Is this a BAD IDEA? [Ep181 RED SEAS]
😬 Dumbest Idea Yet?! Sailing into the Narrowest Pass in French Polynesia (with a Torn Sail & a Dead Engine)
We officially checked out. We unofficially changed our minds…
🏝️ What do you do after clearing out of French Polynesia? Apparently, you go right back in — because someone mentioned an irresistible atoll and our self-control is as flaky as our spinnaker. Join us as we dodge reefy death traps, fight off battery betrayal, and try (and fail) to look like we know what we’re doing.
🛥️ This week’s chaos includes:
• A drone recon mission that definitely wasn’t just for cinematic B-roll
• Sailors vs. standing waves: an unlicensed sport
• “Plan A” becoming “Plan Oh No” in real time
• Discovering our shiny new engine battery was… mostly a placebo
• A spinnaker that ripped like our last shred of logic
• Fishing: 0 | Curry from gifted marlin: 1
• An entrance attempt into the narrowest and shallowest pass in French Polynesia (because obviously)
🎯 For fans of:
• Sailing Vlogs where nothing goes to plan (but somehow still works)
• Couples laughing through near disasters
• Secret stops and mildly-illegal detours
• Drone shots that double as “Are We Gonna Die?” previews
• Bluewater cruising with coconut curry as backup
• Watching two adults argue lovingly over handline vs. rod
📍Location-ish:
• Officially left Maupiti
• Unofficially headed for Maupiha'a (“we swear it’s for repairs!”)
• Secret anchoring, stealth scuba, and one very sketchy pass later… here we are.
🔧 Repairs we “definitely needed”:
• A ripped spinnaker
• A crushed dream of going to Hawaii
• An excuse to linger in paradise
📈 Tags to feed the algorithm gods:
#SailingFails #FrenchPolynesiaSailing #BluewaterCruising #SailingVlog #RemoteAtoll #SailingLife #NarrowPass #SailingHumor #LiveaboardCouple #DroneFootageSailing #OceanAdventure #CruisingLife
🎬 If you made it this far, you deserve a coconut
👍 Like this video if you’ve ever made a bad decision on purpose
🔔 Subscribe for more semi-legal voyages and delicious poor choices
📩 Comment: What’s your most questionable travel detour?
📡 Come find us online (no AIS needed):
Instagram: www.instagram.com/realredseas
Patreon: www.patreon.com/redseas
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
For more information about Zora, check out www.iNav4U.com
DISCOUNT CODE: REDSEAS
See version 1 (Wayfinder) in action here: https://youtu.be/jQanLnmrHBw
⏰ Time Stamps ⏰
00:00 Leaving the sailor's answer to Bora Bora
00:45 Using our drone to escape this island
04:44 Bad news about our spinnaker!
06:09 How we catch fish from our sailboat
09:34 Where are we going?
13:08 How we actually catch fish on our sailboat
17:07 Change of plans
20:57 Land Ho!
🎵 Music 🎵
All tracks can be found at Epidemic Sound.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
📖 Our Story 📖
We're Iain and Brioni [The Reds] a couple of redheaded Scots who sold everything we own and moved halfway round the world to buy a boat that we could call home. We have a habit of finding ourselves in the most unusual circumstances, but that’s what makes life interesting! We live in search of the most remote places to live and sail so hit subscribe and join us on this adventure!
🗺️ Track 🗺️
https://www.noforeignland.com/boat/red-seas/journey?find=0&sid=6132493533052928&tc=1679925060879ieours
Sailing Red Seas
Iain and Brioni Cameron documented 20,000 NM on their Leopard 47 'Indioko'. Follow their 2026 mission and massive New Zealand refit in this technical feature.
Channel Information:
Social Media Links:
Support Sailing Red Seas
At WeBoating.com, we profoundly acknowledge the unwavering dedication that Sailing Red Seas invests in crafting each and every video or voyage. Their passion for delivering exceptional ocean content shines through every frame, and it's a labor of love that deserves your attention.
We invite you to watch their captivating videos here and actively engage with their content, including their social media links above. Liking, commenting, and sharing their work goes a long way in fueling their creative fire.
We're also inviting you to explore the gear, sponsorships, and boat partnerships highlighted in the "Is this a BAD IDEA? [Ep181 RED SEAS]" video description, or directly on YouTube. By engaging with these offerings or purchasing services and items, you directly support Sailing Red Seas, their collaborators, and the brands they're associated with.
To ensure you never miss an offshore update, consider visiting their official YouTube Channel to subscribe, like, and join their community directly.
If you have any feedback, corrections, or additional information about Sailing Red Seas or their videos, please use the comment form below to share your thoughts with us.
Thank you for being a part of our community and supporting the creators we cherish. Your time and support truly matter!
Is this a BAD IDEA? [Ep181 RED SEAS] Locations
- French Polynesia (-17.679742,-149.406843)
Latest Episodes from Sailing Red Seas
Explore the most recent voyages. Subscribe to the channel to never miss an update!
LIFE CHANGING: sailing final 100 miles!
We've been sailing full-time on our Leopard catamaran for more than 6 years but to us, this lifestyle has always been about more than just sunsets and rainbows. We wanted to make a difference and help support the communities that we visit as we sail around the world and here in Fiji, we've...![MUST-HAVE BOAT UPGRADE 2026 [RED SEAS]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/zSRCKWtA-F4/mqdefault.webp)
MUST-HAVE BOAT UPGRADE 2026 [RED SEAS]
After living onboard full time for the last 6 years, we are making this critical upgrade to our off grid Bluewater cruising catamaran - we are upgrading our watermaker so that we can survive in remote places for longer, knowing we are self sufficient and have a reliable system to keep us alive. We&...![MAJOR STRUCTURAL FAILURE on Leopard catamaran! [RED SEAS]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/iDZ_UAQVrZM/mqdefault.webp)
MAJOR STRUCTURAL FAILURE on Leopard catamaran! [RED SEAS]
We have been sailing our Leopard catamaran for six years, crossing oceans and really putting down the miles on our boat. We spent a long time choosing this model and there are a number of reasons why we are super happy with our choice, but after 6 years of hard sailing, and a recent rough ocean pass...![SAILING SINGLE-HANDED: Is she up to it? (Q&A) [RED SEAS]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/tWWErRIdpas/mqdefault.webp)
SAILING SINGLE-HANDED: Is she up to it? (Q&A) [RED SEAS]
Iain just solo sailed from New Zealand to Fiji - that's more than 1200 miles of open ocean with all the challenges that this brings....and this was his first time sailing alone! Now we open up all the questions you've been asking us, including could Brioni do the same journey, if she had t...![SAILING to the other side of the WORLD! [RED SEAS]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/MAhOhWabt4A/mqdefault.webp)
SAILING to the other side of the WORLD! [RED SEAS]
We are halfway through our sailing passage from New Zealand to Fiji, but we're facing a big problem. We anchored in a submerged atoll called Minerva Reef, because the metal structure that holds our dinghy in place broke in the huge waves that we saw last week. Before we can leave this lagoon an...![SOLO SAILING – FASTEST PASSAGE EVER! [RED SEAS]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/xzix7jCQbj4/mqdefault.webp)