Glad you guys are safe. Would you guys do a lessons learned video? Things like back up VHF radios, spare parts to keep on board, how to be more frugal with your fuel, etc.
Im surprised you did as well as you did, and i’m also surprised there were no oil rigs. You must have left when a cold front came through but 10 days is a long time, I expected your story to end with you 100 miles off Florida with no way to tack in. I sailed my catamaran 50 miles off shore from Kemah to the Mississippi Delta and I was dodging hundreds of oil rigs, maintenance ships and shrimp boats, my sails were in tact but I blew a radiator hose on one of my engines and my weather window expired before I could get around the Delta. I spent an entire day tacking in 25 mile winds 10 foot waves about 50 feet apart only to gain 1 mile. I anchored next to small island that night and sailed back to Kemah the next morning. 6 days out 2 days back ( Awesome sail back ). Its easy to sail to Kemah from Florida most people fail when sailing to Florida from Kemah. Congratulations !
I mixed up my kemah to Florida everything is hard when leaving Texas. On another note I went for a day sail on your boat in 2017 when Peggy owned it. The pelican flew a black pirate flag and had a plastic skeleton bungeed to the aft starboard rail seat and we got attention leaving the boardwalk channel.
Great video ... From my experience you have to keep eating at sea .. it actually stops me getting seasick .. eat through it , like breathing and yoga .. eat 3 meals a day rain wind or shine. But wow , what a passage .. thanks for sharing . I felt emotional just watching it . Lovely couple you seem .. Keep inspiring !
Learned that crossing the Gulf in winter is a horrible decision a month ago. Fortunately I called the Coast Guard in time to tow me to safety! It can get brutal quickly out there. Glad you guys are okay.
During my gulf crossing we had 55 knot winds, 22 ft seas in a storm on the Beaufort scale (between a gale and a hurricane). It was terrifying and I gave us a 50/50 chance of actually surviving. What I learned is choose your weather window with care. Also choice of boats was critical. We had a tayana 37 which is a stout boat capable of heavy weather sailing.
Hey you survived and haven’t lost the spirit to keep going, so that’s a double win already,😅, storm sails for front and back before you leave port again is must for any boat heading out, hope your next trip is more fun and you keep going
❤OmG just in the Gulf.I could swim that. Oh oh caught a sea gull sounds ominous. What? Looking at wind a perfect breeze for sailing. Why turn on the motor. Where is your expert?You could have reefed in your sails at night bad weather. I can't believe it is so cold on the Gulf of Mexico. Expert is doing well he has a safety line on. Remind me not to sail with you guys.
Oh you were fine the whole way. You'll learn to be more calm and comfortable if you choose to cruise any further. When you get into 50 knott winds and 30 to 40 ft seas you will be terrified again and that's okay. I wasn't terrified just concerned as the vessel was launching off the top of the swells And then the whole boat shuddering because it was going beyond hull speed down the back of the swell and the green water That washed over the boat and drenched me as the bow of the boat crashed into the trough of the swell And then it was up the towering swell again launching off the top of the swell and then the boat shuddering down the back side crashing into the trough with a green water drenching me again over and over and over. that lasted two and a half days. And now I'm still telling the story talking about it so, obviously I must have survived it. Yippee ki-yay I love the ocean and being out there nothing else like it on planet Earth!
Great sailing episode. No.need for synopsis scenes just let the video rip even to near death scenes and can jim morrison pls do more talking he video.ready man😂
I love watching newbies start their sailing adventures and to see how their sailing story unfolds. I have to say that I'm so impressed with your honesty and authenticity of sharing how traumatic and bad your first crossing was…many other channels pretend all is well. Another newbie couple disappeared from YT for a few months after a bad crossing who immediately quit and sold their boat once they arrived at their destination - then finally made a long artsy bullshit video about the crossing (not mentioning they had called for emergency help) and had the audacity to end the video about having courage to change plans in life (not to sail) but didn't truthfully explain why. Courage is what Max and Manu have! Don't ever worry about making depressing videos…truth can be powerfully valuable to teach and inspire others. Congratulations guys for not quitting, learning, growing, and persevering. Hopefully you can get a dodger and hardtop bimini soon to protect you from rain, waves, and harsh sun rays. Can't wait to see your upcoming videos…and one more reminder to have lots of spare parts and redundancy for all essentials. 💙
Thank you Marie. That’s exactly what we wanted to show. This was a trip challenging for newbies like us, but also for someone more experienced, like Mike. And we wanted to share that it’s not always cocktails and palm trees out there. We’re grateful it happened to us, because we learned a lot from it! Thank you for your support and your kind words ❤️ Lots of love from M & M.
Love the video, remembering my first bad weather in 1982…. Build on the experience that’s how you’ll become seasoned sailors.That’s a tough start but you’ll have more good days then bad. Bill D, S/V Kemo Sabay… 73 and still making passages ⛵️
Quote, "Another newbie couple disappeared from YT for a few months after a bad crossing who immediately quit and sold their boat once they arrived at their destination ..." Did you wrote about "Wild we roam"? Their names are "Dana" and "Lou".
I too thought that video was bs. They were talking about how beautiful it was. It rubbed me the wrong way that they spent such a long time refitting and studying and reading books and so on, just to quit right away. It just seemed like their expectations were way glorified... People need to understand the extreme highs and lows they are inevitably going to experience, so great that people share videos like this.
Every book about sailing techniques has a chapter about "Don't yell at your crew/spouse, etc." Looks like you took those chapters to heart! Nice work! I think we're gonna need a bigger boat.
Firstly, so glad you’re safe. With that said, when we’re passage planning, our rule #1 is to identify our bail out points. On a passage of that length you should have a minimum of 5-6 alternate locations that you can head to for safety and to get out of the worst of the weather. Also, when looking at the weather apps, always assume they’re wrong. We always add about 50% to the predicted wind speeds but we’re frequently still surprised. Beyond that, beef up all the running rigging and don’t ignore furling lines. We’ve had our Genoa furling line snap twice. Good luck!
That’s very useful information. A major mistake was heading south to the Gulf Stream in effect cutting us off from any bailout points as Cuba is a no go
I'm not an expert or that knowledge, but weather can make or break you. Please get internet and good weather apps and learn them to understand them. Weather can still bite you even when prepared, I've thought a lot about what I would do if I ever get the chance to sail. I definitely would learn much closer to shore with bailouts in mind.
@@terrykeever9422 you make a good point, but see my comment above. Last week we sailed from Bimini (Bahamas) to Key Biscayne, FL across the Gulf Stream. Weather apps said 8-10 knots from the south with 1-2’ waves (this is ideal for crossing the Gulf Stream). However, what we experienced was 20 knots gusting to 25 knots from the north with 6-7’ waves on the beam. It was not fun at all! We pay for several apps and they’re rarely accurate. Getting Starlink (as we have) so you have internet is good advice.
