Sailing to the max

I’ve mentioned Alex Goes Sailing a few times since he started sharing videos of his low budget trailer-sailing adventures during the first lockdown in 2020, and with good reason: he is a great example of someone who is able to get maximum enjoyment out of his boat ownership with minimal spend by choosing well and working smart. He also demonstrates that going ‘all in’ by quitting your job and selling all your possessions is not a prerequisite for YouTube sailing stardom.

Alex is a civil engineer in his mid-20s living in south-west London. The earliest episodes covered his back garden refit of a 1960 Hurley Silhouette MkII he bought for £60 before towing it to various locations to sail in the Solent and Devon.

But by the time he started publishing these videos, he had already moved on to a £300 1970 Vivacity 650 bilge keeler on which he had numerous further adventures. He is now in the early days of owning his third boat

Mingulay, an American-built 2006 Telstar 28 folding trimaran which he bought in Jersey in autumn 2022 for £12,000 (although he tells me he has subsequently spent as much again on the refit).

We’re introduced to his new steed in episode 113. After some essential repairs and a spot of cruising around the Channel Islands, he and his friend Lizzie sail, or rather, mostly motor Mingulay back to Northney Marina where he hauls her out and transports her to his back garden. There he begins to appreciate the full scope of the work ahead of him. Blown off her mooring onto the rocks in Kippford, Dumfries, by the remnants of Hurricane Katia in 2011, let’s just say she still needs some TLC, and Alex supplies it, along with clear documentation of every step.

I hope I’m not giving too much away by saying that he managed to complete the repairs and get in a full summer of sailing, which will be shown in upcoming videos. These will cover exploring the Outer Hebrides (including, naturally, the isle of Mingulay) before towing her by road to Falmouth to cruise the Isles of Scilly. As someone who’s only ever raced past these stunning places, I’m feeling envious already.

■ My new boat revealed, youtu.be/6fIDq2thvi0?si=zz 5DmTviZ5PqY7M7