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Episodes - Season 1 Videos

Swimming With Sharks and Whales | Season 1 – Ep. 79

Diver kicks and punches sharks to keep them away from the fish he has on his belt. Then, we had no idea this baby humpback whale would swim with us for over an hour! We’re so glad to have caught this moment on camera and be able to share it with all of you!

This episode documents a few very exiting days in Mo’orea. First of all, if you’re not familiar with Mo’orea, it’s the closest island to Tahiti. Approximately 14nm to the west. It really is a paradise. There is something for everyone, but our favorite is the underwater world.

In this video we take a couple locals and few other boaters out on Zingaro for a spearfishing/freediving adventure. While we’re out we have a very close encounter with a group of black tip reef sharks. They are not dangerous, but we still have to train them to not get too close. They are like dogs, you just need to show them who’s in charge and they will behave. We specifically chose this spot for the sharks, as this is a place where the local tour operators all come to feed these guys, therefore guaranteeing a show. We used some of the fish we speared to chum the water. That’s why there are so many.

At the end of the day we saw a pod of whales, and ended up getting a show by the little baby. I can’t tell you how special this footage is. We were in French Polynesia for 4 months, and swam with whales many times, but never had a baby play with us like this again, or for this amount of time. Big props to Rachel Moore on @voyagesofagape for the footage. Check out this link, you’ll dig the pics.

Hope you like it!
James

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Episodes - Season 1 Videos

Say Hello to Our New Dinghy! | Season 1 – Ep. 78

In this Zing I episode, we arrive in Tahiti to pick up our new dinghy! The 3.5 meter OC Tender. We named it Nolikī 😉

We have an interview with Russ, the owner/builder of these fantastic boats.

Next we use the OC Tender to give “Sinky” to Katoosh: two brothers who are sailing around the world in a boat they were born on! They lost their rudder while we were buddy boating in the Tuamotus. Please watch the video to hear that story.

Lastly, we travel 14nm to go to the neighboring island of Mo’orea, have a jump-off with some old friends, and pick up a local to travel to the only raised-atoll in French Polynesia: Makatea.

Hope you all enjoy this episode!

Much love!
James

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Episodes - Season 1 Videos

After Three Years We Made it to TAHITI! – Ep. 77

In my FIRST VIDEO I put on the internet I explained that I had just purchased a catamaran and was going to sail it to Tahiti… I thought it would take around a year. Well, three years later and it’s finally here!

In this episode, Kimmi and I arrive to Oeno, the fourth and last of the Pitcairn Island Group. We visited ALL of them! Yes! Very cool.

We do some spearfishing, but the wind comes up with such ferocity that we had to make like a tree and get the hell out of there.

Then, on the sail to Gambiers we caught a wahoo, got caught in a storm, and ran out of propane! That last one was avoidable… but it’s difficult to fill propane when you’re out sailing.

Finally, we arrive in Tahiti!

Much love,

James

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Episodes - Season 1 Videos

Pitcairn Island – Sailing Zingaro Ep. 76

We were blessed by weather, and got to spend 7 days anchored in the famous Bounty Bay in May 2019 (we’re behind a lot with our episodes). We will never forget our time in Pitcairn, and hope you all enjoy our little excerpt of it.

Let me tell you a bit about this not-to-often visited place…

First of all, in the 3 years we were cruising, this place takes the cake as the warmest reception we’ve ever received.

From the first check in on the radio to the last farewell, we were treated like family. We were able to get cash from the local administration in the form of a wire transfer through New Zealand (we actually did this twice because we stayed here longer than we thought). We were given a bunch of fruits and vegetables on the day of our departure. We were even offered 8TB of movies from the local movie buff (which we politely declined, as we didn’t have nearly the space!).

