Thanks for the video. Glad that you made it through your adventure. Here are a couple of points: First - you were NOT in "open ocean" but were in Buzzards Bay Chop. It would have been smarter to wait another day in Hadley and let the bay calm down, than to set out through Buzzards Bay shortly after a Noreaster. Second - that D-ring on the bow of the dinghy is NOT where the painter should be tied. It should be routed through the D-ring to port and starboard tie downs that are usually well aft of the bow. This is done to spread the load from the painter to all three attachment points. Also, another 'Tuber pointed out that your decks should be clear. Put the fenders in the lazarette, get the lines stowed neatly out of the way. After you lost the dinghy, a "Securite" on the VHF (channel 16) would have alerted other vessels around you that you were about to start some strange maneuvers, possibly brought aid, and at least alerted the Coast Guard that you were dealing with a situation. There is a busy shipping channel running right up Buzzards Bay. Those tugs with tows, and the fishing boats expect you to be transiting the bay, not changing course wildly as you try to recover your dink. If you did go for a swim, the CG would already have a recent position. Your mate's call for aid would have been responded to, and help on its way that much sooner.
I know you have wheel steering, but I have a tip for sailors using tillers. If you are sailing alone or with few enough crew that there is only one person on deck watch, take a length of polyester line, maybe 75 to 100 feet and tie a knot in the line every two feet. At the end of the line, tie a fender. The other end should feed across your transom and using a rubber band, attach to your stern rail. Leaving enough slack in the line to allow for rotation of the tiller, tie to the end of the tiller. While at sea, trail the line behind the boat. Should you fall overboard, grab the line. Your weight on the line will break the rubber band loose, and the line will pull the rudder over, thus stalling the boat. Pull yourself back to the boat and aboard. If there is an inexperienced sailor on watch with you, all they would need to do is circle you with the boat, which would drag the line to you. As you learned, always give weather forecasts great consideration.
There are a few ways to learn: classroom study; sailing with an experienced skipper and crew; and make your own mistakes aboard your own boat. The best sailors will have done all three, not necessarily in that order. Reef early and it will seem a lot less dramatic! We're pleased that you are sharing your mistakes in these great vids. Most sailors have been there, but few had the foresight to catch it on 'film'.
That's what adventure is all about .Risking everything to get what needs to be done , done. You were so pumped up with adrenalin that nothing else mattered. You saved the dingy and yourselves. You learned not to tow your dingy in rough water and had some excitement in the process. If you're really worried, teach your better half how to "Hove too" and she'll be able to stop the boat dead in the water within an arms reach of you when she sees you fly over board. No Fear ! Now you're having fun !
What is great about your videos is that you are honest with your sailing experiences, good and bad. Don't feel that you have to put on " I am captain of the sea hat" because some of these posters think they are all that. If the majority of your viewers wanted to follow some "all knowing, all experienced with bravado BS", we would go somewhere else. I myself do not sail BUT I have a strong desire to do so. Thats why I ENJOY YOUR "LEARNING CURB" as you go along. Thanks for always sharing the bad because it will serve others like myself. I cant wait to finish the rest of your vids! Please be safe in your travels.
This is a tale so similar to mine. A short sail in our Barbican 35' from Salcombe (S Devon) to Plymouth towing the dinghy (with its engine still attached to the transom!). We set off early, just like you - a lovely calm Summer morning, flat sea, blue sky. I was planning to leave the dinghy at Hope Cove en route to Plymouth. Hope Cove is an old fishing village 7 or 8 miles west of Salcombe, beyond Bolt Tail. Surprising how that calm flat sea quickly reared up at the Tail with the tide ripping into Bigbury Bay. Big following waves picked up the fibreglass dinghy and surfed it into our stern before the tow line jerked taught as we pulled away. Now one crewman is lying down below feeling sick while another is being sick over the side. Suddenly there's a shout "The boat's gone!". Bloody Hell. The dinghy is bobbing on the waves astern of us with the rope painter dangling in the sea. We weren't in the open ocean like you but 500 yds off those crashing cliffs of Bolt Tail. What to do, what to do? We were motoring so I quickly turned back to pick up the dinghy - which looked perfectly fine, bobbing up and down under a beautiful cloudless early morning sky. But it was clearly making straight at the cliffs - I had to do something quickly. So I grabbed the boat hook and tried to come alongside and grab it. Really difficult trying to hook a heavy fibreglass dinghy in a big running sea right below the cliffs with sick crew and sick swilling the deck. I got a hold but what then? Was I going to jump into it and somehow get both boats to safety? I couldn't hold it and nearly lost the boat hook, which I managed to swing back aboard, where its metal hook passed inches from the sick crewman's head. That big metal hook so nearly embedded itself in his skull. We had to leave - fast. As I turned away from the cliff a 'green one' broke the length of our 35 footer. Off we went full speed to safety. I had a quick look back at that blue sky and proud little white dinghy - never saw it again, presumed smashed on the cliffs (as many old shipwrecks there). Twenty minutes later we were in calmer seas and I went below to radio the coastguard, tell them our dinghy was adrift off Bolt Tail with no one aboard. I thought the dinghy might yet be saved and a search organised for her missing crew. The coastguard radioed back a few minutes later to say we had been reported to them by someone up on the cliffs who saw us in difficulty right below them. Nice to know. Quite a morning, and we hadn't even had breakfast! Towing out at sea is not plain sailing.
Good for you guys for getting out there! I sail out of Gloucester, MA, and that was certainly a big, early season storm. If I might make a couple suggestions: button up those lifeline gates before even hoisting anchor... they make a great way to fall in. Also, you've probably figured this one out by now, but your forestay is massively deflecting when you're coming off waves. Tighten up the backstay upwind (esp in the winds you had). You'll get better mainsail shape, and your forestay will be properly tensioned. I, too, have had the experience of towing an inflatable in very rough (10-15ft) seas on the way from Edgartown to Newport. We now have davits, and she's stowed on deck in rough seas (we all make that mistake at least once!) Fair winds!
There always seems to be a good reason to put off practicing safety drills. I sail most of the time short hander with myself and my partner. The only major argument we have had is when I asked her to start the engines and she responded with "How do I do that again" Make sure who ever you are sailing with can get you back on the boat. The boat back to port on there own, and the most important of all. "use the VHF' to call for assistance. Well done for posting the video its only by practice we learn.
You lived to tell the tale. Which is good. You tell it, thus warning others.Which is even better. I think you are doing a great job, it takes a considerable amount of courage to take your own potentially lethal mistakes out in the open for all the world to see. Keep sailing, and thumbs up!
Really like your channel. Fantastically honest about your learning experiences. I think that makes for good viewing. Pleased to hear you got your dinghy back. I think sailing is learning a thousand wet, often cold and expensive lessons but if you can learn them you are set for anything life can throw at you.
I liked your style in explaining the mistake. Not only did you relay a story of how you learned something, but you really presented it in a responsible way, so that viewers could heed the warning, rather than being trivial about it.
