EXPECTATION vs. REALITY⛵️Sailing Across the Pacific Ocean

Join us for a short sail in the Marquesas Islands before sitting down to chat about the expectation vs. reality of our 27-day sail across the Pacific Ocean. 🐬 In this video, we discuss what went well and what we should’ve done differently to maximize our comfort and performance during our passage. We also talk about the changes this trip inspired us to make to our boat in the future! Stick around until the end to see a local visitor stop by- Holly’s favorite animal, a manta ray! 😍Thank you to our patrons for sending in these questions. 📝
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💻Links mentioned in this video:
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- Provisioning blog post www.svsabado.c...
Holly and Ray have been #sailing together since 2020 on their #catamaran, Sabado. They have sailed the East Coast of the United States, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, and now the Pacific! They’re documenting #boatlife and their experiences as #liveaboard sailors. Subscribe to tag along on the adventure!
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[@SailingPieceofShip]

You're Welcome guys :D We're glad the Biltong lasted and we miss you guys so much! :) :)

[@HollyandRay]

We miss you both!! Hurry up and get over here⛵️

[@EggchaserNZ]

@7:40 Brought a smile to my face! Alas, fellow introverts - I too cannot stand the company of many others except those who I would trust my life with (3 people). Absolutely love it! Enjoy your stay in Polynesia!

[@HollyandRay]

Ahhh, we’ve found our people! Thank you for the well wishes. ❤️

[@rjnogel]

Guys, many thanks for all the technical information, tips, apps info, etc. Really helpful for sailing out here. Hope to run into you someday. Keep it up!!

[@HollyandRay]

Happy to hear that! Thanks for watching and maybe we’ll share an anchorage sometime soon! :)

[@andyh7617]

Guys thanks so much for the Q&A. Have only just found your channel and have subscribed. On the Q&A they were some of the best questions that could have been asked and answered really really well. Nice job.

[@HollyandRay]

Hi Andy, thank you! Happy you found this helpful. :)

[@travisn23]

Just discovered your channel. I’ve been watching your videos crossing the Pacific and I’m looking forward to catching up with the others. They are so entertaining. Good luck . Keep posting. Thanks

[@HollyandRay]

Well welcome, Travis! Thanks for the encouragement, glad you’re enjoying our videos! ☺️❤️

[@sailingandromeda]

You're videos are so amazing!

[@HollyandRay]

Thank you!! ❤️

[@davegrocketsurgeon7071]

You guys truly come across so sincere and genuine and the videos always leave me wanting more. Congrats on the huge milestone 🎉

[@HollyandRay]

That is such a lovely compliment Dave, thank you! ❤️

[@geoffstrebel2808]

@26:16 Baby wipes keep the peace! LOL! Glad to see you guys made it safe and had fun doing it!

[@HollyandRay]

Take notes! Clean bits = a happy voyage ✍🏼

[@priit47]

Just so thankful for you and so valuable as well are your videos. Such a good team you are, very inspirational. About custom boats..... yeah but one could think of it also this way that there are much more people sitting on their couches and dreaming about sailing while you are living the happy and fun life. There will always be cooler boats, equipment etc but living the life in the moment is the magic a guess.... Thank you so very much, really thankful for your shared experiences and life and wish you just really all the best :)

[@HollyandRay]

Thank you for your kind words! ❤️ You’re very wise, we are always battling between living in the moment and what’s next… thanks for following along ☺️

[@angelomazzone7939]

Well so interesting hearing your thoughts. I truly believe your great preparation paid off. Ok the dolphins are always great to see, and they seem to follow you. This is one I will watch a few times, as I am so interested in what you are saying, and want to not miss a thing. We are in Maine for two weeks, but still getting your videos in. Thanks for another great video, and continue to enjoy!!!

[@HollyandRay]

Thank you, Angelo! It was very rewarding to see our preparation pay off. I hope you’re enjoying Maine, we have the fondest memories from our summer there several years ago. :)

[@kathrynlonsdale6653]

Great informative video! Thank you and enjoy your time in the Pacific. May see you out on the water one day 🥰

[@HollyandRay]

Thanks, Kathryn!

[@wolpumba4099]

Expectation vs. Reality: Sailing Across the Pacific Ocean - Video Summary *0:00* Introduction and scenic sailing footage in the Marquesas Islands *4:30* Q&A about the Pacific crossing experience begins *4:55* Passage Statistics: * Distance: 4,487 nautical miles * Duration: 27 days (649 hours) * Average Speed: 6.2 knots * Engine Use: 186 hours (mostly Panama to Galapagos) * Diesel Used: 90 gallons * Trash upon Arrival: 1 bag *6:17* Expectations vs. Reality: * Reality met expectations overall * More motoring than expected due to lighter winds * Less downtime than expected, felt busy with boat tasks *7:30* Highlights: * Sailing just the two of them * Peaceful and trusting dynamic * Successful meal planning and provisioning *9:24* Challenges: * Wrong sail configuration for wind conditions * Lagoon's "no headsail only" limitation * Maintaining equipment and preventing issues * Difficulty making water due to speed and sea state *11:16* What They Would Do Differently: * Have a light wind A2 asymmetrical spinnaker * Install a water maker thru-hull in a more suitable location * Consider running backstays for headsail-only sailing *12:27* What They Would Do the Same: * Meticulous meal prep and provisioning * 5 hours on/off watch schedule * Thorough daily boat checks *20:10* Changes for Future Sailing: * Add A2 asymmetrical spinnaker * Install running backstays * Potentially add portable solar panels * Relocate water maker thru-hull *22:12* What was it like using a weather router? *26:09* Advice for a long passage with a spouse *27:52* State of the boat upon arrival *30:20* Advice for preventing problems on a long passage *32:32* How is it being in the Marquesas Islands? i used gemini 1.5 pro to summarize the transcript

