EP237. High winds, midnight engine work, and storm-sails - through Central America by wooden sailboat
Added 2026-01-03 16:32:50 +0000 UTCIn this video, we transit from Mexico through Nicaragua, where we spend an unusual Christmas. We cross the notorious Papagayo winds, we have to work on the engine in the middle of the night, and we test out our storm sails. Finally we arrive exhausted in Costa Rica with an amazing downwind sail, and meet up with our old friend Patrick!
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Music;
Brooks Williams - Goodbye Walker Percy
Comments
Have you ever considered replacing the gaff rigged main sail with a Marconi rigged main sail when you’re cruising Tally Ho in windy parts of the world.
James Miller
2026-01-08 17:24:22 +0000 UTCI love this video. It shows the trip, maintenance, mistakes, projects as well as showing how you two on the boat are feeling. Wonderful.
Jesper Carlsson
2026-01-06 17:11:25 +0000 UTCHey guys, thanks so much. This one ranks with the best of your sailing vids. Great timing of story, great drone shots, interesting topics, personalities. WOW! Lost myself in the action, weather, thrills. Great tune at the end. Bravo. Btw, thanks for turning me to Acorn-to-Arabella. Really enjoying their story (going thru their whole series - tides me over in between TH episodes!)
BandiT
2026-01-06 07:16:55 +0000 UTCOn the beads: I sail a dutch barge (type: Schokker) which has a round wooden mast with the luff of the main sail fastened to it with beads on rope. It has one piece of rope with beads going from one grommet to the next. So not both ends of the rope to the same grommet. In my experience this allows for less friction because the loop will not get itself hung up when narrowing itself into an elipse when there is resistance at a single point, despite the beads. The loops will become tighter when the luff is stretched out because grommets are further apart, but will loosen themselves when sail is lowered. Here's a picture on a dutch wikipedia site: https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rakband
Paul Bijlsma
2026-01-05 12:28:03 +0000 UTCHi Leo, I could not see any gasket when you closed the impeller pump. Does that mean it does not require one, or do you have a trick that makes the gasket stick to the back of the impeller pump lid?
Paul Bijlsma
2026-01-05 12:00:30 +0000 UTCGreetings… Nice t’ see you guys are underway once again An’ Patrick able to join up as Tally Ho, at long last, bids adieu to the Pacific Ocean! Well … Seems that last passage to Panama City may involve a lot of ‘beating to windward’ this time of year, especially if planning to navigate near the coast. Hmmnnn… Kinda looks like there may be a fair bit o’ wind crossing the Isthmus for a couple days during mid January that might make things ‘especially interesting’. However… The coasts of both Costa Rica and Panama seem to have plenty of really nice places for the three of you to explore along the way! Fair Winds….
Gary Guttebo
2026-01-05 00:52:21 +0000 UTCLOL thanks for the laugh.
James Wright
2026-01-04 21:22:54 +0000 UTCWhy when you are short handed and underway, as you were when "proper sailing," do you not always clip on your harnesses? On that downwind run I tried to imagine how either one of you could have dropped sails, turned around and located the person overboard before that person was lost in the waves.
Wever Weed
2026-01-04 20:53:49 +0000 UTCAnother great video TH. Here's to the great things in store for boat and crew in 2026! "Sail on Sailor"
Vic Anuszkiewicz
2026-01-04 19:03:40 +0000 UTCBeautiful
Miguel Ángel Mira Illana
2026-01-04 17:48:44 +0000 UTCThanks Leo, for taking me along on your 237 episode journey, Roberto
Robert Berg
2026-01-04 16:57:32 +0000 UTC
