See ya', Bonaire! - Sailing Tarka Ep. 23

Proceeds from this video will go to the Coral Reef Alliance, but you can also support me directly (and specifically the production of these videos) by becoming a Patron: / theadventuresoftarka
Tarka is a 1973 Albin Vega 27 (8.2m) that I bought sight-unseen and without sailing experience on the island of St. Martin in April of 2017. I was thrust head-first into ocean sailing as I got Tarka safely south from what would become the most devastating hurricane seasons on record. We are now working our way west towards the Pacific.
I am sailing Tarka around the world in part to raise money and awareness for coral conservation by supporting the Coral Reef Alliance. You can learn more here:
www.theadventur...
or visit their website directly:
www.coral.org
If you make a donation to their website directly in Tarka's honor, please send me an e-mail copy of your receipt so I can keep track of Tarka's fundraising. You can forward to:
[e-mail]
Additional support for Tarka’s sail for CORAL (The Coral Reef Alliance) comes from contributions by:
Soylent - Healthy provisioning for the long offshore passages
Sta Lok - Swage-less terminals for portions of Tarka’s rigging, making it an easy DIY job and allowing for easy inspection
Victron Energy - Providing monitoring solutions for Tarka's batteries, to ensure we always have enough juice to do what we need to.
===
Music credits:
Plastic or Paper - Wes Hutchinson
Dance With Me - Ehrling: / ehrling

[@VANTREKKINGlifestyle]

Lynn and I have watched many of your videos and have yet to comment. But this time I just had to. It appeared your sweetheart did not get your "That's what she said" joke. 😂😂👍. As we've watched we have smiled at seeing that you are noticeably happier these days. 👍❤️. Loving your content... especially now that you're doing more talking to each other and the camera.

[@bendiuan1728]

It was a joy to watch all your videos you deserve a biger boat such a nice person regards Ben from morocco

[@freeholdtacticalmed]

“That’s what she said”... love it!. Sail on!

[@alexko2877]

Most optimistic sailing channel! Happiness you live in is much bigger then your tiny boat.

[@Darnpilot]

Oh my gosh...as a former Certified Cave Diver, I cannot stress to you how dangerous what you did in the cave was. You do not even know many of the dangers that, by sheer happenstance, you avoided. You both are lucky to be alive., no hyperbole.

[@TheAdventuresofTarka]

I agree that it was a bit dangerous, but to be fair, Noustha had been everywhere in this cave system that we explored, and these caves are also visited somewhat regularly as part of a tour. But clearly, I had my concerns all the same.

[@mhensen1]

Yeah, I’d have to pile on, I’m not a cave diver, but I’ve seen the training and redundancy they have to use, and man a dropped flashlight or a siltout or panic could have been terrible, I’d have to say that’s a dumb thing to do, sorry

[@sandbarbob1]

Oh gees, here comes the cave police. You guys did great. She knew it well. I would have been more cautious if she didn’t know it. Life is full of risks, if we listen to all the crybabies, we’d never leave the house.

[@MsTek]

Agreed. Incredibly stupid and kind of irresponsible to have posted this because other people will think this is okay when it absolutely is not.

[@MethosFilms]

i agree fully man. i got my ow and aow and diving alone certification and i wouldnt even try a cave lol.

[@Sharpiesailor31]

Wow guys that cave exploring was awesome and a bit scary. You both make quite a pair and your girl is a real GEM and holds nothing back. Treasure those days together! Loving your videos and travels. Stay safe out there.

[@davidwinter1379]

I miss your videos. Please do more soon!

[@Kirkster131]

Love that you show the maintenance as well as boat life. Lots of people want to skip that but to me that keeps things real. A short blooper reel at the end of the videos would be cool too...

[@RoyClare]

Loving the carefree nature of your channel ... and your seemingly easy, fun-loving relationship with each other. No lectures from me ... I did all those crazy things in ancient boats with little between me and disaster. And I persuaded some lovely friends to share the adventures! Now sailing a sedate Moody 376 - purely for pleasure - I’m grateful to have survived the other less-survivable craft! Keep right on .... happy sailing. Thanks for sharing. Happy Christmas. ⛵️🎉🎄👌

[@johns2926]

Enjoy the channel and I look forward to each episode. Forget the naysayers and the worriers commenting here about your spelunking and the dangers involved. Honestly, it’s ridiculous to pass judgement on someone over an edited video. You seem like a logical individual that plans out your activities; live your life brother and enjoy the adventure. These will be stories your family and friends will remember you by. Buenas suerte with your upcoming travels as I look forward to watching them!

