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!
They're in the middle of the Gulf. They can go wherever they want depending on wind direction and intensity. The key is having the proper sail area up and avoiding damage. That is knowing your boat and what she's capable of. Also sea anchors are necessary if she's surfing down the waves if they're big.
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.
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 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
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!
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.
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.
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!
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 …
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.
My first off shore sail from San Diego to Baja, not much experience either, caught in a brutal storm off Cedros Island with cape effect current. Lost our dinghy, broke 2 ribs, was as scared as I have ever been. You get through it with increase in confidence and experience. You feel like you can do even more and your confidence and experience grows. Dont give up ! it does get better
Dude and dudet, ya'll had a VERY eventful trip. I definitely believe your calm disposition and good crewmanship (if that's a word) played a big part in your success. Many good quality adventures to you guys. I hope to see you somewhere
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.
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.
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.
WOW... Hell I'm saving your video svbettybell for my own personal knowledge. That's a whole bunch of good information that you're giving us newbies. Thank you
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. 🙏🏼
Great video! Congrats on making it and prevailing! I'm a new sailer and was nice to see that it's not all roses. I'll be watching your future adventures! Cape Cod Bubs
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.
I think this goes to say that everything new or new experiences come with a degree of discomfort. This is part of the process... Stick with it and it only gets easier from here. Enjoy the journey is part of the game. I often have to remind myself of this when facing adversity. Thank you for the video.
For every positive action there is a negative action, same with sailing , you can’t expect the weather to be perfect all the time, and sometimes Mother Nature has her way with you , Glad to see some lessons learned. I’m just learning to sail in open water my self and look forward to following along on your adventures,
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!
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
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.
Proud of y’all for digging deep and having the fortitude to complete your passage! Without a doubt, a tough journey and lots of lessons learned. The Gulf can be a ruthless and humbling test for even the most seasoned. Know you both have taken it all in and will be better prepared for what lies ahead. Enjoy your adventure and know your home team on Pier 16 are rooting for y’all! s/v Dragonfly
Good video. It's so refreshing to see people show the actual story of what happened. You guys managed to handle things, so lessons learned. One suggestion I would make is when you remount your GPS, don't put it on the mast. You can put it on a small pole on your stern. It doesn't need to be on the mast, and having access to it makes repairs so much easier when needed. I had to be towed from the back side of the Channel Islands in So Cal once. It was so painful. I have never seen a mast track blow apart like that. Lucky the sail didn't get into you rudder/prop.
Well done you guys! Very happy that you guys arrived safely, it was looking really scary out there! My wife and I are thinking about taking to the seas as full time liveaboards and seeing videos like this help to steel our nerves and believe we can do this! Subscribed and excited to be with you and learn from you on your journey! Stay safe out there!
Loved it! Well done guys. It's the hard times that makes you learn and grow (and makes the best content :). I sailed inshore for years before I ever ventured out offshore and I think I know what this felt like
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.
Big Congrats for making it through....we all played along so thank you for showing us the struggle that goes with adventure!! Nice going and keep your chin(s) up. Learn and keep going....buddy boat next time? You are such genuine young people who I am sure will make so many friends in the very near future. Good on you! Cheers!
I am sure that you will meet plenty of nice sailors who can join you. Love your spirit. Just a couple of things in case nobody has mentioned it. Make sure that you re-tension your main halyard nice and tight after reefing (I am trying to figure out we your mail mast track failed?). Also check it periodically just make sure the luff is not getting slack and letting the mail sail luff jump around - the luff should be nice and tight. Also, I am glad this didn't happen, but when you are really counting a lot on your head sail, then periodically check the furling line for chafe. This is especially important in high winds where you have the head sail furled in (reefed). If the furling line chafes through in an instant you have a full sail unfurled to manage - not good. So just adjust the furling line in or out just a bit every now and then so you don't have the same spot on the line chafing. Godspeed young ones! @@manuandmax
Great and action packed content! So scary when I realize we don’t even see the worst! You two are my heroes and I can’t wait to see you again in calm blue seas!!
