Author Archives: Sailing Zingaro

Eat, Surf, Sail, Repeat! Cruising Costa Rica | Sailing Zingaro – Ep. 42

In this episode we finally got to Costa Rica, so we fill up the diesel tanks (we motored almost the whole way there) with 30gal of petrol and head out to the protected anchorages of Isla Tortuga, Isla Cedros and point Oregano. We do some much-needed surfing, and the fish are jumping in our boat!

Costa Rica was pretty amazing. Really cool parks, clear water at the islands, and FISH. We caught 5 mahi mahi in 1 DAY once. We were throwing them back…

In the next few episodes we’ll take you to Isla Caño, Mercialagoes, and Jaco/Herradura. Stay tuned for the fun!

Thanks, Kimmi, you did a wonderful job with this episode.

Pura Vida!
James

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Lucie says goodbye | Sailing Zingaro – Ep 41

We’re loosing our crew! You guys have no idea how bad it’ll get without Lucie. She was the only cook aboard. She came, she cooked, she conquered. Bye, bye Lucie!

We’re just getting to Costa Rica at the end of this episode, and good times await us here! We’re going to sail the entire coast, all the way to Nicaragua. Islas Caño, Merciàlago, and even the elusive Cocos… Stay tuned!

We had some amazing adventures in CR. It was beautiful, expensive, crazy, locals came to the boat, Kimmi went back to Berlin, and James and a local went on a spearfishing/sailing adventure with a friend. We can’t wait to share all of this with you.

But, first, hope you like this one.

Pura Vida!
James & Kim

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Sailing through 7 Storms in One Day! | Sailing Zingaro – Ep. 40

This is the very last Panama video, it is our longest (and best) episode to date, and it has a bit of everything you guys love in a sailing video: storm sailing and spearfishing on this uninhabited island (Isla Montuosa), when we run into the navy! Watch what happens, you won’t believe it!

We also go to Isla Coiba and show you some amazing dive footage from there. What a beautiful place.

In the next episode we’re finally leaving for Costa Rica.

Much love!
James & Kimmi

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The Return of our Cutest Crew-Member! | Sailing Zingaro – Ep. 39

This video is edited by James 🙂

Lucie comes back from Chile, and we head out to the islands again (I see a recurring theme).

We spearfish and sail through the south coast of Panama as we prepare for our journey to Costa Rica! We visit Islas Secas, Montuosa, and Jicaron, and have another cruiser over for a catch & cook fish taco dinner.

This is the second-to-last video in Pacific Panama. We decided to see as many of the islands we could before leaving. Great idea.

Stay tuned for next episode, where we visit Isla Coiba and leave for Costa Rica!

Hope you like! Much love from Kimmi and me!!!!

James

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Did we ruin Cleveland’s dream?| Sailing Zingaro – Ep. 38

Remember the $5k boat? Well the guy that owns that boat came down to get a taste of cruising. This whole episode is about our time together, and at the end he gives us an “exit” interview.

Cleveland records his REAL thoughts before departing and gives YOU guys a heartfelt, no BS description of the two weeks he spent with us cruising southern Panama.

We love ya Cleve! Had a blast with you bud. Good luck on all your future adventures!

Got a bit of everything in this episode. Hope you guys enjoy!!!

James & Kim

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Explanation & Installation of a Spectra Watermaker

[Sponsored post] How cool is it that? We’re the first and only channel to be sponsored by Spectra? Wow.

You’ve ever wondered how watermakers turn saltwater to fresh, drinkable water, how to install one in your boat or how much work this really is? This video will teach you everything you want to know about watermakers. We’re installing a Spectra Ventura 150C watermaker including layout, plumbing, wiring, operation, and connecting wirelessly through your computer/phone/tablet.

Took me all week, and a lot of sweat equity, but man it’s nice to not have to worry about water anymore.

This video is brought to you by Sailing Zingaro and Spectra Watermakers.

Hope you enjoy!

James

Sponsored by SPECTRA Watermakers

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Next Milestone: Watermaker installed!

[Sponsored post] Took me a few days. I’d say 16 hours to install and 4 hours to source parts. Now she’s done, she purrs, and she’s filling our tanks on SOLAR 6.1gph @ 12.6vdc.

SPECTRA Watermaker

Sponsored by SPECTRA Watermakers | Our new watermaker means fresh water freedom. Sailing Zingaro is ready for Pacific crossing.

I’ve been sweating my ASS off in our engine room for 5 days. Totally worth it. This watermaker is sweeeeeeeet.

Fresh water independence! We’re finally ready to set sail for Easter Island.

I’m going to edit the install video and upload it for our sponsor’s (SPECTRA Watermakers) approval. Then as soon as it’s public we leave Puerto López (Ecuador).

Much love guys, stay tuned, Zingaro’s watermaker video is coming soon.

James

Fish attack!!! | Sailing Zingaro – Ep. 36

Fishing fail: That mahi mahi threw a knife at us! Tune in to find out just how the heck we got ourselves in this precarious situation, and if we got the fish if the fish got us…

We’re sailing in the Seca Islands, Panama: Cruising, fishing, storms and diving – This one has a bit of everything.