[@Wabeeninc]

When you been refreshing all week and finally we get Tarka

[@goldenwarrior5664]

Great photography

[@rogermace4516]

You were freaking me out doing that cave diving .... Keep Well

[@brucelaurie9572]

You get to the same places as a larger boat.good work .great vid..thanks

[@ratandmonkey2982]

wow, we finally learn something about your prior life ! Scientist and Engineer ... cool ! That cave diving was way dangerous - seriously. No line to backtrack on, only two lights, no harness, ...

[@corax2012]

Your adventures are amazing! I'm glad I came across your channel. :)

[@alphasxsignal]

That is why I like Catamaran boats with outboards that are easy to work on. Like old Gemini models.

[@brunsmichael01]

Huge fan of your journey. Good luck man and happy sailing.

[@StreetTruckinTitan]

Id lose my mind swimming thru those caves. Claustrophobia over-drive! Made me uneasy just watching. :(

[@TheAdventuresofTarka]

I should note that we were in those caves the week after the Thai soccer team incident -- so that was very much on our minds.

[@bartblack7326]

Excellent video.. thanks for sharing.

[@finding_mojo]

Great to see the latest vid. You are living the dream. Boats can be a pain with the maintenance but think where it takes you. Looking forward to more. :)

[@ИванИванцов-о8щ]

Красота то какая невозможная!!!!

[@t3073]

I love your adventures and videos! Thank you for sharing, always happy when I see an upload from The adventures of Tarka. Greetings from the Netherlands

[@californiakayaker]

Hi guys, glad to meet you. I'm new of course, and noticing the KEEL on your boat first ! WOW ! I can read her mind (wow, what a mouse) . But, I have to admit, nothing about caves lends itself to amateurs. I have a ton of stuff about the rescue in Thailand in my fire rescue playlist. I've learned a lot about it, but learned that a little string to get you around is a lifesaver. And the underwater stuff, yea, seemed dangerous.

[@leoniewellesley6684]

More Awesome adventures on Tarka! Thanks for sharing! !

[@pmnmd62]

Hahaha, I spy Captain Rick from SAILING sophisticated Lady! The top channels always seem to meet each other somehow. Fair winds. Binge watching all your videos in a day after starting with SSL, then SLV, then Delos, then Papageno. Tried several others but got hooked on yours. Love your personality, boat, mission, and videography. Keep up the great work

[@TheAdventuresofTarka]

That's great to hear! I followed a few before I started sailing, mostly Delos and Untie the Lines. Delos, in their early years, was a huge factor in me finally pulling the trigger on the adventure.

[@georgecanakis1075]

Beautiful video loved it.

[@breckdoesnotcompute6700]

Awesome video. Hopefully I'll see in passing one day.

[@flyingdutchman6984]

Beautiful vivid photography as usual. The cave stuff just scares me, but I really enjoy the other underwater video. Your video editing skills are improving with every episode, and I am looking forward to the next segment of your adventure. Take care.

[@TheAdventuresofTarka]

Thanks! Always trying to improve and at the same time become more efficient with the editing.

[@nheeren1]

I love your videos!!! Thank you!

[@brucelaurie9572]

There’s always work on boats no matter big or small.It makes it fun a challenging.i do have to say don’t you get a good feeling to see that footer in the same anchorage

[@daniellaverty9586]

Post another one!!!!!!!! I love you videos.

[@TheAdventuresofTarka]

We don't have the time or resources to publish more frequently than we already are. But we'll do our best!

[@rfunk727]

I'm finding out by watching all of these sailing videos, that the captain of the boat always has a good looking first mate.

[@zibitranszibitrans7752]

great job

[@ChristianSailing]

i almost had a panic attack when you were in the cave! beautiful but don't think ill oblige

[@jwrappuhn71]

Good vid ya'll.

[@aggiez]

Damn , you make the Dream look so easy,

[@TheAdventuresofTarka]

Haha, I thought I did a pretty good job in this episode of showing how it isn't always so easy.

[@AndyLaneOlson]

I really enjoy your adventure. I have been watching since the beginning. I find it kind of annoying all the “pro” diver and sailors giving their three cents. You are obviously having a great time. Keep it up. You inspire me man.

[@TheAdventuresofTarka]

Some of it is helpful, but also, the reality is that everyone has an opinion, and it's certainly easier to give it from the comfort and safety of home.

[@davejob630]

The reason you find it annoying is because you are ignorant of the dangers.

