You can find further details of what happened in this accident on our website, www.searchingforcshels.com/sfcs/2018/2/26/hope-town-bahamas-the-details-of-our-accident
I feel your pain. I had a 43' Leopard Catamaran, for 4 mos, my maiden voyage sailed right into a two-day storm with 65mph gusts and 20 ft seas. $40,000.00 and 48 hrs later I limped into Ft. Pierce Marina, and that's when the fangs came out. When your an inexperienced captain and solo cruising with no support I sadly sold the boat. Always regretted that day. I wish you luck, stay safe.
A mooring breaking in a crowded anchorage while asleep is something you hope never happens. But, just remember, any story where no one is hurt, is a funny story one day. Another exciting boating adventure! But, it sounds (and, looked) like you did all you could have done. Thanks for sharing.
Responsibility is a tough question. No marina claimed this mooring. So we couldn't make anyone responsible. Actually I think that marinas and mooring owners are not responsible for what happens on there moorings. I believe it might be the same in the US as well. You use them at your own risk. We will not take that risk again.
if there one thing that we can certainly say about the sailing community is that everyone always sticks together and helps out when its needed. unfortunately on land this this a very rare things these days... most folk happy to walk past with there head in there phone pretending not to take any notice of whats going on.... another great video just a pitty the circumstances
Yes, the community is certainly there for you out here. I guess it's the fact that we only have each other. On land, everyone thinks it is someone else's problem, or someone official will help. Life is as it should be, on the water.
Omg...my heart sank for you two. I was holding my breath as I watched. 3 years ago we were picked up and tossed on shore by a mirco burst in a anchorage area. You handled yourself well and no one was hurt. 6 months for our precious Tolly to be put back to rights. We also reflected on the events and we too made adjustments and a few changes. Rob is a cautious attentive captain but things can happen land or at sea. The difference is when we choose to stay calm during the chaos. So happy that all is ok and you're back at the helm. Blessings and safe travels. Hoping our wakes may cross someday. Take care. P.S. we also had bannas on the boat...LOL Thanks for the tip..NO MORE BANNAS!
Thanks for your kind words. I can't imagine what you went though in that micro burst. Must of been very hard. As you know, Tollys are tough boats. Can almost come back from anything. Yes, maybe we can meet on the water someday. Cheers!
Yes, gut-wrenching when you hear the grinding and destruction of your dreams. Of course, everyone is happy everyone's ok but its a cumulative of emotions and watching your dream crash is part of it. Tollys are tough and well constructed and how she survived that day is a testament to that!
Painful to watch, but it sure beats a lee shore..... I think everyone knows someone who lost a boat to a failed mooring. In some cases "just" a failed shackle.. You were very fortunate...
Have seen this situation play out at least 5 times at various anchorages here in the Carib. so you're not the lone ranger. In all but 1 case I was anchored or moored upwind of the mess so I have learned a few things. 1- always dive on the anchor or mooring, and I keep extra lengths of chain, and shackles to fortify a questionable mooring, (some moorings are just fine, but others wouldn't even hold a dinghy). 2- If weather is expected, stay with the boat, and set an anchor watch. 3- make sure your ground tackle is sufficient for the boat, and in good condition, mine is overkill, but I feel it's good insurance. 4- carry good insurance. Not an absolute guarantee, but I'm open to suggestions.
Thanks, these are great suggestions, some of which we have learned as well from this incident. This happened on a mooring not on anchor. We have oversized ground tackle, and trust it very much. One thing I would add to your suggestions is, if not prohibited, we back down on the mooring. If I can't break it loose with the engines then wind will not. I then dive on it to check for damage. Note though, you are not allowed to back down on the moorings in places like the Exuma Land and Sea Park.
I hate to use crowded moorings. How often do you think Bahamians check the integrity of them? I was diving off Grand Bahama once tied off to a mooring ball near the reef. I told my fellow divers to follow the mooring line down. Of course they didn't. But I did. And I wasn't down for more than 2 minutes before I realized that the line had broken. It wasn't windy or anything. I was able to get back to the boat and signal the other guys but if I had not followed procedure the boat would have been far away by the time we got finished diving. So now I always drop the anchor when I pick up a mooring ball. I leave a nice pile of chain on the seabed. If nothing happens then it comes right back up off the bottom.
In a blow like that, it's best to take turns being on watch and sleeping with the engines at the ready. Constructive suggestion. Great TH-cam channel. There's a learning curve to all of this. Don't get discouraged.
Your best video (in my opinion) yet... a mixture of poignant observations and humor! This is a must-see episode for boaters who might become complacent with some of our practices/procedures/habits (not saying you were!). Taking the bad with the good, and learning from the experience... a lesson for everyone!
Unfortunate adventure, but you say it so well at the end of your video, it is part of living on a boat, good things will happen and bad things will happen, and when bad things happen there will always be a solution. Keep those videos coming . I am always excited when I see that there is a new one. Hope that your current trip to the Bahamas is full of great and positive adventures.
WHAT A MESS! We have only been on a ball once and I dove on it to check the condition. The rest of the time we have been anchored or tied up. Hope you get fixed up and back to cruising as quickly as possible!
Thanks, that was a while back now, so yes we are good to go. We have a video on the fix-up as well. Did you notice in the video the sailboat we were "rafted" to all night was a Morgan? You guys have a Morgan correct? Tough boats. There was no damage to the Morgan. The thing is a tank.
Well...one would never think that would happen to them but if it happened to you...it could happen to ANYONE! Thanks for sharing and just glad all the humanoids are safe!
What a drag. Yes, it could have been much worse but it's all relative. It's a bummer that you had to deal with this situation. Everyone hopes for perfect cruising conditions and no bad experiences. Good on you for handling the situation with grace. Hope the repairs aren't too costly.
I just came across this video and I was in Hope Town mooring field the night this happened. I felt so bad for you guys! But, it was nice to see all the boaters rally together to help. I hope you were able to continue without any issues. Happy sailing!
