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GnT Sailing
United States
เข้าร่วมเมื่อ 26 พ.ค. 2020
Hola! We're Gretchen and Tim and we are spending our third season cruising on our Catalina 42 along the Pacific coast of Mexico, bound for a Panama canal transit and on to Cartagena, Colombia.
HE LEFT ME in Mexico | S3: E21
When Tim left me alone in Mexico to pick up boat parts, everything fell apart-literally. The fridge broke, the diesel engine needed repairs, and I had to navigate it all with a mechanic who didn’t speak English. Watch as I tackle boat life challenges solo, face communication barriers, and try to keep the dream of sailing afloat!
//ABOUT US
⛵ - Follow Our Blog: gntsailing.com/blog-2/
⛵ - About Us: gntsailing.com/meet-gretchen-...
⛵ - About Our Boat: gntsailing.com/meet-felicita/
⛵ - Contact Us: gntsailing.com/contact-2/
⛵ - Our Tracker: forecast.predictwind.com/trac...
//REAL TIME UPDATES
We are on Instagram and post a few times a week when we are on the boat. Keep up with us in real time over there! @gntsailing
#sailing #sailinglife #pacificocean
//ABOUT US
⛵ - Follow Our Blog: gntsailing.com/blog-2/
⛵ - About Us: gntsailing.com/meet-gretchen-...
⛵ - About Our Boat: gntsailing.com/meet-felicita/
⛵ - Contact Us: gntsailing.com/contact-2/
⛵ - Our Tracker: forecast.predictwind.com/trac...
//REAL TIME UPDATES
We are on Instagram and post a few times a week when we are on the boat. Keep up with us in real time over there! @gntsailing
#sailing #sailinglife #pacificocean
มุมมอง: 994
วีดีโอ
WORST News Ever | S3: E20
มุมมอง 1.4K14 วันที่ผ่านมา
The results of our rig inspection brought devastating news-we had to stop sailing and shift back into refit mode. With frustrations running high, Tim declared he was ready to give it all up and head home. Join us as we share the emotional highs and lows of facing tough decisions and the reality of life as full-time sailors. //ABOUT US ⛵ - Follow Our Blog: gntsailing.com/blog-2/ ⛵ - About Us: gn...
Ocean Passages + John Kretschmer: A Match Made At Sea
มุมมอง 1.1Kหลายเดือนก่อน
In this episode, we sit down with Nathan and Vivian, the dynamic duo behind Ocean Passages, a company that invites sailors of all levels to experience the magic of offshore sailing and the cruising lifestyle. Discover how their partnership with sailing legend John Kretschmer came to life, the unique energy they bring to their passages, and why they’re poised to lead many unforgettable adventure...
One Helluva sail to Banderas Bay! | S3:E11
มุมมอง 1697 หลายเดือนก่อน
One Helluva sail to Banderas Bay! | S3:E11
PULLED OVER at the Mexican Border | S3: E2
มุมมอง 64211 หลายเดือนก่อน
PULLED OVER at the Mexican Border | S3: E2
If you weren’t a damn teetotaler, you wouldn’t be puking off the stern… 😂
What is GnT mean? Guns and T*ts?
Has anyone listened to the Haviar working on the engine without the video, around time 6:10 😂
0700? The day’s half gone by 0530!
Island time, baby!
Coma se llama “injectors” in espanol?
Exactly! LOL.
👍 ❤ that's what I'm talking about👋 don't forget about your little bro hahaha sounds like you're in a boat😂😂😂
Feel for you guys!! Cruising is sooooo not easy! But man you had me in tears during that monologue ending with "and my shorts don't fit because of too many tacos!"😂 This content deserves 1000000x the views! Can't wait to see the next one!
If I had that kind of cash, I’d sign up now. However, that’s not the case so I guess trial and error will be my path.. You guys seem like wonderful folks appreciate your efforts and the video. Thanks
Loved this!
Thanks for tuning in!
Where do you guys live in northern WI! We have a cabin near Hayward. We’re chartering in the Apostles out of Bayfield this summer. Love the channel!
Cool! We're just a little north of you in Eagle River. :-)
Have most of JK’s audiobooks- would be great if he narrated the next one great voice, passionate beyond 🙏
We agree, he’s got a great voice!
