SDA235 A Tight Fit in the Cockpit

We went hiking through the forest to the famous blowholes along the shoreline near Luperon, but finding them was only half the adventure. Back on the mooring, the real work resumed, with our latest cockpit upgrade. In this episode of Sailing Dark Angel, we’re heading deep into the forests of Luperón to hunt down the famous shoreline blowholes. Back on deck, we’re leveling up our cockpit with a brand new helm seat. It’s a project that puts our tools to the test, but we’re eager to see if this upgrade is the perfect fit for our life at sea. Cruising the Dominican Republic leads us to unique spots like Luperón, where we balance inland hikes with essential boat maintenance. Tackling a helm seat installation on a mooring is standard practice for our liveaboard lifestyle. We share our process for these cockpit upgrades and marine DIY projects to help fellow sailors with their own boat refits and cruising plans throughout the Caribbean. 00:00 - Introduction 01:42 - Hiking the Luperón Forest 05:32 - Locating the Blowholes 08:50 - Old Helm Seat Removal 16:55 - New Helm Seat Install 20:20 - Testing the Fit & Function -------------------- 🌊 Sailing Dark Angel follows our real-life journey sailing the Caribbean aboard our Island Spirit catamaran, sharing the challenges, adventures, and everyday moments of liveaboard sailing life. -------------------- 🎥 Become part of the Crew on Patreon Without a Crew, a Ship Has No Direction. Join the crew on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sailingdarkangel -------------------- ⛵ Follow the journey beyond YouTube https://sailingdarkangel.com Lisa's personal blog is being added now. 🍻 Like what you see? You can even buy us a beer. -------------------- 📰 Featured in sailing media Latitudes & Attitudes Magazine 🍹 Rum tasting article https://digitalmagazine.latsatts.com/sailingdarkangel-5456 🌊 Bahamas snorkeling article https://summer2023.latsatts.com/theresthisplace#a_aid=640782a615fd9&a_bid=0e47bed1 Pussfoot Magazine https://www.pussfoot.com/blogs/water/sailing-dark-angel-sailing-and-slow-cooked-ribs -------------------- 🍹 The Dark Angel Cocktail We created our own signature drink, the “Dark Angel,” which placed 3rd in a Latitudes & Attitudes Magazine contest. If you’d like to try one yourself or order one at your favorite watering hole, here’s the recipe: Kraken Spiced Rum Ginger Beer Muddled Mint Slice of Lime If you try it, let us know what you think! -------------------- ⚓ Marine Electronics Support We trust Sea-Tech Systems for expert marine electronics advice and support aboard Dark Angel. If you're planning upgrades or troubleshooting onboard systems, these are the guys we rely on. https://seatech.systems/ See how they helped us: https://seatech.systems/2022/02/16/sailing-dark-angel-tests-sea-techs-marine-electronics-advisor-service/ -------------------- 🎒 Gear we trust We take our Ugowear waterproof bags EVERYWHERE. Amazing company, amazing gear. Affiliate link: https://ugowear.com?aff=34 -------------------- 🛠 Help keep Dark Angel sailing Amazon Wishlist https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/KYJVC8ZWGHY2 -------------------- 👕 Dark Angel & Be Nauti Swag https://spoiledbratdesigns.com/product-category/sailing-dark-angel-clothing-and-accessories/ Custom requests: spoiledbrat@spoiledbratdesigns.com -------------------- 📱 Follow the journey Facebook https://www.facebook.com/sailingdarkangel X https://x.com/SailinDarkAngel TikTok https://tiktok.com/@sailing_darkangel Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sailingdarkangel -------------------- 🎶 Opening and closing song “Who We Are” by Miah From the band NINETEEN EIGHTY SEVEN Miah generously allowed us to use this song on the channel from the very beginning, and we've loved it ever since. Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/6WaNVPlzMwFn7WCVT3gVcJ https://nineteeneightyseven.com -------------------- Lisa & Dave Sailing Dark Angel © Sailing Dark Angel 2026