Ya'll just leaned why it is that I never trust moorings and avoid them as much as humanly possible! Often they are installed and left in until they rot away before they are replaced. I prefer anchoring because at least then I know what I have, and what I can trust. If I had been in your situation I would have more than likely dropped my anchor into my dinghy and hauled it out to where the mooring was and set it, then used the windlass to pull the boat clear and get her secure. Might not have been feasible in that situation given the spacing, but there again is why I prefer to stay anchored out away from mooring fields. I keep a spare anchor with 20' of 3/8" chain and 320' of 7/8 rode attached to it for this reason, it is much easier to run that anchor out in the dinghy if I have to and the 7/8 pulls just fine on the capstain. I can set this anchor with a row boat even going against the wind. I will take the whole package in the boat with me, drop the anchor and just bring the tail back to the boat. Saw your video where you had her painted, sucks you had to go through this, but came out the other side looking damn sharp. The Tolly 44 is a damn nice boat, a good friend of mine has one.
Yes we learned the hard way for sure. We no longer take moorings in the Bahamas, well except for in the Exuma Land and Sea Park, but when we do we dive on them to check their condition. We trust in our anchoring skills much much more. Cheers, and thanks for the tips.
Wow....unbelievable turn of events. Sorry to say this but it was edge of the seat entertainment thanks to Cyndi's filming during the heat of the moment! I can't imagine how stressful it must have been, especially with the darkness and fierce winds. You guys are truly inspirational. Wishing you guys all the best and safe travels. Keep us posted on the engine situation.....
I have been in Hope Town many times. Never trust a mooring that you have not dived and inspected. If there is no room to set your own anchors (TWO) and you can't verify the mooring then don't spend the night. Go find a place to anchor!!! I road out an 80 kt blow in Marsh Harbor on two anchors just fine. Do not trust any private or commercial mooring that you don't VERIFY. I hope your repairs are minor.
Thank you for sharing your story, your channel is giving me great insights to life on a boat. As stressful as this was I learned 2 things, never have bananas on your boat, and now I want to more than ever get a boat and explore the waters, and... don't trust the moorings in the Bahamas till you test them:)
Great video so glad you all where not hurt during that unfortunate accident, I especially like the bit of advice given at the end by Sheldon ,, about taking the good with the bad and being able to handle the ruff patches of cruising 👍👍👏👏great advice you guys and safe continued cruising!! Love the videos👍⚓️⚓️⚓️⛵️⚓️
Guys that was ( I just do not have the right words). In the end no body was hurt and that is always the most important thing. Everything else can be fixed. So glad you get to continue the wonderful journey you guys are on. I hope you will do a more in depth video on what exactly lead to this. What you did and what you would do differently. What damage to the boat and what kind of job the boatyard did fixing the issues. So glad everything turned out ok! GOD bless you guys. Fair winds. JC
Yes, very much a learning experience. We prefer to anchor and trust our own equipment over a mooring. However we do dive and thoroughly inspect moorings if we ever take them.
The problem wasn’t bringing bananas on the boat it was the Kanuk banana head who was running the boat. Can’t trust Bahamian moorings? Dah! Check the forecast, set a hook if it’s going to blow which it does regularly in the winter and spring in Abaco. The most important thing I learned from 40 years of sailing is to ANTICIPATE problems to prevent calamities.
Just proves as much as it great fun to cruise in a boat/sail boat sometimes it aint all that cracked up to be just sometimes... If you lived in a house, a tree could've fallen on the roof, if you were RV'ing your transmission could've blown up, ours did, $6000k's later and $3000 dollars worth of towing the car back home from almost central Queensland, we did have road service for the tow...but the transmission was out of our pocket...
I am so glad no one was hurt and everyone seemed to handle it well, but you have confirmed a long-held suspicion of mine - in a blow, stay away from mooring fields and marinas. I hope the rest of your adventure in the Bahamas is more relaxed ;-)
Wow. Eye opening. One thing no one expects is a failed mooring. Although it shows all but the fool hardy that things can, and do, happen. My take home message from this is that your staying calm and methodical about this situation kept it from becoming a really bad disaster. Kudos to you and your crew for working through this. I did a sailing certification course in the Virgin Islands last April, and in the middle of the night the wind picked up and our anchor dragged...right into another boat. Luckily, there was zero damage but truth be told...we had bananas on board. Gulp!
Keeping a smile and remembering what is truly the most important, that being your lives. I know it hurts when your boat gets damaged but it can be fixed and you said it perfectly at the end of your awesome video. What happened to the Bananas ?
Great video!! Your philosophy is right on... one has to take the bad with the good, and be able to handle it with a positive attitude/outlook. I trust this incident won’t turn you away from boating/cruising. I look forward to viewing the rest of your trip, and future adventures. Ever plan to cruise the west coast of Florida??
OMG..I've never used a ball just for that fear ! .. glad nothing was beyond repair. Please keep posting ! More if you can, we power boater's. need hero's on U tube hahaha...hope to see on the Chesapeake Bay.....some day
We were wondering when we would learn more about the dreaded incident mentioned in one of your previous videos. So glad the damage was minimal, and you were quickly back on the water.
I personally hate moorings. Quality and maintenance is always so iffy. My boat is too valuable to me to risk it. I almost always anchor. Sadly, anchorages are being lost to these silly mooring fields.
Searching for C-Shels most of us are giving the Exuma Park a pass since they now charge $. 50 a foot to anchor, and charge to take your dinghy to the beach even in the remote islands. We already pay a cruising fee, this precedent is very depressing to see. I stop at Normans Cay then sail down to Staniel Cay. All Islands in the park are off-limits for me now. Don't want to be woken early in the AM by some guy banging on my hull demanding money, because I dropped my anchor inside some imaginary line.