@@manuandmax definitely understand that, but you can get out of the Gulf Stream. It runs about 2-3 knots so, going south, head 14 degrees north of where you want to go and the southerly current will get you where you want to go. Again, super glad you’re safe, love your honesty, love that you ended up in st Pete ( our home port) and hope we get a chance to meet up some time!
This is a video I’ll never forget. We have a boat too. We bought it 2 years ago after selling off our home etc. So we could relate to the fear. Your experience out there was so real, so raw, so piercing. I’m so glad you all made it. Thx for the video and most of all thx for sharing it w us.
You learn by doing stuff, unfortunately you didn't really want to experience it all in one go. You survived and every little (and big) experience just makes you stronger and wiser. I can imagine how scary it was at times. You were very smart to add Mike to the crew.
its a steep learning curve. every new sailor has to learn somewhow. Always have a backup on autopilot (example windwane). *tip: Bungee cords and surgical tubes, tie up surgical tubes to port and bungee cords starboard side and hook on the helm. Switch sides when needed. *tip 2: sheet to helm. tie up with half of tip 1. (bungee cord) and roll the sheet line from headsail to vinch and the helm. The boat will maintain its course this way. *3. tack and alter course to minimize tension on the sail trims. *always have a spare sail in store. and spare parts of varied asortions. Overtrimmed main sail. hence why it pop out if its track. always trim it to 2nd or rd reef at night. the cars could also be busted. change place of these mount the main and trim to 3rd reef in case of emergency. You have to think like McGyver, or out of the box. DYI while on passages. "example: If the mast falls down, you can deattach the boom, and use it as a mast and put a small sail on it. " Jib/Genoa can be sailed in reefed positions by furling it in, if ripped or broken. Always bring x amount of more fuel, in case of emergency. Spare/Emergency hand held vhf is always a safety option. (Check out why the main vhf broke.) (Could be the busbar to ground that got busted since (loose connection) autopilot broke first.) Sea always looks bigger on first sails, and yes it scary. but eventually it will be come the new normal. Tack on course when doing passage against the currents. passage takes longer but getting there safer. (Follow the gulfstream) Spinnaker pole/whiskerpole seems short. get one mounted to the mast. One of the sheets to the headsails seems to be busted or going to break soon due to shafe. Replace and overlook rest of them. New sub so hope to see more /Fair winds.
I loved the video. Glad you are all okay! Easy to judge from here, but it does look like you guys were not prepared for a crossing. From securing your belongings down, back ups, fuel and most important a very good plan ahead. I am sure you will get prepared for the worst next time you donate crossing, and I am sure it won’t be that bad because that doesn’t happen when you are ready 😂. Murphy‘s law 😂
You guys are to be commended because you pursue what others are afraid to do. However, that being said, watching this video I was soooo mind boggled. I saw nothing involving predictwind, course planning, weather tracking etc. I didn't even hear the weather radio in the background during any portion of the video. Did you guys follow the MARINE weather forcast as you were sailing? Did you guys carry an Epurb? As an experienced sailor myself, when the autopilot breaks, you fix it. Period. Underway or not, if it can be ducktaped and bailing-wired together that is what you do. Unless the head unit of the autopilot dies, with the mechanical parts you fix it or macgyver it. As inexperienced sailors, why did you choose to do a direct crossing? It is much better to remain just offshore about 3 to 5 miles then jump off and make the crossing to down south somewhere around Apalachicola which puts you with only one night-crossing away from land. Instead of burning all of your diesel, why didn't you guys tack upwind? It would have extended the time of the journey of course, but you would have had your fuel when you needed it. I think your "experienced " friend Mike was a little less experienced than you thought.... At the end of you video you said "you can't predict the wind"? YES, IT IS CALLED PREDICTWIND! It is the #1 tool for sailors!
Do you think in hindsight that you may have been a bit unprepared? Surely you should at least had a bit more diesel and probably should have had better quality sails. Just saying.
why did the sails fail like that? any ideas? just bad, thin, old racing sails or what? there's no way new sailors (less than 5 years of experience) are going to notice or buy new ones unless they're visible falling apart
Indeed. We did the math with our captain and got the extra diesel. In terms of sails, the sail track came apart . It was damaged by UV and had slowly weakened. We were as prepared as we thought necessary at the time
@@manuandmaxAny decent riger/longer time sailor could have informed you that your mainsail track was seriously degraded and needed replacing! It's pretty obvious even on video that the plastic track is UV damaged.
More fuel ... stainless steel heavy duty main sail tracks ... invest more time on weather forecasting for open windows to sail in ... get better wet sailing apparel to stay dry ... get a good handbook on do and don't on sailing open ocean cruising ... stock up on some man overboard equipment ... always use safety harness .... get a pet will help with anxiety .... ❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉😊😊😊 .... stay safe .... and kind winds and smooth sailing ....
If you want to spend 50% to 100% longer getting what ever the weather gods want to send you! Longer heavier keel = more time on passage. Better to make sure that your boat is fit for passage and you have enough spare filters fuel & water! A rigger would have told you that your mast track was on its last legs.
Gotta give cred for the effort, but really? What not to do on a passage should be the title. Best you both. Hope, if anything you learned a valuable lesson/s
My limited experience if I see a sail in the trash dumpster I’m pulling it out and fixing the worst things then stowing it away just in case I might need it in a pinch. Or one of my neighbors has a need greater than mine they get a break just pay it forward.
glad y'all are well .always hear how the camera just doesn't show how rough the sea,s are didn't look like y'all's had any trouble with that it looked rough
Big hugs from one crew to another! It gets easier 😊 “Until you have the courage to lose sight of shore, you will never know the terror of being lost at sea.” You’ve created a superb video here that allows others to learn from your experience, but even more importantly this film is worth its weight in non fungible tokens for you to learn from. Would highly recommend going through this journey again, figuratively, from a week before setting off; what would you do differently with the benefit of hindsight? The same exercise for the actual passage too. There is great value in reflection and whilst it may have been difficult to appreciate at the time, this experience has the potential to dramatically improve your seamanship. Well done and hope to see you out there one day. Fair winds!
Hey guys, I’m so sorry you went through this on your first major crossing. Could you do a separate video of what broke or stopped working and why? I would love to know more detail of how things went wrong, what could have prevented it, and what you would do differently next time. We are also new sailors and these videos of others experiences are priceless. Thank you so much for sharing your harrowing story.
Hey Betsy! Yes, working on it now. Obviously, we are not experienced enough to share what could have been done better, so we have a special guest (who knows a lot more about sailing than us) to walk us through what we he would’ve done differently. 🙏🏼
I’m glad you made it but without sounding harsh there is so much that was wrong about that crossing that I hope you learned from. I think you needed more sailing experience (do more coastal sailing before getting offshore), better boat preparation (too many breakdowns of critical systems and the boat did not look like it was really set up well for heavy air offshore sailing), and you did not seem to have good weather routing from what I could see. It also seems like you might have fell into the trap of being on a schedule. Never a good thing for offshore sailing especially if you want the experience to be enjoyable. Good luck with sorting the lessons learned and moving ahead.
