you are accessing from off shore.
Thanks,
There is a very basic weather service that is free of charge, but marine weather forecast is a 'premium' service that costs (from memory) €1.50 every time you ask for one. Still, much, much cheaper than a sat phone subscription. Fair winds.
Hi Patrick. Another forcast question. Not sure if anyone else has asked. What app were you using with the garmin inreach to download the marine forcast? That looks like a good value for money tool. Very impressed and I'm
Learning a lot from you. Keep showing your sail plan for points of sail. I'm not sure everyone appreciates how hard it is single handed 24/7 :)
The 'marine' weather feature is standard on the Garmin InReach (no App required). However, there is about a €1 charge each time you use it. (Standard weather report is free of charge.) Thanks for watching Chris.