Good sail trim makes for a better, more relaxed and faster sailing experience. Here are the two points to improve that i picked up from the little action that was shown: - Leech line of your main to tight. Just creating extra drag. Tighten it just to the point where there is no "motor" (flapping) - Use your after-stay actively. It's your best friend to dynamically trim the mast including the tension of the forstay. Hard to see whether you have a masthead or a fractional but a backstay flopping around on an windward course, especially with sea state going on, is never optimal. General rule: The more wind the tighter the backstay. If you have a masthead tightening the backstay tightens the forestay (improved pointing) almost one to one. If you have a fractional it also bends the mast thus flattening the main (less power leads to less heel, reduced drag compensates speedwise) and increasing twist in the main (buffo, a good thing when it's howling). On the dingy issue. Better to have it onboard definitely. If you must tow it, then there are a couple of tricks you might try. The point about adjusting the towline to fit the wavelengths has already been mentioned. Another is to to use two towlines, one from each side of your stern, thus creating a triangel (keeps the tow more constrained in the right direction). I would also use shock cords (cheap stuff, at least in Norway) in addition to the regular towline to soften the blows when the line tightens. Does extra work too as dampers between you and your neighbour if your longsiding in a crowded harbor. In fact shock cords can be used advantageously in almost any situation where you experience jerky motions. More swell than actual wind and a swell induced snapping main boom? Shock cords too the rescue. Tired of the boat keeping you awake when your anchored in a little swell? Shock cords on the anchor line. www.liros.com/en/suche.html?s=shock%20cord Use your ingenouity and experiment with them but never leave port without them. Happy sailing :-)
Just a thought mate... have you practiced your MOB drills since doing this video? The dinghy rescue was a pretty good exercise in those winds as they weren't too bad at all. However, you both need to get to grips with single handed sailing and fast if the inevitable should happen. I would also practice well the routine of getting you back on board should you be knocked unconscious and overboard. Unless you have a hoist, believe me it is extremely difficult! For your girlfriend, almost impossible unless she knows what she is doing. Try it from a pontoon but please practice it and have everything ready should this be a real life scenario. Control your boat with your headsail, you get a large amount of your power from it and furling it a bit a certain stages will give you a smoother ride and not so much heel. One other small thing, mistakes happen more often wen you try to rush things. Unless you're racing don't ever be in a hurry. You have the luxury of choosing your weather and seas for the most part. All the best.
Cruising back from Costa Rica to L.A., we were towing an Avon. We had at one point following seas and wind and a gust came up, picking the Avon up out of the water and flinging it into the cockpit, almost knocking me out.
Thank you for the lessons.... My wife and I are planning to do this in the future... I have many years of boating experience but zero in sailing, watching you guys is amazing. These lessons are great because many people hide their mistakes rather than share to prevent others.....
Everyone starts out knowing very little, it doesn't mean that you can't learn and it shouldn't prevent anyone from doing anything. "80% of success is showing up"
Well at least you are honest about screwing up. By being truthful you may have saved someone's life in the future by stopping them from making the same mistake. Good on you mate!
Had similar thing happen to me early in my sailing life. Towing a dinghy in rough water, D-ring parted from dinghy and now the fun begins. Luckily had second line attached to second D-ring but still had to recover dinghy before second fitting failed. No jack lines or tethers aboard so I tied the end of a dock line tightly around my waist using a bowline and made the other end fast to a cleat. I was able to work on the swim platform protected by a tight leash. (For you rock climbers, it's like setting up a belay station.) One of the changes I made since then is to frequently check the length of the tow line. If conditions worsen I let out more line so that the dinghy rides the crest about two wavelengths behind the boat. This puts boat and dinghy in sync and removes an enormous load from the towing system and protects the dinghy attachment points. Early-on especially, I was reading and learning as fast as I could and hoped that I'd learn the lesson before I got the test. Didn't always happen that way, but like you, made it through. Keep learning. Glad you're out there!
Glad to hear you are both safe and got the dinghy back as well. You aren't the first to make big mistakes misreading the weather and underestimating the power of the ocean and you won't be the last. There are a couple of things that come to mind that I haven't seen in the comments. The first is learning about the weather, how different it can be offshore compared to near shore, how quickly it can change, how to read weather maps and understand what the conditions are likely going to be like. I first became something of an amateur meteorologist while growing up on the Outer Banks learning to surf. When you want to know what the waves are going to be like, when you have to keep an eye on Nor Easters and hurricanes you become surprisingly good and understanding the possibilities that might be coming. Weather tracking has come a long way since I was young and there's a lot of good equipment out there to help. Investing time, energy and finance into some of it is an excellent idea. The second is about safety concerns and how to keep yourselves and that cute little dog safe. No matter how much knowledge, skill, training and experience you have the ocean is unpredictable and it's a killer. Being clipped in while offshore when working on deck is a must in anything less than a gentle breeze and an easy roll. I can tell from what you're wearing and where you are that the water temperature would not take long to cause the beginning of hypothermia. 40 to 50 degree water might take as much as an hour to kill somebody but it takes far less time than that for you to start losing motor control and the ability to save yourself or stay afloat without a PFD. And you aren't out of danger from hypothermia the minute you step back on the boat. Aside from a safety line I do hope you have a couple of gumby suits on board and PFDs. Finally the ocean as I said is unpredictable but so are pets. Please be very careful with that baby on deck. You never know what unforeseen event could happen and she is far safer below during offshore passages like this. I hope you have a doggy PFD for her as well. Years ago I had an incident with my Jack Russel where I accidentally capsized a canoe and it was only the quick thinking of my companion that made it possible to scoop her up from the water she was thrown into and not get washed away down river. Recently we had another close call where my front door did not latch properly when I went on a grocery run and I came home to find my dog missing as it was starting to sleet and then snow. I had a very difficult night before I was able to track down the neighbor who took her in when they found her wandering the parking lot alone and shivering. We all make mistakes and the ones that don't kill us help us grow, but your margin for error on the open ocean is a lot thinner than it is on land. Take care of yourselves and be safe.
You are learning, often the hard way, but nevertheless learning. Suggest doing a lot of reading on coastal cruising and keep it inside the ICW unless you have a weather window that allows offshore sailing. 30 knots offshore in 6-8 foot waves is no fun in small boat. Plan ahead, listen to the weather forecast and determine your comfortable limit for your boat. For example, you and the boat can tolerate more wind doing downwind travel offshore than beating into the wind. Generally speaking, anything over 10-12 knots is not going to be fun, but can be done fairly comfortable downwind. All I have to say is that Kate is a real trooper! Most ladies would depart at the dock as soon as you land after the day you just described. Hey, you are living the dream and learning as you go. That's a lot more than most of us did at your age. I have a lot of admiration for you and Kate. Just keep it safe! Always, jacklines and PFDs when offhsore or leaving the cockpit.
I am so fascinated by ocean sailing. Weird bc I don't like boats or the thought of being on some tiny boat in the middle of the ocean but I am so fascinated. Ocean sailing reminds me of life it's self, even my faith, walking with the Lord. Life is a journey. Life is calm and other times it is stormy. When it rains, it pours. Life is hard and difficult. Life is beautiful. Ocean sailing is so like life. God bless you guys and my His great protection continue to be upon you two. Awesome sweater too. ;)
I lost way more then a dingy in rough weather. I got dismasted, lost a window, a generator and an engine. I was just trying to beat the weather and the weather kicked my ass. I learned loads. I liked your video, I know how scary it gets. Be safe.
glad you're learning from your mistakes. we don't tow our dinghy for long distances either. but if we do, we use a yolk to reduce the stress and provide failure points for the exact scenario. next time tie through the grommet back to rings at the back. it reduces the stress on the attachment points. you can run a safety line as well if you are overly cautious.
Hey Wes and Kate ..Tony here from Canada ..i really do appreciate your honesty with what you show to us viewers ...do not listen to the jackasses who think they are so much cooler then everyone else ..i am just about to buy my first sailboat about a 37 footer for me and my Cat to sail to the tropics ..Your videos are very entertaining and informative ..i am learning from your little mishaps ...just be safe and God Bless you both and Lola
Around 3:20, see the forestay diving off to leeward as you bounce in the waves, a sure sign you need more tension on your backstay. Will give the rig more support and improve your speed and pointing ability.
Great video! and great lesson! And great personality for admitting being wrong and share the lesson, so it turns out positive and constructive for all of us. Everyday is a school day. All the best to you!
The exact same thing happened to me. Looks like you have the same dinghy as me ( Solstice ). Though in my case when the D ring let go, it hit me in the shoulder and left quite a welt. I don't know if your raft is equipped with it, but since then I have run a double line from the two rings further back on the bow. Also, I keep the dinghy closer to the stern. When the incident happened my boat and dinghy were in separated troughs, so the stress was too much for a single ring. I was alone in a gray stormy sea with gray skies, trying to keep watch on a gray dinghy while trying to drop my sails to maneuver back to my dinghy. I had planned to change the line, but never got around to it. It's a mistake I won't make again.