Thank you for sharing your story. That looks like your Tides Marine sail track failed due to age and UV exposure. Easy fix to slide that one down and to order a new one and slide it back on . $500ish? The track slug stopper on the bottom will have a Serial number that you can use to re order.
Yep we ordered a new one and it should be here any day now. Think ours cost 650$ for 42 feet or so. We had no idea that there’s was a sail track in the mast… shows how much we know…
From Galveston you could have followed the coast until Dophine island Alabama or applachacola Florida. That way you would have several ports to rest safely and wait for weather window. Mississippi has casino buffets walking distance from docks. It would not have increased distance by enough to be unpractical. I realize you probably know this by now but it's may help someone else.
I am a week into COVID but should be released to general pop Sunday - if you need any assistance please let me know - I live just a bit north of downtown St Pete
So relieved you're alive. So courageous to continue. (Sorry about the chocolates.) I'm counting on my bro, uncle Claus to help you along to the next step. Love you both.
Big Thumbs up for all of your achievements during this voyage. I was once told when I was a lot younger that anybody who thinks that they are stronger than the force of nature is a fool, anyone who tries to control the force of nature is on a fools erranded. Embrace what comes, take the negatives and turn them into positives, learn and move forward. Everyday is a school day, so glad you both decided to continue your voyages upon the seas.
You should be proud of your first open sea crossing. With a start like this, I know of many who would have given up and gone ashore for good. It was a steep learning curve, and I'm sure you'll get good at this eventually. But a small but very effective tip both for you and for everyone who sails - even in coastal areas, is to make sure that the boat is seaworthy. It involves many important and big things, but also the small details. The easiest thing is to make sure that there is nothing loose in the boat. Nothing! Everything must be stowed away in lockers or secured in some other way. Because what happens when the sea gets rough? Everything gets thrown around and ends up on the sole, floating around and making a complete mess, as we could see from your movie. It makes challenging experiences feel even scarier than they already are. It has a big impact on the mental psyche. Bigger than you can imagine. It is important to always prepare the boat in this way, even when the weather is fine. Because you never know when the challenges may be thrown at you, and then it's too late. This is so simple, but it has such a big impact
For other sailors like me who have sailed the world but not the Gulf let me say it can be horrid. The reason is the Gulf of Mexico is shallow - very shallow. In 40 knots the waves can be horrid. Steep and short. Perfectly designed to stop you in your tracks. I don't know about 4 meter waves but they can seem high. Well done crew for getting there.
So happy you are going to continue sailing. Your last video was very well done! Capturing all the emotions of the trip, the dangers, the systems issues, the horrbile weather etc, etc, and on your first passage, wow! I had to have a glass of wine and relax after watching the video! Cheers to you!
When couple sets off on their first “world” cruise, one of three things happens after they reach port after the first big storm: They abandon/sell their boat and fly home The wife flies home and husband continues on with another “mate” They continue on and are bonded for life My wife and I set off 20 years ago in our 38 foot sailboat and are bonded for life. It helps to have a boat that is very strong. Ours was a Swan 38.
Ouch my heart goes out to you. The old british military saying "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" was thoroughly demonstrated by you on this trip. I applaud your tenacity and i predict that both crew and vessel will become much more robust and resilient from this experience once you have dried out... Bravo for keeping it together under the most testing of situations.
@@manuandmax we have much to thank those who sacrificed so much in the past so that we have safety now… I’ll bet waves look smaller than they did before this crossing due to a perspective change on your part …
Well glad you made it, but ever heard of gloves? Also out of Galveston till you get out 80 miles or so trolling is worthless. Water to cold. Wahoo, King Mackeral and Tuna can be had but more like 100 miles out. Looks like you need locks on all your drawers and cabinets. Next time more fuel. Winter northerners sweep from Northwest across the Gulf. Not the best time for crossings. Live and learn...and looks like you learned a lot. Also may i suggest a dodger? Live the dream!
Boy, what a first voyage! Even though weather forecasting has greatly improved from fifty years ago, it is still often wrong. Expect the weather to be worse than they predict and prepare for that eventuality. I was about to suggest that you learn how to HOVE TO, a solid tactic if you are feeling overwhelmed amongst big waves and want to rest, but you need a mainsail for that - and you lost yours! Who could have foreseen that! Best of luck getting everything resolved; I predict your next trip will be much, much better!
Yep we were getting ready to de-power and heave to but it was too late. Honestly I think it was my fault getting carried away with how much speed we had. One fatal gust took it all away
Well, you are still sailing.. kudos for that..you will see a lot worse then 4 meter waves if you keep at it, and you will get used to it and hopefully enjoy it...practice storm procedures, and learn to heave to in your boat..they are all boats different, and you don't want that learning curve in 8 meter swells at force 9, with white spume in your face. You want to be down below with a cup of tea and a book. Although you don't have the right boat for that. Watch your weather, put it on split screen on your plotter. Divert a day before the black is anywhere near moving towards you.
I'm just wondering why you did not hug the coast all the way. It would have taken longer but you could pull into inlets and had a great trip. I hope you have towing insurance because I know they are not cheap. Thanks for posting the video. The Bahamas should be easy (weather permitting)compared to what went through.
I also learned not to let them tow you too fast because your boat will swamp. I have heard the stories of the Coast Guard doing this and have experienced it once myself. I make sure to make them aware that we're in a sailboat and it's not going to get up on plane but rather do the opposite possibly.
Knowing when to abandon a plan is critical. Either you get it right or you put yourselves, and potentially others trying to rescue you, in mortal danger. If you watch SV Delos, you will never see anything remotely approaching what happened to you. There is a very big lesson there.
Maybe you did, but you didn't document it at all. Did you check the wind and weather forecasts both iminent to your departure and at longer range? I didn't see you do or discuss any of the precautionary planning that wise sailors do. Also, I did not hear any weather updates from your VHS. Were you not listening? On the other hand, if you did your due diligence with regard to weather planning but the forecasts were all wrong, that would be a VERY interesting, instructional and valuable part of your blog. As a Florida west coast sailor in a much smaller boat than yours, I can attest that NOAA does not always get wind speeds and directions correct by errors of 90 degrees. So, if you tried to to be safe and it didn't work out, you have my sympathy. Been there. Not your fault. However, it appears you departed into a little to no wind situation then ran into gale force winds and you did not expect either of those conditions. That kind of voyage is suboptimal. The sea, the ocean, the gulf does not care about you. Any one of those bodies of water will kill you and yours without care, remorse or even deliberately, just for fun. SO, you must plan, evaluate, take advantage of or avoid weather when and where reasonable, or as a last result, COMBAT the sea and WIN. And by WIN I mean every, single, time. If you lose one time in a big sea, you are not coming back. Enough of that (for now). I am brand new to your chanel. I like you and your boat. I thumbed you up and subscribed. Stick around. Looking forward to your further adventures.