We bought a Catalina 42 hull 931 a year ago with a view to being in a position to do some live aboard cruising in a cpl years .. similar to yourselves we had limited experience with larger sailing yachts .. I had powerboats most my life and sailed a little as a young bloke, my wifes only experience being the powerboats weve had over last ten yrs so we had some shocks and learning lessons also. They are good boats but Catalinas archillies heal does seem to be the quality of their stainless .. weve had to replace the rear chainplate and front stem fitting which I dont think should have been needed on a 18yr old boat .. coupled with new rigging, sails, electrical upgrades and dozens of minor jobs weve thrown in a fair bit of money and time already into her and still have a rear tower, changing the flexi solars I thought id try with solids, replacement bimini and storm covers, deck hatches re leaks, head replacement pipework, running rigging, engine mounts, stuffing box and cutlass bearing work and a dozen or so smaller jobs to tick off the box .. ironically on a Catalina the surveyor said was the best hes seen hahaha but then then he was so skilled and thorough he didnt even pick up the boom was only hanging on by only three pop rivets and we were lucky to not end up in a big pickle bringing her the 200nm home. So I appreciate your frustrations better than most. As many yachties state .. everythings broken and will need fixing, you just dont know it yet. Thankfully for me we arnt living on the boat yet and ive been able to sort these things without the added complication and pain of my spouses emotional reactions to contend with .. that would have turned naturally painful things into an absolute nightmare and probably seen us fighting and acting like children ending in a for sale sign lol. Probably no big news to you but it seems to me following your exploits that the success or failure of your long terms plans will come down to how your able to make peace with the challenges of fixing things and the spanner they throw into your immediate plans .. youll have to forgive me for saying (with love) that you Gretchen handle that a lot better than Tim does. Each of the disasters youve had recently have IMO been blessings .. the issues with your engine, rigging and chainplates rather than seeing you tied to a dock could have seen you stranded out at sea with the fallout being much larger and that slightly different mindset of 'we were lucky' and appreciate dodging a bullet is invaluable. Youve had quite a few blessings there of people assisting with advice and help and theres much beauty in that .. fact is those gifts wouldnt have been possible without the challenges coming about in the first place. Its natural and unavoidable to feel gutted and frustrated when things go astray but life has taught me that things generally happen for our best interests in mind and life gives us what we need, rarely what we want and all are opportunities for growth or recipes for repeating self deprecating tendencies. Again with love a last thought .. for most men our greatest challenge comes in relation to not being able to control things .. not because of a god complex or wish to be king, it simply affects our self worth and identity directly .. if theres an issue we are wired to need to be able to fix it and when we cant it hurts us and as a consequence those around us lol. Some of this can be addressed by a slightly more balanced way of looking at things (growing if you like) .. other times it should be handled with a burn to learn more skills to assist us to be able to fix more things or at least provide us more confidence which I believe Tim needs .. investing as you have already in widening knowledge is not only important, its part of the journey. Our challenges can break us or make us shine .. only difference is how we choose to frame and view them. All the best, your be back out there with the wind filling your sails soon and the joy will return.
Thanks for the heartfelt comment! Eyes toward the horizon...
Most engine problems are related to lack of fuel or lack of cooling water. The strainer may very well be the cause of the problem, many times the solution is simple. Hoping all is well by now. Cheers, Richard
We’ve definitely narrowed it down to the cooling system in this case. Stay tuned!
One thing I’ve learned is try to evaluate everything you are using while you are using it or cleaning it. I check our anchor swivel/shackle every time we anchor or clean the foredeck. I recently noticed a loose shackle pin on our mainsheet and one of the sheaves that leads the main sheet to the winch. The boom coming loose while sailing would have been a disaster. You can’t look at everything or catch every thing in time so don’t be too hard on yourself.
Always a good reminder to do those little checks! That's a good habit.
This is the video everyone who thinks they should buy a sailboat should see. The bikini and swimming channels never go into any of this stuff. Even here in the states there are very few yards/mechanics that are reliable. Just getting a phone call back is difficult most of the time. Ignorance is bliss, so many people are out there with problems much worse than yours and have no idea. You are right to fix it and not risk the mast coming down. The diesel is pretty easy to figure out. Lots of TH-cam videos to help you.
Aw thanks for the vote of confidence! We do try to keep it real.
I respect the fact that you guys are keeping it real and showing your audience the difficult sides of cruising as well as the joys. I think that adds tremendous value to your channel. I’m looking at buying my first sailboat for the 2025 season so I can start doing some cruising on the Chesapeake, and I really look up to sailors like yourselves that are out there living the dream. You all have put so many miles under the keel, and I’m confident that you’ll knock these maintenance issues out and sail on. Cheers. - Grey
We appreciate you and your support - you’re going to love cruising the Chesapeake. My dad lived aboard on the bay for 18 years. It’s a jewel! We’re slowly headed that way…
Welcome to the real world
Indeed.
