SV Chineel, Junk-Rig Circumnavigation on YouTube

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  • 21 Oct 2021 20:13
    Reply # 11724424 on 9342884

    Thank you for the update. I have been following your youtube adventures,  but this post tied it all together. I knew you were salvaging for example, but not where (which side of the ocean).

    Keep it up.

  • 21 Oct 2021 12:07
    Reply # 11707335 on 9342884
    Deleted user

    Hey Junkies! Sorry for the lack of updates, things did not go according to plan. So here's the story to date -


    I set out from Dominica, heading for Portugal, however, about 300nm NNE of St. Martin I realised that the gas bottle I bought in Dominica was leaking and almost empty. I had always planned to have two bottles full, and alcohol for my small burner in reserve. Due to time and money constraints I had neither. Lesson learned.


    Obviously I had no choice but to bail-out, I decided to try for Gran Bahama, as that would leave me situated well for a second attempt. I did have some food stores that didn't need cooking, but not enough to make it to the Azores reliably. Fish was fairly plentiful as usual, using flying fish from the deck on my handline (when Sargasso weed didn't make fishing impractical). I mainly ate pickled Dorado, raw onions and mayonnaise. Not too bad. 


    I sailed on the windward side for most of the journey, to get better wind and avoid shipping, then entered the Caribbean south of Crooked Cay. As I passed between Crooked Cay and the Turks and Caicos Islands, I was approached by a sailboat from the south, they motored alongside me and I gave a brief account of my adventures to that point. We made a very welcome ship-to-ship transfer of 2kg of cold ham, and then parted ways.

    The next morning I entered the banks by way of Man o'War channel, got becalmed for the second time (the first was in the Sargasso Sea), then continued north. The intention was to pass between Andros and Nassau, and anchor on the north side of Nassau. The other anchorages around Nassau did not look easy to approach for the first time without an engine. 

    During the night as I approached the Blossom Channel to exit the banks, the wind picked up, gradually reaching 30 knots. Not a huge problem, except that it was from the NE. The passage I intended to use faces North-South, and drops off from 6m to 600m in the space of a couple of miles. I envisaged huge breaking waves, even if I timed my passage to be favourable with the 2knt tidal current. 


    Only 8nm from the passage, I decided that discretion was the better part of valour, and turned SW and had a pleasant night sailing around the shoals and reefs south of Andros. Posiedon rewarded me with a barracuda around midnight. We battled in the cockpit, but I prevailed unharmed.


    By the next afternoon I entered the lee of Andros, and sailing conditions improved. The wind unfortunately began to die as I neared the northern end of Andros, but the seabirds kept me company. Eventually the wind picked up, and I spent the night dodging now-defunct cruise ships that are anchored along the northern edge of the bank. By this point I had decided to visit an old friend on Gran Bahama instead of heading to Nassau, despite the fact it was too risky to enter the inlet solo and enginless. So I anchored off Freeport, and arranged for a tow. 

    2200nm in 22 days.


    I'm now at my friend's salvage yard, doing some work here and slowly completing work on Chineel, so that I can begin chartering again. All work and no play, and no time to edit videos, sorry. I have started uploading some short, unedited videos of the work I'm doing here, search SV Chineel on YouTube if you want to see, or the same on Instagram for photos. 


    Once work is completed, and I have raised money chartering, the current plan is a solo circumnavigation, perhaps non-stop, followed by a more leisurely circumnavigation with my family. 


    I do have video from this adventure, and I will upload that and the rest of my solo Atlantic crossing footage to YouTube when I have time, but for now I thought I'd give you this update as it's been awhile since I posted. 


    Cheers, 

    Jake







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    Last modified: 21 Oct 2021 21:55 | Deleted user
  • 05 Feb 2021 14:32
    Reply # 10063429 on 9342884
    Deleted user

    Hey people, sorry about the wait, I've been busy setting up my new anchor position and dealing with some rust.

    Here's episode 4, in which I encounter a light gale around morning time, and reach 7.4 knots SOG! Later that day I find some chafe on the sails, which worries me as I am still only 4 days into the passage at this point.