Awesome video! Look forward to more. I live in Texas and just bought an Endeavor 32 in Annapolis and have zero sailing experience so I may have a similar video to share in the near future! 😮
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!
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 !
The sea sorts out everyone, who ventures upon it, eventually. You survived. Be grateful of the lessons learned. Trouble always starts off being fun, as does Adventure. Best wishes from Australia.
With that under your belt you now know how to secure and be prepared for real blue water sailing, Welcome to the world of sailing.... Keep going forward it's always about lessons learnt.
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 😂
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!
People often underestimate the Gulf. The waves aren't as big, but they are tight. The chop becomes like a machine gun. You get slapped around so frequently, you don't get a chance to recover.
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
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.
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.
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!
We have blown out the head sale on every boat I have owned at one point with the exception of the Catalina38, because the sliders are hand, sewn, nylon, webbing, I could tell you for sure we ran the dog out of that Catalina38. Worse than that wait till your for sail gets stuck in a racing foil track on my Santana 35. Which I had to rip,the sail .75 jib out of the track. Gail force 10 solo leeward shore. That was fun!
Pretty much describes sailing. Hope you get more of the fantastic high rather than the brutal lows. You learned a lot about who you are, and you didn't give up most importantly. Ocean can be humbling.
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.
I'm subscribed for the journey. So sorry you got hit like this on first real crossing. The gulf gets gnarly (waves are sharp and steep. Im not sure how much you fell apart off camera but from this side you captured positivity of the situation. You kept persevering and didnt quit. Great video.
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…
Hey that's a tides Marine track it's probably fairly old which is why the sail ripped out. It happened to us 40 miles out of Honduras. Luckily they are fairly cheap and easy to install. You just slide the track down the mast and the new one in its place. There's a stainless steel retainer on the bottom that should have your serial number on it, call them up and they will have all the info to replace.
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.
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.
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
Respect for being so open and honest. The downs of sailing will make the ups feel even better.
honest? they didnt lose everything
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!
They're in the middle of the Gulf. They can go wherever they want depending on wind direction and intensity. The key is having the proper sail area up and avoiding damage. That is knowing your boat and what she's capable of. Also sea anchors are necessary if she's surfing down the waves if they're big.
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 👍
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.
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!
You have been tested and you prevailed. Truth in sailing, finally. Love you guys, and thank you.
Given this was your first offshore passage it was very smart to bring some folks with offshore experience.
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
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!!!
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.
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.
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
Scary! Good luck on the repairs, then it's time to get back to it! Happy all are safe.
That's the plan!
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 …
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.
My first off shore sail from San Diego to Baja, not much experience either, caught in a brutal storm off Cedros Island with cape effect current. Lost our dinghy, broke 2 ribs, was as scared as I have ever been. You get through it with increase in confidence and experience. You feel like you can do even more and your confidence and experience grows. Dont give up ! it does get better
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”
Short hops along coast, watching weather twice a day. Yall did a great job with all that happened.
That was crazy. Glad y’all made it. Nothing broke that can’t be fixed, and now you’re better sailors.
Yes we are
Dude and dudet, ya'll had a VERY eventful trip.
I definitely believe your calm disposition and good crewmanship (if that's a word) played a big part in your success.
Many good quality adventures to you guys.
I hope to see you somewhere
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.
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!
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.
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
WOW... Hell I'm saving your video svbettybell for my own personal knowledge. That's a whole bunch of good information that you're giving us newbies. Thank you
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. 🙏🏼
Thank you so much for sharing this! Much respect on many different levels.
Great job keeping it together guys. I am glad you are safe!
Always!
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???
Great video! Congrats on making it and prevailing! I'm a new sailer and was nice to see that it's not all roses. I'll be watching your future adventures! Cape Cod Bubs
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.
You guys are really rocking it, congratulations on your voyage ! cant wait for more videos!
I think this goes to say that everything new or new experiences come with a degree of discomfort. This is part of the process... Stick with it and it only gets easier from here. Enjoy the journey is part of the game. I often have to remind myself of this when facing adversity. Thank you for the video.
