Oyster 485 YouTube Videos
Showing 61-75 of 144 results
Ep 115 Talisman Sails!
Talisman has a date with the dentist, in a way. We suppose that's probably what it's like for a boat. But the spars are newly coated in blindingly shiny Awlgrip paint, and the results are something to behold. In truth, this wasn't a purely cosmetic upgrade...
Ep 114 Big Boat Prep for Post Hurricane Season Launch
As mentioned in the intro, this episode is about the real work it takes to get a boat in the water. Plus, Talisman had her mast off for recoating during hurricane season in the Caribbean, and we were so excited to see the results. It seemed like the list o...
Ep 113 Fire and Other Drama Prior to Haulout
It's a crazy time aboard Talisman, as we prepare to haul for hurricane season. First we suffer an engine room fire, which sets us back for a bit. Wendy goes for a swim and finds a shark under the boat. Then we discover that the crane that the yard is using...
Ep 112 Recaulking our Teak Decks While at Anchor in Paradise
During lockdown in Antigua we found ourselves with time on our hands for projects that we don’t usually have time for. Lacking temptations like drinking with other cruisers, we tackled a job that’s been on the back burner for a while … recaulking our...
Ep 111 Pinned on the dock by 20 knot crosswinds. What do we do?
The situation most skippers dread … being pinned on the dock by high winds. So what do we do? In our case we have a big cat behind us and the wind is blowing a steady 19-20 knots. Take a look to see. We also give a quick look at our failed Sterling Powe...
Ep 110 The Race Is On! Oyster 485 vs Amel Marimu 32nm St Kitts to St Barts
The passage between St Kitts and St Barts is 32nm +/- and these gaps between islands can be brutally exposed. You get swells and wind unbroken, with fetch that crosses the entire Atlantic Ocean. But things were practically flawless this day. The swells wer...
Ep 109 Post Passage Repairs Sailing St Lucia
The Oyster service team in Las Palmas had suggested engine service tasks, but there wasn’t time to do them, so I arranged for the necessary parts to be ordered through the Yanmar service center at Rodney Bay (Island Water World is distributer for Yanmar ...
Ep 108 Atlantic Crossing Pt3: Squalls Catch Us At St Lucia!
Squalls are focused small storms, with wind speeds that can approach and exceed gale force. As we get closer to the Caribbean, these become more and more common, especially at night, to the point that we’re rarely less than a few miles from one. Since th...
Ep 107 Atlantic Crossing Pt2: Here Comes the Wind
In this middle section of the passage we make the turn west into the trade-winds. We’ve headed almost 200nm south and are now just north of the Cape Verde Islands. And as the temps warm and the winds change from northerlies to easterlies, the westerly cu...
Ep 106 Atlantic Crossing Pt1 – Only 2,700nm to Go
And then it happens! Departure day arrives and we have a time slot to leave! Our nerves are frayed to the ragged edge, but this is what we came for. We’re committed, and like lemmings we follow the other boats toward the cliff edge. Actually, it’s qu...
Ep 105 ARC 2019 Getting Down to the Wire
As time winds down to departure for the 2019 ARC, boat crews frantically try to finish last minute projects. The ARC opening ceremonies, complete with parade and huge party, drive home the fact that time is running out. Luckily for us, our early arrival ...
Ep 104 ARC 2019 Prep – Watermakers and Oyster Support
As we enter the second week of prep for the ARC transatlantic crossing, we focus on converting Talisman from a boat that’s bombproof at sea, to one that is also ready to go off the grid for extended periods. We take a pessimistic view, envisioning up to ...
Ep 103 ARC 2019 Beckons – Shakedown Gibraltar to the Canary Islands
The ARC, or Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, has been held every year now for over 30 years. As a vehicle for “safety in numbers”, 189 boats participated in the November, 2019 transatlantic crossing, and it's one of the biggest cruising rallies to be found...
Ep 102 Boat Fixes and RYA Yachtmaster Offshore
Tips on Passing the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Exam: These mostly from local RYA instructors. Contact me off-list for a more robust version of what follows. So what’s it like? What does it take to pass? These are the burning questions each candidate ...