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$5,000 sistership to Zingaro | Sailing Zingaro Ep 35

Cleveland contacts me, and tells me he’s living on a sistership in Sausalito Bay (San Francisco Bay Area) and if I’m ever in town, look him up.

So I was in town, and holy moly he’s not lying. He paid $5,000 for a Crowther Spindrift 37′ and we’re about to go on a tour of it.

This thing is CRAZY. It’s a “fixer upper” for sure.

How to buy a sailboat

I thought it might be fun, since we have internet right now, to take everyone on the buying journey for my boat – and look on the internet to see if we can find a good deal on a cat.

Is it the sailboat deal of the century or a boat buying nightmare? You decide in this walkthrough.

Much love.

James

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Zingaro in the USA | Sailing Zingaro Ep 34

The Episode of our USA visit last year is here. It was Kim’s first time in the USA! We didn’t film nearly as much as we should have, but I guess that’s the way it goes when You have fun 🙂

There’s always trouble when you leave two Berlin girls on the boat by themselves. See why in this episode.

We leave the boat in a Panamanian river and go home to California for a few weeks to get parts and attend a wedding. We build a stack-pack while we’re there, and go for a little sailing trip to Catalina Island. Kimmi likes sailing on OPB’s (other-people’s boats)!

Best wishes and much love from us!

James & Kim

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Sailing the Lost Isles of Panama | Sailing Zingaro – Ep 33

Theres nobody here. It’s paradise. The weather is perfect, the sea is calm, and the spearfishing is amazing. Follow us for an amazing journey into the untouched and rarely visited Isla Secas.

They’re often passed up by cruisers, because it’s hard to slog up the coast towards Costa Rica. Furthermore, there isn’t any widespread knowledge about these islands.

That is the kinda place I want to be. And this time it worked out so well… What a beautiful island chain. It’s very close to Isla Coiba (World Heritage site and same underwater archipelago as Galapagoes). Just amazing.

Hope you like!

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The Sail Fail | Sailing Zingaro – Ep 31

The $7,000 sails don’t fit. We have trouble adjusting to them, and trying to beat to weather with them for the first time was a nightmare. We altered course and downwind sailing with them worked fine.

The roach on the main is far too big to fit through the backstays. Even double reefed it hits. I’ve since installed running backstays, but this issue is still not solved. Now I can use the sail double and triple reefed, but fully up there’s not enough clearance.

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Babes, Boats & a Bummer you missed this Party | Ep30

Kimmy strikes again with a bad ass video. We finally reveal the new sails to the rest of the world. Did You think this day would ever come?

🙂 We take our loved and abused old sails down and receive our new Sails. Don’t miss the festivities. Grab a glass of Champagne and join the party! 🙂

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Livestream about Dyneema, Synthetic Rigging & Boat building

Coming to you from the USA! Today we had a livestream with Luke Berger, owner of Kraken Structures Synthetic Rigging. We talk about Dyneema, and are showing examples of different ropes available, where they are best used. Also boat building, making money underway, and cruising plans for Zingaro…

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Look what I found in the engine room | Livin la Vida Broka

The engine room is definitely my favorite place on the boat. Join me for a maintenance video on rebuilding the water pump on my 1GM10 and find out WHY.

I was doing some maintenance on the diesel, and I found THIS in my engine room! It’s AMAZING! Ive always wanted one! What a beautiful day. Hope you guys like the engine maintenance video!

Hope you guys like!

Much love from James & Kimmi.

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Panama Canal – The Cheap Way (pt. II) | Livin la Vida Broka

In this episode we cover cost of the panama canal, how to pay, where to go, with maps to show you the way! This is the absolute cheapest way to do it!

We put this together as a help to future cruisers on exactly what needs to be done to get through the canal. We wished there was something like this when we went through, so we made it. Thanks for making it possible, and supporting us through this adventure.

Hope you like !

https://www.youtube.com/embed/74bbuSzLOUQ


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New crew & same old sails | Sailing Zingaro Ep28

🙂 Finally! We’re back on track with the episodes 🙂

Another Berliner joins the boat: Lucie (Kim’s friend from Berlin)! She will be on the boat for a few weeks, helping us through the Panama Canal, and generally being awesome. In this episode we provision the boat, and sail from Puerto Lindo to Colón to get measured for the Canal.

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Dyneema #3: How I made my rigging strong!

I received a comment (rather harsh to tell you the truth) about my failure to use the correct toggles in my Dyneema installation videos. Well, turns out the guy wanted to help, and sent me a whole box of goodies.

We went back and forth for over a month, with measurements, drawings, ideas, and here’s the culmination of that work.

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The ONE time a catamaran SUCKS

When trying to find a place to HAUL OUT on the pacific coast of Central America.

Why? Because I want to copper-epoxy the bottom of the boat. It’s greener (no ablative paint to fall all over the coral), it’s easier to clean (no ablative paint in our skin), it’s stronger (no ablative… you get the picture).

marina-pez-vela

Marina Pez Vela, Costa Rica | (c) Sailing Zingaro

BUT it’s been the biggest PITA! Listen to this BS:

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