About Pitcairn Island

There are roughly 36 residents on Pitcairn, and 14 support staff. There are new arrivals yearly, as the British government offers an incentive to any EU citizen who would like to emigrate to Pitcairn (not sure exactly what that incentive is, but there was a Finnish family expected a few months after we arrived). There are also departures, mostly to New Zealand, as the cargo ship makes it’s rounds. The thing is, Pitcairn is only accessible by boat, so if you leave with the supply ship, it will be around 6 months before you’ll be back! Imagine those travel restrictions.
There is one doctor on the island, posted by the British government on a 3 year term. I had sea boils at the time, so he lanced one for me, fixed me up, and even gave me some extra supplies for my medical kit just in case I got them again (which I did).

The people live in a commune, so all work is shared and there really is no “pay”. The necessities and a small stipend are supplied buy the UK, costing them in the order of ~£4M per year. As the UK’s only south Pacific territory that’s a fee they won’t be giving up any time soon.

The topography is very steep, as the entire island is a large volcano with Adamstown (the only city) situated in the center of the crater. The weather was amazing for us, but can be very volatile, as can the surrounding sea.

The real beauty of the Pitcarin island group is the water… It is the clearest water we have ever seen, and has been scientifically documented as some of the clearest in the world. Coral has been found down to 130′.

We were blessed by weather, and got to spend 7 days anchored in the famous Bounty Bay. We will never forget our time in Pitcairn, and hope you all enjoy our little excerpt of it.

Much Love!
-James

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Episodes - Season 1 Videos

Update From Kimmi, James and the New Boat

Real time update | I’ve got a special video that you’ll want to see: After being separated by the coronavirus pandemic for 7 months, we are together one final time to bring you this video. It’s been a wild ride, one that has deeply touched us both, and one that we will surely never forget.

Please join me in saying farewell to the best first mate anyone could ask for.

Much love!
James

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Episodes - Season 1 Videos

Raw Nature, a Lonely Atoll and an Unpleasant Surprise – Ep. 75

Henderson Island/Pitcairn – not a soul in sight on this lonely island. For it’s remoteness it has gotten the title of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Yet the influence of our wasteful civilization on its beaches could not be more striking!

There are so many special places around the world that we don’t even know exist. That has always been why I loved traveling: It showed me how little I actually know, how wildly beautiful this planet is and how many secrets it holds from us. Too many to ever learn all of them. I believe James started sailing for a similar reason.

Henderson was probably our biggest surprise at the time. Little did we know that this island, a dot on a chart to most people and not even mentioned in most cruising guides, would open our eyes to the beauty of raw nature and the consequences of our consume-addicted society all at the same time.

You would think that these things are as far away from each other as they could possibly be, but it’s uniting these two conflicting worlds that make Henderson Island such a special place.

Henderson Island is basically as far from civilization as you can get on planet earth. Except for the 67 people that live on Pitcairn Island, 100nm away.

It’s remoteness makes it a very interesting place for scientists to study an untouched ecosystem, basically studying a pre-human world. But, and this is a big BUT, Henderson Island also holds the alarming record of being the most densely polluted place in the world. Let that sink in for a minute.

There is plastic trash everywhere, especially on the north beach, which is the side of the island that is exposed to the weather most of the time. An expedition in 2019 revealed that there was trash from all over the globe on the island. This beautiful raised atoll lies in the South Pacific Gyre which causes this extreme accumulation of floating debris on its shores.

Visiting these remote islands reinforced my drive to change my behavior as a consumer (to buy only what I need, refuse single-use wherever I can) and to fight for the imposing of laws that restrict companies in their abilities to produce unnecessary trash and to deliberately destroy our precious ecosystems like forests, coral reefs and the like.

We support Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd because we know they stand up for the protection of our oceans when others look away. I’m inspired by the relentless work and the dedication these people are putting towards making this a better place for all of us.