Yes we agree the anchoring fee is a money racket. We needed to anchor at north Shroud to get out of a big blow for days. We had to pay, even though I could almost throw a rock outside the park boundary. We do treat ourselves to a mooring in the north end of Waderick Wells, its a stunning place. We don't mind paying for a mooring, and the Bahamas National Trust does a lot to protect these areas, much more than the Gov't does(read nothing). The cruising fee you pay is it the Govt, BNT is a non-profit. We are glad there are places like that in the Bahamas. We haven't been charged for taking a dinghy to the beach though.
Hi guys we have just subscribed. Such a traumatic experience but like you say at the end of your video, everybody is ok and the boat is afloat and can be repaired - great attitude to have 👌🏼
Glad your attitude is good and you will continue "living the dream" . . . .may your remaining adventures this year be smooth . . . looking forward to your next videos
Thanks for sharing your story. We often only see (and show) the good times on TH-cam, good for you for having the courage to show one of the bad... NO BANANAS!!! 😉 ~Steve
So sorry guys..........Hope town is one of my favorite spots in the Bahamas.......I know what you said at the end of the video and I concur...I have not taken a mooring in 5 years....I always have more faith in my Rocna and gear and away from people.....lol......The best anchorage is right off Firefly except in a west wind........Glad you guys were all safe which is the number one priority..........I think for many people watching this video, we all played this scene out in our heads with a deep sickening feeling in our guts........if its going to happen, its going to happen at night........Get hose dammmm bananas off the boat...lol...Please follow up with the logistics of insurance, mooring liability, etc. so we can all learn........Are you guys heading to Exumas....
You still owe me a beer plus interest........I am heading back to Nassau and flying back to states for 10 days, then I will be back in Exumas for next 6 weeks........
Was trying to think how one could avoid this incident, maybe a gps device that alarms if you move off your location......just a thought. so happy no one was hurt. an yes it could have been much worse.
There are "anchor alarms" on our chartplotter and on our phones, however, from the time the mooring broke to the time we hit another boat was seconds. Anchor alarms have a delay so it's not going off all the time when it loosing signal or accuracy. It wouldn't of helped us in this situation. Cheers!
so glad you all are safe!! wondering what this incident ended up costing? especially the haul out. thanks for sharing Love your videos. I'm shopping for a power boat and appreciate all the info. wishing you safe travels and fair winds
Thanks! That is hard to say. We are going to put some numbers together for a followup blog post. Make sure you subscribe on www.searchingforcshels.com as well so you are notified of the new blog post when completed.
Great looking boat. I'm glad you were not hurt. Y'all should get certified in scuba and maybe look into a portable hookah set up. Just a thought. Best of luck to yall.
Thanks! Actually we just got our PADI open water certification in Freeport, Bahamas a few weeks ago. Now we need the money for gear. ;-) Thanks for watching, and hope to see you on the water sometime.
Searching for C-Shels I used to do commercial diving and I got some older regulators and stuff, but you can find some pretty good stuff on Craigslist cheap... probably newer in better condition cheaper then shipping would be. Lol, I'm looking forward to getting another boat and heading out there again one day, after I get some medical issues done. But in the mean time I'm living the dream on youtube. Lol.
Thanks Kevin. We use a Garmin as the main chartplotter, so the natural app we use on the iPad is Garmin Active Captain. I hear good things about Aqua Maps as well.
1.Never leave port on a Friday. 2. If a bird flies into your boat make sure that it escapes alive, don't let it die inside the boat. 3. Never State your boat is Unsinkable. 4. Never challenge a storm. 5. And yes, keep bananas off your boat
I just found this channel, good job , very interesting. For a 1991 yacht, the boat is in great shape, the sparkling white flybridge and interior look great....this boat must have been a "fresh water" boat?? because a Florida 1991 yacht, in saltwater, would be beatup by now. Very good video blog...makes the viewer feels like you are there.
Hi! Glad you found us! Actually she was purchased in saltwater in NC. We think she did a trip to FL and NY before we took her. The trick is to find a well maintained boat in salt or fresh, then get surveys of hull and machinery to assess condition. We surveyed freshwater boats and turn them down because of condition and not maintained properly. The quality of the boat makes a difference as well. Tollycraft was built on the West Coast to cruise the PNW.
New sub; sorry to have found your channel at such an unfortunate time. Did want to tell you "Thanks" for posting the vids. It can be difficult to find quality content related to Powerboating unless you like watching endless hours of Poker Runs.
Welcome aboard! Our videos are a little behind, so the stress of that episode is well behind us. Feel free to follow on Instagram and Facebook for more real time pictures and posts. Videos take longer to produce and are lagging behind a little, though we are trying to catch up.
Not a superstitious couple either, but had bananas on our boat when we had trouble in Atlantic city and cape May NJ. The seaman beside us couldn’t believe I was eating a banana and explained the tale. No more bananas, no more trouble since! That was four years ago.
Maybe the trouble you had was because you were wearing blue underpants, and since then you've worn red ones. Equally logical. So I think we could conclude that you ARE superstitious. Unless the trouble you had was slipping on a banana skin ....
If I was bored or retired I would point out that you should have used [You're] not [Your]. You need an apostrophe because you are contracting two words: you are
did the marina that owns the mooring chain. did they offer anything to help,you or give you a free haul out since that was the cause of your boat breaking free
Thanks Larry, we estimate that from the time the mooring broke away from the seabed to a boat coming in through the side of our boat, was about 2-5 seconds in that wind. So I doubt an anchor alarm would respond before we hit. Even if it did, not sure what could of been done in that timeframe.
I just discovered your channel 3 days ago and have been binge-watching all 36 vids from the last two years :) I've been searching for a MV channel, but they are scarce. Great information, beautiful locations, great editing - keep it coming! For a haul-out under these circumstances, would your insurance cover it or is it at your own cost?
Hi! Thanks for taking the time to watch our videos. Greatly appreciate it , and your kind comments. As for haul out, I guess it depends on how you look at it. Yes the haul out for these circumstances is covered, however, the haul out doesn't even cover the deductible in the policy. Cheers!
