SAILING THROUGH 60 KNOTS KILLED MY SAIL - SwT 179

Sailing from Saumlaki towards Tual in Indonesia for renewing my visa has been the most expensive experience in a long time. 60 knots of wind is no joke, and even though BE FREE handle this with elegance my old sails had no chance. This was a real storm and not a youtube storm where you have time to make selfies with a drone and create lots of drama. It is not much drama to make about 60 knots of wind either, but it for sure was more than enough for my sails.
After a rough sail yet not longer than 200 nautical miles, I finally reach the amazing Indonesian island Tual. However it turned out there was some red days in their calendar and the immigration office was closed. Meaning I will get a penalty for being delayed renewing my tourist visa. How much I dont know at this point, but I have an idea as I even have to wait until monday before they open again. So in retro perspective I could had delayed my departure for several days, that would had saved my sails and not made much of a difference in terms of Indonesian immigration and visa.
The challenge here is not only the weather but the huge distances inside this nation, but also between port of arrivals where they have immigration offices.
Im also sharing my sailing strategy and how I plan ahead of my journey. I take winds and ocean currents into my planning, and even how I expect the winds will move around the islands.
Thank you so much for tagging along, and for the patron's support in making this video possible.
Patreon: / sailingwiththomas
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WATCHING AND SUBSCRIBING!
You can also follow sailing with Thomas on other platforms for almost daily updated pics and videos, and even find yourself a new T-Shirt:
Facebook: / sailingwiththomas
Instagram: / sailingwiththomas
Shop: sailingwiththo...
ABOUT THIS CHANNEL:
I'm a sailor with a KZbin channel and not a KZbinr. Sailing around the world in a Bavaria 55 Cruiser mostly solo, making videos whenever we have time for it.
Comfortable at sea with 4 decades of sailing experience and hundreds of thousands of miles behind me.
Even though this is season 6 on KZbin I did not make that many videos in the beginning, and obviously not from my entire sailing life. Before full-time sailing 6 years ago, I sailed several seasons in the Mediterranean, and obviously also in Scandinavia. I had my first sailboat at age 7 and have been sailing and racing ever since. Also, more than 10 years of experience as a captain in Search and Rescue at sea in Norway.

[@hedleyjackson5131]

60 knots that’s going to test any boat, glad you made land safe.

[@chrisostling805]

You mentioning that most of the kids speak English so they can translate reminds me of when I was 13 years old and went to Norway and Sweden to visit relatives back in the mid 70's. We got to our first destination where we would be staying with family in Bronnoysund, I know the O's have the accent but do not know how to get them on my laptop. We pulled into town and stopped at a shop to ask directions and my family asked me to ask since it was all teenagers about my age. They greeted me by name, and knew all about us coming to visit, one of them volunteered to show us the way and hopped into our VW Bus and as we drove through town we noticed that the church was flying the US flag and were told it was for us. We got to our family's house and as the day progressed, I think that nearly everyone who lived nearby came to visit and brought the most wonderful food. I still want to go back; it was such a wonderful place and wonderful people.

[@OldSlow]

the o dont have a different accent, the ø is a different letter.

[@brownnoise357]

I ran into an aspect like this when I was working in Spain starting in the late 1980’s, and really looking forward to learning Spanish. Fat Chance ! Literally everyone was learning English in American language Schools and wanted to practice their English ! 😂 Luckily I had a Psion 3A (a pocket computer about the size of a glasses case with which I could Fax back my product reports to the office in UK ) a Spanish to English, English to Spanish language translation module , and everyone was fascinated by it and wanted to ret it, so managed to get by well enough luckily. A bit frustrating though as I still suck as badly with Spanish as I did then tbh. Bob.🙂❤

[@Vidar.m]

Best parts of norway is here at Helgeland

[@SailingMayhem]

Æ (AE), Ø (OE), Å (AO). Æ - Is like the A in apple. Or like the a’s in ‘Park the Car in Harvard Yard’ said with a thick Boston accent Ø - Is like the U in burn or like the i in bird Å - Is like the O in Horny - Or like the first o in ‘octopus’ but with rounded lips.

[@erikvictor]

good luck with the repairs, big job ahead!

[@darrellpugh6186]

So Very Glad You are Safe! Bit rough around the edges , but you say you can repair all, very good. Fair Winds 😎

[@Papaondas]

Platoon said “ there are 3 types of man, the living, the dead and the ones out in the sea “, not a easy life for sure, thanks for sharing

[@tomtribby2309]

That must have been very exciting Thomas , I am glad nothing serious happened.