    Episode #4 - Sailing at 7 knots in 4 meter seas!


  • 21 Jan 2021 18:42
    Reply # 9900774 on 9342884
    Deleted user


    In today's episode I have a pretty serious failure of the Hydrovane. 

    Episode 3 - Wind-Pilot Woes


    Of course, my solutions to the problem while at sea are temporary, I will be working on more permanent solutions soon.

  • 15 Jan 2021 16:33
    Reply # 9861329 on 9342884
    Deleted user

    Episode one and two finally out. 

    Sailing Solo Across the Atlantic #1

    Sailing Solo Across the Atlantic #2

    Apologies for the low quality video in the first episode, it was tricky to film. Episode two is better.

    I'll be making a concurrent series of videos where I analyse the problems I faced, and my plans to fix them in the long term. So won't be discussing those issues for now as I have more to add to those subjects in later videos. 



  • 15 Jan 2021 16:27
    Reply # 9861319 on 9567551
    Deleted user
    Anonymous wrote:

    Congratulations!!! Glad was a successful trip and will have a look at your videos as you release them... once we've watched your back catalogue.

    Welcome to Land again, I've seen your channel on YT in passing when doing a search for "Junk Rig" as needed research on the subject as when I saw a project boat with a JR come up for sale, just at the moment I was looking for a project... so we now have said project!

    It's on the hard in Spain and we live in Italy, but it'll be an adventure.. so looking forward to seeing how your JR handled the crossing!

    Stay well and safe!!

    Hey, thanks! Congrats on the purchase. 
  • 10 Jan 2021 20:31
    Reply # 9829664 on 9758376
    Deleted user
    Anonymous wrote:

    You have a tough boat in Maya.
    I would suggest not spending too much on "trimmings" and keeping your total investment at or below 25k Sterling.
    In that regard consider that not everything has to be "marine grade".
    The quicker you can get Maya back out on the water the better.
    Cosmetic work, especially interior, can be done over time.

    A Tough boat we hope in how she is built and what she is built of we hope!

    Thanks for the tip, excluding running costs of moorings, insurance etc the aim/plan is to be well under that figure.

    Safety, learning and enjoying her are the top priorities for us. We aim to get her back in the water and to Italy with only all the safety items, legally required bits and upgrades done. Making her as seaworthy as is possible, all the cosmetics and interior will be done over time whilst we sail and enjoy her, I am really fortunate and lucky that due to personal circumstances I have no shortage of time for the next 12 months, so she is my project for me to be devoted to this year (Covid dependent of course to get her out of Spain!!)

    Being a time-served Agri Mechanic, not alot will likely be "marine grade" unless it really needs to be... 

  • 08 Jan 2021 09:38
    Reply # 9758376 on 9342884

    You have a tough boat in Maya.
    I would suggest not spending too much on "trimmings" and keeping your total investment at or below 25k Sterling.
    In that regard consider that not everything has to be "marine grade".
    The quicker you can get Maya back out on the water the better.
    Cosmetic work, especially interior, can be done over time.

  • 07 Jan 2021 16:27
    Reply # 9747125 on 9342884
    Deleted user

    Thanks for the welcome Hans-Erik. We feel we were pretty fortunate as especially after the survey she was exceptional value for what we finally paid.

    She does need alot of work, but aside from getting larger pieces of timber inside to do some of the linings she will be fairly easy to sort most of the items. The wiring and plumbing are luckily relatively easy for me (fingers crossed) and it will be the woodwork that creates the biggest headaches!

    It will all be part of the adventure and I hope to keep an update running on the Forum so anyone interested can follow along and offer advice to complete JunkRig newbies!

  • 02 Jan 2021 07:10
    Reply # 9578927 on 9342884

    Congratulations Justyn I see you bought Maya.

    As I suspected she would, she came down substantially in price from the ambitious 40,000 Pounds originally being asked here on the JRA Swap, Sell or Buy forum.

    I wish you great pleasure and many miles of enjoyment.


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