Rich people problems! If that were me, someone would of found a way to sue me for ten times the damage they incurred. They would of stumbled off their boat with neck braces and claiming brain damage or some crazy injuries. I never get off this easy!
Well that is what the cruising community is like. We look out for each other instead of taking advantage of each other. We all know that we will need the assistance of other cruisers in the future, its a pay it forward type culture. It could of easily been someone else on that mooring when it broke. We are very blessed that no one was hurt and there was minimal damage to other vessels.
I am about to embark on a journey of life on a boat. Can't make my about what boat to buy, do I buy a house boat and spend the rest of my days on an inland lake or do I buy a sailing trawler and spend life at sea. Now I have heard a sailing trawler can only make any real head way when there is over a twenty knot wind...I really like the idea of a sailing trawler, but wonder really how useful the sails will be. I have to start some where asking questions. The question I would ask you is how much wind can I expect to encounter on a some what regular basis off shore
In the Bahamas in Winter, you will get a lot of wind! :) Can't comment on a motorsailor never been on one. If you are not a boater yet and you live near a lake, you might want to try it out for a while on the lake before committing to a life at sea. You can always sell and buy something more seaworthy later if it is what you really want to do.
I worked out of Texas, off shore on the oil rigs and work boats and that is what I want to call home for me and my boat, thank you for getting back with me and for telling me the kind of boat you bought, been looking at that brand and I really do like what I am seeing. Too many oat makers think they know what every one wants in a boat, but what I want is room, but a bunch of stylized over stuffed chairs. Yet working off shore I also grew to hate the feel and the drone of the diesels and wished many times I could just shut them off. Ha Ha, I have been off shore enough in the gulf and on the great lakes that I don't want any thing to do with the big water and winter thank you very much...lol Thank you ever so much for sharing your thoughts and travels with us, that was bad one, glad you made it through and weathered the storm alright. Very glad the damage was repairable and no one was hurt...
![BOWKYLION - วิงวอน (ex-change) [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/cLdnZWDaO-w/mqdefault.jpg)
You can find further details of what happened in this accident on our website, www.searchingforcshels.com/sfcs/2018/2/26/hope-town-bahamas-the-details-of-our-accident
i know I'm pretty off topic but does anyone know a good website to watch new movies online ?
@Gavin Crew flixportal xD
@Jerry Mekhi thanks, I went there and it seems to work :) I really appreciate it!!
@Gavin Crew happy to help =)
I feel your pain. I had a 43' Leopard Catamaran, for 4 mos, my maiden voyage sailed right into a two-day storm with 65mph gusts and 20 ft seas. $40,000.00 and 48 hrs later I limped into Ft. Pierce Marina, and that's when the fangs came out. When your an inexperienced captain and solo cruising with no support I sadly sold the boat. Always regretted that day. I wish you luck, stay safe.
Wow, I'm sure that is quite a story! Sorry to hear. Thanks for your kind comment. Cheers!
A mooring breaking in a crowded anchorage while asleep is something you hope never happens. But, just remember, any story where no one is hurt, is a funny story one day. Another exciting boating adventure! But, it sounds (and, looked) like you did all you could have done. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Ralph.
Whose responsibility is the moring line? Is it yours or is it the Marina's
Responsibility is a tough question. No marina claimed this mooring. So we couldn't make anyone responsible. Actually I think that marinas and mooring owners are not responsible for what happens on there moorings. I believe it might be the same in the US as well. You use them at your own risk. We will not take that risk again.
if there one thing that we can certainly say about the sailing community is that everyone always sticks together and helps out when its needed. unfortunately on land this this a very rare things these days... most folk happy to walk past with there head in there phone pretending not to take any notice of whats going on.... another great video just a pitty the circumstances
Yes, the community is certainly there for you out here. I guess it's the fact that we only have each other. On land, everyone thinks it is someone else's problem, or someone official will help. Life is as it should be, on the water.
You might want to drop an anchor too if you expect a blow. Next time you haul the boat, add a line cutter!
Omg...my heart sank for you two. I was holding my breath as I watched. 3 years ago we were picked up and tossed on shore by a mirco burst in a anchorage area. You handled yourself well and no one was hurt. 6 months for our precious Tolly to be put back to rights. We also reflected on the events and we too made adjustments and a few changes. Rob is a cautious attentive captain but things can happen land or at sea. The difference is when we choose to stay calm during the chaos. So happy that all is ok and you're back at the helm. Blessings and safe travels. Hoping our wakes may cross someday. Take care. P.S. we also had bannas on the boat...LOL Thanks for the tip..NO MORE BANNAS!
Thanks for your kind words. I can't imagine what you went though in that micro burst. Must of been very hard. As you know, Tollys are tough boats. Can almost come back from anything. Yes, maybe we can meet on the water someday. Cheers!
Yes, gut-wrenching when you hear the grinding and destruction of your dreams. Of course, everyone is happy everyone's ok but its a cumulative of emotions and watching your dream crash is part of it. Tollys are tough and well constructed and how she survived that day is a testament to that!
What a night mates never had that happen yet stay safe and roll on
Painful to watch, but it sure beats a lee shore..... I think everyone knows someone who lost a boat to a failed mooring. In some cases "just" a failed shackle.. You were very fortunate...
Have seen this situation play out at least 5 times at various anchorages here in the Carib. so you're not the lone ranger. In all but 1 case I was anchored or moored upwind of the mess so I have learned a few things. 1- always dive on the anchor or mooring, and I keep extra lengths of chain, and shackles to fortify a questionable mooring, (some moorings are just fine, but others wouldn't even hold a dinghy). 2- If weather is expected, stay with the boat, and set an anchor watch. 3- make sure your ground tackle is sufficient for the boat, and in good condition, mine is overkill, but I feel it's good insurance. 4- carry good insurance. Not an absolute guarantee, but I'm open to suggestions.