I hope this video makes you fall in love a little more with this beautiful place we live in! Maybe it can also inspire you to do small changes in your life reduce your contributing to the vast amount of plastic being produced around the globe and being swept into the sea. If You want to know more about Hendersons trash problem, read this: www.nationalgeographic.com

But remember, there’s a choice, the glass is half full and it’s not too late to protect what You love. Here is another good read from National Geographic about the reserve around Henderson Island and another good reason why we all should try harder: www.nationalgeographic.com

Thanks for reading and enjoy watching this Episode.

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Episodes - Season 1 Videos

Sailing to the Pitcairn Islands! – Ep. 74

It was with heavy hearts that we left our friends on Rapa Nui behind. But as soon as we got into our passage routine again, our excitement to see new locations started to grow quickly!

Our next destination were the Pitcairn Islands, which include Ducie Atoll, Henderson Island, Oeno Atoll and, of course, the famous Pitcairn Island! Our first stop was Ducie Atoll, which is about 1100 nm away from Rapa Nui.

After over a week at sea, we are met with enormous waves at this remote island: the southernmost atoll in the world. The smell of land is a warm welcome, but the sea isn’t going to let us get our little sinking dinghy anywhere near this place, so we go for a dip as we decide what to do next. Hope You enjoy!

All the best from me (Kimi) as Jamie is still out to sea with s/v Te Vega! If you want to follow his trip, click here…

I hope all of You are doing great, I’m sending You much love from Berlin!
Kim

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Episodes - Season 1 Videos

Epic footage of Easter Island – Sailing Zingaro Ep. 73

Today we join the crew 1800nm off the coast of Chile on one of the most remote islands in the world: Rapa Nui Easter Island).

One can wonder how, 1000’s of years ago, this island was located, settled, and through the ensuing 2000 years grew, thrived, and ultimately failed through the practices of ancestral worship and deforestation.

Seafarer’s Festival on Rapa Nui

Believed to have been settled between 300-1200 BC, the remaining 6,000 Rapa Nui have a rich and ancient culture. We were invited to a seafarer’s festival when a traditional Polynesian catamaran made landfall from mainland Chile after 32 days on the open ocean, only navigating by the stars! We were privy to talks from the tribe elders, dancing, local music, and even a feast cooked in a traditional underground oven.

Underwater Moai at a Depth of 79 ft

We also try and find the island’s only underwater Moai, located in Hanga Roa Harbor and reported to be at a depth of 24m (79ft). That was the deepest freediving we had ever done to this point, and the challenge was well worth it! This Moai is not authentic, it was a movie prop for the Kevin Reynolds film “Rapa Nui”, starring Kevin Costner.

… and again: Sinky Dink – Sinking Outboard

And what video would be complete without a bit of boat maintenance? Enter Zingaro’s famous “sinky dinky”… our sinking dinghy that we just can’t seem to keep afloat. 😉

We hope you enjoy this final installment of our adventures on Easter Island. Editing this footage brought us back so many memories. We absolutely will return to this magical place, someday… For now we, just like you, will watch these videos with awe and reverence that is the magic of Rapa Nui.

Much love!
Kim & James

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Episodes - Season 1 Videos

The Monoliths of Easter Island – Ep. 72

In this Episode we visit Ahu Tongariki: the largest Moai site of Easter Island. It has 15 moai lined up and includes the largest moai ever erected on the island.

The Moai Were Swept Inland by a Tsunami

You may have seen pictures, or perhaps been there, but did you know Its moais were toppled during the island’s civil wars, and in the twentieth century the ahu was swept inland by a tsunami?

They have (obviously) since been erected, but the hats that once. dominated the skies were too worn by weather to be able to go back on top. If you pay attention there’s a scene in the video where James is standing near them, and they are 6′ tall!

Zingaro-Crew Nearly Got Arrested!

Fun fact: flying the drone is not allowed here and we didn’t know that before launching it, so we nearly got arrested that morning. Oops. No signs if you come from the water…

“Honey Bird” of Easter Island

Then we, by chance, ran into the honey-man of the island: Omar. He calls his business Manu Meri (translation: honey bird) and I think it’s the best honey I’ve ever tried in the world. We were flush with honey for almost a year after this, and were super sad to eat the last of it. At $30 a (tiny) jar, there’ll be no refill of Manu Meri honey in our immediate future. If you can get your hands on some, it’s amazing. Better than Pitcairn (the next island we’ll take you to).

