We're leaving Menorca — with or without the vang part. 200 nautical miles stand between us and Sardinia. This is our longest passage yet: two days at sea, sailing from the Balearics to Sardinia. It's only a short hop compared to what's coming (hello, Atlantic), but it's the perfect chance to test new watch systems and see how we handle extended time offshore.

Along the way, we dodge boats towing entire fish farms, settle into our night-watch rhythm, and get the best welcome Sardinia could offer — dolphins at the bow.If you've ever wondered what life is really like on a two-day sail, come aboard.📍 Route: Cala Addaiia, Menorca → Sardinia (~200nM)

⏱️ Duration: 2 days at sea
🐬 Highlight: Dolphin escort into Sardinian waters
🔧 Vang Update: Watch S04E16 to see if the part arrived

We broke our boom vang off Mallorca's north coast — now we're in Menorca waiting for the replacement part.Our next stop is the stunning Cala Addaia, a protected bay hidden behind a narrow, tricky channel. We're here for one reason: to collect a package that could fix our vang. But we're also on a deadline — family is waiting in Sardinia, and if the part doesn't show up, we'll have to leave without it. While we wait (and stress), we explore this beautiful corner of Menorca — grabbing a coffee at the local café, stocking up at the tiny supermarket, and soaking in the scenery of one of the Balearics' best-kept secrets. Will the part arrive before we have to go? Let's find out.

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We’re on the move again! We are sailing from Mallorca towards Menorca — the next stop on our way to Sardinia to meet up with family in a few weeks.

With very light winds, we end up motoring much of the way, but it leads us to a magical remote bay that opens straight out to the ocean — perfect for a peaceful overnight stop. The next day we sail into Badia de Fornells, one of Menorca’s famously protected bays. The calm, authentic seaside town has such a relaxed and beautiful vibe — exactly why we love cruising these islands.

Join us for scenic sailing, peaceful anchorages, and that classic Mediterranean cruising feel 🌊

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After refuelling and filling up with water in Soller, we discover there’s no space to anchor. Time to keep sailing along Mallorca’s dramatic, rugged coastline in search of the perfect overnight spot.
We end up in the beautiful and well-protected Port de Pollenca – an absolute gem of an anchorage! This turns out to be the ideal place to finally install and test our new Momentum Marine electric outboard on the EZRaft dinghy "Bobby" for the very first time.

Jude takes charge of rigging it up, and we’re both blown away by how different (and enjoyable!) the electric experience is compared to our old petrol outboard. Quiet, smooth, responsive – it’s a total game-changer for dinghy life aboard Helios.

Watch as we explore this stunning part of Mallorca under sail and put the new electric propulsion through its paces.

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We leave Palma Bay and set off along the beautiful north coast of Mallorca. In a stiff breeze, the boom vang suddenly breaks with a loud bang, forcing us to drop sails and motor the rest of the day.
We find a stunning anchorage that’s only suitable in very calm conditions — luckily, that’s exactly what we have, so we settle in for a peaceful night. The next morning, we head into Soller to take on fuel and water. Unfortunately, there’s no space to anchor, so we head back out and continue east along the coast… destination still to be decided!
Join us for real cruising ups and downs, scenic sailing, and life aboard Helios in the Balearics.

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We’ve had an amazing time exploring Ibiza’s crystal-clear bays, but it’s time to keep heading east toward family reunions and a very delayed parcel in Palma de Mallorca.

This episode features a beautiful downwind sail across to Mallorca, stunning anchorages near Palma, and the saga of our long-overdue battery for the new electric outboard motor. FedEx played ping-pong with the delivery, but we finally get everything sorted and head into Palma to collect it!

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Join us as we sail into the breathtaking northwest corner of Ibiza, dropping anchor in some of the most beautiful and sheltered bays in the Balearics. With fantastic sunny weather, crystal-clear turquoise water so transparent you can see the seabed 7 metres below, and fish darting all around the boat — this is the Mediterranean cruising dream come true.

In this episode we spend a relaxing week exploring these stunning anchorages, paddling in inviting seas, enjoying the laid-back island vibe, and wandering through charming local towns. If you dream of casting off the dock lines, living aboard with your loving partner, and discovering paradise bays like this… this video is for you.

Whether you’re planning your own escape or just love travelling vicariously through beautiful sailing destinations, this one will have you itching to get out there.

What’s inside:

Anchoring in stunning northwest Ibiza bays
Crystal clear water & abundant sea life
Sunny days, paddling, and relaxed island exploring
Real liveaboard cruising life aboard Helios

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After a refreshing morning workout in the cockpit, we set sail back to Ibiza! This time, we head into the stunning Old Town (Dalt Vila) for some exploration.

The crossing is wonderfully calm, and we're thrilled when a pair of dolphins come to play right beside the boat as we approach our anchorage.

We treat ourselves to a delicious vegetarian paella with a view, and catch-up with our good friends Stu & Di from @thecampbellgamble. There's plenty of boaty camaraderie as Stu shows Richard how to clean a carburettor and Jude makes them a new outboard cover. This is what the sailing community is all about — helping each other out on the water!