I used to tow my 11.5' Zodiac with a yoke system and no motor of course. I never lost it, but the expensive tender just takes too much of a beating. What a pain it was to get that on deck. But how great it was to have it there. I ALWAYS had jack lines! And closed gates!
Awesome, yes almost every sailing video Ive ever seen, is these perfect situation, nobody tells you the mistakes they make. You're awesome! subscribed!
We sail out of RI and that's a typical cruising ground, it can get nasty! You have a lot of water leaving buzzards bay, it's shallow, and the winds can be very strong. Looks like you handled the situation well and had a good learning lesson.
Great post about keeping up with the weather and preparing your vessel. I sail in the Chessspeak Bay and have been out in 30 knots and tremendous chop, so it's not just in the open ocean where we need to take appropriate measures. Glad to see you guys are ok.
We've been holed up at a friend's in Annapolis making our way down the Chesapeake as we speak, we definitely do not underestimate it. We've been avoiding the 40 knot winds and cold going on right now waiting for our next window.
Guys, I sailed Buzzards Bay out of Marion for the past 25 years, and what you experienced for weather is not surprising. Because Buzzards Bay is relatively shallow, when an outgoing tide interacts with a freshening wind you experience the seas you had. The mornings may start nice and calm, but about mid day, the fun begins. I am glad you survived your adventure. The sea can be an unforgiving teacher at times. I strongly recommend jack lines and tethered inflatable harnesses for ofshore conditions. Love your attitude and the crew-dawg! Fair Winds and Following Seas!
Like all of us, we all have had our first real storm and my was on Lake Erie 1978 with the wind @ 40 and gusting to into the 50s out of the northeast with 14 foot waves and every once and a while a 16 footer on my Santana 30. The bow pulpit was burying itself in the waves and when she came up, solid 55 degree water came over the the deck. However, I had a racing crew on board sitting on the weather rail with safety gear on and 10 years of sailing experience. Incidentally, even with a harness if you go overboard, you may not get back on board if the girl can't sail the boat in a storm. The point is, the next time, you be under control and won't make the same mistakes because if just another storm.
I learned that same lesson of not towing in unprotected waters.. I towed a kayak that couldn't be stored on deck and ended up towing it on 2 lines and battled the whole trip..
Just as a note passed down from folks that have sailed much more then I ever have offshore. A great habit to have is to wear the harness at all times while on watch, and hook it up to the jacklines when you are on deck. Even in calms. It produces a good habits and when you need it you will never forget to hook up when you suddenly need to run forward to fix a headsail or such.
23v0lv32 lol he's out there living his dream, working hard and having a blast and you make sny little comments from behind the keyboard. Whatever! I think this is so awesome, man. Keep it up!
Hi guy's i'm on the journey all the way, thankyou. Glad you made out okay.knowledge from people on line will be a great help. I have watched other sailing journeys and the one big mistake is not using a harness. Be safe and a happy sailing. LOVE & RESPECT
Were you motoring during the blow? A sailboat which is much better even in 40k winds...you just need to have the right sail plan. If your don't have lots of experience the wx will change for the better. If you put a back-up rope around your dingy attached to the tow rope you won't wake up after sailing all night and find your dingy broke free during the night... Great job sharing so others can learn. It takes someone comfortable in their own skin to share a learning experience.
Really great video and great lessons. I was horrified when I saw you towing your dinghy and was glad when you discussed it! I have the following suggestions: 1. Address a global audience. I'm from Seattle and have no earthly idea what Hadley Harbor or a Noreaster is so it would be nice to have some exposition on them. 2. It appeared that your lifeline gate was not secured which would be another mistake. Not only only is it a place for you to fall out, it weakens the structural integrity of the entire lifeline system. 3. You should have had PFDs on in seas that rough. 4. You should have simply tethered yourself with a line when you were doing the dinghy rescue. I've made all of the you mistakes you did. That's how you learn.
Good advice on the tethering to the lifeline. Unfortunately we have many more videos to come without that gateway locked in.... But the good news is we now have fixed all those problems and we are safe and sound and have learned well!
Me and my gf had boating in Southern Ocean using a 3.8meter dinghy. In the night the wave is just like this (i can see because the moonlight)... In 7pm there was a chasing wave from our behind. I just didnt notice it, and our dighy is capsized. All of our things are scattered, and our biggest mistake is our self didnt wear a lifejacket. My GF was separated from me and the boat. And i cant see her in the wave, im yelling for her and still no sign of her. After a minute, i heard her voice and i can see her 30 meter from me. The first thing i do is spill out my plastic gasoline tank until half, and i swim to her and tell her to hang on in the gasoline tank. We are taking a lot of sea water and gasoline. I pull her to the boat and she managed to sit in the outboard engine (the boat is capsized). wave were hitting us so many times. Lucky we managed to pull over to the shore, and call for help for locals. I hope u can learn from my mistakes. My bad experience in my life.
Every shot I see the lifeline gates are open. Open gates reduce the load capacity of the lifeline system. Gates should only be open during boarding and unboarding. Some even argue for this closed gate policy at the dock! The best way to deal with a problem or emergency is to avoid the problem. Get a cord on your glasses. Glasses have a way of leaping from one's head right over the side of boat.
Your honesty is how we can learn. Thank you. Question for all: when pulling a rubber dingy, is it not also at risk being bitten by a shark or other fish?
Learned this same lesson the hard way. in 25kts+ mine launched off of a wave and flew around like a kite flipping over mid air and landing upside down, slowing the boat from 6kts close hauled to 1.8kts the amazing thing is nothing broke even when the dinghy was upside down plowing through the water.....
Thanks for sharing your learning experiences. So now jacklines, safety harnesses, and tethers are on your NSL (needed stuff list). For the sake of us who are trying to mimic your sailing adventure, could you please list all the stuff you just got and stuff you plan to get? Be safe. Looking forward to your next vid.
We have jacklines, tethers and lifejackets that clip into the tethers. 2 VHF handhelds, one VHF on the boat with an antenna running up the mast. Electronic wise, I'd recommend anything that works with the budget. I went for the most bang for the buck, a GPS chartplotter with a radar combo as well as depth sounder/fish finder the best part is that all the electronics communicate with each other and are not separate entities. We have been surviving off just a cooler essentially, no icebox/refrigeration use and just getting ice from port to port. My biggest suggestion to anyone going for the cheapest route... Leave before the area gets cold so you don't have to deal freezing your ass off and intense amount of mold/mildew when your hiding from the weather. If its experience that anyone lacks and they just want to jump into this, I would strongly recommend taking coast guard courses and getting to know everything about foul weather sailing. I took courses such a long time ago I could have definitely used a refresher before I just headed out, but like everything, time is also a constraint. I will get more into it at a later time.
Just be sure when stowing dinghies on deck not to cover your second escape route though the forward hatch in case of fire. The main electrical panel is directly under the companionway on many sailboats FYI.
Yes the less things to worry about out at sea the better. , so shape the ship up befor leaving , I do a walk through the ship just befor pick up , and check what nees stowing , then dinghy on deck ,guard rails clipped , wet weather gear in the main hatch , all things clear , reef Lines on the main , one and two reefs set in case everything ready ,the less the crew are up the deck the better , we do a buldge check each hour , but you learned somthing and it never stops , good vid thanks
Great post guys... Not many people will knowingly admit to their mistakes so other can learn. If you get to the Bahamas down on San Salvador Island, stop by the KiteSurfPlace and say hi.
It's especially fun when your dinghy wishes to board it's self in following seas, upon your transom. You already know this but inflatables are made to stow aboard in this type of weather, drag it aboard and stow it.⛵️
I appreciate you showing the mistakes, but consider this: I consider Open Water where you can't see land....and Coastal Cruising, well, look behind you, see the coast? Just be aware and be honest so there won;t be a mistake like I just made typing
great vids, enjoying the journey. You have a great looking boat, respect her and she will look after you. You probably know by now but just incase: Was your dinghy attached with a bridle between the two side connectors or just by the middle connector? The middle connector is not for towing. I noticed in an earlier video you had it attached only to the middle connector. Make up a bridle and towing will be less hassle. Obviously when travelling between longer distances, stow the boat. Loving the music too, keep it up :)
I'm sure someone has already said this...but what I do is run lines back to the transom of the dinghy and around the perimeter (there's usually something near the oar locks to go through) and then up through the D ring...that way you're not trying to support the whole load just on that weak D ring/patch thingy... hope that helps...GREAT vid btw...liked, commented and subscribed!
