If you had been out of range for TowBoat, would hip tying your dinghy with outboard running provided enough thrust to propel you into 15-20kt wind with waves?
No, it would not have but could have helped us get to our anchorage. We had other options too: We could have stayed where we initially anchored and waited for calmer weather. We could have sailed up the James River and found an anchorage. We might have been able to tack back and forth for the last part of the way up to the anchorage with help from 1/2 of the motor since the winds settled. If Towboat had not been a free option that we’d paid for the past three years we would have chosen differently.
If I was in that situation I would thank God that Todd was on my boat. Todd is a resourceful genius, he always knows what to do in a stressful situation.
Well done! Annoying situation and you handled it perfectly. I always plan to use my dinghy as a tug if ever theres a power loss off a leeward shore of confined location too deep for the anchor. It will also keep you bow into the swells while awaiting assistance etc.
Wow Folks good to see you are safe. I know the area You were in, it's a busy place and stressful for novices. Many people start to sail on small boats and have a mastery of sailing after years of enjoyment and experience. This instance was very minor compared to what is out there. If You choose to sail into the Caribbean or The Pacific there will be nobody there to help. I have sailed my Cape Dory 36 since 1984 to the Bahamas and Caribbean and back many times. There are far safer and more enjoyable ways to have an adventure in life . Perhaps a motorhome, travel and have fun without the terror , the danger or risk to your life or your family. I'm trying to be kind here. Stay Safe and give some serious consideration to the path You are on. Choose Wisely.
You obviously don’t follow us. We have many miles, over 7000, on the water including weeks offshore. Doesn’t mean you can’t get help when it’s available.
When re-powering our Westsail 42... almost went with electric yacht. Ended up going back to good ole diesel. That being said... both breakdown. Hope for a quick fix. Cheers
Ditto. Yesterday, wind on the nose, 3' swell plus choppy. 15 t0 20 knots wind but 10-12 most of the time. Fog, vis less than half a mile and sea sick. Lovely trip, not.
You're not taking on water, you have a dingy, there's the radio and help to contact, tow boats are available, and you have a floating home with plenty of food and water. Relax and enjoy the adventure. Life is good. Besides.... Todd is working the problems.
We to live full time on our sailboat since retirement. I have had those stressful times when I just sit an talk to Jesus. Like you said everything we own is here!! Glad your safe❤️
Very powerful and a symbolic for you ! Learning and doing and highs & lows of live aboard life. The elements and locations determine our emotional highs & lows. Tammy it’s hard to see you sad, thank gif for Todd and his stability to get through ! That was one heck of a sail out of Norfolk! Be safe, great video👍⚓️⛵️😎
Rig up a more inboard sheeting position for your headsail, reef so the headsail doesn’t overlap the mast and shrouds and sheet in to the new inboard position and you will point to windward much better and make headway. This simple fix can get you out of trouble and make your sails work for you more effectively in stronger breeze when going to windward.
Scary moments, engine issues be them fossil fuel or electric can always happen. I'm still not there yet on electric only because it is almost impossible to fix a "board" issue yourself. Of course, a major mechanical issue with a diesel engine can also happen and you have to have and store many spare parts. Glad you guys figured it out and got re-settled and safe, I'm sure you edited out some choice words..lol ..John
I've been running mine for 5yrs. Electric powerboat. One thing to consider is extra controllers and an extra motor can be kept on board and replaced pretty dang easy since they are relatively small and light.
You guys handled all the issues and stresses very well. Well Done and thanks for sharing the tough stuff too. Tow Boat is great and you pay for it so use it when needed. We all hate to make the call, preferring to be able to do it ourselves, but sometimes we need a little help from our friends.
You're already overcoming some difficult obstacles in a difficult situation. A really big obstacle got in the way. You created a plan and then you executed that plan. And you didn't die. Sounds like success to me.
