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For as long as we've owned Calidris Alba, power has been one of our biggest challenges. Every day we had to carefully watch what we switched on, ration fridge use, and were constantly worried about draining our batteries. Moving on-board our 40-year-old sailing boat was always going to mean adjusting our power consumption, but our old and low capacity battery system was making things far more difficult than they needed to be. In this episode, we finally tackle replacing our leisure batteries, one of the biggest upgrades we've wanted to make since buying the boat. More capacity means less worrying, more freedom at anchor, and for the first time... cold beers! As we prepare for our journey across the Atlantic to the Caribbean, reliable power is essential, and now this is ticked off, it's another big step towards getting Calidris Alba ready to go offshore. ABOUT US We’re Fran and Jack, a British couple sailing our 1986 Rival 41 Calidris Alba from the UK towards the Mediterranean, and eventually across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. If you enjoyed this video, leave us a comment, and don’t forget to like and subscribe to follow the journey. 📸 Follow us on socials for real time updates: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calidris.crew/ ✏️ Check out our blog to read about our whole journey in more detail: https://calidriscrew.com ☕️ If you enjoyed this video, you can support our channel by buying us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/calidris.crew 💌 Enquiries: calidris.crew@gmail.com #sailing #liveaboard #sailingadventure #batteryupgrade #atlanticcrossing #boatlife #sailingcouple #travel #offshoresailing #rival41
We Fixed the WORST Thing About Our Liveaboard Sailing Boat
FINALLY! Turns out living sustainably off the ocean isn’t as easy as we thought… #sailing #fishing
We’re getting closer to our first ocean crossing from Europe to the Caribbean… but one major problem stood in the way. Despite our standing rigging being in good condition and less than 10 years old, our insurance required it to be replaced before we could cross the ocean. Already being in the South of Spain, didn’t leave us with many options, or much time. Living aboard on a tight budget, we’re doing everything we can to save money along the way, and paying a professional rigger to do the whole job simply wasn’t an option. So as complete beginners with no experience, we decided to take it on ourselves and become rigging apprentices for the week! In this episode, we replace the standing rigging on our 40-year-old sailing boat, Calidris Alba. There were mistakes, setbacks, and plenty of learning curves along the way. With the rigging finally checked off, next stop, the Atlantic… ABOUT US We’re Fran and Jack, a British couple sailing our 1986 Rival 41 Calidris Alba from the UK towards the Mediterranean, and eventually across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. If you enjoyed this video, leave us a comment, and don’t forget to like and subscribe to follow the journey. 📸 Follow us on socials for real time updates: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calidris.crew/ ✏️ Check out our blog to read about our whole journey in more detail: https://calidriscrew.com ☕️ If you enjoyed this video and would like to send us a small treat, you can buy us a coffee here: https://buymeacoffee.com/calidris.crew 💌 Enquiries: calidris.crew@gmail.com #sailing #liveaboard #sailingadventure #rigging #atlantic #boatlife #sailingcouple #travel #offshoresailing #spain
We replaced our STANDING RIGGING (with ZERO experience)
This was one of the hardest days since buying our boat. While lifting anchor to leave the anchorage at Culatra in the Algarve, we accidentally snagged a fishing net… which then wrapped itself around our propeller. With a strong tide going out and pushing us towards the shore, we were in a race against time to free the prop before running aground — at one point with just 10cm beneath the keel. ABOUT US We’re Fran and Jack, a British couple sailing our 1986 Rival 41 Calidris Alba as we slowly make our way from the UK towards the Mediterranean, and eventually across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. If you enjoyed this video, leave us a comment, and don’t forget to like and subscribe to follow the journey. 📸 Follow us on socials for real time updates: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calidris.crew/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@calidris.crew ✏️ Check out our blog to read about our whole journey in more detail: https://calidriscrew.com 💌 Enquiries: calidris.crew@gmail.com #sailing #liveaboard #sailingadventure #orca #atlantic #boatlife #sailingcouple #travel #offshoresailing #portugal #nazare #surfing Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:28 Leaving Sagres 01:26 Arrival in Portimão and meeting another Rival 41 02:18 Raymarine and engine battery voltage Issue 03:47 Arrival in Ilha da Culatra and heading off to explore 05:36 We nearly ran aground 07:29 Cutting the fishing net off the propeller 09:30 Checking the engine and propeller shaft before setting off 11:26 Finally on the move again 13:34 More fishing net slalom 15:07 Anchor down in Mazagon