Double clamp your thru hulls and carry some boat plugs. Hope you have an epirb. Watch your charts on the Newport approach especially in the fishing areas. Good place to snag a net.
Glad you worked it all out safely. Good show. Rob Noll is so right! All hoses connected to through hulls fittings should have two Stainless Steel hose clamps on them and two on the other end of each hose too. Any hose clamp that has rust should be cleaned or replaced when observed. ANYTHING that needs servicing or needs fixing needs to be addressed ASAP. At least written down on a "to do list" . Do you have two bilge pumps on two float switches? The second float sw. is 2 inch higher and should also be on a 12v alarm! I had my first pump fail and as soon as the second pump came on the very first time, I heard it. Great safety backup feature. Write this shit down until you make it so. You'll never regret doing so but will regret not doing so, after you have the problem it prevents happen! My RULE Float Switches typically lasted 2 years, pretty much. They do fail over time absolutely, count on it. I had my boat 18 years. I'm telling you about 2 years. As you now learned always have a second tow line attached to a second point on the dingy. Isn't sailing fun??? Sometimes it's like a horror movie in real life. ;) As long as you keep learning. Whoora!
How about having a PREVENTER in place, how about always making sure your USING jack lines and a tether, how about not going out in bad weather at all? There is so much we need to do, so much we SHOULD have, but we can only do our best. Were in Annapolis now, avoided the lobster pots and fishing nets, now dodging crab pots. We're learning more everyday, but there's only so much you can do. It makes me upset to hear about people getting killed by drunk drivers and what not, when is anyone ready to leave the dock?
You guys are doin great. Wisdom comes from experience, and the only thing you can do wrong is not learn from your mistakes.. I plan on doing what your doing when I retire from the navy... I have a little twenty foot daysailer for now while I save for my future sailing home. If your ever passing by Jacksonville FL look me up, ill take you guys to dinner. Fair winds and following seas to you
Just a little tip. It should not have been any problem towing a dingy in that sea state if you had made a harness from the 2 towing eyes on the dingy and then attached the main line to the cleat. The one on the bow of the dingy is not intended to be used for towing in heavy seas as it takes 100% of the strain and gets jerked around. BTW, I got engaged in Hadley Harbor. Nice spot that I frequent often. Not sure I would want to spend 5 days there like you were forced to do though. cheers.
Thanks for posting a lessons learned video. Happily, everything turned out OK. I noticed the lifeline gate was left open and unattended. Should keep the gate locked at all times unless in use. Fair winds!
If you do tow a dingy ( I only do it in calm situations) make a bridle on the two outter rings so it spreads the load. I come off the bridle with a single line then. Good Luck!
I love your videos @Wicked Salty. I have always dreamed of buying a sailboat right after gradation (I am a sophmore right now). My dad sent me a link to your videos and it has inspired me even more! Already saving up.
Towing a dingy behind a yacht needs some knowledge of where the rear wave shapes itself behind the transom as the length of the tow rope has to be adjusted accordingly. On looking at the rear wave one can note that if the dingy is placed on the downward curve of the wave close to the transom, the dingy could plane continuously and the tension on the tow rope is minimal. If the tow rope is long enough to put the dingy behind the crest of the rear wave such that the dingy finds itself going uphill then the tow rope is subjected to a heavy tension and I do not think that there is any attachment on a rubber dingy that could take that punishment. So know your rear wave before you tow anything behind as it could save you on the drag and one will not lose any speed towing anything behind, but get it wrong and what you tow will slow you down and could break lose .
First you learn to sail in harbour, then coastal, then ocean, lots to learn. Looking forward to you experiences, very honest approach, good on you. I too have towed my dinghy on many occasians. I realize it's a no no for open ocean. However I would very much feel that your dinghy fixture let you down also. It looked like a poor attachment. Is it an inflatable with solid bottom?
That's Awesome that You Learned and are Both safe with the Puppy...Now try not to let that happen again if you can help it.Prepare before you head out and stay safe!!
You both remind me of me and my wife, we started sailing in our early 20,s. Lots of learning. Safty and having oversized everything,lol, adds a little extra confidence.
Yap, it happened also to me when I lost my dinghy, but that was not all I lost, I also lost my wind generator. Somehow the main post of the Kiss generator slid aft and there it went my wind generator into the water. Well I tell you, I managed to get it on to my dinghy,but when I checked again the dinghy, it had gone altogether. So, when you pull a dinghy astern, you have to tie it up from both sides.
We all learn by our mistakes! (What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger - and wiser!) Keep up the good work guys! (Hope the dog doesn't get sea-sick!)
You sure stirred up the pot good this time mate. I'm learning a ton just by reading all the comments from the sailors who are concerned about your safety. Yeah !
Where were you starting from? I’m from Westerly RI, and now live in New London CT. If you’re coming from the south try to use Long Island sound, it’s much smoother and a million times safer. For what you’d lose time wise by not going around LI, you make up in living, and being able to stop in wonderful places vs. 30ft swells in an open deck sailboat. If you’re coming from Maine, well then I guess I just wasted your time. Haha. Good luck, and maybe get a mount for your camera so you can pilot and film. There’s too many items to keep control of on sailboats, especially when trying one handed.
To admit mistakes without excuse, then learn from said mistakes... And these mistakes didn't cost anyone their lives makes this trip far greater than had nothing eventful happened.
long big rollers are never an issue, its short and steep waves that are, which is what these were here. Very short wave lengths with steep waves no bueno on the rig lots of slamming.
Just keep doing what your doing and it will all come together anyway no one ever stops learning don't take a scrap of notice of those critics there probably pissed off because your actually doing it ...all the best ..from down under as you yanks say
Thanks for the video. Glad that you made it through your adventure.
Here are a couple of points: First - you were NOT in "open ocean" but were in Buzzards Bay Chop. It would have been smarter to wait another day in Hadley and let the bay calm down, than to set out through Buzzards Bay shortly after a Noreaster. Second - that D-ring on the bow of the dinghy is NOT where the painter should be tied. It should be routed through the D-ring to port and starboard tie downs that are usually well aft of the bow. This is done to spread the load from the painter to all three attachment points.
Also, another 'Tuber pointed out that your decks should be clear. Put the fenders in the lazarette, get the lines stowed neatly out of the way.
After you lost the dinghy, a "Securite" on the VHF (channel 16) would have alerted other vessels around you that you were about to start some strange maneuvers, possibly brought aid, and at least alerted the Coast Guard that you were dealing with a situation. There is a busy shipping channel running right up Buzzards Bay. Those tugs with tows, and the fishing boats expect you to be transiting the bay, not changing course wildly as you try to recover your dink. If you did go for a swim, the CG would already have a recent position. Your mate's call for aid would have been responded to, and help on its way that much sooner.
I know you have wheel steering, but I have a tip for sailors using tillers. If you are sailing alone or with few enough crew that there is only one person on deck watch, take a length of polyester line, maybe 75 to 100 feet and tie a knot in the line every two feet. At the end of the line, tie a fender. The other end should feed across your transom and using a rubber band, attach to your stern rail. Leaving enough slack in the line to allow for rotation of the tiller, tie to the end of the tiller. While at sea, trail the line behind the boat. Should you fall overboard, grab the line. Your weight on the line will break the rubber band loose, and the line will pull the rudder over, thus stalling the boat. Pull yourself back to the boat and aboard. If there is an inexperienced sailor on watch with you, all they would need to do is circle you with the boat, which would drag the line to you. As you learned, always give weather forecasts great consideration.