Well you guys handled that perfectly as well as could be asked of anyone, and think about this, if you had a diesel engine it's all or nothing, at least with the setup you have 1 motor or controller fails you still have 50% power, which is still better than none, but you always have your sails, focus on getting better at sailing and you'll worry less when the motor plays up. anchoring under sail is not hard, just takes practice to head up into the wind right where you want to anchor, seems you got it right, leaving the anchorage is almost as easy, just raise the main sail first and then raise the anchor, do both enough times and you'll wonder what you need a motor for, and think about all the extra battery power you'll have for house power..
Sucks you had to do that but on the bright side you had a lot of wins here even though the engine died! Glad we are not the only couple that get short with each other in stressful situations !
Before a long passage I typically make several big, reheatable meals like mac n cheese, lasagne, etc. Portion it off into meals and freeze anything past 2 days worth of meals. Just pull out the next days meals out the night before. You can have hot meals every day with just a microwave
@@Spoondrifters it seems odd to me, a brit, for someone on the other side of the pond to have an electric tea kettle but not a microwave. It's usually the other way around.
I am glad to see you got to a good anchorage. You are kind of in my neck of the woods and yes there is allot of traffic out there and the war ships don't play well with others. If you are stuck there to long let me know if in any way I can help I am just an hour away by car.
To late now, but the only practical stopping places are ,lewes de, cape may nj, Atlantic city NJ (all weather harbor), sabdypoint ny then new york area marinas . Barnegat is only ok in good,weather and good engine , would not recommend . Cheers,warren
What I think about when I see electric conversions is the wireing connections, And all that damp, Some one whose cleaver, needs to invent a really foolproof way of making connections that are completely water tight
Haven’t had any trouble with our connections. No different than the connections on boats with diesels who have batteries, solar panels, electric appliances, lights, etc.
Twice in twenty years I’ve been in situation (on my own) where the anchor has dragged and I’ve been in very close proximity to other anchored boats and/or rocks. The first was due to inexperience - the (inexperienced) captain had gone off in his canoe to explore the narrow tributary and left (inexperienced) me reading a book and dangling a fishing line off the stern. Sooo relaxed until I realised I was moving with increasing speed backward just metres from colliding with another boat. It was an old boat with an ancient engine and I had no idea if it would start. It did and I was able to pick up the anchor, get my fishing line in, and manoeuvre her out of the narrow channel into more open water. The wind had really picked up but I could see a courtesy mooring was free and I somehow managed to pick it up. Then I went below and poured a LARGE glass of wine and waited for my friend to find me 😂. Imagine his shock to find the boat gone! 😂 The second was in my own boat and was due to a particular combination of wind and tide and complacency (had anchored there dozens of times with no issue). I was very, very lucky both times that I found an alter ego which somehow knew what to do and do it quickly, and avoided disaster. But the RELIEF! When finally made safe again! 😅 Those are the memories!
You better be careful calling towboat too often, they will drop you. They are really meant for an emergency not just bc the current and wind is against you, that's all cruising is about, the good and the bad.
We’ve only used them once in three years.Id say a broken motor qualifies as an emergency. They are AAA on the water. We watched them bring fuel to a boat the other day.
yeah these beamy boats are not great for tacking upwind specially trying to do it tight is next to impossible unless you put a new track inside so the sheeting angle is less. Just watching you struggle with it reminds me of my own experience in Martha's vineyard trying to do the same it is just a ton of work to gain any distance upwind in these boats.... sigh :)
Yea inside of a boat is definitely hot that's why I have a air conditioner I couldn't take it. And I live on the eau gally river for the time being. It's murkey water. Very sharky water. So it's not like I can go swimming.
I've never had a problem running my electric only powerboat. Been doing it for 5 yrs. I hardly ever take care of my motor even though I should. I've had failures with my gas motors in the past though. I've been in storms, small craft advisories, ect.
If you had been out of range for TowBoat, would hip tying your dinghy with outboard running provided enough thrust to propel you into 15-20kt wind with waves?