Thanks, these are great suggestions, some of which we have learned as well from this incident. This happened on a mooring not on anchor. We have oversized ground tackle, and trust it very much. One thing I would add to your suggestions is, if not prohibited, we back down on the mooring. If I can't break it loose with the engines then wind will not. I then dive on it to check for damage. Note though, you are not allowed to back down on the moorings in places like the Exuma Land and Sea Park.
I hate to use crowded moorings. How often do you think Bahamians check the integrity of them? I was diving off Grand Bahama once tied off to a mooring ball near the reef. I told my fellow divers to follow the mooring line down. Of course they didn't. But I did. And I wasn't down for more than 2 minutes before I realized that the line had broken. It wasn't windy or anything. I was able to get back to the boat and signal the other guys but if I had not followed procedure the boat would have been far away by the time we got finished diving. So now I always drop the anchor when I pick up a mooring ball. I leave a nice pile of chain on the seabed. If nothing happens then it comes right back up off the bottom.
dir the marina cover anything for the damage or haul out since it was there mooring that broke. which caused the whole problem?
Great info on the moorings. Thank you for taking the time to video in the midst of the chaos! Awesome job!
Thanks Sean!
In a blow like that, it's best to take turns being on watch and sleeping with the engines at the ready.
Constructive suggestion. Great TH-cam channel. There's a learning curve to all of this. Don't get discouraged.
Yes, thanks for your comment, that is a good suggestion. Cheers!
Your best video (in my opinion) yet... a mixture of poignant observations and humor! This is a must-see episode for boaters who might become complacent with some of our practices/procedures/habits (not saying you were!). Taking the bad with the good, and learning from the experience... a lesson for everyone!
Thanks Bob.
Unfortunate adventure, but you say it so well at the end of your video, it is part of living on a boat, good things will happen and bad things will happen, and when bad things happen there will always be a solution. Keep those videos coming . I am always excited when I see that there is a new one. Hope that your current trip to the Bahamas is full of great and positive adventures.
Thanks Michel.
WHAT A MESS! We have only been on a ball once and I dove on it to check the condition. The rest of the time we have been anchored or tied up.
Hope you get fixed up and back to cruising as quickly as possible!
Thanks, that was a while back now, so yes we are good to go. We have a video on the fix-up as well. Did you notice in the video the sailboat we were "rafted" to all night was a Morgan? You guys have a Morgan correct? Tough boats. There was no damage to the Morgan. The thing is a tank.
Searching for C-Shels I did! I’ll have to watch the repair videos next! :)
Well...one would never think that would happen to them but if it happened to you...it could happen to ANYONE! Thanks for sharing and just glad all the humanoids are safe!
What a drag. Yes, it could have been much worse but it's all relative. It's a bummer that you had to deal with this situation. Everyone hopes for perfect cruising conditions and no bad experiences. Good on you for handling the situation with grace. Hope the repairs aren't too costly.
Thanks Leanne.
Good attitude! It’s a repair not a funeral. Have a great rest of your trip.
Have only just watched this, both crews were pretty calm throughout, well done....... did you ever get to buy the Morgan crew a beer??
I just came across this video and I was in Hope Town mooring field the night this happened. I felt so bad for you guys! But, it was nice to see all the boaters rally together to help. I hope you were able to continue without any issues. Happy sailing!
Hi Christina, yes, the Hope Town boaters were awesome. We were able to continue to enjoy our trip once patched up in MHBY. Cheers!
glad y;all are safe and sorry about the boat damage
Loved the way you handle it keep on trucking mean boating you guys are great
Frank, you must be binge watching our episodes. You might need to slow down. lol. Thanks for all your comments. You are very encouraging. Cheers!
Ya'll just leaned why it is that I never trust moorings and avoid them as much as humanly possible!
Often they are installed and left in until they rot away before they are replaced.
I prefer anchoring because at least then I know what I have, and what I can trust.
If I had been in your situation I would have more than likely dropped my anchor into my dinghy and hauled it out to where the mooring was and set it, then used the windlass to pull the boat clear and get her secure. Might not have been feasible in that situation given the spacing, but there again is why I prefer to stay anchored out away from mooring fields.
I keep a spare anchor with 20' of 3/8" chain and 320' of 7/8 rode attached to it for this reason, it is much easier to run that anchor out in the dinghy if I have to and the 7/8 pulls just fine on the capstain. I can set this anchor with a row boat even going against the wind. I will take the whole package in the boat with me, drop the anchor and just bring the tail back to the boat.
Saw your video where you had her painted, sucks you had to go through this, but came out the other side looking damn sharp. The Tolly 44 is a damn nice boat, a good friend of mine has one.
Yes we learned the hard way for sure. We no longer take moorings in the Bahamas, well except for in the Exuma Land and Sea Park, but when we do we dive on them to check their condition. We trust in our anchoring skills much much more. Cheers, and thanks for the tips.
Wow....unbelievable turn of events. Sorry to say this but it was edge of the seat entertainment thanks to Cyndi's filming during the heat of the moment! I can't imagine how stressful it must have been, especially with the darkness and fierce winds. You guys are truly inspirational.
Wishing you guys all the best and safe travels. Keep us posted on the engine situation.....
radiocontester ... CQ CQ CQ
agaveman lol....QRZ?
Thank you. We are glad you found it entertaining. Makes the work putting it together worth it. Cheers!
I have been in Hope Town many times. Never trust a mooring that you have not dived and inspected. If there is no room to set your own anchors (TWO) and you can't verify the mooring then don't spend the night. Go find a place to anchor!!! I road out an 80 kt blow in Marsh Harbor on two anchors just fine. Do not trust any private or commercial mooring that you don't VERIFY. I hope your repairs are minor.
Yes totally agree. We live and learn. We now dive on every mooring we take in the Bahamas, and we trust our anchor more than any mooring.
Thank you for sharing your story, your channel is giving me great insights to life on a boat. As stressful as this was I learned 2 things, never have bananas on your boat, and now I want to more than ever get a boat and explore the waters, and... don't trust the moorings in the Bahamas till you test them:)
I enjoyed watching my brother Clay assist you in Hope Town.