[@JesusHernandez-xp2bh]

Good video,

[@patrickwentz8413]

Spelunking the olde Germanic word for screaming hysterically until someone lets you out of the cave.....

[@TheAdventuresofTarka]

I believe it.

[@edl617]

Those Salterns (salt flats) look man made.

[@solrac7782]

Have you not seen "Descent", I would go down there for anything.

[@VincentVisee]

Don't let these guy's offend you😂, i know what it is like to have an old small boat. things are easy and simple to fix and there are not many worries if there is anything not perfect. If it ain't broke, dont fix it

[@AlsinoFerreira]

Hahahaha what happened dude, did the green rum knock you out? Nice video

[@tonchido]

cute birl,love her

[@artsmith103]

My experience is that the main is a better single sail than the jib. Maybe not so much down wind.

[@TheAdventuresofTarka]

I've found the Tarka can sail with only the jib, upwind included. But if I were sailing any real distance upwind, I'd bring the main up, too. Downwind, the jib alone is definitely better than the main alone. We can also quickly reef the headsail without leaving the cockpit, whereas reefing the main requires us to go to the mast, which is never a lot of fun in any kind of sea state.

[@artsmith103]

@@TheAdventuresofTarka In different situations keep in mind where the Center Of Effort (COE) is and balance on rig support. I realize the furled jib is more inviting.

[@flyingdutchman6984]

The Vega sails very nicely with only the jib, and even better when you add just a bit of the main.

[@deckert618]

I enjoyed the video a lot, but that seacock in your engine compartment really scares me! That hose should be double clamped and you should really have a tapered wooden plug tied to it for emergencies. A couple dollars in extra parts may save you and your boat from sinking.

[@howardwhite9773]

I would not be bashful about replacing the hose the clamp to which you suspect of not being tight. Yeah, I know, you can't judge a hose by its exterior appearance. I'm not keen on painting hoses in the first place.

[@TheAdventuresofTarka]

Our seacoks are pretty small, and most of them can't accommodate two hose clamps (safely). The second one will either be on the end of the hose, or only partially around the seacock barb, thus damaging the hose. I think there's a good argument for double-clamping any raw-water hose, but I have to agree with Nigel Calder's thoughts on the matter, that if properly inspected, and if of high-quality, one properly tightened hose clamp is sufficient.

[@mhensen1]

The Adventures of Tarka Calder I think is a pretty good source ;-)

[@lbh002]

Cool. Thx.

[@giuliom8520]

Where's your seat cushions? This isn't a bachelor boat anymore.

[@timerickson2141]

On a boat the rule is double hose clamps

[@flyingdutchman6984]

I agree with you completely, but if he is using the original Vega thru-hulls the hose barbs are very short. It would be almost impossible to put a second hose clamp on them. To be honest the hoses are probably stuck on there so well that the hose clamp is probably more for decoration. 😊

[@dylanmestuzzi8850]

Hey man new to the channel but I gotta say I'm loving it! I'm going to get my own boat one day so maybe I'll see yah out there some day! Do you have any tips on being able to keep the adventure going and never having to go back to work like you?

[@TheAdventuresofTarka]

Finding a source of passive income, or establishing a resume of skilled remote-work BEFORE you leave is your best bet. It's a lot harder to do after the fact.

[@alphasxsignal]

Birds carry all types of things.

[@friarfox]

You always make me smile and cringe at the same time. Half equipped cave diving , iffy engine condition and the usual sea waves bigger than the boat. What could go wrong? “May you have the hindsight to know where you've been, The foresight to know where you are going, And the insight to know when you have gone too far”

[@TheAdventuresofTarka]

We try to minimize our risks as much as we can, but sometimes we just have to go with what we have.

[@adventureswithfrodo2721]

Glad you survived but it is one of the dumbest things you could do.

[@aggiez]

WOW Cool!

[@bryonensminger7462]

You need some cockpit cushions

[@xenogaius7326]

Your previous episode is also listed as episode 23...just a heads up. Great vid :)

[@TheAdventuresofTarka]

It was for a little while, but I changed it :).

[@jrovalinoful]

What sailing books do you recommend?

[@outdoorcory6645]

I have just binged watched all these episodes. Love the channel! From the hints I have gathered, are these videos you are now posting from last year? Are these videos a year behind?

[@TheAdventuresofTarka]

This video was from July. So they're about 6-months behind. This is a practical necessity, as we often don't have the time/resources/internet to publish in a just-in-time fashion. And there will be times where we don't have a connection for up to a month at a time.