[@rickwilson3032]

Big winds! Glad your safe!

[@brucebates1302]

Thanks for another great video Thomas. That gust must have made things real exciting real fast. Nice to see such friendly people and especially friendly children out there in that part of the world. I like how you mentioned it's tough to be in a down mood when everyone around you is happy.😊 cheers

[@ingridsordal6157]

I wrote to Sailrite and showed your film . They wrote back about your machine issues and said the following: His Needle is backward and the machine is not threaded at the take-up spring of the Upper Tension Assembly in the video.

[@brownnoise357]

PS.for a heavy duty Offshore Sail Construction, you need wider Seams triple stitched plus reinforcements.Great examples of what is needed, is videos of individual Sail construction to different specifications that are available on the Precision Sails KZbin channel, along with examples of different types of Sails constructed out of all manner of specification Sailcloths. I’m hoping to get them to build me a custom Test Furling Main Sail for in Mast Furling on my next Sailboat. It will be a Battenless Sail with Triradial construction and with Four Reef Points.the first two reefs with very strong lighter cloth to save furling space inside the Mast, and the last two reefs with a heavier Staysail quality cloth to provide two Storm sails when unfurled with the last reef providing a heavily reduced sail area, to keep all of the forces very close to the Mast.The rest of the Sail furled inside the Mast helping to spread and absorb the loads. As I said an experimental sail for Testing,and no doubt with hands on experience, it Will likely need extensive modifications as a result of experience with it for several years.Matched to a Triradial Genoa Foresail with three reefs of much lighter cloth which will be fully furled when things go bad ( it’s personal but I don’t like exposed Sailcloth at the extreme ends of the Boston’s, either at the bow or stern, as I have found the leverage moments Have been breaking all attempts at heaving to. So all forces kept at the mast, and last resort fire up the oversized inboard diesel and at low speed try to exit the weather system. That said, just about any Sail plan can be made to work, but things have to be simplified for me on KISS principles due to my Disabilities, as I need to keep Sailing, and can modify things to suit. Bob.👍🌟🌟🌟❤️

[@skippersteiermark]

thanks for your great video - the best was ".... this is not a KZbin storm ..." 🙂

[@andersnilsson6625]

Thanks Thomas for another great video. A REAL storm and no KZbin drama! While waiting to launch myself, I watch many KZbin sailors and some who say that "lucky we didn't sail today there was a storm with 18 knots in the gusts" I stop following them, but I will continue to follow you. It will be exciting to see how it went with immigration and the sail, but I hope it went well. 🇸🇪😀😄💕

[@nooneanybodyknows7912]

Thomas, the 60+ knots storm packed a punch in the gut to you and your mainsail. On top of that, your expiring visa, you still manage to find a bright spot and happiness in a modern grocery store and an English speaking teenager. I agree with you on the open markets' lack of sanitation and refrigeration. Vernon on Learning by Doing and I have differing opionions on the dangers of water and food borne diseases in Indonesian markets. I'm happy your more cautious. On a lighter note, there is an excellent Norwegian Limited Series on Netflix, Midsummer Night. It's excellent. I loved it and thought of you. I hope you can watch it and rejoice in feelings of home. Thanks for sharing. 🍻

[@c.a.mcneil7599]

Work to be done but the blessings came. You have memories of the beautiful people and culture. Sorry your sails trashed. You gave smiles to others when you met up with locals. Get to work but count your blessings also.

[@kj5905]

Thomas please add some vertical strips of canvas after your seam repairs to help reinforce your shredded seams. It should help until your get a replacement main.

[@Jondantic]

Love you adventures mate, I spent some time on a fishing boat in that part of the world in 1994, ran into some nasty weather as well and it was terrifying for an east coast Aussie also the crazy currents were something to behold.

[@dutchglobetrotter4513]

An other great episode. Yes I agree it's the people you meet during travels that make the experience special. Cheers mate.

[@TammyBillings-qt1ve]

I am enjoying your adventures.

[@MrMediterrano]

During my time on Bali, I hardly ever saw sailboats and thought that it must be due to extreme tides and the shallow depths in bays and coves. In some locations, during low-tide, excursions boats had to pull back a few hundred meters from the shore and ended up being a few meters below the piers which were sometimes several hundred meter long.

[@aaronnunn5240]

I heard you have to pay a local pilot/captain when you're in Bali.