I have a new vessel. Appreciate your time and input and may name her "No Bananas". Course the old superstition was no pigs.
lol
Good to hear from you guys, even during the tough times.
Great video so glad you all where not hurt during that unfortunate accident, I especially like the bit of advice given at the end by Sheldon ,, about taking the good with the bad and being able to handle the ruff patches of cruising 👍👍👏👏great advice you guys and safe continued cruising!! Love the videos👍⚓️⚓️⚓️⛵️⚓️
Thanks Dave!
Guys that was ( I just do not have the right words). In the end no body was hurt and that is always the most important thing. Everything else can be fixed. So glad you get to continue the wonderful journey you guys are on. I hope you will do a more in depth video on what exactly lead to this. What you did and what you would do differently. What damage to the boat and what kind of job the boatyard did fixing the issues. So glad everything turned out ok! GOD bless you guys. Fair winds. JC
Thanks. Not sure if we will do another video or just a followup blog post to fill in the details.
Well, a learning experience. Not to moor where it is so busy. I prefer marinas.
Yes, very much a learning experience. We prefer to anchor and trust our own equipment over a mooring. However we do dive and thoroughly inspect moorings if we ever take them.
Great closing message. I’m sure that would scare enough people off their boats. Look forward to the more happy / fun videos.
Thanks Marc.
Thank you fir the video. I’m impressed by how well you two handled this and other trying situations. God bless.
Thanks Michael, that is very kind to say.
It's still better then shoveling snow....I think...Take care and God bless.
hahaha yes, I guess you are right.
The problem wasn’t bringing bananas on the boat it was the Kanuk banana head who was running the boat. Can’t trust Bahamian moorings? Dah! Check the forecast, set a hook if it’s going to blow which it does regularly in the winter and spring in Abaco. The most important thing I learned from 40 years of sailing is to ANTICIPATE problems to prevent calamities.
Just proves as much as it great fun to cruise in a boat/sail boat sometimes it aint all that cracked up to be just sometimes... If you lived in a house, a tree could've fallen on the roof, if you were RV'ing your transmission could've blown up, ours did, $6000k's later and $3000 dollars worth of towing the car back home from almost central Queensland, we did have road service for the tow...but the transmission was out of our pocket...
A good story and great life advice Sheldon, not just for boater's.
It was rough at the time.
Wow, so glad you guys are OK, you should be proud, you took it in stride, even if you didn’t feel like it..
Thank you.
I am so glad no one was hurt and everyone seemed to handle it well, but you have confirmed a long-held suspicion of mine - in a blow, stay away from mooring fields and marinas.
I hope the rest of your adventure in the Bahamas is more relaxed ;-)
thank you.
Wow. Eye opening. One thing no one expects is a failed mooring. Although it shows all but the fool hardy that things can, and do, happen. My take home message from this is that your staying calm and methodical about this situation kept it from becoming a really bad disaster. Kudos to you and your crew for working through this. I did a sailing certification course in the Virgin Islands last April, and in the middle of the night the wind picked up and our anchor dragged...right into another boat. Luckily, there was zero damage but truth be told...we had bananas on board. Gulp!
I expect it all the time from a chartered boat.
Glad to hear that this was part of last year's adventures and not a new one!!!
The best of people in the worst of times. Thanks for sharing guys
Too kind Jeff. Thanks.
Very bad situation, thank God she is on top of the water, could have been worse, Love your videos
Thank you. Yes it could have been been much worse.
Keeping a smile and remembering what is truly the most important, that being your lives. I know it hurts when your boat gets damaged but it can be fixed and you said it perfectly at the end of your awesome video. What happened to the Bananas ?
So true Norm! We still have Bananas aboard. It is staple of our diet. ;-)
So glad you are ok and made it through that challenge! I’m sure it was a tense evening in what should have been paradise. Cheer for now
Thanks Steve.
Good story! Love Hopetown and the Abacos. Had 3 anchors out and still dragged at Great Sale Cay in 80 MPH blow. Good sailing!
Great Sale Key is notorious for very poor holding ground.
Well there's that saying...those who have and those who will. Hopefully that's it for you. Don't let it ruin your trip!
Thanks John.
Wow! Thank you for sharing and really thankful and happy you are both safe. Love your videos and adventures....
Thank Will C
Glad everything worked out! Your final comments - I couldn’t agree more!
Ya had some fun out there too...99% Paradise and 1% Pure terror.
true true
Great video!! Your philosophy is right on... one has to take the bad with the good, and be able to handle it with a positive attitude/outlook. I trust this incident won’t turn you away from boating/cruising. I look forward to viewing the rest of your trip, and future adventures. Ever plan to cruise the west coast of Florida??
Thanks Michael. The west coast is on our list, but no hard plans yet.
Sorry for your luck but it looks like you handled it the best you could. Best of luck on future trips and please no more bananas!
OMG..I've never used a ball just for that fear ! .. glad nothing was beyond repair. Please keep posting ! More if you can, we power boater's. need hero's on U tube hahaha...hope to see on the Chesapeake Bay.....some day
Thanks Tony! :-D Yes maybe we will see you on the Chesapeake!
Glad you're all doing well. Sail on
What a wake up call! Can't imagine trying to make sense of everything in the wind and darkness. Ain't insurance great?
Terrence Bradley thats just a normal night on a shrimpboat
We were wondering when we would learn more about the dreaded incident mentioned in one of your previous videos. So glad the damage was minimal, and you were quickly back on the water.
I personally hate moorings. Quality and maintenance is always so iffy. My boat is too valuable to me to risk it. I almost always anchor. Sadly, anchorages are being lost to these silly mooring fields.
Couldn't agree more. We have taken moorings since that, like in the Exuma Park, but we dove on it, they are very beefy and well maintained there.