[@patzwahl8341]

Binge watching and enjoying your adventures. I still don't know your names?? Brian and ??? something that ends with sha?? Please add them to the entro.

[@cdbzbee454]

Great place to hide treasure

[@claresamways9534]

Please don`t dive in any overhead environment without training. As an absolute minimum trail a line so if you kick up sediment you can feel your way back.

[@cBoTy6e]

Greetings from Russia :)

[@philsmith7398]

Aaaaaaaaargh!! Hard to watch that claustrophobic cave stuff!

[@VincentVisee]

Great vid again brother! But im pretty sure that Curaçao is also a dutch island

[@visiteavecmoi]

Bonjour bonjour l'amis,you never really talk about when you arrive to an new country . Do you actually go stray to immigration each time/each country?? Or since you don't stay that long you skip that step?? Thank you&be safe out there!! Chris,✌️

[@artsmith103]

They have talked about checking in at customs. Even leaving for a short trip when their guest visa expired.

[@visiteavecmoi]

@@artsmith103 Ah, what episodes?

[@TheAdventuresofTarka]

Check out episode 21, we talk a bit about the process there. We have to check in everywhere we go, and check out before we leave. The only exception is that many countries allow for a 72-hour emergency stop without checking in (for example, if our engine broke, or we had an issue with the rig and needed to sort it out).

[@visiteavecmoi]

@@TheAdventuresofTarka As usual thx for your prompt answer,must be pain in the neck file up paper all the time haha. Approximately how much $$$ to process immigration paperwork?

[@6r4metroman]

I tried to cave dive in Minorca but the sea swell was too much to get in the entrance...

[@TheAdventuresofTarka]

I've never dived a cave, and I think that would be both amazing and terrifying!

[@GeorgeLander9]

What field of engineering did you study? Im about to graduate with a degree in Civil environmental and youre living my dream. Fair Winds!

[@TheAdventuresofTarka]

I studied Chemical Engineering (for far too long) but worked, oddly enough, as a software developer.

[@NordicLead]

15:03 😂😂😂

[@moleisrich1]

I love her. I wish she would speak more, lovely voice and accent. She is a little bashful I can tell. Maybe she can narrate an episode or two. Cheers

[@TheBehindspace]

Did you say you're in Spain?

[@TheAdventuresofTarka]

Curaçao in the video. We're in Colombia now, though.

[@TheBehindspace]

Nice, I’ve always wanted to go there and Argentina.

[@MsTek]

Girl goes into caves without a line. Girl picks up random birds off the street, brings it back to the boat then decides maybe should have left it on the street. There is a pattern here and it isn't a good one.

[@sebrofseven]

return line you could follow to get out? I subscribed, then unsubscribed after this dangerous move. I pray you guys stay safe, take care.

[@milkoberben2963]

Throughout all of the sailing channels most of them don't have decent foot wear....

[@davejob630]

ok so when people copy you and think that cave diving like this is sensible, you can consider yourselves responsible. And if you die , well, I guess that's Darwinism at it's best.

[@goodbyemr.anderson5065]

Fuck you, no one is responsible for someone's else's choices. You goddamn snowflakes are getting more annoying everyday. Give your head a shake you little bitch, and get out of that glass bubble you live in.

[@terence8127]

That was a dumb thing to do. You had no safety equipment and did almost everything wrong. Don’t repeat that!

[@StevenPendleton]

Wow I want to enjoy your videos! But this one just about convinced me that I should only keep watching if I want to here about tragedy someday... First of all, the cave exploration was so foolish, especially with only the two of you. Sounded like she had to really push you to do it. Don’t let peer pressure make you do something. Your Captain and whether she likes it or not you go with your gut and run far away from something like that as you can. My kids would come and ask to do something foolish and their answer would be “well their friends are doing it”! Weren’t you taught growing up that you don’t do something just because someone else has? And then Mr. Captain you have a bit of laziness in you that is going to let the Sea claim both of you. Did you buy and read any books about preparing a boat for blue water sailing? You should have plugs tied by every through hole in that boat! And then to overheat a Diesel engine is death to that engine many times! And then you say “I know I should of got it tighter and put two clamps on it”. What if it had got hot in the middle of a long passage, away from land and weather wouldn’t let you stop to fix it? The ocean is unforgiving, in fact sometimes doing everything the right way isn’t enough. Your young but not invincible, it’s time to mature a lot.

[@kangarookicker6995]

Dude it’s his safety not yours.