I clip-on with a harness on solo crossings. Overboard and watching her sail away is my greatest fear. I shiver just thinking about it
There are a few ways to learn: classroom study; sailing with an experienced skipper and crew; and make your own mistakes aboard your own boat. The best sailors will have done all three, not necessarily in that order. Reef early and it will seem a lot less dramatic! We're pleased that you are sharing your mistakes in these great vids. Most sailors have been there, but few had the foresight to catch it on 'film'.
I admire you for posting mistakes. Not many do. :)
That's what adventure is all about .Risking everything to get what needs to be done , done. You were so pumped up with adrenalin that nothing else mattered. You saved the dingy and yourselves. You learned not to tow your dingy in rough water and had some excitement in the process. If you're really worried, teach your better half how to "Hove too" and she'll be able to stop the boat dead in the water within an arms reach of you when she sees you fly over board. No Fear ! Now you're having fun !
What is great about your videos is that you are honest with your sailing experiences, good and bad. Don't feel that you have to put on " I am captain of the sea hat" because some of these posters think they are all that. If the majority of your viewers wanted to follow some "all knowing, all experienced with bravado BS", we would go somewhere else. I myself do not sail BUT I have a strong desire to do so. Thats why I ENJOY YOUR "LEARNING CURB" as you go along. Thanks for always sharing the bad because it will serve others like myself. I cant wait to finish the rest of your vids! Please be safe in your travels.
This is a tale so similar to mine. A short sail in our Barbican 35' from Salcombe (S Devon) to Plymouth towing the dinghy (with its engine still attached to the transom!). We set off early, just like you - a lovely calm Summer morning, flat sea, blue sky. I was planning to leave the dinghy at Hope Cove en route to Plymouth. Hope Cove is an old fishing village 7 or 8 miles west of Salcombe, beyond Bolt Tail. Surprising how that calm flat sea quickly reared up at the Tail with the tide ripping into Bigbury Bay. Big following waves picked up the fibreglass dinghy and surfed it into our stern before the tow line jerked taught as we pulled away. Now one crewman is lying down below feeling sick while another is being sick over the side. Suddenly there's a shout "The boat's gone!". Bloody Hell. The dinghy is bobbing on the waves astern of us with the rope painter dangling in the sea. We weren't in the open ocean like you but 500 yds off those crashing cliffs of Bolt Tail. What to do, what to do?
We were motoring so I quickly turned back to pick up the dinghy - which looked perfectly fine, bobbing up and down under a beautiful cloudless early morning sky. But it was clearly making straight at the cliffs - I had to do something quickly. So I grabbed the boat hook and tried to come alongside and grab it. Really difficult trying to hook a heavy fibreglass dinghy in a big running sea right below the cliffs with sick crew and sick swilling the deck. I got a hold but what then? Was I going to jump into it and somehow get both boats to safety? I couldn't hold it and nearly lost the boat hook, which I managed to swing back aboard, where its metal hook passed inches from the sick crewman's head. That big metal hook so nearly embedded itself in his skull.
We had to leave - fast. As I turned away from the cliff a 'green one' broke the length of our 35 footer. Off we went full speed to safety. I had a quick look back at that blue sky and proud little white dinghy - never saw it again, presumed smashed on the cliffs (as many old shipwrecks there).
Twenty minutes later we were in calmer seas and I went below to radio the coastguard, tell them our dinghy was adrift off Bolt Tail with no one aboard. I thought the dinghy might yet be saved and a search organised for her missing crew. The coastguard radioed back a few minutes later to say we had been reported to them by someone up on the cliffs who saw us in difficulty right below them. Nice to know. Quite a morning, and we hadn't even had breakfast! Towing out at sea is not plain sailing.
Good for you guys for getting out there! I sail out of Gloucester, MA, and that was certainly a big, early season storm. If I might make a couple suggestions: button up those lifeline gates before even hoisting anchor... they make a great way to fall in. Also, you've probably figured this one out by now, but your forestay is massively deflecting when you're coming off waves. Tighten up the backstay upwind (esp in the winds you had). You'll get better mainsail shape, and your forestay will be properly tensioned.
I, too, have had the experience of towing an inflatable in very rough (10-15ft) seas on the way from Edgartown to Newport. We now have davits, and she's stowed on deck in rough seas (we all make that mistake at least once!)
Fair winds!
There always seems to be a good reason to put off practicing safety drills. I sail most of the time short hander with myself and my partner. The only major argument we have had is when I asked her to start the engines and she responded with "How do I do that again" Make sure who ever you are sailing with can get you back on the boat. The boat back to port on there own, and the most important of all. "use the VHF' to call for assistance. Well done for posting the video its only by practice we learn.
You lived to tell the tale. Which is good. You tell it, thus warning others.Which is even better.
I think you are doing a great job, it takes a considerable amount of courage to take your own potentially lethal mistakes out in the open for all the world to see. Keep sailing, and thumbs up!
Really like your channel. Fantastically honest about your learning experiences. I think that makes for good viewing. Pleased to hear you got your dinghy back. I think sailing is learning a thousand wet, often cold and expensive lessons but if you can learn them you are set for anything life can throw at you.
It's all about learning for your mistakes, sometimes often quite costly mistakes however those are the ones that are never forgotten.
I liked your style in explaining the mistake. Not only did you relay a story of how you learned something, but you really presented it in a responsible way, so that viewers could heed the warning, rather than being trivial about it.
Good sail trim makes for a better, more relaxed and faster sailing experience. Here are the two points to improve that i picked up from the little action that was shown:
- Leech line of your main to tight. Just creating extra drag. Tighten it just to the point where there is no "motor" (flapping)
- Use your after-stay actively. It's your best friend to dynamically trim the mast including the tension of the forstay.
Hard to see whether you have a masthead or a fractional but a backstay flopping around on an windward course, especially with sea state going on, is never optimal.
General rule: The more wind the tighter the backstay. If you have a masthead tightening the backstay tightens the forestay (improved pointing) almost one to one. If you have a fractional it also bends the mast thus flattening the main (less power leads to less heel, reduced drag compensates speedwise) and increasing twist in the main (buffo, a good thing when it's howling).
On the dingy issue. Better to have it onboard definitely. If you must tow it, then there are a couple of tricks you might try. The point about adjusting the towline to fit the wavelengths has already been mentioned. Another is to to use two towlines, one from each side of your stern, thus creating a triangel (keeps the tow more constrained in the right direction).
I would also use shock cords (cheap stuff, at least in Norway) in addition to the regular towline to soften the blows when the line tightens. Does extra work too as dampers between you and your neighbour if your longsiding in a crowded harbor.
In fact shock cords can be used advantageously in almost any situation where you experience jerky motions. More swell than actual wind and a swell induced snapping main boom? Shock cords too the rescue. Tired of the boat keeping you awake when your anchored in a little swell? Shock cords on the anchor line.
www.liros.com/en/suche.html?s=shock%20cord
Use your ingenouity and experiment with them but never leave port without them.
Happy sailing :-)
Martin Moe I'll sail w/ u
Just a thought mate... have you practiced your MOB drills since doing this video? The dinghy rescue was a pretty good exercise in those winds as they weren't too bad at all. However, you both need to get to grips with single handed sailing and fast if the inevitable should happen. I would also practice well the routine of getting you back on board should you be knocked unconscious and overboard. Unless you have a hoist, believe me it is extremely difficult! For your girlfriend, almost impossible unless she knows what she is doing. Try it from a pontoon but please practice it and have everything ready should this be a real life scenario.
Control your boat with your headsail, you get a large amount of your power from it and furling it a bit a certain stages will give you a smoother ride and not so much heel.
One other small thing, mistakes happen more often wen you try to rush things. Unless you're racing don't ever be in a hurry. You have the luxury of choosing your weather and seas for the most part. All the best.
Cruising back from Costa Rica to L.A., we were towing an Avon. We had at one point following seas and wind and a gust came up, picking the Avon up out of the water and flinging it into the cockpit, almost knocking me out.
Thank you for the lessons.... My wife and I are planning to do this in the future... I have many years of boating experience but zero in sailing, watching you guys is amazing. These lessons are great because many people hide their mistakes rather than share to prevent others.....