My favorite therapy word Tim is, wait for it… ‘cardboardeux’
We like that one, too! Miss you, pal…
Call the wambulance then get to work. Remember Mexico is sexico!
Indeed! lol!
You can also use a shaker siphon to transfer water from the jugs. Just make sure it's dedicated to potable water and not also used for transferring fuel 😂 The nice thing about the siphon is, you don't have to hold the jug
Great idea!
You have my great sympathies. I live your frustration. Even here in Australia where there are heaps of tradesmen to fix things, any problem generally needs a three week solution: it takes a week to find someone who will come and look at it, another week for them to actually come, and then yet another week for them to actually come back with the necessary parts to fix it. Mexico? Who knows!
No doubt. It was the same(ish) in San Diego when we refit there. Part of the fun!
Ungh. So frustrating. "Island Time" really is "warm weather / tropic time". Definitely have been there. Hang in there!
Yep and the trades are busy… it’s just how it goes, but in the middle of it, it feels endless. Thanks for chiming in!
Rust dripping off of your chainplates is pretty bad. However, you can replace your own chainplates. That's very straightforward that doesn't need an experienced rigger, but you may need to cut some access ports and buy some tools. Sounds like your engine is overheating. The coolant system is very simple. Familiarize yourself with it and ask yourself what problems you'd experience if each part failed. Then figure out what test you could perform to test for each failure mechanism. Understand that your boat is female and you have a relationship with her. They're not "mass produced" like cars. They're born, they live, they need loving attention and care, and they get old and eventually die. Love your boat.
Spoken by someone who is a tradesman or has done the job before with an experienced person. It’s not that simple. It’s just not and saying it is absolutely doesn’t help. The anxiety of not knowing what you don’t know and consequently what you’ll do wrong that will cause an even bigger problem.
@@PaulBKal I encourage people to do whatever work they can, not just to save money, but sometimes you won't be where you can get help. So having the tools, knowledge, and confidence to be able to do something yourself is important. Replacing chainplates will likely be a PITA, but it's within reach of most people. It's not like going up the mast and changing the rigging. Remove and secure the shroud, remove the chain plate, get a new one (or have a replacement fabricated) and install it. You'll need a rigger to retune the shrouds, but that's easy for a rigger to do. As far as the diesel goes, I think everyone should have a basic understanding of how a diesel engine works, and the cooling system is pretty basic. Again, you should have the tools, knowledge, and confidence of being able to do some basic work on your own. Trouble shooting the cooling system is something you should be able to do on your own. Maybe you spend a whole freaking day removing one hose... well the next hose will come off faster and after you take a few things off and put them back on, you'll have some confidence that you can do the work. At least the simple stuff. You won't be adjusting the lifters your first day, but maybe one day you'll have the confidence to do it. If you just sit on your ass and cry, well...
Thanks for the great advice! Love your perspective.
Those gang plates are toast I could told you this , I've nvr sailed .
Glad you are watching along with us!
Ah so goes life. In future unstep at least once every 18mo. If turnbuckles are in bad shape run your spinnaker halyard and tension then remove the turnbuckles and fix. Diesel engines need constant maintenance and should be rebuilt between seven and 9000 hours if you do the head every 6000 hours, then you should be trouble free. If you can’t afford this kind of maintenance, yeah sell your boat and charter when you feel the urge.
Thanks for sharing your wisdom! Not only easy on the wallet, but to good bits make it worth it…
as Cornelius Vanderbilt said if you have to ask the price you can't afford it!
LOL - Love you guys. I can relate to your shorts not fitting because of too many tacos. A few years ago while vacationing in PV my girlfriend and I took turns parasailing. I noticed that my girlfriend flew much higher than I did. I asked the fellow running the parasailing why I didn't fly as high as my girlfriend. He sarcastically told me that I ate too many tacos! I'm sure you guys got the boat sorted out and hope that you are now enjoying the cruising life!
Hilarious! Thanks for sharing and for the laugh!
LOL this looks like a mild sailing domestic! I hope things work out for you, I think they did, not sure how long your episodes drag(just heard it was March, lol), but I am thinking you guys already crossed, bc John K is in the So Pacific (no?)
We have those on the reg. lol! We’re actually still in Mexico. We layed up there and had the chain plates done over the summer. Headed back to the boat today to get moving again! Finally.
There will eventually come a day when there isn't a single component of the boat that you have not personally replaced or disassembled/serviced/reassembled at least twice, and there's nothing left to figure out, it's all just routine and it's BORING. That's when you sell the boat.