…and I thought I was crazy, when I was young… However, glad you made it, and hope that you learned not to take the sea lightly in the future anymore! Back in “my days”, we had not the weather info available like nowadays, so planning trips to avoid inclement weather and sea conditions was much more difficult, but nowadays this is not an excuse anymore, and you need to plan around unsafe conditions, and NEVER start a trip, just because you have set a certain “personal” timeline, without having a plan b/c/d…, as it can cost your life or well being. Also, take the seaworthiness of your vessel more seriously, as more than one set of sails, and redundant navigation equipment, spare parts of everything, additional fuel, oil, water, groceries, medicines, first aid stuff etc. , need to be on board in “sufficient” quantities, and than add 50% more to what you consider “sufficient” ! You have a nice dinghy outboard attached to your reeling, which could serve as an emergency propulsion on passages, if you add a bracket to the boat stern, which can be lowered for emergency propulsion - it’s not so expensive to install, but it will contribute a lot to the overall safety. Think about it ! All the best for your future voyage, and don’t count on the luck you had this time to continue to be always on your side.
OMG Guys! Ya'll had me on the edge of my seat with this episode! Soooo glad you are safe and sound! Please come back to Austin and let us cook you some hot food, I felt for you watching this! Great job keeping your spirits up and for hanging in there!
Great video capturing the big picture. Bit confusing when you say no experience since with Mike aboard you had an experienced professional crew. Preparing to sail south from NOLA any day now and contemplating how to best sail the confusing waters of the Gulf. Was considering the Gulf Stream to Cuba but having second thoughts as I learn more about the wind and current issues including how they interact.
some time during the 80s near st pete beach florida on a nice weekend afternoon the weather became violent catching many off guard, boats capsized, people died that day,
You had no lights? Both your main lights and your reserve lights failed? There was a dinghy and an outboard that you could have used for the last becalmed 20 nm. You could have jury rigged a main from the old main or a storm jib that surely you were carrying? You did too much motoring, you could have hove to until the storm passed, time is unimportant, safety is paramount.
Way to go, and keep it up. Your wave tolerance kept getting higher ... Love it! And you're both still smiling with all your teeth. Learn from it, have backups, prepare, ... Sail on.
What a great video. I know it's hard to film with impending death, but you two did pretty good, lol. Very glad to see this didn't break you, just somewhat bent, but that's how we learn. You can't possibly become good sailors in fair winds.
Hey Matthew! Very grateful this happened. It makes reaching the Bahamas even more rewarding! 🙏🏼 after all, a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor. Thanks for watching our videos!
When I see a boat without a dodger and a bimini I know it's not an offshore boat being demoralized by being exposed to what the ocean will deal you will make things seem so much worse and to add to that an interior that's junkie things not stowed properly and not eating 😢 all of which are self inflicted
Congratulations on your successful crossing (you and the boat made it that’s the first and second success criteria) now you have some experience and a little wisdom. Keep going. Plan and prepare for the worst. Never let the clock or the calendar over ride a weather decision. The time to shorten sail is when you first think about it. If the conditions are sporty shorten sail before the night watch because every problem is worse in the dark. Good luck have fun!
......." Day five, everythings going to sh*t..." Hahaha.... Thats the story of my life..........on land! If I go to sea and drown that would be an improvement... . . .that was a great video..sooooo proud of you....
Would you give a tour of your boat? What are the specs, year, type etc. how about both of your stories of who you are and where you meet. Best of luck.
sea sickness is the result of vision and inner ear sensing different input, which mostly occurs below deck when eyes cannot see rolling movement, instant cure, get on deck watch the horizon, the eyes see same motion your inner ear senses, recovery happens quickly thank me later
Holy cow that was crazy. Thanks for sharing, were new to sailing too and its good to see. Idk how we would handle that. Our boat is in stuart florida if you guys are nearby we should meet up! Good luck with your repairs, let us know if you need extra hands!
Wow, was heavy. Next time make sure you have some easy food like snacks. Everybody was overwhelmed, something to think of, like when you aren't able to keep the boat clean inside something is wrong. If I could I would support you lovely two but I can't. You are young and strong, risks are to be taken to reward you with understanding, peace of mind and joie de vivre. 🥰
Glad you guys are safe. Would you guys do a lessons learned video? Things like back up VHF radios, spare parts to keep on board, how to be more frugal with your fuel, etc.
Definitely a video like that coming up. Starting a special guest
@@manuandmax That would be very nice of you. I think we could all learn from that.
The smartest thing you did was taking Mike! Your boat was un sea worthy without a doubt. The good news is you are all alive. Live and learn!
They had a survey which did not show any serious problems.The surveyor missed a lot and should be held accountable!
Given this was your first offshore passage it was very smart to bring some folks with offshore experience.
Happy you guys are ok. They say stormy weather makes good sailors. You guys got this :)
My favorite quote Is from Roosevelt
“A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor”
Im surprised you did as well as you did, and i’m also surprised there were no oil rigs. You must have left when a cold front came through but 10 days is a long time, I expected your story to end with you 100 miles off Florida with no way to tack in. I sailed my catamaran 50 miles off shore from Kemah to the Mississippi Delta and I was dodging hundreds of oil rigs, maintenance ships and shrimp boats, my sails were in tact but I blew a radiator hose on one of my engines and my weather window expired before I could get around the Delta. I spent an entire day tacking in 25 mile winds 10 foot waves about 50 feet apart only to gain 1 mile. I anchored next to small island that night and sailed back to Kemah the next morning. 6 days out 2 days back ( Awesome sail back ). Its easy to sail to Kemah from Florida most people fail when sailing to Florida from Kemah. Congratulations !
I mixed up my kemah to Florida everything is hard when leaving Texas. On another note I went for a day sail on your boat in 2017 when Peggy owned it. The pelican flew a black pirate flag and had a plastic skeleton bungeed to the aft starboard rail seat and we got attention leaving the boardwalk channel.
Great video ... From my experience you have to keep eating at sea .. it actually stops me getting seasick .. eat through it , like breathing and yoga .. eat 3 meals a day rain wind or shine. But wow , what a passage .. thanks for sharing . I felt emotional just watching it . Lovely couple you seem .. Keep inspiring !
Thank you 🙏🏼 we’ve been eating at sea more and haven’t felt sea sick again in a long time.
Sailing can be like that, but then the good times come. And of course you learn more for the next voyage. Love from Kiwi sailer Bonesy.
To know that experience did not scare you from moving forward and keep sailing, I will definitely follow your journey and hope to learn with you❤
Thank you ! We appreciate that wholeheartedly
Learned that crossing the Gulf in winter is a horrible decision a month ago. Fortunately I called the Coast Guard in time to tow me to safety!
It can get brutal quickly out there.
Glad you guys are okay.
During my gulf crossing we had 55 knot winds, 22 ft seas in a storm on the Beaufort scale (between a gale and a hurricane). It was terrifying and I gave us a 50/50 chance of actually surviving. What I learned is choose your weather window with care. Also choice of boats was critical. We had a tayana 37 which is a stout boat capable of heavy weather sailing.
Ah yes. The Tayana 37 is a beautiful boat and has a encapsulated keel right? Much better for rough weather. I'm glad you made it across safely
Wow what an emotional video. I was nervous for you. You have solidified my decision to keep my trailer sailor close to shores.