For every positive action there is a negative action, same with sailing , you can’t expect the weather to be perfect all the time, and sometimes Mother Nature has her way with you ,
Glad to see some lessons learned.
I’m just learning to sail in open water my self and look forward to following along on your adventures,
Well said!
Wow what an emotional video. I was nervous for you. You have solidified my decision to keep my trailer sailor close to shores.
Just come across your channel. What an amazing story, and brilliantly told.
Welcome and thank you! Hope we can keep you around
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!
December was awful weather glad you made it safe and everything can be repaired
What an adventure. Wow. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Our pleasure!
:)@@manuandmax
She's done sailing.
That looked like a fun little adventure. The sounds and motion make everything feel so much scarier.
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
Glad you guys are ok! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you! Feeling very grateful and happy to be here in the Bahamas.
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
Proud of y’all for digging deep and having the fortitude to complete your passage! Without a doubt, a tough journey and lots of lessons learned. The Gulf can be a ruthless and humbling test for even the most seasoned. Know you both have taken it all in and will be better prepared for what lies ahead. Enjoy your adventure and know your home team on Pier 16 are rooting for y’all! s/v Dragonfly
Thank you so much!!
Good video. It's so refreshing to see people show the actual story of what happened. You guys managed to handle things, so lessons learned. One suggestion I would make is when you remount your GPS, don't put it on the mast. You can put it on a small pole on your stern. It doesn't need to be on the mast, and having access to it makes repairs so much easier when needed. I had to be towed from the back side of the Channel Islands in So Cal once. It was so painful. I have never seen a mast track blow apart like that. Lucky the sail didn't get into you rudder/prop.
That’s smart. We have one for our AIS too. Gonna remount it next to that at the stern. 😊
Well done you guys! Very happy that you guys arrived safely, it was looking really scary out there! My wife and I are thinking about taking to the seas as full time liveaboards and seeing videos like this help to steel our nerves and believe we can do this! Subscribed and excited to be with you and learn from you on your journey! Stay safe out there!
You guys can do it for sure! At the end of the day as long as your boat is seaworthy she will sail. JUST CHECK THE SAIL TRACK!
Wow you guys ordered the full meal deal! Glad you all made it and the boat too.
OMG! WHAT a CROSSING! Thank you for sharing
You guys are so brave and blessed to be alive! ❤
Loved it! Well done guys. It's the hard times that makes you learn and grow (and makes the best content :). I sailed inshore for years before I ever ventured out offshore and I think I know what this felt like
Couldn’t agree more. We practiced as much as we could In Galveston bay
I’ve had times when I thought I’d never go sailing again but it keeps getting better so don’t give up ❤
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.
Big Congrats for making it through....we all played along so thank you for showing us the struggle that goes with adventure!! Nice going and keep your chin(s) up. Learn and keep going....buddy boat next time? You are such genuine young people who I am sure will make so many friends in the very near future. Good on you! Cheers!
Thank you! WE would have loved to buddy boat across the gulf! Definitely something we would like to do in the future
I am sure that you will meet plenty of nice sailors who can join you. Love your spirit. Just a couple of things in case nobody has mentioned it. Make sure that you re-tension your main halyard nice and tight after reefing (I am trying to figure out we your mail mast track failed?). Also check it periodically just make sure the luff is not getting slack and letting the mail sail luff jump around - the luff should be nice and tight. Also, I am glad this didn't happen, but when you are really counting a lot on your head sail, then periodically check the furling line for chafe. This is especially important in high winds where you have the head sail furled in (reefed). If the furling line chafes through in an instant you have a full sail unfurled to manage - not good. So just adjust the furling line in or out just a bit every now and then so you don't have the same spot on the line chafing. Godspeed young ones! @@manuandmax
Well you got a new subscriber here! You guys are tough, and this trip was a huge learning moment, long tortures moments at that. Best to you!
Thank you! We appreciate that !