No, it would not have but could have helped us get to our anchorage.
We had other options too:
We could have stayed where we initially anchored and waited for calmer weather.
We could have sailed up the James River and found an anchorage.
We might have been able to tack back and forth for the last part of the way up to the anchorage with help from 1/2 of the motor since the winds settled.
If Towboat had not been a free option that we’d paid for the past three years we would have chosen differently.
If I was in that situation I would thank God that Todd was on my boat. Todd is a resourceful genius, he always knows what to do in a stressful situation.
Yep
sorry for all your problems i hope you get all things fixed and make your way to the next destination
Thank you
Not sure what you were stressing about. You had it under control.
Hindsight being 20/20 yes we did but in the moment we weren’t sure how it was going to play out.
Work the problem, don't let it work you. Use what you do have, which is a lot.
Well done! Annoying situation and you handled it perfectly. I always plan to use my dinghy as a tug if ever theres a power loss off a leeward shore of confined location too deep for the anchor. It will also keep you bow into the swells while awaiting assistance etc.
Good plan! 👍❤️
Love the realness, not all flowers and sunshine
We try to keep it real.
Wow Folks good to see you are safe. I know the area You were in, it's a busy place and stressful for novices. Many people start to sail on small boats and have a mastery of sailing after years of enjoyment and experience. This instance was very minor compared to what is out there. If You choose to sail into the Caribbean or The Pacific there will be nobody there to help. I have sailed my Cape Dory 36 since 1984 to the Bahamas and Caribbean and back many times. There are far safer and more enjoyable ways to have an adventure in life . Perhaps a motorhome, travel and have fun without the terror , the danger or risk to your life or your family. I'm trying to be kind here. Stay Safe and give some serious consideration to the path You are on. Choose Wisely.
You obviously don’t follow us. We have many miles, over 7000, on the water including weeks offshore. Doesn’t mean you can’t get help when it’s available.
I think you did amazing ! A few tears are totally understandable. That Man of yours seems very solid and capable
Thank you. He is my rock for sure!
When re-powering our Westsail 42... almost went with electric yacht. Ended up going back to good ole diesel. That being said... both breakdown. Hope for a quick fix. Cheers
Love my Yanmar. 28 years of hit the button and go.
😂
At least there is 2 of you on board. Once I head out, I am on my own to deal with any and every problem. Wish me luck.
Ditto. Yesterday, wind on the nose, 3' swell plus choppy. 15 t0 20 knots wind but 10-12 most of the time. Fog, vis less than half a mile and sea sick. Lovely trip, not.
Yeah, our hat is off to you guys! Single handing is not easy at all. 😍
You're not taking on water, you have a dingy, there's the radio and help to contact, tow boats are available, and you have a floating home with plenty of food and water. Relax and enjoy the adventure. Life is good. Besides.... Todd is working the problems.
We to live full time on our sailboat since retirement. I have had those stressful times when I just sit an talk to Jesus. Like you said everything we own is here!! Glad your safe❤️
Well said! ❤️
Very powerful and a symbolic for you ! Learning and doing and highs & lows of live aboard life. The elements and locations determine our emotional highs & lows. Tammy it’s hard to see you sad, thank gif for Todd and his stability to get through ! That was one heck of a sail out of Norfolk! Be safe, great video👍⚓️⛵️😎
It was a crazy day for sure. Todd is definitely my rock. We try to keep it real around here. ❤️
Great work! Frustrating gor.sure, but you both kept your cool!
Thank you! 😍
Rig up a more inboard sheeting position for your headsail, reef so the headsail doesn’t overlap the mast and shrouds and sheet in to the new inboard position and you will point to windward much better and make headway. This simple fix can get you out of trouble and make your sails work for you more effectively in stronger breeze when going to windward.
Ooh! Interesting idea! Thanks!