Hey you survived and haven’t lost the spirit to keep going, so that’s a double win already,😅, storm sails for front and back before you leave port again is must for any boat heading out, hope your next trip is more fun and you keep going
You guys are really rocking it, congratulations on your voyage ! cant wait for more videos!
I am anchored in Gulfport florida so say hey anytime ❤️ glade yall are safe
Good job getting through your first passage always make weather planning days before passage so u can track what its doing fyi.
Thanks. We did try … and even postponed a week because it was looking too rough
lol...I love watching new sailors
Curious about the gentleman on your boat. How did you find him? Expensive? Congratulations on a job well done!
Good question!
The two of you are amazing, keep it up.
Thank you! Will do!
Sounds gnarly - best way to learn seamanship.
❤OmG just in the Gulf.I could swim that. Oh oh caught a sea gull sounds ominous. What? Looking at wind a perfect breeze for sailing. Why turn on the motor. Where is your expert?You could have reefed in your sails at night bad weather. I can't believe it is so cold on the Gulf of Mexico. Expert is doing well he has a safety line on. Remind me not to sail with you guys.
The gulf is not friendly in December. Northers create horrendous conditions..... I've done it in Dec, Kemah to Naples Fl...
Yep not fun. Heading to Naples now
you did not lose everything. I expect a sinking when I hear that
Oh you were fine the whole way. You'll learn to be more calm and comfortable if you choose to cruise any further. When you get into 50 knott winds and 30 to 40 ft seas you will be terrified again and that's okay. I wasn't terrified just concerned as the vessel was launching off the top of the swells And then the whole boat shuddering because it was going beyond hull speed down the back of the swell and the green water That washed over the boat and drenched me as the bow of the boat crashed into the trough of the swell And then it was up the towering swell again launching off the top of the swell and then the boat shuddering down the back side crashing into the trough with a green water drenching me again over and over and over. that lasted two and a half days. And now I'm still telling the story talking about it so, obviously I must have survived it. Yippee ki-yay I love the ocean and being out there nothing else like it on planet Earth!
Oh his never seen weather like this before ever. What a crock of b******* that is for any seasoned sailor
Their ate multiple wind predict apps and starlink nothig fun is ever easy stay strong.😮
Great sailing episode. No.need for synopsis scenes just let the video rip even to near death scenes and can jim morrison pls do more talking he video.ready man😂
Hahaha thanks. Will do!
well...calm seas never made a skillful sailor. You are better for the experience.
I love watching newbies start their sailing adventures and to see how their sailing story unfolds. I have to say that I'm so impressed with your honesty and authenticity of sharing how traumatic and bad your first crossing was…many other channels pretend all is well. Another newbie couple disappeared from YT for a few months after a bad crossing who immediately quit and sold their boat once they arrived at their destination - then finally made a long artsy bullshit video about the crossing (not mentioning they had called for emergency help) and had the audacity to end the video about having courage to change plans in life (not to sail) but didn't truthfully explain why. Courage is what Max and Manu have! Don't ever worry about making depressing videos…truth can be powerfully valuable to teach and inspire others. Congratulations guys for not quitting, learning, growing, and persevering. Hopefully you can get a dodger and hardtop bimini soon to protect you from rain, waves, and harsh sun rays. Can't wait to see your upcoming videos…and one more reminder to have lots of spare parts and redundancy for all essentials. 💙
Thank you Marie. That’s exactly what we wanted to show. This was a trip challenging for newbies like us, but also for someone more experienced, like Mike. And we wanted to share that it’s not always cocktails and palm trees out there. We’re grateful it happened to us, because we learned a lot from it! Thank you for your support and your kind words ❤️
Lots of love from M & M.
Love the video, remembering my first bad weather in 1982…. Build on the experience that’s how you’ll become seasoned sailors.That’s a tough start but you’ll have more good days then bad.
Bill D, S/V Kemo Sabay… 73 and still making passages ⛵️
Quote,
"Another newbie couple disappeared from YT for a few months after a bad crossing who immediately quit and sold their boat once they arrived at their destination ..."
Did you wrote about "Wild we roam"? Their names are "Dana" and "Lou".
@@charonstyxferryman 👍
I too thought that video was bs. They were talking about how beautiful it was. It rubbed me the wrong way that they spent such a long time refitting and studying and reading books and so on, just to quit right away. It just seemed like their expectations were way glorified...
People need to understand the extreme highs and lows they are inevitably going to experience, so great that people share videos like this.
Every book about sailing techniques has a chapter about "Don't yell at your crew/spouse, etc." Looks like you took those chapters to heart! Nice work!
I think we're gonna need a bigger boat.
Firstly, so glad you’re safe. With that said, when we’re passage planning, our rule #1 is to identify our bail out points. On a passage of that length you should have a minimum of 5-6 alternate locations that you can head to for safety and to get out of the worst of the weather. Also, when looking at the weather apps, always assume they’re wrong. We always add about 50% to the predicted wind speeds but we’re frequently still surprised. Beyond that, beef up all the running rigging and don’t ignore furling lines. We’ve had our Genoa furling line snap twice. Good luck!
That’s very useful information. A major mistake was heading south to the Gulf Stream in effect cutting us off from any bailout points as Cuba is a no go
I'm not an expert or that knowledge, but weather can make or break you. Please get internet and good weather apps and learn them to understand them. Weather can still bite you even when prepared, I've thought a lot about what I would do if I ever get the chance to sail. I definitely would learn much closer to shore with bailouts in mind.
@@terrykeever9422 you make a good point, but see my comment above. Last week we sailed from Bimini (Bahamas) to Key Biscayne, FL across the Gulf Stream. Weather apps said 8-10 knots from the south with 1-2’ waves (this is ideal for crossing the Gulf Stream). However, what we experienced was 20 knots gusting to 25 knots from the north with 6-7’ waves on the beam. It was not fun at all! We pay for several apps and they’re rarely accurate. Getting Starlink (as we have) so you have internet is good advice.
@@manuandmax definitely understand that, but you can get out of the Gulf Stream. It runs about 2-3 knots so, going south, head 14 degrees north of where you want to go and the southerly current will get you where you want to go. Again, super glad you’re safe, love your honesty, love that you ended up in st Pete ( our home port) and hope we get a chance to meet up some time!
This is a video I’ll never forget. We have a boat too. We bought it 2 years ago after selling off our home etc. So we could relate to the fear. Your experience out there was so real, so raw, so piercing.
I’m so glad you all made it. Thx for the video and most of all thx for sharing it w us.
Thank you for your comment 🙏🏼 we’ve certainly learned a lot from this experience.
You learn by doing stuff, unfortunately you didn't really want to experience it all in one go. You survived and every little (and big) experience just makes you stronger and wiser. I can imagine how scary it was at times. You were very smart to add Mike to the crew.
its a steep learning curve. every new sailor has to learn somewhow. Always have a backup on autopilot (example windwane).