Everyone starts out knowing very little, it doesn't mean that you can't learn and it shouldn't prevent anyone from doing anything. "80% of success is showing up"
Well at least you are honest about screwing up. By being truthful you may have saved someone's life in the future by stopping them from making the same mistake. Good on you mate!
Had similar thing happen to me early in my sailing life. Towing a dinghy in rough water, D-ring parted from dinghy and now the fun begins. Luckily had second line attached to second D-ring but still had to recover dinghy before second fitting failed. No jack lines or tethers aboard so I tied the end of a dock line tightly around my waist using a bowline and made the other end fast to a cleat. I was able to work on the swim platform protected by a tight leash. (For you rock climbers, it's like setting up a belay station.)
One of the changes I made since then is to frequently check the length of the tow line. If conditions worsen I let out more line so that the dinghy rides the crest about two wavelengths behind the boat. This puts boat and dinghy in sync and removes an enormous load from the towing system and protects the dinghy attachment points.
Early-on especially, I was reading and learning as fast as I could and hoped that I'd learn the lesson before I got the test. Didn't always happen that way, but like you, made it through. Keep learning. Glad you're out there!
It takes a strong man to admit his mistakes. For that is the only way that he will learn from them if he is fortunate enough to survive them.
Glad to hear you are both safe and got the dinghy back as well. You aren't the first to make big mistakes misreading the weather and underestimating the power of the ocean and you won't be the last. There are a couple of things that come to mind that I haven't seen in the comments.
The first is learning about the weather, how different it can be offshore compared to near shore, how quickly it can change, how to read weather maps and understand what the conditions are likely going to be like. I first became something of an amateur meteorologist while growing up on the Outer Banks learning to surf. When you want to know what the waves are going to be like, when you have to keep an eye on Nor Easters and hurricanes you become surprisingly good and understanding the possibilities that might be coming. Weather tracking has come a long way since I was young and there's a lot of good equipment out there to help. Investing time, energy and finance into some of it is an excellent idea.
The second is about safety concerns and how to keep yourselves and that cute little dog safe. No matter how much knowledge, skill, training and experience you have the ocean is unpredictable and it's a killer. Being clipped in while offshore when working on deck is a must in anything less than a gentle breeze and an easy roll. I can tell from what you're wearing and where you are that the water temperature would not take long to cause the beginning of hypothermia. 40 to 50 degree water might take as much as an hour to kill somebody but it takes far less time than that for you to start losing motor control and the ability to save yourself or stay afloat without a PFD. And you aren't out of danger from hypothermia the minute you step back on the boat. Aside from a safety line I do hope you have a couple of gumby suits on board and PFDs.
Finally the ocean as I said is unpredictable but so are pets. Please be very careful with that baby on deck. You never know what unforeseen event could happen and she is far safer below during offshore passages like this. I hope you have a doggy PFD for her as well. Years ago I had an incident with my Jack Russel where I accidentally capsized a canoe and it was only the quick thinking of my companion that made it possible to scoop her up from the water she was thrown into and not get washed away down river. Recently we had another close call where my front door did not latch properly when I went on a grocery run and I came home to find my dog missing as it was starting to sleet and then snow. I had a very difficult night before I was able to track down the neighbor who took her in when they found her wandering the parking lot alone and shivering.
We all make mistakes and the ones that don't kill us help us grow, but your margin for error on the open ocean is a lot thinner than it is on land. Take care of yourselves and be safe.
You are learning, often the hard way, but nevertheless learning. Suggest doing a lot of reading on coastal cruising and keep it inside the ICW unless you have a weather window that allows offshore sailing. 30 knots offshore in 6-8 foot waves is no fun in small boat. Plan ahead, listen to the weather forecast and determine your comfortable limit for your boat. For example, you and the boat can tolerate more wind doing downwind travel offshore than beating into the wind. Generally speaking, anything over 10-12 knots is not going to be fun, but can be done fairly comfortable downwind. All I have to say is that Kate is a real trooper! Most ladies would depart at the dock as soon as you land after the day you just described. Hey, you are living the dream and learning as you go. That's a lot more than most of us did at your age. I have a lot of admiration for you and Kate. Just keep it safe! Always, jacklines and PFDs when offhsore or leaving the cockpit.
I am so fascinated by ocean sailing. Weird bc I don't like boats or the thought of being on some tiny boat in the middle of the ocean but I am so fascinated. Ocean sailing reminds me of life it's self, even my faith, walking with the Lord. Life is a journey. Life is calm and other times it is stormy. When it rains, it pours. Life is hard and difficult. Life is beautiful. Ocean sailing is so like life.
God bless you guys and my His great protection continue to be upon you two. Awesome sweater too. ;)
I lost way more then a dingy in rough weather. I got dismasted, lost a window, a generator and an engine. I was just trying to beat the weather and the weather kicked my ass. I learned loads. I liked your video, I know how scary it gets. Be safe.
glad you're learning from your mistakes. we don't tow our dinghy for long distances either. but if we do, we use a yolk to reduce the stress and provide failure points for the exact scenario. next time tie through the grommet back to rings at the back. it reduces the stress on the attachment points. you can run a safety line as well if you are overly cautious.
Hey Wes and Kate ..Tony here from Canada ..i really do appreciate your honesty with what you show to us viewers ...do not listen to the jackasses who think they are so much cooler then everyone else ..i am just about to buy my first sailboat about a 37 footer for me and my Cat to sail to the tropics ..Your videos are very entertaining and informative ..i am learning from your little mishaps ...just be safe and God Bless you both and Lola
Around 3:20, see the forestay diving off to leeward as you bounce in the waves, a sure sign you need more tension on your backstay. Will give the rig more support and improve your speed and pointing ability.
I'm glad this cap'n and his lady are alive to learn more lessons....from mistakes where the stakes are considerably lower....Be well
Your certainly not the first to lose their dingy. Cudos for putting this video up , a lot of novice sailors want to see this kind of stuff. Thanks
A lot of novice sailors NEED to see this stuff!
Great video! and great lesson! And great personality for admitting being wrong and share the lesson, so it turns out positive and constructive for all of us. Everyday is a school day. All the best to you!
Great tip and refreshing to see a sailor admit and learn from their mistakes!
The exact same thing happened to me. Looks like you have the same dinghy as me ( Solstice ). Though in my case when the D ring let go, it hit me in the shoulder and left quite a welt. I don't know if your raft is equipped with it, but since then I have run a double line from the two rings further back on the bow. Also, I keep the dinghy closer to the stern. When the incident happened my boat and dinghy were in separated troughs, so the stress was too much for a single ring. I was alone in a gray stormy sea with gray skies, trying to keep watch on a gray dinghy while trying to drop my sails to maneuver back to my dinghy. I had planned to change the line, but never got around to it. It's a mistake I won't make again.
I used to tow my 11.5' Zodiac with a yoke system and no motor of course. I never lost it, but the expensive tender just takes too much of a beating. What a pain it was to get that on deck. But how great it was to have it there.
I ALWAYS had jack lines! And closed gates!
Awesome, yes almost every sailing video Ive ever seen, is these perfect situation, nobody tells you the mistakes they make. You're awesome! subscribed!
We sail out of RI and that's a typical cruising ground, it can get nasty! You have a lot of water leaving buzzards bay, it's shallow, and the winds can be very strong. Looks like you handled the situation well and had a good learning lesson.
Great post about keeping up with the weather and preparing your vessel. I sail in the Chessspeak Bay and have been out in 30 knots and tremendous chop, so it's not just in the open ocean where we need to take appropriate measures. Glad to see you guys are ok.
We've been holed up at a friend's in Annapolis making our way down the Chesapeake as we speak, we definitely do not underestimate it. We've been avoiding the 40 knot winds and cold going on right now waiting for our next window.
Very good vid... folks learn so much more from people doing it who are willing to share stuff learnt the hard way.
