Using a paddleboard to scout coral bommies before anchoring in a lagoon
In glass-calm, crystal-clear lagoon water, Lauren paddles out on a paddleboard to look down at the coral formations below before committing to an anchor spot. From that elevated, top-down perspective she can see large bommies rising close to the surface that would be easy to miss from the cockpit. She identifies one head she believes she may have struck the previous day, which is why she moved the boat. Paddleboard scouting is a low-tech but highly effective technique in shallow, coral-dotted anchorages where the stakes of swinging onto a bommie are high.
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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
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
Anchor snubber setup: rope bridle with chafe sleeve on galvanized chain
Underwater footage from Mora shows the anchor setup in detail. The galvanized anchor chain runs down from the bow to the sandy bottom, and a rope snubber with a protective chafe sleeve connects to the chain to absorb load and reduce shock o