*tip: Bungee cords and surgical tubes, tie up surgical tubes to port and bungee cords starboard side and hook on the helm. Switch sides when needed.
*tip 2: sheet to helm. tie up with half of tip 1. (bungee cord) and roll the sheet line from headsail to vinch and the helm. The boat will maintain its course this way.
*3. tack and alter course to minimize tension on the sail trims.
*always have a spare sail in store. and spare parts of varied asortions.
Overtrimmed main sail. hence why it pop out if its track. always trim it to 2nd or rd reef at night. the cars could also be busted. change place of these mount the main and trim to 3rd reef in case of emergency. You have to think like McGyver, or out of the box. DYI while on passages. "example: If the mast falls down, you can deattach the boom, and use it as a mast and put a small sail on it. "
Jib/Genoa can be sailed in reefed positions by furling it in, if ripped or broken.
Always bring x amount of more fuel, in case of emergency.
Spare/Emergency hand held vhf is always a safety option.
(Check out why the main vhf broke.) (Could be the busbar to ground that got busted since (loose connection) autopilot broke first.)
Sea always looks bigger on first sails, and yes it scary. but eventually it will be come the new normal.
Tack on course when doing passage against the currents. passage takes longer but getting there safer. (Follow the gulfstream)
Spinnaker pole/whiskerpole seems short. get one mounted to the mast.
One of the sheets to the headsails seems to be busted or going to break soon due to shafe. Replace and overlook rest of them.
New sub so hope to see more
/Fair winds.
Appreciate your synopsis. Every transit has learnings, and summarizing them helps us all.
Good advice
You have been tested and you prevailed. Truth in sailing, finally. Love you guys, and thank you.
I loved the video. Glad you are all okay!
Easy to judge from here, but it does look like you guys were not prepared for a crossing. From securing your belongings down, back ups, fuel and most important a very good plan ahead.
I am sure you will get prepared for the worst next time you donate crossing, and I am sure it won’t be that bad because that doesn’t happen when you are ready 😂. Murphy‘s law 😂
You guys are to be commended because you pursue what others are afraid to do. However, that being said, watching this video I was soooo mind boggled.
I saw nothing involving predictwind, course planning, weather tracking etc. I didn't even hear the weather radio in the background during any portion of the video. Did you guys follow the MARINE weather forcast as you were sailing? Did you guys carry an Epurb?
As an experienced sailor myself, when the autopilot breaks, you fix it. Period. Underway or not, if it can be ducktaped and bailing-wired together that is what you do. Unless the head unit of the autopilot dies, with the mechanical parts you fix it or macgyver it.
As inexperienced sailors, why did you choose to do a direct crossing? It is much better to remain just offshore about 3 to 5 miles then jump off and make the crossing to down south somewhere around Apalachicola which puts you with only one night-crossing away from land.
Instead of burning all of your diesel, why didn't you guys tack upwind? It would have extended the time of the journey of course, but you would have had your fuel when you needed it.
I think your "experienced " friend Mike was a little less experienced than you thought....
At the end of you video you said "you can't predict the wind"? YES, IT IS CALLED PREDICTWIND! It is the #1 tool for sailors!
Sorry you guys had to go through all that. I can only imagine what that was like but congratulations on making the crossing!
At least we made it! Thank you for signing up to the patreon. We reeeeaallly appreciate that of you!
Respect for being so open and honest. The downs of sailing will make the ups feel even better.
honest? they didnt lose everything
Scary! Good luck on the repairs, then it's time to get back to it! Happy all are safe.
That's the plan!
Short hops along coast, watching weather twice a day. Yall did a great job with all that happened.
Do you think in hindsight that you may have been a bit unprepared? Surely you should at least had a bit more diesel and probably should have had better quality sails. Just saying.
why did the sails fail like that? any ideas? just bad, thin, old racing sails or what? there's no way new sailors (less than 5 years of experience) are going to notice or buy new ones unless they're visible falling apart
Indeed. We did the math with our captain and got the extra diesel. In terms of sails, the sail track came apart . It was damaged by UV and had slowly weakened. We were as prepared as we thought necessary at the time
@@manuandmaxAny decent riger/longer time sailor could have informed you that your mainsail track was seriously degraded and needed replacing! It's pretty obvious even on video that the plastic track is UV damaged.
More fuel ... stainless steel heavy duty main sail tracks ... invest more time on weather forecasting for open windows to sail in ... get better wet sailing apparel to stay dry ... get a good handbook on do and don't on sailing open ocean cruising ... stock up on some man overboard equipment ... always use safety harness .... get a pet will help with anxiety .... ❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉😊😊😊 .... stay safe .... and kind winds and smooth sailing ....
Yepp! If we ever crossed another large body of water I think we would get a boat with an encapsulated keel!
If you want to spend 50% to 100% longer getting what ever the weather gods want to send you! Longer heavier keel = more time on passage. Better to make sure that your boat is fit for passage and you have enough spare filters fuel & water! A rigger would have told you that your mast track was on its last legs.
Pro tip. Do not improvise a wisker pole attached to the shroud.
It worked for that moment but we are looking into alternatives. 😊 Thank you !
Why not carry a drogue?? Nice video!
Gotta give cred for the effort, but really? What not to do on a passage should be the title. Best you both. Hope, if anything you learned a valuable lesson/s
Thank you !
My limited experience if I see a sail in the trash dumpster I’m pulling it out and fixing the worst things then stowing it away just in case I might need it in a pinch. Or one of my neighbors has a need greater than mine they get a break just pay it forward.
No great story starts with, "I stayed home and read a book." Keep getting out there and experiencing life. Keep challenging yourselves.
glad y'all are well .always hear how the camera just doesn't show how rough the sea,s are didn't look like y'all's had any trouble with that it looked rough
Just come across your channel. What an amazing story, and brilliantly told.
Welcome and thank you! Hope we can keep you around
Big hugs from one crew to another! It gets easier 😊
“Until you have the courage to lose sight of shore, you will never know the terror of being lost at sea.”
You’ve created a superb video here that allows others to learn from your experience, but even more importantly this film is worth its weight in non fungible tokens for you to learn from. Would highly recommend going through this journey again, figuratively, from a week before setting off; what would you do differently with the benefit of hindsight? The same exercise for the actual passage too. There is great value in reflection and whilst it may have been difficult to appreciate at the time, this experience has the potential to dramatically improve your seamanship.
Well done and hope to see you out there one day. Fair winds!
Me too!!!
Hey guys, I’m so sorry you went through this on your first major crossing. Could you do a separate video of what broke or stopped working and why? I would love to know more detail of how things went wrong, what could have prevented it, and what you would do differently next time. We are also new sailors and these videos of others experiences are priceless. Thank you so much for sharing your harrowing story.
Hey Betsy! Yes, working on it now. Obviously, we are not experienced enough to share what could have been done better, so we have a special guest (who knows a lot more about sailing than us) to walk us through what we he would’ve done differently. 🙏🏼
DAng, dudes! I wanna buy you a dodger! (Sorry - poor.). But - I wanna!