Guys, I sailed Buzzards Bay out of Marion for the past 25 years, and what you experienced for weather is not surprising. Because Buzzards Bay is relatively shallow, when an outgoing tide interacts with a freshening wind you experience the seas you had. The mornings may start nice and calm, but about mid day, the fun begins. I am glad you survived your adventure. The sea can be an unforgiving teacher at times. I strongly recommend jack lines and tethered inflatable harnesses for ofshore conditions. Love your attitude and the crew-dawg! Fair Winds and Following Seas!
Wow glad you guys are okay. Thanks for posting the lessons learned. This can help someone.
Like all of us, we all have had our first real storm and my was on Lake Erie 1978 with the wind @ 40 and gusting to into the 50s out of the northeast with 14 foot waves and every once and a while a 16 footer on my Santana 30. The bow pulpit was burying itself in the waves and when she came up, solid 55 degree water came over the the deck. However, I had a racing crew on board sitting on the weather rail with safety gear on and 10 years of sailing experience. Incidentally, even with a harness if you go overboard, you may not get back on board if the girl can't sail the boat in a storm. The point is, the next time, you be under control and won't make the same mistakes because if just another storm.
Good video, we all learn from our mistakes and respect for understanding/sharing yours so others can learn from them. Have fun.
I learned that same lesson of not towing in unprotected waters.. I towed a kayak that couldn't be stored on deck and ended up towing it on 2 lines and battled the whole trip..
Just as a note passed down from folks that have sailed much more then I ever have offshore. A great habit to have is to wear the harness at all times while on watch, and hook it up to the jacklines when you are on deck. Even in calms. It produces a good habits and when you need it you will never forget to hook up when you suddenly need to run forward to fix a headsail or such.
A mistake at sea that is survived later translates into a lesson learned
You hope...some people are not to brite....
"3.29 we're in the open ocean right now" Land right behind you in frame lololol
23v0lv32 That's cuttyhunk Island. After that there's nothing out there in terms of land protection. Regardless got you watching. Cheers
keep up the videos! i like em
23v0lv32 ITs called coastal sailing.
Psycho Skipper We indeed have been doing lots of coastal sailing in the open ocean ;)
23v0lv32 lol he's out there living his dream, working hard and having a blast and you make sny little comments from behind the keyboard. Whatever! I think this is so awesome, man. Keep it up!
Stay in harbour if you think that is either the " open sea" or bad weather.
+chris lacock No you
Wicked Salty
haha....
Seriously ...........
Hi guy's i'm on the journey all the way, thankyou. Glad you made out okay.knowledge from people on line will be a great help. I have watched other sailing journeys and the one big mistake is not using a harness. Be safe and a happy sailing. LOVE & RESPECT
good idea describing the mistakes made by you, we all made mistakes and we learn a lot from them
Every sailor makes mistakes. Just try to only make one at a time. Props to you for sharing yours and helping others.
Were you motoring during the blow? A sailboat which is much better even in 40k winds...you just need to have the right sail plan. If your don't have lots of experience the wx will change for the better. If you put a back-up rope around your dingy attached to the tow rope you won't wake up after sailing all night and find your dingy broke free during the night... Great job sharing so others can learn. It takes someone comfortable in their own skin to share a learning experience.
Really great video and great lessons. I was horrified when I saw you towing your dinghy and was glad when you discussed it! I have the following suggestions:
1. Address a global audience. I'm from Seattle and have no earthly idea what Hadley Harbor or a Noreaster is so it would be nice to have some exposition on them.
2. It appeared that your lifeline gate was not secured which would be another mistake. Not only only is it a place for you to fall out, it weakens the structural integrity of the entire lifeline system.
3. You should have had PFDs on in seas that rough.
4. You should have simply tethered yourself with a line when you were doing the dinghy rescue.
I've made all of the you mistakes you did. That's how you learn.
Good advice on the tethering to the lifeline. Unfortunately we have many more videos to come without that gateway locked in.... But the good news is we now have fixed all those problems and we are safe and sound and have learned well!
Really Great Video congratulation
Me and my gf had boating in Southern Ocean using a 3.8meter dinghy. In the night the wave is just like this (i can see because the moonlight)... In 7pm there was a chasing wave from our behind. I just didnt notice it, and our dighy is capsized. All of our things are scattered, and our biggest mistake is our self didnt wear a lifejacket. My GF was separated from me and the boat. And i cant see her in the wave, im yelling for her and still no sign of her. After a minute, i heard her voice and i can see her 30 meter from me.
The first thing i do is spill out my plastic gasoline tank until half, and i swim to her and tell her to hang on in the gasoline tank. We are taking a lot of sea water and gasoline. I pull her to the boat and she managed to sit in the outboard engine (the boat is capsized). wave were hitting us so many times. Lucky we managed to pull over to the shore, and call for help for locals. I hope u can learn from my mistakes. My bad experience in my life.
Every shot I see the lifeline gates are open. Open gates reduce the load capacity of the lifeline system. Gates should only be open during boarding and unboarding. Some even argue for this closed gate policy at the dock!
The best way to deal with a problem or emergency is to avoid the problem.
Get a cord on your glasses. Glasses have a way of leaping from one's head right over the side of boat.
Keep making those mistakes, I'm learning a lot from you guys!!!! Thank you!
(but stay safe)
safety is the #1 priority! Thanks for the support
Your honesty is how we can learn. Thank you.
Question for all: when pulling a rubber dingy, is it not also at risk being bitten by a shark or other fish?
Jeje the new species, the rubber eating fish :-)
Posting your own mistakes instead of another cute movie.
SUPER STUFF! Thank you Yoda! :)
Learned this same lesson the hard way. in 25kts+ mine launched off of a wave and flew around like a kite flipping over mid air and landing upside down, slowing the boat from 6kts close hauled to 1.8kts the amazing thing is nothing broke even when the dinghy was upside down plowing through the water.....
Thanks for sharing your learning experiences. So now jacklines, safety harnesses, and tethers are on your NSL (needed stuff list). For the sake of us who are trying to mimic your sailing adventure, could you please list all the stuff you just got and stuff you plan to get? Be safe. Looking forward to your next vid.
We have jacklines, tethers and lifejackets that clip into the tethers. 2 VHF handhelds, one VHF on the boat with an antenna running up the mast. Electronic wise, I'd recommend anything that works with the budget. I went for the most bang for the buck, a GPS chartplotter with a radar combo as well as depth sounder/fish finder the best part is that all the electronics communicate with each other and are not separate entities. We have been surviving off just a cooler essentially, no icebox/refrigeration use and just getting ice from port to port.
My biggest suggestion to anyone going for the cheapest route... Leave before the area gets cold so you don't have to deal freezing your ass off and intense amount of mold/mildew when your hiding from the weather.
If its experience that anyone lacks and they just want to jump into this, I would strongly recommend taking coast guard courses and getting to know everything about foul weather sailing. I took courses such a long time ago I could have definitely used a refresher before I just headed out, but like everything, time is also a constraint. I will get more into it at a later time.
Just be sure when stowing dinghies on deck not to cover your second escape route though the forward hatch in case of fire. The main electrical panel is directly under the companionway on many sailboats FYI.
I hate experience. It cost me my finger. Respect nature. She doesn't lie.
Yes the less things to worry about out at sea the better. , so shape the ship up befor leaving , I do a walk through the ship just befor pick up , and check what nees stowing , then dinghy on deck ,guard rails clipped , wet weather gear in the main hatch , all things clear , reef Lines on the main , one and two reefs set in case everything ready ,the less the crew are up the deck the better , we do a buldge check each hour , but you learned somthing and it never stops , good vid thanks
Experience is bad judgement you live through. Keep posting. Jealously living vicariously through you.
4 attempts in those conditions, your a badass. Glad u can still sail and entertain us. Amazing.
Great post guys... Not many people will knowingly admit to their mistakes so other can learn. If you get to the Bahamas down on San Salvador Island, stop by the KiteSurfPlace and say hi.
Put a V shape to the dinghy from the main tow rope with the two side ropes slightly slack. This will keep it from whipping back and forth.
Opening clip from the weather report sounds like the beginning to a massive hip-hop track. Great vids, thanks for sharing.
It's especially fun when your dinghy wishes to board it's self in following seas, upon your transom.