Hope you like this week’s adventure. This island was full of them. Just magical.

For your love and support, we love you all. Hope this finds you healthy and happy, stay safe.

Hope you enjoy!

Much love
James & Kim

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Episodes - Season 1 Videos

Diving Deep into the Beauty of Easter Island – Ep. 71

What makes this place so special? And why not everybody comes here?

Anakena – Our Favorite Anchorage

We start this story in the magical land of Anakena. This place has proven to be (and still holds the title) the best anchorage we’ve ever been to. Yes, I said it. Favorite anchorage of all time. Please don’t tell anyone.

“But, James,” you ask, “aren’t all of the anchorages on Easter Island dangerous and rolly?”

When it’s right, it’s right, and brother/sister when this anchorage is calm it is absolutely an amazing place to hang your hook.

If you look closely in the drone shots you can see a very small piece of bright blue water around the boats: that’s the sand. Everything else is coral. Wall-to-wall beautiful coral, with the underwater topography of lava channels, caves, lava tubes, etc. Add that to the 600-900 year old statues towering above and you get this one-of-a-kind location.

While we had the pleasure of staying here, we had a patron come down for a visit and bring us a new autopilot! Thanks Rick!! You rock brother! By the time we got him back to the boat it was time to scoot around to the eastern anchorage of Tongariki.

15 Moai in Tongariki

Tongariki is one of the coolest places on Rapa Nui. With it’s 15 Moai it also holds the title of the most statues in any one location. The scenery here is equally amazing, as you’ll see. The volcano you see behind the statue is the quarry they are made from. We’ll dive into that on a different occasion.

Then it was on to fixing the autopilot… They say cruising is “fixing your boat in exotic locations” and we definitely put that into practice. But, at the end of the day, after many hours of consulting, drawing, and planning – we’ve got a solid plan to get our autopilot back up and running better than ever!

Hope you love this one!

Much love
Kim & James

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Episodes - Season 1 Videos

A Day in the Life of Cruisers on Rapa Nui – Ep. 70

We finally make it on land in Rapa Nui! If you ever get the chance to go here, please do. It was a magical place. A bit difficult to have a boat, but the people, the food, and the ambiance was amazing.

Definitely a hard place to get provisions on a sailboat. After they close the harbor we need to change anchorages, entering through big swell and surf only to hitchhike the 4 miles to get some fruit and vegetables.

We visit the port captain for another cruiser, and show you around Hanga Roa. Hope you like Rapa Nui!

Stay safe and healthy!

James & Kim

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Episodes - Season 1 Videos

Rapa Nui – A Difficult Island for Sailors | Ep. 69

Is it worth sailing here? A couple of days after our arrival at Rapa Nui (Easter Island) we realize that the stories about this island were true: Little protection for sailboats and dangerous harbor entrances for dinghies make it a very difficult destination for cruisers.

We still weren’t able to leave Zingaro

When we woke up on day three, the wind had changed to the north and forced everybody to move from Hanga Roa to the other side of the island. We raised the anchor and our sails and got on our way to the southern side of Easter Island. Was the trip to this remote island worth the trouble?

Watch to find out!

Hope you enjoy, much love
James & Kim

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Arriving to Rapa Nui (Easter Island) – Ep. 68

  • We could smell the land from 20nm out.
  • We had been out to sea for 18 days… 2500nm.
  • We had been hand steering for the final 24 hours.
  • It was worth every bit of trouble.

Three weeks on the Pacific Ocean, all by ourselves, we were fantasizing about a couple different things: Salad with yoghurt dressing and beer on the top of the list.