That sail track was piece of crap hope you replace with different brand.
I’m glad you made it but without sounding harsh there is so much that was wrong about that crossing that I hope you learned from. I think you needed more sailing experience (do more coastal sailing before getting offshore), better boat preparation (too many breakdowns of critical systems and the boat did not look like it was really set up well for heavy air offshore sailing), and you did not seem to have good weather routing from what I could see. It also seems like you might have fell into the trap of being on a schedule. Never a good thing for offshore sailing especially if you want the experience to be enjoyable.
Good luck with sorting the lessons learned and moving ahead.
Thank you! We sure do there is no doubt about that. We have a friend who is coming to tag alone and get us back on track
Thank you for sharing your story. That looks like your Tides Marine sail track failed due to age and UV exposure. Easy fix to slide that one down and to order a new one and slide it back on . $500ish? The track slug stopper on the bottom will have a Serial number that you can use to re order.
Yep we ordered a new one and it should be here any day now. Think ours cost 650$ for 42 feet or so. We had no idea that there’s was a sail track in the mast… shows how much we know…
@@manuandmax I guess everything has gone up in price these days. Glad to hear that it will be off your ‘To Do List’ shortly.
From Galveston you could have followed the coast until Dophine island Alabama or applachacola Florida. That way you would have several ports to rest safely and wait for weather window. Mississippi has casino buffets walking distance from docks. It would not have increased distance by enough to be unpractical. I realize you probably know this by now but it's may help someone else.
Thanks for the info. That is definitely what we should have done.
I am a week into COVID but should be released to general pop Sunday - if you need any assistance please let me know - I live just a bit north of downtown St Pete
Get well soon! Thank you! Will do
can anyone explain how they main sail got ripped out like that?
Tidetrack failed. Not all boats have them
So relieved you're alive. So courageous to continue. (Sorry about the chocolates.) I'm counting on my bro, uncle Claus to help you along to the next step. Love you both.
Big Thumbs up for all of your achievements during this voyage.
I was once told when I was a lot younger that anybody who thinks that they are stronger than the force of nature is a fool, anyone who tries to control the force of nature is on a fools erranded.
Embrace what comes, take the negatives and turn them into positives, learn and move forward.
Everyday is a school day, so glad you both decided to continue your voyages upon the seas.
Couldn’t be more true ! Thanks for the 👍
You should be proud of your first open sea crossing. With a start like this, I know of many who would have given up and gone ashore for good. It was a steep learning curve, and I'm sure you'll get good at this eventually.
But a small but very effective tip both for you and for everyone who sails - even in coastal areas, is to make sure that the boat is seaworthy. It involves many important and big things, but also the small details. The easiest thing is to make sure that there is nothing loose in the boat. Nothing! Everything must be stowed away in lockers or secured in some other way. Because what happens when the sea gets rough? Everything gets thrown around and ends up on the sole, floating around and making a complete mess, as we could see from your movie. It makes challenging experiences feel even scarier than they already are. It has a big impact on the mental psyche. Bigger than you can imagine.
It is important to always prepare the boat in this way, even when the weather is fine. Because you never know when the challenges may be thrown at you, and then it's too late. This is so simple, but it has such a big impact
No experience is one thing, bad seamanship another.
Agreed.
Nice Texas A&M shirt Gigem Aggies…
The sea sprites were offended the skipper's "Timberland" jacket, probly.😂
For other sailors like me who have sailed the world but not the Gulf let me say it can be horrid. The reason is the Gulf of Mexico is shallow - very shallow. In 40 knots the waves can be horrid. Steep and short. Perfectly designed to stop you in your tracks. I don't know about 4 meter waves but they can seem high. Well done crew for getting there.
So happy you are going to continue sailing. Your last video was very well done! Capturing all the emotions of the trip, the dangers, the systems issues, the horrbile weather etc, etc, and on your first passage, wow! I had to have a glass of wine and relax after watching the video! Cheers to you!
Cheers to you too! Thanks for watching
When couple sets off on their first “world” cruise, one of three things happens after they reach port after the first big storm:
They abandon/sell their boat and fly home
The wife flies home and husband continues on with another “mate”
They continue on and are bonded for life
My wife and I set off 20 years ago in our 38 foot sailboat and are bonded for life.
It helps to have a boat that is very strong. Ours was a Swan 38.
Ouch my heart goes out to you. The old british military saying "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" was thoroughly demonstrated by you on this trip. I applaud your tenacity and i predict that both crew and vessel will become much more robust and resilient from this experience once you have dried out...
Bravo for keeping it together under the most testing of situations.
Cheers Matey! For one it has shown us that even these production coastal cruising boats can handle a serious beating even offshore
@@manuandmax we have much to thank those who sacrificed so much in the past so that we have safety now…
I’ll bet waves look smaller than they did before this crossing due to a perspective change on your part …
Well glad you made it, but ever heard of gloves? Also out of Galveston till you get out 80 miles or so trolling is worthless. Water to cold. Wahoo, King Mackeral and Tuna can be had but more like 100 miles out. Looks like you need locks on all your drawers and cabinets. Next time more fuel. Winter northerners sweep from Northwest across the Gulf. Not the best time for crossings.
Live and learn...and looks like you learned a lot. Also may i suggest a dodger?
Live the dream!
Dodger sounds nice 😊 but also very very expensive
Boy, what a first voyage! Even though weather forecasting has greatly improved from fifty years ago, it is still often wrong. Expect the weather to be worse than they predict and prepare for that eventuality. I was about to suggest that you learn how to HOVE TO, a solid tactic if you are feeling overwhelmed amongst big waves and want to rest, but you need a mainsail for that - and you lost yours! Who could have foreseen that! Best of luck getting everything resolved; I predict your next trip will be much, much better!
Ooops, should have spelled it HEAVE TO. My bad.
Yep we were getting ready to de-power and heave to but it was too late. Honestly I think it was my fault getting carried away with how much speed we had. One fatal gust took it all away
That was crazy. Glad y’all made it. Nothing broke that can’t be fixed, and now you’re better sailors.
Yes we are
Well, you are still sailing.. kudos for that..you will see a lot worse then 4 meter waves if you keep at it, and you will get used to it and hopefully enjoy it...practice storm procedures, and learn to heave to in your boat..they are all boats different, and you don't want that learning curve in 8 meter swells at force 9, with white spume in your face. You want to be down below with a cup of tea and a book. Although you don't have the right boat for that. Watch your weather, put it on split screen on your plotter. Divert a day before the black is anywhere near moving towards you.
I'm just wondering why you did not hug the coast all the way. It would have taken longer but you could pull into inlets and had a great trip. I hope you have towing insurance because I know they are not cheap. Thanks for posting the video. The Bahamas should be easy (weather permitting)compared to what went through.
Why do you have to drop your mast to replace the track? Make sure if you have to you fix that, that's a ridiculous thing to do for a track.