Wow!!! Thanks for sharing that experience! Love the gratitude at the end and your bravery to continue! My husband and I are in the middle of ASA 101…
The ol' ASA ! We had a lot of fun doing those. We also had a great teacher. GOOD LUCK
Great and action packed content! So scary when I realize we don’t even see the worst! You two are my heroes and I can’t wait to see you again in calm blue seas!!
Thank you!
Awesome video! Look forward to more. I live in Texas and just bought an Endeavor 32 in Annapolis and have zero sailing experience so I may have a similar video to share in the near future! 😮
I sincerely hope you won’t! Congrats on the purchase. That’s a beautiful boat
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!
💜 glad you guys are safe
Nothing more scary than bad weather especially at pitch black night wish you both smooth seas and may the wind always be in your sails.
Looking forward to the journey.
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.
"Glad to be alive, glad to be breathing, glad to be loved."
I think it's all gonna be OK.
Thank you.
We hope so too!
My god 🫨! Happy you guys got out of that safe and sound! On to the next one! ⛵️
Hats off to you folks!
The sea sorts out everyone, who ventures upon it, eventually. You survived. Be grateful of the lessons learned. Trouble always starts off being fun, as does Adventure. Best wishes from Australia.
Appreciate the kind words from across the pond!
Hoofing effort, guys. All an experience. We'll done. Keep sailing 😊
Thank you! Will do!
With that under your belt you now know how to secure and be prepared for real blue water sailing, Welcome to the world of sailing.... Keep going forward it's always about lessons learnt.
Thank you! It was Mother Nature putting us to the test 🥵
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 😂
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!
People often underestimate the Gulf. The waves aren't as big, but they are tight. The chop becomes like a machine gun. You get slapped around so frequently, you don't get a chance to recover.
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 both make me smile by being so positive! Richard The Yacht Rigger
Thanks Richard!
You guys did fantastic! Keep posting videos, keep sailing.
Thank you!!!
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 anchored in Gulfport florida so say hey anytime ❤️ glade yall are safe
You lost some things, but not all, you're still here !😊
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.
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!
We have blown out the head sale on every boat I have owned at one point with the exception of the Catalina38, because the sliders are hand, sewn, nylon, webbing, I could tell you for sure we ran the dog out of that Catalina38. Worse than that wait till your for sail gets stuck in a racing foil track on my Santana 35. Which I had to rip,the sail .75 jib out of the track. Gail force 10 solo leeward shore. That was fun!
The two of you are amazing, keep it up.
Thank you! Will do!
Wow wow wow good job getting through it! Glad you guys are safe and looking forward to you sharing your journey ahead!
Thanks!!
Truly baptized by both fire and salt water. You guys handled it about as well as you could. Well done ❤
Appreciate that! We are lucky to have each other to push the other along
You all did Great don’t give up on sailing more offshore!!! ❤
We won't!
The sea sprites were offended the skipper's "Timberland" jacket, probly.😂
I just love sailing in storms..
Pretty much describes sailing. Hope you get more of the fantastic high rather than the brutal lows. You learned a lot about who you are, and you didn't give up most importantly. Ocean can be humbling.
Welcome to my home port of SPMM and glad yall made it safely!! Hope you had a good time 😊
Thank you!!
Shopping for a boat now. Can't wait to get out there
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.
I'm subscribed for the journey. So sorry you got hit like this on first real crossing. The gulf gets gnarly (waves are sharp and steep. Im not sure how much you fell apart off camera but from this side you captured positivity of the situation. You kept persevering and didnt quit. Great video.
Thanks! We look forward to supplying more adventure filled content! 🫡
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.
Sounds gnarly - best way to learn seamanship.
hell of a shakedown cruise
Sure was.
Hey that's a tides Marine track it's probably fairly old which is why the sail ripped out. It happened to us 40 miles out of Honduras. Luckily they are fairly cheap and easy to install. You just slide the track down the mast and the new one in its place. There's a stainless steel retainer on the bottom that should have your serial number on it, call them up and they will have all the info to replace.
Yep we ordered one through a local yacht rigger at no extra cost. They seem to arrive fairly quickly. Thanks for the information!
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.
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