Scary moments, engine issues be them fossil fuel or electric can always happen. I'm still not there yet on electric only because it is almost impossible to fix a "board" issue yourself. Of course, a major mechanical issue with a diesel engine can also happen and you have to have and store many spare parts. Glad you guys figured it out and got re-settled and safe, I'm sure you edited out some choice words..lol ..John
Yes it was eye opening. But one problem in three years gives us hope it won’t happen often.
I've been running mine for 5yrs. Electric powerboat. One thing to consider is extra controllers and an extra motor can be kept on board and replaced pretty dang easy since they are relatively small and light.
You guys handled all the issues and stresses very well. Well Done and thanks for sharing the tough stuff too. Tow Boat is great and you pay for it so use it when needed. We all hate to make the call, preferring to be able to do it ourselves, but sometimes we need a little help from our friends.
Thanks for the encouraging words. We try to keep it real around here. ❤️ We were glad to use them this time.
You're already overcoming some difficult obstacles in a difficult situation. A really big obstacle got in the way. You created a plan and then you executed that plan. And you didn't die. Sounds like success to me.
Thanks Michelle! 😍
Well you guys handled that perfectly as well as could be asked of anyone, and think about this, if you had a diesel engine it's all or nothing, at least with the setup you have 1 motor or controller fails you still have 50% power, which is still better than none, but you always have your sails, focus on getting better at sailing and you'll worry less when the motor plays up. anchoring under sail is not hard, just takes practice to head up into the wind right where you want to anchor, seems you got it right, leaving the anchorage is almost as easy, just raise the main sail first and then raise the anchor, do both enough times and you'll wonder what you need a motor for, and think about all the extra battery power you'll have for house power..
Thanks! It was a big boost to our confidence knowing we didn’t freak out and were able to do what needed to be done.
Sucks you had to do that but on the bright side you had a lot of wins here even though the engine died! Glad we are not the only couple that get short with each other in stressful situations !
Yes it did suck but it was a boost of confidence knowing we handled it. And yes, we can get ornery. 😜
Before a long passage I typically make several big, reheatable meals like mac n cheese, lasagne, etc. Portion it off into meals and freeze anything past 2 days worth of meals. Just pull out the next days meals out the night before.
You can have hot meals every day with just a microwave
Nice! We don’t have one (microwave) so it gets complicated. We also carry ramen so we can use an electric kettle quickly for that.
@@Spoondrifters it seems odd to me, a brit, for someone on the other side of the pond to have an electric tea kettle but not a microwave. It's usually the other way around.
LOL! Microwave takes up too much power and isn’t good for you.
Nicely done. 😎🥰❤️
Thank you 😁
Well done!
Thank you! 😍
great team work!
Thank you!
I am glad to see you got to a good anchorage. You are kind of in my neck of the woods and yes there is allot of traffic out there and the war ships don't play well with others. If you are stuck there to long let me know if in any way I can help I am just an hour away by car.
Thank you for the offer. We’re actually in Annapolis at this point. ❤️
US Coast Guard sounds like the UK. The UK Coast Guard are THE most professional guys (and gals).
They were awesome!
To late now, but the only practical stopping places are ,lewes de,
cape may nj, Atlantic city NJ (all weather harbor), sabdypoint ny then new york area marinas . Barnegat is only ok in good,weather and good engine , would not recommend .
Cheers,warren
Glad y’all are safe. I like the idea of electric power but I’m thinking a hybrid system would be good
We have a hybrid system. If the motor or controller breaks it all stops.
What I think about when I see electric conversions is the wireing connections, And all that damp, Some one whose cleaver, needs to invent a really foolproof way of making connections that are completely water tight
Haven’t had any trouble with our connections. No different than the connections on boats with diesels who have batteries, solar panels, electric appliances, lights, etc.
If you can, order another or two of those motor controllers to have replacements on board.
A nice idea.
BELIEVE IN TODD!! 🙏
Yes he’s a good hand.
diesel is the best!