[@1960jammy]

It’s a good job you’re a very knowledgable sailor. I would feel safe sailing with you!👍😂🥰🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@MikeSantis]

I enjoy your videos Thomas. Quite "educational" also. I also enjoy your strong Norwegian accent on the English language which you manage fantastic! Thanks. Always looking forward to your videos. Keep them coming

[@somadevo]

You're a classic Great, Thomas. Be Free certainly deserves the best of sails. Highest Blessings

[@brownnoise357]

Bloody Hell Thomas ! That Sail Damage really Sucks. It’s shocking how fast and how severely UV damage, and even destroy Sail Cloth, let alone Stitching. ☹️. While a good precision Scientific Instrument Barometer can alert you to how bad it is likely to get, tbh, there is no substitute for a Barograph the ones with a constant Paper Record are bloody expensive though.the Barometer on my last Sailboat was a really good one, and it was pressure dropping like a bloody rock through the bottom of the scale, that warned me that the Tornado Storm I was she,tearing from was about to hit, and likely within minutes, so it was into the Cockpit, and wedged in with floatation cushions as fast as possible while wearing my Offshore Life Jacket. That Barometer went down with my boat later sadly. I ordered a replacement for my next boat but what I had arrive was cheap Chinese Rubbish with the same name as my original German one, and it was too poor a quality to trust y life and my boat to. Eventually I found the Apple iPhone and iPad have Barometric sensors built in, and there is a fantastic Barograph and Altitude app agailable on the App Store that give me a graphic record just like the paper Barographs do.tbh, I do not like Apple products, but such an app isn’t available for Android. So now I have an iPad to use in the Saloon , and a iPhone Mini to use in the Cockpit, and apart from making phone calls and sending texts, that’s the only app I use on them. Two Old Sailing Sayings have served me really well Thomas - 1) The Deeper The Low, the worse the Blow, and 2) Rapid Rise After Low, Worse to Follow. With a Barograph Visual Readout, I can instantly see what is going on with atmospheric pressure. The app only cost £2.99p to register- an absolute Bargain imho. Thomas, if you can get the Sailcloth and decent thread, anyone with a Sewing Machine should be able to get your MainSail repaired. Good Luck, and Safe Travels. Bob, still landlocked in Wales. PS.Solar Emissions have seriously damaged our Ozone layer, and sadly high UV levels are no longer restricted to the Tropics sadly.🤔

[@peterwall4739]

Good show , sorry for the situation 😢. Good luck Thomas, now get stitching 😅

[@timlamarre8680]

Another excellent video. Thank you for posting.

[@mememe5231]

Great video! Good luck with the sail and imagination.

[@Jim-jh9bd]

that is some wild weather. Hope the sails are saved , too costly . Great show

[@marcgatto9675]

Too bad for the sail damage. But when I see a single-handed yacht with scarred and patched sails I know there's a real sailor on the helm. Good luck!

[@Marcel-J]

Good luck repairing the sails.

[@mattipollari8905]

I ordered a very good main sail - made in Hong Kong, and had it delivered to St Thomas USVI. The price, and quality were both excellent. You are quite a bit closer. Perhaps shipping is a challenge in your area. It appears that the UV destroys the stitching first as that is the most vulnerable. Your presentation is always low key factual, and very positive!

[@michigreen8943]

Good luck with the sail repairs. Thanks for the videos, and glad you made it safe!

[@rbyham]

Everrywhere in Indonesia there are excellent tailors. I would wonder i f you show them your sail and provide appropriate materials they would not do a good job off restitching things for you. Don't underestimate the ability of these people to fix problems. You need a "tukan jahit" good luck

[@noelsharpe5970]

Thomas its time for new sails. Ring Tasker sails for a price or maybe you could ring Espen Aker for a price or even some advice . You will be able to repair the main good enough to sail again , but for how long . Start sewing and making phone calls .

[@Andre-yu3qs]

Thanks for sharing.

[@SailingMayhem]

Wow, 60+ knots :D The way you handel that is impressive but it also say a thing or two about the Bavaria! Will you say that if there is a singular lowpressure coming it is'nt a big worry unless there are surroundig lows to fuel it? Thanks

[@michaelupton9009]

Wow what a tough passage

[@rafaelbravowelafubun7405]

wow very cool.😍

[@SailingwithThomas]

Thank you so much Bravo 🙏🏻 Glad you enjoyed it

[@doradosurfcharters]

Gonna be hard work sailing any distance in asia with only 2 eyes and not hit any fads or wooden fishing boats that don't pick up on radar ..good luck 👍🍻

[@sempertalis1230]

It is interesting to watch how your starboard deck planks are deteriorating. Is this a point to worry about for you ?