Searching for C-Shels most of us are giving the Exuma Park a pass since they now charge $. 50 a foot to anchor, and charge to take your dinghy to the beach even in the remote islands. We already pay a cruising fee, this precedent is very depressing to see. I stop at Normans Cay then sail down to Staniel Cay. All Islands in the park are off-limits for me now. Don't want to be woken early in the AM by some guy banging on my hull demanding money, because I dropped my anchor inside some imaginary line.
Yes we agree the anchoring fee is a money racket. We needed to anchor at north Shroud to get out of a big blow for days. We had to pay, even though I could almost throw a rock outside the park boundary. We do treat ourselves to a mooring in the north end of Waderick Wells, its a stunning place. We don't mind paying for a mooring, and the Bahamas National Trust does a lot to protect these areas, much more than the Gov't does(read nothing). The cruising fee you pay is it the Govt, BNT is a non-profit. We are glad there are places like that in the Bahamas. We haven't been charged for taking a dinghy to the beach though.
I bet that was scary as hell. Love your videos. Not many power boats vids. I hope to be doing what you are doing in a few years. Good luck!
Thanks Brad, maybe we will meet on the water someday.
Hi guys we have just subscribed.
Such a traumatic experience but like you say at the end of your video, everybody is ok and the boat is afloat and can be repaired - great attitude to have 👌🏼
Thank you! We just subbed as well. Cheers!
👍🏼 x
A hard learning experience, but such a good attitude and outlook you guys share :) Thank you for sharing it with us!
Thanks Sara!
I thought that anchorage looked a bit overcrowded at the start of the video ...
Yes it is, but its not an anchorage per se, every boat is on a mooring ball. Still crowded even for moorings.
Like the way you all handled that. Appeared calm, yet flustered over the situation. Fortunately Marsh Harbor could get you squared away. Good luck.
Thanks Stephen.
Sorry about your accident. Why was the mooring line so twisted on the prop and shaft? Did you run it after you lost your mooring?
Hi pipercub37. It is explained at about 5:00+ in the video. Cheers!
that's why I like 12 footer aluminum boat... and a good raingear ;)
LOL - Maybe we will trade up to a 12 foot Aluminum. :D
Glad your attitude is good and you will continue "living the dream" . . . .may your remaining adventures this year be smooth . . . looking forward to your next videos
Thanks for you kind comment.
I was watching your videos for some time now but this video made me subscribe enjoy
Thanks so much for subbing! Cheers!
Good attitude guys! Thanks for sharing
Thanks for sharing your story. We often only see (and show) the good times on TH-cam, good for you for having the courage to show one of the bad... NO BANANAS!!! 😉
~Steve
Thanks Steve. Bananas are a staple here... We would starve. ;-)
That was very informative. thanks for the advice. thanks for the history on Bananas.
Great chanel you have. Inspires me to consider the liveaboard life myself 😊
Thanks. It is a great life.
So sorry guys..........Hope town is one of my favorite spots in the Bahamas.......I know what you said at the end of the video and I concur...I have not taken a mooring in 5 years....I always have more faith in my Rocna and gear and away from people.....lol......The best anchorage is right off Firefly except in a west wind........Glad you guys were all safe which is the number one priority..........I think for many people watching this video, we all played this scene out in our heads with a deep sickening feeling in our guts........if its going to happen, its going to happen at night........Get hose dammmm bananas off the boat...lol...Please follow up with the logistics of insurance, mooring liability, etc. so we can all learn........Are you guys heading to Exumas....
John Ahern yes we should be heading to the Exumas soon.
You still owe me a beer plus interest........I am heading back to Nassau and flying back to states for 10 days, then I will be back in Exumas for next 6 weeks........
Awesome. We will catch up later.
Was trying to think how one could avoid this incident, maybe a gps device that alarms if you move off your location......just a thought.
so happy no one was hurt.
an yes it could have been much worse.
There are "anchor alarms" on our chartplotter and on our phones, however, from the time the mooring broke to the time we hit another boat was seconds. Anchor alarms have a delay so it's not going off all the time when it loosing signal or accuracy. It wouldn't of helped us in this situation. Cheers!
so glad you all are safe!! wondering what this incident ended up costing? especially the haul out. thanks for sharing Love your videos. I'm shopping for a power boat and appreciate all the info. wishing you safe travels and fair winds
Thanks! That is hard to say. We are going to put some numbers together for a followup blog post. Make sure you subscribe on www.searchingforcshels.com as well so you are notified of the new blog post when completed.
Great looking boat. I'm glad you were not hurt. Y'all should get certified in scuba and maybe look into a portable hookah set up. Just a thought. Best of luck to yall.
Thanks! Actually we just got our PADI open water certification in Freeport, Bahamas a few weeks ago. Now we need the money for gear. ;-) Thanks for watching, and hope to see you on the water sometime.
Searching for C-Shels I used to do commercial diving and I got some older regulators and stuff, but you can find some pretty good stuff on Craigslist cheap... probably newer in better condition cheaper then shipping would be. Lol, I'm looking forward to getting another boat and heading out there again one day, after I get some medical issues done. But in the mean time I'm living the dream on youtube. Lol.
Thanks for the tips. We will probably wait till we cross back to FL and see if we can pick something cheep up online. Cheers!
Searching for C-Shels kewl deal. If you don't have any luck let me know and I will see what I can do. Be safe and have fun. -Bill
Hi guys, love the vids! What chart plotter app do you use?
Thanks Kevin. We use a Garmin as the main chartplotter, so the natural app we use on the iPad is Garmin Active Captain. I hear good things about Aqua Maps as well.
@@SearchingforCShels awesome thank Cap. Calm seas and following winds👍
1.Never leave port on a Friday.
2. If a bird flies into your boat make sure that it escapes alive, don't let it die inside the boat.
3. Never State your boat is Unsinkable.
4. Never challenge a storm.
5. And yes, keep bananas off your boat
Never More!
I just found this channel, good job , very interesting.