We nearly RAN AGROUND… Fishing Net Wrapped Around Our Prop
BOAT TOUR of our Rival 41 liveaboard sailing boat🤙🏼 Full tour on our channel! #boattour #sailing
Welcome on board Calidris Alba. We are excited to finally give you a tour of our 1986 Rival 41 CC and show you what life is really like living full-time on a bluewater sailing boat. After months of refitting her for ocean sailing, it’s time to get up close and personal and see how we’ve turned her into our home. The Rival 41 is known for being a very capable ocean-going vessel, with a heavy encapsulated keel, skeg-hung rudder, cutter rig, and beautiful lines. The centre cockpit layout gives us a large aft cabin (which we love!), two heads (bathrooms), a U-shaped galley (kitchen), and a spacious saloon. Take the full tour and see what she’s like inside and out! ABOUT US We’re Fran and Jack, a British couple sailing our 1986 Rival 41 yacht Calidris Alba as we slowly make our way from the UK towards the Mediterranean, and eventually across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. If you enjoyed this video, leave us a comment, and don’t forget to like and subscribe to follow the journey. ⚙️ For more technical details on Calidris Alba, read our recent blog 'An Introduction to Calidris Alba': https://calidriscrew.com/an-introduction-to-calidris-alba/ 📸 Follow us on socials for real time updates: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calidris.crew/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@calidris.crew ✏️ Check out our blog to read about our whole journey in more detail: https://calidriscrew.com 💌 Enquiries: calidris.crew@gmail.com #sailing #liveaboard #sailingadventure #orca #atlantic #boatlife #sailingcouple #travel #offshoresailing #portugal #nazare #surfing Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:50 Front Cabin and Forward Heads (Bathroom) 02:14 Saloon 03:24 Galley (Kitchen) 05:23 Chart Table 06:56 Engine Room 08:36 Main Cabin 10:37 Cockpit 12:33 Aft Deck 15:20 Foredeck 18:08 Bow 18:54 Mast 19:28 Thanks for watching!
BOAT TOUR of our Rival 41 Liveaboard Sailing Boat
The truth! Full time sailing isn’t all cocktails, sunbathing and dolphins #sailing #fyp #boatlife
Ever wondered how we do laundry whilst living full time on a sailing boat? #sailing #liveaboard
Sailing down the coast of Portugal we battled headwinds, torrential rain and the huge Atlantic swell. When the forecast showed a week of strong southerly winds and 4m swell our only option was to take shelter in the nearest marina and wait it out. Fortunately for us, this marina was Nazaré, home to the world's biggest waves. Watch this week as we witness some of the world's best big wave surfers take on the legendary Nazaré waves at Praia do Norte. ABOUT US We’re Fran and Jack, a British couple sailing our 1986 Rival 41 yacht Calidris Alba as we slowly make our way from the UK towards the Mediterranean, and eventually across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. If you enjoyed the video, don’t forget to like and subscribe to follow the journey. 📸 Follow us on socials for real time updates: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calidris.crew/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@calidris.crew ✏️ Check out our blog to read about our journey in more detail: https://www.calidriscrew.com 💌 Enquiries: calidris.crew@gmail.com #sailing #liveaboard #sailingadventure #orca #atlantic #boatlife #sailingcouple #travel #offshoresailing #portugal #nazare #surfing Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:21 GIANT waves in Nazaré 01:21 Boat jobs begin 02:18 Engine oil change 04:01 Our favourite photos of Nazaré 04:16 Leaving Peniche 05:17 Constantly watching for fishing nets 07:05 Stuck again - this time in Lisbon 09:20 Broken shock absorbers in the marina 11:03 Heading to Sesimbra 13:44 Sunrise on our next hop South 15:04 Fishing premonition 16:38 We caught a fish!! 18:44 Early morning start to head to Sagres 19:08 Our route down the coast of Portugal 21:18 Cabo de Sao Vicente (We made it to the Algarve) 21:48 Anchor down in Sagres
We Sailed to Nazaré — Home of the World’s Biggest Waves
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