We are so close! I won’t jinx things by listing the very few things we haven’t touched. Ha!
Mmmm....nah.... we aren't so mtchy-matchy ... but that's me
Amazing story, thank you so much for recording this, it was like just sitting around with John.
That’s exactly what we were going for! Hope you are great, friend. Missing you!
Hello you two --- Miss you both @ HHN . Merry Christmas , Schafer!
Always great to see a Sailing Scha[ef]fer, John! :) I'm behind in watching YOUR videos too--looking forward to catching up over the holidays! Happy holidays to you, Mr. Schafer! :)
Wow what wonderful people. I’m almost sad I have my own boat and can’t come with you, but hope to meet up with you in NZ this time next year.🍹⛵️🏝️🍸🥂
Wow, that would be awesome if you all linked up.
Great thoughtful questions to John. Wonderful natural interview style. Thank you.
Why thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.
aaaawwwwwwwwwwwwww SO GOOD! Nathan & Vivian! OMG I miss you fabulous humans SO MUCH! What a wonderful interview--and great reminder of the kind and gentle and fun spirits you both are (on top of being HELLA good pirates! YAR!) Never stop being YOU, you guys! It was so nice to see this interview and confidently say to myself--yep, THOSE are the two Ultima captains I was SOOOOOO fortunate enough to sail with on TWO passages! Thanks for sharing this great interview and big congratulations to Ultima and you both making SUCH strides since you started your journey just days before a pandemic! SO inspiring! Never stop! So many hugs to youuuuuuu! and thank YOU, GnT Sailing for running such a great interview--that ain't easy either! (ask me how I know, hahahahaha!) I've seen you guys on many Captain's Hours with JK and look forward to catching you on the next. Love your channel--safe passages and fair winds to you too!
They are SO fun! Thanks for sharing your experience.
and thanks for sharing YOURS, @@gntsailing4389 !!
Looking forward to my passage with this wonderful couple in June. Thanks for the wonderful interview!
That's awesome! It'll be here before you know it.
Wow 3 in row amazing people fantastic interview I hope someday to do one of there trips. Thank you again and have wonderful and happy holiday
Go for it! We can't rave enough... Happy Holidays!
LOVED THIS INTERVIEW ! FAIR WINDS <3
Aw thanks. It was really fun sitting down with Nathan & Vivian!
You can call it whatever you want!!
Were you raised by single mom😂
You look retired. Can i work for you im a hard worker
Another great video. Thank you very much for talking with John about this incident and sharing his wisdom with us 😊 All the best!
Back at cha! Thanks for watching.
Love this positive outlook ! Trying to get my partner interested in sailing ,may take a while….
As a couple, perhaps take a liveaboard class and see if you guys enjoy the lifestyle? Lots of companies offer a week on board where you can study for ASA 101, 103, 104. Gaining some knowledge and experience can help allay any potential fears. We took a class a number of years back with a company called Nautilus Sailing in the Sea of Cortez. Good luck to you!
@ Working on it ,I have sailed but only wayfarers ,lasers, etc but I’m dreaming of a cat now as I know my partner will not like the motion of a mono hull . Also the room you get aboard is massive not to mention the draught is less etc . But the leap from a wayfarer to a cat is like a mini to a lorry ,still if you can sail you can sail eh? So a floating gin palace it is !
@APW-ry2ok believe it or not, our current boat is the first boat we ever owned. It’s a 52’ Island Packet (actual model is Island Packet 485) and we only draw just over 5’. We helped deliver a catamaran several years ago from Croatia to Sicily and the slamming between the hulls cured us of wanting to own a cat. We have lots of living space and we can comfortably sleep 8-10 people. It’s a center cockpit which means there’s not a lot of ‘lounging’ space but in a tough sea state, I wouldn’t want to be on anything else. We’re currently in Florida readying the boat to head to the Caribbean for a few months. Longer term goal is to take part in the World Arc leaving in 2026. JK is absolutely right about having and fulfilling dreams. Keep those dreams alive!
@ Sounds lovely ! Think with my partner it will be more marina hopping and I will have to compromise to get the right result. P.s. my first boat was a topper which was the size of a washing up bowl ,but I loved it on the water ,must be the freedom I suppose the no news no shoes lifestyle…
Always great listening to J K talk about sailing. Thanks for recording this.
Our pleasure!
When you have John Kretschmer on your channel, and as a friend, you’ve got my attention! New subscriber.
Welcome aboard, Greg!