For a 1991 yacht, the boat is in great shape, the sparkling white flybridge and interior look great....this boat must have been a "fresh water" boat?? because a Florida 1991 yacht, in saltwater, would be beatup by now.
Very good video blog...makes the viewer feels like you are there.
Hi! Glad you found us! Actually she was purchased in saltwater in NC. We think she did a trip to FL and NY before we took her. The trick is to find a well maintained boat in salt or fresh, then get surveys of hull and machinery to assess condition. We surveyed freshwater boats and turn them down because of condition and not maintained properly. The quality of the boat makes a difference as well. Tollycraft was built on the West Coast to cruise the PNW.
Like you said, could have been a lot worse and thankfully the sail boat couple personalities were that of the nondramatic.
Agree 100%. In a situation like that a level-headed calm personality makes ALL the difference
New sub; sorry to have found your channel at such an unfortunate time. Did want to tell you "Thanks" for posting the vids. It can be difficult to find quality content related to Powerboating unless you like watching endless hours of Poker Runs.
Welcome aboard! Our videos are a little behind, so the stress of that episode is well behind us. Feel free to follow on Instagram and Facebook for more real time pictures and posts. Videos take longer to produce and are lagging behind a little, though we are trying to catch up.
Canadians handle things so much calmer than Americans ! envious !
lol
Not a superstitious couple either, but had bananas on our boat when we had trouble in Atlantic city and cape May NJ. The seaman beside us couldn’t believe I was eating a banana and explained the tale. No more bananas, no more trouble since! That was four years ago.
Jean McFie we will keep that in mind. Not sure how we live without bananas... :)
Maybe the trouble you had was because you were wearing blue underpants, and since then you've worn red ones. Equally logical.
So I think we could conclude that you ARE superstitious.
Unless the trouble you had was slipping on a banana skin ....
spudboy1328 your obviously retired or bored. Equally logical.
If I was bored or retired I would point out that you should have used [You're] not [Your]. You need an apostrophe because you are contracting two words: you are
did the marina that owns the mooring chain. did they offer anything to help,you or give you a free haul out since that was the cause of your boat breaking free
What are the mooring fees in the Bahamas?
Usually between 20-25 a night, if you are just talking about mooring balls.
Great video!! time to rename the boat "shiphappens"
😆
Good thing you were not there During Dorian..Banannas or no banannas!
Quite a learning experience!!
Sure was.
In the Navy we use the "Watch" System....!!!!!!
Would an anchor alarm have helped in this situation? Glad you guys are ok.
No
Why not, if they were dragging past the setpoint they would have been alerted?
Thanks Larry, we estimate that from the time the mooring broke away from the seabed to a boat coming in through the side of our boat, was about 2-5 seconds in that wind. So I doubt an anchor alarm would respond before we hit. Even if it did, not sure what could of been done in that timeframe.
You might want to recalculate on that one....
Why?
Last 3/4 of the video was much better, I jumped the gun a little. I’m a little maybe a lot hard of hearing. Keep them coming.
Well filmed, but the music is a little annoying. Distracting from the actual drama.
Thanks Stephen for you comments. Cheers!
I just discovered your channel 3 days ago and have been binge-watching all 36 vids from the last two years :) I've been searching for a MV channel, but they are scarce. Great information, beautiful locations, great editing - keep it coming!
For a haul-out under these circumstances, would your insurance cover it or is it at your own cost?
Hi! Thanks for taking the time to watch our videos. Greatly appreciate it , and your kind comments.
As for haul out, I guess it depends on how you look at it. Yes the haul out for these circumstances is covered, however, the haul out doesn't even cover the deductible in the policy. Cheers!
Rich people problems! If that were me, someone would of found a way to sue me for ten times the damage they incurred. They would of stumbled off their boat with neck braces and claiming brain damage or some crazy injuries. I never get off this easy!
Well that is what the cruising community is like. We look out for each other instead of taking advantage of each other. We all know that we will need the assistance of other cruisers in the future, its a pay it forward type culture. It could of easily been someone else on that mooring when it broke. We are very blessed that no one was hurt and there was minimal damage to other vessels.
I am about to embark on a journey of life on a boat. Can't make my about what boat to buy, do I buy a house boat and spend the rest of my days on an inland lake or do I buy a sailing trawler and spend life at sea. Now I have heard a sailing trawler can only make any real head way when there is over a twenty knot wind...I really like the idea of a sailing trawler, but wonder really how useful the sails will be. I have to start some where asking questions. The question I would ask you is how much wind can I expect to encounter on a some what regular basis off shore
In the Bahamas in Winter, you will get a lot of wind! :) Can't comment on a motorsailor never been on one. If you are not a boater yet and you live near a lake, you might want to try it out for a while on the lake before committing to a life at sea. You can always sell and buy something more seaworthy later if it is what you really want to do.
I worked out of Texas, off shore on the oil rigs and work boats and that is what I want to call home for me and my boat, thank you for getting back with me and for telling me the kind of boat you bought, been looking at that brand and I really do like what I am seeing. Too many oat makers think they know what every one wants in a boat, but what I want is room, but a bunch of stylized over stuffed chairs. Yet working off shore I also grew to hate the feel and the drone of the diesels and wished many times I could just shut them off. Ha Ha, I have been off shore enough in the gulf and on the great lakes that I don't want any thing to do with the big water and winter thank you very much...lol
Thank you ever so much for sharing your thoughts and travels with us, that was bad one, glad you made it through and weathered the storm alright. Very glad the damage was repairable and no one was hurt...
Ah so you are an ole salt. :-D Good luck with your boat search and make sure you keep us posted. Cheers!
enjoyed your series of videos. this last one is scary....trust your Rocna!! MV Jollytime (44 Tolly Secret Cove BC)
Interesting video!
Good Lord that's nothing it could have been a lot worse
Inp min plu ak eglis alcime kivre di pepol ohpe town pou lagan mwen
I watched lavegabonds version to, you poor guys