You already know this but inflatables are made to stow aboard in this type of weather, drag it aboard and stow it.⛵️
Thank you ! I know it's 2019 now and you created this in 2014, but we still have newbies like me that need to learn all they can!
I appreciate you showing the mistakes, but consider this: I consider Open Water where you can't see land....and Coastal Cruising, well, look behind you, see the coast? Just be aware and be honest so there won;t be a mistake like I just made typing
Great lesson learned guys! First time visitor and still getting 'comfortable' aboard as captain. Looking forward to more episodes!!
they sold there boat i think
great vids, enjoying the journey. You have a great looking boat, respect her and she will look after you.
You probably know by now but just incase: Was your dinghy attached with a bridle between the two side connectors or just by the middle connector? The middle connector is not for towing. I noticed in an earlier video you had it attached only to the middle connector. Make up a bridle and towing will be less hassle. Obviously when travelling between longer distances, stow the boat.
Loving the music too, keep it up :)
Hey, At least you are out there living the dream! learn from it and move on..thanks for sharing.
Good message.
Glad your both safe and no harm ,no foul.
Cheers
Write a RFS list ( Ready For Sea) just like pre-flight on an airplane and do it before heading to sea. Safety is everything.
I like the RFS list plan, maybe a future video idea ;P
I'm sure someone has already said this...but what I do is run lines back to the transom of the dinghy and around the perimeter (there's usually something near the oar locks to go through) and then up through the D ring...that way you're not trying to support the whole load just on that weak D ring/patch thingy...
hope that helps...GREAT vid btw...liked, commented and subscribed!
Double clamp your thru hulls and carry some boat plugs. Hope you have an epirb. Watch your charts on the Newport approach especially in the fishing areas. Good place to snag a net.
Glad you worked it all out safely. Good show.
Rob Noll is so right! All hoses connected to through hulls fittings should have two Stainless Steel hose clamps on them and two on the other end of each hose too. Any hose clamp that has rust should be cleaned or replaced when observed. ANYTHING that needs servicing or needs fixing needs to be addressed ASAP. At least written down on a "to do list" . Do you have two bilge pumps on two float switches? The second float sw. is 2 inch higher and should also be on a 12v alarm! I had my first pump fail and as soon as the second pump came on the very first time, I heard it. Great safety backup feature. Write this shit down until you make it so. You'll never regret doing so but will regret not doing so, after you have the problem it prevents happen! My RULE Float Switches typically lasted 2 years, pretty much. They do fail over time absolutely, count on it. I had my boat 18 years. I'm telling you about 2 years.
As you now learned always have a second tow line attached to a second point on the dingy. Isn't sailing fun??? Sometimes it's like a horror movie in real life. ;) As long as you keep learning. Whoora!
How about having a PREVENTER in place, how about always making sure your USING jack lines and a tether, how about not going out in bad weather at all? There is so much we need to do, so much we SHOULD have, but we can only do our best. Were in Annapolis now, avoided the lobster pots and fishing nets, now dodging crab pots. We're learning more everyday, but there's only so much you can do. It makes me upset to hear about people getting killed by drunk drivers and what not, when is anyone ready to leave the dock?
You guys are doin great. Wisdom comes from experience, and the only thing you can do wrong is not learn from your mistakes.. I plan on doing what your doing when I retire from the navy... I have a little twenty foot daysailer for now while I save for my future sailing home. If your ever passing by Jacksonville FL look me up, ill take you guys to dinner. Fair winds and following seas to you
We all learnt something here today, thank you !
Just a little tip. It should not have been any problem towing a dingy in that sea state if you had made a harness from the 2 towing eyes on the dingy and then attached the main line to the cleat. The one on the bow of the dingy is not intended to be used for towing in heavy seas as it takes 100% of the strain and gets jerked around.
BTW, I got engaged in Hadley Harbor. Nice spot that I frequent often. Not sure I would want to spend 5 days there like you were forced to do though. cheers.
The ability to recognize and analyze mistakes is key to learning and being safe. Good note to self here as well.
Thanks for posting a lessons learned video. Happily, everything turned out OK. I noticed the lifeline gate was left open and unattended. Should keep the gate locked at all times unless in use. Fair winds!
I'm grew up in northern MA and there are some beautiful harbors up there and into NH and Maine. Can't wait till I can do this.
Nice summary - mistakes made, lessons learned - well done! Fair winds!
If you do tow a dingy ( I only do it in calm situations) make a bridle on the two outter rings so it spreads the load. I come off the bridle with a single line then. Good Luck!
At least is was a good learning experience. Glad you're safe and sound.
I love your videos @Wicked Salty. I have always dreamed of buying a sailboat right after gradation (I am a sophmore right now). My dad sent me a link to your videos and it has inspired me even more! Already saving up.
Towing a dingy behind a yacht needs some knowledge of where the rear wave shapes itself behind the transom as the length of the tow rope has to be adjusted accordingly. On looking at the rear wave one can note that if the dingy is placed on the downward curve of the wave close to the transom, the dingy could plane continuously and the tension on the tow rope is minimal. If the tow rope is long enough to put the dingy behind the crest of the rear wave such that the dingy finds itself going uphill then the tow rope is subjected to a heavy tension and I do not think that there is any attachment on a rubber dingy that could take that punishment. So know your rear wave before you tow anything behind as it could save you on the drag and one will not lose any speed towing anything behind, but get it wrong and what you tow will slow you down and could break lose .
First you learn to sail in harbour, then coastal, then ocean, lots to learn. Looking forward to you experiences, very honest approach, good on you. I too have towed my dinghy on many occasians. I realize it's a no no for open ocean. However I would very much feel that your dinghy fixture let you down also. It looked like a poor attachment. Is it an inflatable with solid bottom?
Always put two tow lines on your dingy.
Use yacht braided polyprope line, it floats and stretches a lot.
Greats post guys! I'm glad to see your okay. Love your vids, keep em coming
That's Awesome that You Learned and are Both safe with the Puppy...Now try not to let that happen again if you can help it.Prepare before you head out and stay safe!!
You both remind me of me and my wife, we started sailing in our early 20,s. Lots of learning. Safty and having oversized everything,lol, adds a little extra confidence.
Yap, it happened also to me when I lost my dinghy, but that was not all I lost, I also lost my wind generator. Somehow the main post of the Kiss generator slid aft and there it went my wind generator into the water. Well I tell you, I managed to get it on to my dinghy,but when I checked again the dinghy, it had gone altogether. So, when you pull a dinghy astern, you have to tie it up from both sides.
When Kate makes Coffee things always seem to be brighter :)
thanks for sharing, it'll keep someone else alive. A great teacher has no pride in himself, only the wisdom gained. Well done.
We all learn by our mistakes! (What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger - and wiser!) Keep up the good work guys! (Hope the dog doesn't get sea-sick!)
Love this channel wish it didnt end.. hopefully 2021 no worries and better times!
You sure stirred up the pot good this time mate. I'm learning a ton just by reading all the comments from the sailors who are concerned about your safety. Yeah !
Where were you starting from? I’m from Westerly RI, and now live in New London CT. If you’re coming from the south try to use Long Island sound, it’s much smoother and a million times safer. For what you’d lose time wise by not going around LI, you make up in living, and being able to stop in wonderful places vs. 30ft swells in an open deck sailboat. If you’re coming from Maine, well then I guess I just wasted your time. Haha.
Good luck, and maybe get a mount for your camera so you can pilot and film. There’s too many items to keep control of on sailboats, especially when trying one handed.
To admit mistakes without excuse, then learn from said mistakes... And these mistakes didn't cost anyone their lives makes this trip far greater than had nothing eventful happened.
Calc for open ocean. Out here (NW Pacific) the rollers are usually 10-15' when its calm
long big rollers are never an issue, its short and steep waves that are, which is what these were here. Very short wave lengths with steep waves no bueno on the rig lots of slamming.
Just keep doing what your doing and it will all come together anyway no one ever stops learning don't take a scrap of notice of those critics there probably pissed off because your actually doing it ...all the best ..from down under as you yanks say