[@kiwiop99]

Great Video, keep it up. Thanks

[@HollyandRay]

Thank you! :)

[@HopeOfJoe]

OMG 😱, you guys ‼️ 👍🏻 What a F.a.b.u.l.o.u.s episode 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 Love the way you both interact together. BTW................ HAPPY ANNIVERSARY ✨ 🎊 ✨ This was another great learning episode experience. Just like the electrical one in the Caribbean. A real keeper for when we get our boat and duplicate your preparedness. See you next time. ✨ 🌊 💨 ⛵️ 🏝️ 👙 🌞 ✨

[@HollyandRay]

Thanks, Richard! ❤️ Can’t wait to hear all about your adventures when you get out here! See ya next time. :)

[@Boody523]

Very interesting numbers, and you guys held a really good speed. We have a new Leopard 42 and averaging 8.5 would be a heck of a good day. Great video, you guys killed it

[@HollyandRay]

Thank you! Some days were better than others, but we were happy with Sabado’s performance overall. Would’ve been flying if we’d had an asymmetrical spinnaker!!

[@timwoods603]

Glad I happened on your channel. Look forward to future videos.

[@HollyandRay]

Hi, Tim! Welcome! Thanks for following along. :)

[@triplefoam]

Ray the romantic! Well done guys!

[@HollyandRay]

I’m a lucky gal🥰

[@crowdfundcrew]

Can't wait to see more videos from that part of the world. For the Manta- need to drop the camera just under the water (gopro?). That would be incredible to have one feeding just under the boat! Donate for a Dream

[@HollyandRay]

I’m not sure how it will do in low light but I am going to keep the GoPro charged from now on just in case! 😍

[@timoouwehand6178]

Xcelent vid thank you for sharing and biltong id beef jerky but with different spice!

[@HollyandRay]

Shhh don’t go making us hungry again😩

[@RNVOS]

You two are soo kind!!! Should of called her Kokanee 🍺 ❤ from 🇨🇦 BC

[@HollyandRay]

Thank you!! ❤️

[@rickkwitkoski1976]

Thank you. Biltong - beef jerky!

[@HollyandRay]

Thanks for watching! :) beef jerky, but better!!

[@ClayChandler]

Great video and thanks for the statistics on the trip. Kris and I also have a Lagoon 42 and I’m wondering what your motoring strategy was. To motor 186 hours and burn 93 gallons tells me that you used about half a gallon per hour. Were you using one engine only and running at 1500 rpm?

[@HollyandRay]

Hey, Clay! Yes, one engine at a time at 1800rpm. We also had our weather router help us find favorable currents during the first week (when we did the bulk of our motoring) so we got the most out of it in terms of speed!

[@ClayChandler]

@@HollyandRayGood strategy. Thanks for the reply and congratulations on your successful crossing.

[@HollyandRay]

@ClayChandler of course! And thank you❤️

[@Stephan_01]

♥️♥️🥰🥰

[@SV-DEDICATED]

Can you elaborate on no head sail without the main up?

[@HollyandRay]

In what aspect? Lagoon has said all models with the aft set masts should not sail with a headsail only. So, during light downwind sails, we have to have our mainsail up, which blankets our headsail and causes it to luff/flog or deflate entirely. We tried to mitigate this by bringing the main down to its third reef, but it still blanketed the headsail too much during our crossing.

[@SV-DEDICATED]

@@HollyandRay Thanks, I wasn't aware of this.

[@HollyandRay]

It wasn't their policy when we bought the boat, Sabado crossed the Atlantic flying headsail only! Not sure why they changed their messaging, but when we were days away from shore we figured it’d be best to follow the rules😅

[@user-pe6hh4rp6c]

What kind of fish are those Holly? The ones cleaning bottom of your boat?

[@HollyandRay]

I have no idea! Haven’t been able to identify them yet… I think they might be bluefin trevally? Some were more colorful though!

[@joannelawson5179]

I have a great Biltong connection in San Diego

[@HollyandRay]

We are so jealous!

[@joannelawson5179]

@@HollyandRay It’s a staple when you’re married to a South African!

[@HollyandRay]

@joannelawson5179 I think we’re going to try making our own… 🤔

[@EnriqueDeQuesada101]

❤❤

[@HollyandRay]

💙💙

[@CraigMay]

An expensive boat, living a no work life style and willing to spend 3 to 4 gallons of diesel to run the generator to charge your batteries.? Come on!!

[@HollyandRay]

We have no income, and are in a place where it is difficult to refuel. So yes, we’re mindful of our fuel consumption.