We don’t! You’re right. When we filmed that we didn’t know what the process was. It turns out we can slide in a new track. 🙏🏼
I also learned not to let them tow you too fast because your boat will swamp. I have heard the stories of the Coast Guard doing this and have experienced it once myself. I make sure to make them aware that we're in a sailboat and it's not going to get up on plane but rather do the opposite possibly.
Stick to the coast next time
Knowing when to abandon a plan is critical. Either you get it right or you put yourselves, and potentially others trying to rescue you, in mortal danger. If you watch SV Delos, you will never see anything remotely approaching what happened to you. There is a very big lesson there.
Maybe you did, but you didn't document it at all. Did you check the wind and weather forecasts both iminent to your departure and at longer range? I didn't see you do or discuss any of the precautionary planning that wise sailors do. Also, I did not hear any weather updates from your VHS. Were you not listening? On the other hand, if you did your due diligence with regard to weather planning but the forecasts were all wrong, that would be a VERY interesting, instructional and valuable part of your blog. As a Florida west coast sailor in a much smaller boat than yours, I can attest that NOAA does not always get wind speeds and directions correct by errors of 90 degrees. So, if you tried to to be safe and it didn't work out, you have my sympathy. Been there. Not your fault. However, it appears you departed into a little to no wind situation then ran into gale force winds and you did not expect either of those conditions. That kind of voyage is suboptimal. The sea, the ocean, the gulf does not care about you. Any one of those bodies of water will kill you and yours without care, remorse or even deliberately, just for fun. SO, you must plan, evaluate, take advantage of or avoid weather when and where reasonable, or as a last result, COMBAT the sea and WIN. And by WIN I mean every, single, time. If you lose one time in a big sea, you are not coming back.
Enough of that (for now). I am brand new to your chanel. I like you and your boat. I thumbed you up and subscribed. Stick around. Looking forward to your further adventures.
it was a tern not a seagull
…and I thought I was crazy, when I was young…
However, glad you made it, and hope that you learned not to take the sea lightly in the future anymore! Back in “my days”, we had not the weather info available like nowadays, so planning trips to avoid inclement weather and sea conditions was much more difficult, but nowadays this is not an excuse anymore, and you need to plan around unsafe conditions, and NEVER start a trip, just because you have set a certain “personal” timeline, without having a plan b/c/d…, as it can cost your life or well being.
Also, take the seaworthiness of your vessel more seriously, as more than one set of sails, and redundant navigation equipment, spare parts of everything, additional fuel, oil, water, groceries, medicines, first aid stuff etc. , need to be on board in “sufficient” quantities, and than add 50% more to what you consider “sufficient” !
You have a nice dinghy outboard attached to your reeling, which could serve as an emergency propulsion on passages, if you add a bracket to the boat stern, which can be lowered for emergency propulsion - it’s not so expensive to install, but it will contribute a lot to the overall safety. Think about it !
All the best for your future voyage, and don’t count on the luck you had this time to continue to be always on your side.
OMG Guys! Ya'll had me on the edge of my seat with this episode! Soooo glad you are safe and sound! Please come back to Austin and let us cook you some hot food, I felt for you watching this! Great job keeping your spirits up and for hanging in there!
Thaaanks! That sounds wonderful right about now 🤤
Gotta keep pushing on!
Great video capturing the big picture. Bit confusing when you say no experience since with Mike aboard you had an experienced professional crew. Preparing to sail south from NOLA any day now and contemplating how to best sail the confusing waters of the Gulf. Was considering the Gulf Stream to Cuba but having second thoughts as I learn more about the wind and current issues including how they interact.
This couple people are terrible sailors. And that's a Tides Marine sail track. No, you dont have to take that mast down.
Amazing! Brave, determined, and lucky. Well the kind of lucky that follows being unlucky, but isn’t that the bravest kind? Go M and M. WHAT’S NEXT???
some time during the 80s near st pete beach florida on a nice weekend afternoon the weather became violent catching many off guard, boats capsized, people died that day,
You had no lights? Both your main lights and your reserve lights failed?
There was a dinghy and an outboard that you could have used for the last becalmed 20 nm. You could have jury rigged a main from the old main or a storm jib that surely you were carrying?
You did too much motoring, you could have hove to until the storm passed, time is unimportant, safety is paramount.
Way to go, and keep it up. Your wave tolerance kept getting higher ... Love it! And you're both still smiling with all your teeth. Learn from it, have backups, prepare, ... Sail on.
What a great video. I know it's hard to film with impending death, but you two did pretty good, lol. Very glad to see this didn't break you, just somewhat bent, but that's how we learn. You can't possibly become good sailors in fair winds.
Hey Matthew! Very grateful this happened. It makes reaching the Bahamas even more rewarding! 🙏🏼 after all, a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor. Thanks for watching our videos!
When I see a boat without a dodger and a bimini I know it's not an offshore boat being demoralized by being exposed to what the ocean will deal you will make things seem so much worse and to add to that an interior that's junkie things not stowed properly and not eating 😢 all of which are self inflicted
Congratulations on your successful crossing (you and the boat made it that’s the first and second success criteria) now you have some experience and a little wisdom. Keep going. Plan and prepare for the worst. Never let the clock or the calendar over ride a weather decision. The time to shorten sail is when you first think about it. If the conditions are sporty shorten sail before the night watch because every problem is worse in the dark. Good luck have fun!
......." Day five, everythings going to sh*t..."
Hahaha.... Thats the story of my life..........on land!
If I go to sea and drown that would be an improvement...
.
.
.that was a great video..sooooo proud of you....
Would you give a tour of your boat? What are the specs, year, type etc. how about both of your stories of who you are and where you meet. Best of luck.
What an adventure. Wow. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Our pleasure!
:)@@manuandmax
You guys are a fucking inspiration ❤ who's gonna carry the logs love you both so much can't wait to see what's next for the pelican
Thanks friend! We can’t either
Is that sail track on the mast original on a Beneteau Oceanis? That seems...not ideal for offshore.
You were in the Gulf , there were probably at least 10 ports you could have diverted to because of the stormy weather.
This is the 1st video of m&m that i'm gonna watch. Is there a video from m&m that explains about the sailboat? Thanks
sea sickness is the result of vision and inner ear sensing different input, which mostly occurs below deck when eyes cannot see rolling movement, instant cure, get on deck watch the horizon, the eyes see same motion your inner ear senses, recovery happens quickly thank me later
Wow you guys ordered the full meal deal! Glad you all made it and the boat too.
💜 glad you guys are safe
Holy cow that was crazy. Thanks for sharing, were new to sailing too and its good to see. Idk how we would handle that. Our boat is in stuart florida if you guys are nearby we should meet up! Good luck with your repairs, let us know if you need extra hands!
Sure will! Thank you for the support!
Wow, was heavy. Next time make sure you have some easy food like snacks. Everybody was overwhelmed, something to think of, like when you aren't able to keep the boat clean inside something is wrong. If I could I would support you lovely two but I can't. You are young and strong, risks are to be taken to reward you with understanding, peace of mind and joie de vivre. 🥰
That’s very sweet of you, don’t worry! From now on things should start looking up!