[@pierrekingbkk]

Thomas sounds crazy but in the town they must have someone with a heavy stitching machine who repairs truck heavy tarpaulin and under your guidance and if you have a bit of sail material I am certain they can help you out and do a good job at a very reasonable price. Just need to be there and discuss the procedures.

[@greenfuture578]

Depending how up to date this posting is, go North to Philippines. You can stay for much longer....years....with extensions from immigration. Hyde sails from uk manufacture in Cebu. But be careful, you might not want to leave.

[@firstnamelastname9013]

👍👍❤❤

[@anthonycook1406]

Wow, that looks ugly! Glad you came through ok.

[@srupp9271]

I think I would stay put and get new sails.

[@MK-gr9qz]

👌

[@christurbeville7230]

We need to get you a sailrite!

[@SailingwithThomas]

Hey my friend, thank you for watching and your support 🙏🏻 I do have one onboard but not always so useful, and sometimes I spend more time on it trying to adjust everything than doing it by hand🤷‍♂️ Me and my Sailrite are not so good friends

[@christurbeville7230]

Yea I realized later your main probably won't fit;(. Hand sew it is I guess...

[@janefletcher5571]

❤❤

[@jerrycooke6511]

Go to a well established shoe repair shop. That is what I did in Suva. It has be a well run shop or you will get ripped off...The work will be done as well as you can explain.

[@StemtoSternSailing]

Du er en Råtaas Thomas. Synd med seilene. Men som vi sier her omkring. Det er bedre å være rævalaus enn raoalaus. Håper at noen sponsorer tar til fornuft og fikser deg noen nye seil. Mvh Jarle

[@seedillume9169]

I hope the tsunami and volcano eruption in Indonesia is not affecting you! Stay safe.

[@SailingwithThomas]

I’m monitoring this closely. Luckily the biggest fears did not happen. They feared the volcano would collapse and create a gigantic tsunami. It’s definitely lots of activity here with volcanoes and daily earthquakes

[@janchristensen5692]

Hej hvad er den bedste indenbors motor?? Er det volvo der går mindst i stykker 😮hvad er din erfaring Jan danmark

[@t-dog8528]

Not sure I'd have the sheets out in 60kn winds

[@scottg6799]

Sewing sails is not fun at all. Try to find a little joy in it and don't forget how lucky you are to be able to live the sailing life!!!!!!

[@Frog13799]

Did you not think of perhaps stowing your sails?

[@abent74]

it seems like it might be good to have a storm jib and trysail for this situation. what are your thoughts on this?

[@SailingwithThomas]

Yes I have many times wanted a custom setup for heavy weather sailing. I have storm sails but it’s not a convenient solution for surprise weather. It needs to be prepared in forehand. Not good, and the reason for being transparent here. I know being honest is fuel for trolls but for those who can benefit from shared experience it’s of high value. However the baby stay I want, and additional fore stay requires quite some modifications from experts. Also costs quite a lot, but hopefully in place before next round. Thank you so much for being here 🙏🏻

[@MiQBohlin]

A sail status that might get anyone insane

[@Early8Q]

I have said it before, your “Be Free” tune is an ear worm for me, and I love it! Keep on! Fair winds and following seas!

[@Eid_Ali]

It's always safe when you are in a Muslim country. I could hear the Quran of prayer time. You might encounter bad individuals but that's rare. I see you are from tbg, jeg bor i Horten. I am so into learning sailing. :) do you give sailing courses? do you recommend a school or a person? I will sail no matter what. Be safe. Best of luck

[@SailingwithThomas]

At the moment I don’t do sailing classes but who knows what future brings. My experience with different cultures and even religions so far is only good and fascinating. I believe mutual respect takes us far. All the best

[@notwhatiwasraised2b]

full out genoa in 40 kts...?

[@notwhatiwasraised2b]

there are NO 'ROPES' on a sail boat

[@Salzbuckel]

The physical thing, that builds a leech , is some kind of rope. The leech is the sailing function, the rope fulfills. Also, have fun with sailing without ropes, maybe you should tell us all dumb people, how to do that.

[@terryblack8178]

A bell rope, the rest of the rigging are sheets or halyards or lines ect

[@abdulmqazi207]

Ropes?? Sheets??? Lines???? Now I am confused...😅

[@notwhatiwasraised2b]

@@abdulmqazi207 then get on it...Goggle lines on a boat

[@notwhatiwasraised2b]

@@abdulmqazi207 'Halyards' raise sails, 'Sheets' control them...the rest is the rest...if you don't have a bell you don't have a 'rope' on a sailboat