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We finally set sail to Ibiza for the first time! In this episode, we explore the charming town of Sant Eulalia (Santa Eulària), with its beautiful streets, marina, and relaxed vibe.
After a few wonderful days, a southerly swell forces us to make a move. We head back to our favourite island — Formentera — and anchor in the stunning turquoise waters off Es Pujols. This picture-perfect bay and lively seaside town made the perfect escape.
Come along as we sail between these two beautiful Balearic Islands, enjoy the views, and find our perfect anchorage.

Locations:
• Sant Eulalia, Ibiza
• Es Pujols, Formentera

If you're planning a sailing trip to Ibiza or Formentera, this video will give you a great feel for both places!

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This update comes to you from Formentera, Spain. It feels great to be back out sailing again, even if we’re still a little rusty!

In this edition we share a few insights into what’s been happening onboard lately and what’s coming up over the next couple of weeks.

As always, thank you so much for your continued support — it means the world to us.

Fa…

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In this episode, we head back to Sant Agusti to escape a building southwesterly wind. The passage quickly turns into a rusty start-of-season reality check when we get a serious override on the winch and have to cut the jib sheet to free it!

Once safely anchored, we go ashore for a quick grocery run and well-earned ice creams in town. Back on board, I swap out the membrane and housing on the watermaker — it’s now producing better than ever, but we still have a small leak to sort.

Later, we meet up with Marcus on the water to collect our long-awaited parcels he brought all the way from Cartagena. And finally… after 10 days of waiting, Helios gets her zinc anodes back on!

A bit of drama, some boat jobs, and plenty of cruising life in the Balearics.

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In this episode, we finally cast off from Cartagena and set sail on an overnight passage to Formentera! The wind and sailing conditions were excellent, but Jude wasn’t feeling her best, so our early morning arrival was a huge relief.
Once anchored, we deployed our brand-new smart GPS Anchor Buoy Morpheis for the very first time. With unsettled weather moving in and several days of rough conditions forecast, having Morpheis on anchor watch gave us real peace of mind. We slept soundly, knowing it was constantly monitoring our position and would alert us if anything went wrong.
Have we finally solved the eternal problem of anchor watch? Watch to find out!

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In this episode we’re in full “get it done” mode as we race to finish three major projects before leaving on our next adventure with Helios!

First up — after weeks of planning, parts ordering, and preparation, we finally complete the full installation of the Lookout AI Camera System. Watch the whole process come together as we get this powerful new smart system up and running..

LOOKOUT combines data from charts, AIS, computer vision, and radar, then fuses it into one intuitive, 3D augmented reality view.

Next, we make some long-overdue custom cushions for Bob (our trusty dinghy) so he can rest comfortably and securely on the foredeck without damaging the deck or himself.

And finally, with all gas appliances now removed from the boat, we completely redesign and reorganise the aft locker to make much better use of the space.

Lots of satisfying progress in this one as we tick off big jobs and get Helios ready for the next chapter!

🛠️ Projects Featured:

• Lookout AI Camera System – Full Install

• Custom cushions for Bob the Dinghy

• Aft locker transformation (gas-free setup)

If you’re into boat projects, refits, cruising prep, and life aboard, hit LIKE and subscribe for more!

#Sailing #BoatLife #Helios #BoatRefit #LookoutAI #Cruising #Sailboat

For a limited time Lookout are offering a 10% discount to Sailing Helios viewers using the code “HELIOS10”. Go to https://www.getalookout.com/discount/HELIOS10

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Time is running out, and there’s still a mountain of work to do before we can set sail! In this episode, we test our brand new Seldon mainsail cars, give the mainsail a much-needed deep clean, and then dive into the big installation of our new Lookout AI camera system.
Richard spends over two hours at the top of the mast pulling new cables for the camera and upgrading the VHF system — and of course, not everything goes to plan! Meanwhile, Jude is back at the sewing machine as we finally solve the tricky boom tent project with a clever fix that makes it all come together.
Boat life, technical upgrades, problem-solving, and pre-departure prep — the real side of sailing life on Helios!

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We finally fixed the sewing machine — thank you so much for all your helpful suggestions! 🙏
But boat projects took a short back seat as we headed to Madrid for a couple of days. We soaked up the beautiful sights of the city and caught up with Jude’s brother who was visiting from California. Madrid really is stunning!
Back on the boat, it’s straight into work again: Jude returns to her sewing projects while Richard installs our brand new liferaft. We also get our first look at the exciting new Lookout AI camera system that just arrived — installation coming next week!
If you enjoyed this mix of travel and boat life, please give the video a thumbs up, comment below, and subscribe for more adventures aboard Sailing Helios!

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It’s going to serve two main purposes on board:

• A reliable backup to our induction stove in case we ever have an electrical issue

• A portable setup we can easily take to the beach for cooking sessions away from the boat (which seems to b…

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