So close, yet so far: Stuck on our sailboat after our Pacific crossing

When we thought we could enjoy the benefits of being back in civilization as soon as we dropped our anchor, we thought wrong. The immigration procedure at first and finally our own equipment kept us from going ashore for another three days after our arrival.

We appreciated the beauty of the island, observing it from a distance and went diving off of our boat. The stoke of having it made to Rapa Nui, the island furthest away from civilization, was real.

We hope you enjoy our arrival to Rapa Nui. It was one of the best, coolest, and amazing passages we’ve ever taken, and hands down both of our favorite place we’ve ever anchored.

<3 Much love everyone! Hope this finds you all safe and healthy <3

James & Kim

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Random Videos

Lessons From Our Shipwreck – Livestream

Our catamaran suffered catastrophic damage in a storm on route from Kiribati to Hawaii. In this live stream we will talk about the lessons we learned, and try to shed some light on why/how it happened and what you can learn from it.

I had a livestream to talk about lessons learned from our shipwreck. Here is the upload…

Hope you like it 🙂
James

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Episodes - Season 1 Videos

Sailing to Easter Island (part 3) – Ep. 67

In this video we’re slowly but steadily making our way to the remote Easter Island, we’re dealing with the autopilot and the very moody weather underway. It’s interesting how quickly the conditions can change.

One Minute you’re sailing along nicely and the next you are being chased by a storm and soon after you lose the wind altogether and drift for a whole night.

All that to say that on one passage, you come across many, very different oceans. But see for yourselves in our latest and  l o n g e s t  episode.

Much love from the Zingaro Crew, we hope You enjoy this video!

James & Kim

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Episodes - Season 1 Videos

Sailing to Easter Island (pt. 2 ) | Sailing Zingaro Ep. 66

In this episode we find out exactly, what happens when you lose your autopilot 500nm out to sea on the way to the most remote inhabited island in the world.

In a phrase: You keep going!

But that doesn’t mean that we needed to hand steer the whole time. Please watch to find out what we did, and how far we made it towards this amazing place called Easter Island.

Hope you enjoy!

James & Kim

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Random Videos

A Walk Through Our Wrecked Catamaran

Upload of our livestream | Tearing apart our boat…

In this video James takes you on a tour of the damage sustained on Dec 22nd 2019 when our boat was shipwrecked, and his thoughts on what caused it.

You want more? Become part of the crew via Patreon or support Season II on kickstarter.de

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Episodes - Season 1 Videos

From Ecuador to Easter Island – Ep. 65

We’re BACK AT IT! In this episode we provision and start our 2500 nautical mile sail. We leave Ecuador bound for Easter Island (Rapa Nui)!

This will be, by far, the longest passage we’ve ever undertaken. We meet a cable ship and lose our autopilot 450nm out to sea!

Check out this cool episode, hope you love it.

Thank you all for helping keep this dream alive!

Much love,

James & Kim

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Videos

Livestream About Zingaro’s Accident

Zingaro suffered catastrophic damage in a storm on route to Hawaii. In this live stream we will update You about our current situation and explain exactly what happened to Zingaro.

THIS IS OUR KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN:
www.kickstarter.com

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Episodes - Season 1 Videos

How to Live on a Cruising Sailboat. Happily. – Ep. 64

I made this Episode more documentary style and longer than usual. It’s about how to stay sane while sailing around the world and why having fun should be on your to do list!

Only Beer and Bikinis?

The boat will not, I repeat, WILL NOT give you a break from work. Trust me on this one. When you sail around the world, whether solo or in a team, you have to remember to take time out of your schedule to enjoy the reasons you went on this exceptional journey in the first place. It is just as much your duty to keep the boat afloat & safe as it is to keep yourself mentally sound.

This is why in this fabulous video, we as a travel couple are documenting what a healthy working-life-balance looks like when cruising. We don’t always manage to balance work and fun this well. This week we spend in Ecuador sailing around with Ryan was everything we strive for everyday we’re out there.

Lots of Love from Hawai’i
Kim & James

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