Forecasts are rarely perfect: wind disappears on night one
A promising weather window can fall apart fast offshore. By night one of this passage out of the Tuamotu, the wind had completely disappeared. Sails came down and the engine went on. As the sun rose on day two the wind slowly filled back in, the spinnaker went up, the engine went off, and for a moment the passage felt like it was finally going to plan. The lesson is a familiar one for bluewater sailors: conditions can change very quickly, and the forecast is a best guess, not a guarantee.
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What it feels like to transit an atoll for the first time without it being too sketchy
After completing the pass entry, Lauren reflects that the conditions were relatively flat, which made for a good first experience. The key takeaway is that if the waves had been bigger, waiting for them to settle would have been the right c
Drone battery and altitude management during an extended wildlife search
During a wildlife search flight, Lauren Landers Sailing keeps an eye on both altitude and battery level simultaneously. At 40 metres (about 120 to 130 feet) the drone still provides a useful overview, but for spotting smaller species like b
Slowing down deliberately to time a reef pass arrival correctly
As Lauren Landers Sailing closed within range of the atoll, she reefed her jib intentionally to reduce boat speed. She was on track to arrive too early, and entering a reef pass at the wrong time, before the light is good or the current is