😜 as if diesel motors never fail. 😂😂😂
We've forgotten our dogs leash before, and we used a ratchet strap to walk her 😂
Ha! Right? Whatever works. 😍
you guys need to rig a way to hook up the outboard from your Dinghy in case of another emergency
Our boat WAY to big for that option
I love me some rotisserie yard bird!!!!
Twice in twenty years I’ve been in situation (on my own) where the anchor has dragged and I’ve been in very close proximity to other anchored boats and/or rocks. The first was due to inexperience - the (inexperienced) captain had gone off in his canoe to explore the narrow tributary and left (inexperienced) me reading a book and dangling a fishing line off the stern. Sooo relaxed until I realised I was moving with increasing speed backward just metres from colliding with another boat. It was an old boat with an ancient engine and I had no idea if it would start. It did and I was able to pick up the anchor, get my fishing line in, and manoeuvre her out of the narrow channel into more open water. The wind had really picked up but I could see a courtesy mooring was free and I somehow managed to pick it up. Then I went below and poured a LARGE glass of wine and waited for my friend to find me 😂. Imagine his shock to find the boat gone! 😂 The second was in my own boat and was due to a particular combination of wind and tide and complacency (had anchored there dozens of times with no issue). I was very, very lucky both times that I found an alter ego which somehow knew what to do and do it quickly, and avoided disaster. But the RELIEF! When finally made safe again! 😅 Those are the memories!
They do make good stories don’t they. 😍
You better be careful calling towboat too often, they will drop you. They are really meant for an emergency not just bc the current and wind is against you, that's all cruising is about, the good and the bad.
We’ve only used them once in three years.Id say a broken motor qualifies as an emergency. They are AAA on the water. We watched them bring fuel to a boat the other day.
When are you going be near cape cod ? I would like to meet you guys .
We end up waiting on parts for a month so we didn’t get that far north.
yeah these beamy boats are not great for tacking upwind specially trying to do it tight is next to impossible unless you put a new track inside so the sheeting angle is less. Just watching you struggle with it reminds me of my own experience in Martha's vineyard trying to do the same it is just a ton of work to gain any distance upwind in these boats.... sigh :)
No they don’t do it well but we did learn a lot about what we can do. 😍
you have a dingy motor, if not it should be a good back up
Yes, we could have tried that but it was very rough and we have a very big boat compared to most boats we’ve seen try that online. 😝
we had a hard time in the bay also
It can get crazy for sure.
Where are you relative to Little Creek? It is South of New Port, close to Virginia Beach.
We only made it just out past Hampton
Yea inside of a boat is definitely hot that's why I have a air conditioner I couldn't take it. And I live on the eau gally river for the time being. It's murkey water. Very sharky water. So it's not like I can go swimming.
Yep. The small AC we have to cool down the aft cabin helps us sleep better.
Mamacita why are you doing this activity that causes sooooooo much stress.
😅
There should net be any submarines there in the harbor that is submerged .
Yes, it was only a tiny bit out of the water. From a distance you couldn’t see it.
What have you learned from this experience?
That we can do hard things
electric motors , battery's , don't mix with water anymore than a toaster does in the bathtub
😂
I've never had a problem running my electric only powerboat. Been doing it for 5 yrs. I hardly ever take care of my motor even though I should. I've had failures with my gas motors in the past though. I've been in storms, small craft advisories, ect.
U got a venmo account. More than happy to help.
Thats the biggest problem with electric motors the salt water is really hard on them they do not belong on sea going boat fresh water only .
Lots of boats, many commercial ones, including high use ferries are electric these days. This had nothing to do with water.
Those are commercial its alot heavier built than what say you or I can get those motors they place on none commercial boat are junk .
Uhm I don’t think you actually know anything about our motor.
Not true. I've been running my electric powerboat for 5yrs in salt water only. Never a problem.
Think of the clickbait title and thumbnail you could have had if you managed to hit that submarine.
😂😂😂