22:59 …. Uh….NO They Didn’t, and the weld wasn’t holding the mast up. The leaking Chainplate hole in the deck corroded the massive Chainplate and the welded plate, when the Chainplate parted, it separated the weld. This was not a defect, it was a cheap n lazy owner of an old boat who believed what he wanted to. Unbelievable how people pile up the bs excuses when their bad decisions lead to disaster. Curious how nobody mentions the other Chainplate and its condition. I say all this because the video sorta gives the viewer the idea that it wasn’t the cheap n lazy owners decisions that led directly to this avoidable incident, that could have been fatal.
We vehemently disagree with the notion that John Kretschmer is either cheap or lazy. It's possible that you are not understanding or that perhaps he's not being clear enough for you to understand. The insurance company agreed with the point of view that it was a defect and paid out his claim. I am certain that the insurance company would not have done so if the owner was "cheap and lazy," as you state. And, he did mention that they pulled all the other chainplates after the dismasting and all were fine. But he did replace them all in Cape Verde. Like all of us, after disaster strikes, we all have things we'd do differently. One of his lessons learned, which he states around 13:56 is that if you are thinking about changing your chainplates, you should. He'd been thinking about the chainplates in the last refit, as he discusses. Deeply inspected and dye-tested them, and opted not to change them -- which he whole heartedly admits in this video that he should have. So, not sure how you are getting "a pile up of bs," but moving on... I, for one, am grateful that he's publicly sharing his story, because if a professional sailor like John who maintains his boat meticulously can meet disaster like this, it's a cautionary tale that it can happen to anyone. On that note, we heeded his advice and changed our chainplates this summer (which he eludes to in the video) as we'd been thinking about our chainplates since 2022 on our 2006 Catalina. Hopefully we have avoided disaster as you point out.
@ what does ‘deeply inspected and dye tested’ mean exactly? I’ll tell ya, it means they looked at what was visible without checking the only area that matters, the crevice corrosion prone area that goes through the deck. He even says the ‘knowledgeable’ yard dude said it will cost a lot and they’re ‘probably ok’, what the hell does that say? It says the owner is too cheap to do what’s required and they both suffer from confirmation bias. His decisions were and are indefensible and people should know that this is what happens when you put your head in the sand when it comes to safety aboard. Yachting was always the domain of the wealthy, it remains relatively expensive and too many get away with going cheap and set a bad example for those who are ignorant of such things. Like the knuckleheads who can barely change a car battery thinking they can wire up and modify the electrics on their boats, they think because it works it’s ok. They are risking passengers lives without full disclosure and it’s BS.
@@NixonthemanWell aren’t you just the charming know it all after the event. But I guess you won’t be sailing with JK any time soon and my guess is he’s ok with that. FWIW I wouldn’t want a wanker with your attitude on my boat either and I suspect I’m not exactly Robinson Crusoe.
I'm like him. I much prefer to be out at sea than on anchor. I hate the short sails, 4 hours here, 6 hours there, 24 hours....don't like any of those. What I like are min 3 days but 5, 10, 20 days is where I relax. I also agree with the 80% rule. I rarely sail at hull speed. I like it about 80%.
We are with you for sure on the minimum of 3 days to get in the groove. Thanks for chiming in!
I love John's writing and could listen to him talking all day long. Thanks for posting.
Is John related to the U boat ace Otto?
I'm pretty sure I've heard someone ask him that and believe the answer was, "no." But, can't say for sure.
a poof or a puff? ha ha ha!!! dinghy and gas jugs on deck... must be day sailing?
Nope. He's sailed 400,000+ miles like that... No room below for jugs and he doesn't like the weight of the dinghy hanging off the back. For years he had a fully inflatable dinghy that he would pack away on passages (that's our set up), but with the high latitude sailing he's been doing, he changed to a rib, which means he has to deal with the dink on the deck.
Wow you know very little of John Kretschmer and his experience
@@patrickfitzoot never heard of him. Or any TH-cam sailors, sorry.
@WickBeavers he's not a TH-cam sailor, in fact there aren't that many interviews with him. He's an old salt and a decent author, check out his books, you might learn something.
Lol 😂 Yeah…he’s day sailed across the Atlantic Ocean 29 times and across the Pacific Ocean several times. Can you believe he even day sailed to Antarctica last year. But I’m sure you know best. Must be incredible sailing from your floating armchair. 😉
Love John's books and listening to him he doesn't disappoint. Most of us will never do 'the big one', but I'm glad he's out there living that amazing life. Thanks for posting these interviews!
Yep, we say, "We're sailing around in the world." (versus, "Sailing around the world.") It all counts and its all important and like John said, "your dream is not my dream."