176: Sailing Off Shore from Deltaville, VA to Marsh Harbor, Bahamas; Leopard 44 Catamaran

[@k5kensails]

Loved the video. The long passage totally appeals to me. Alex was a great addition for the trip. Thanks for showing all the repairs. I love that stuff. Coffee grinder conquerors! Welcome back to the Bahamas.

[@SailingBlownAway]

THANK YOU for watching and commenting! The long passage can be really fun especially if the wind and sea cooperate. It takes a few days to get into the groove. Alex was AWESOME...We are glad you liked the repairs and the coffee bean battle. LOVE the Bahamas...almost on our way out now...will miss it but we will be back.

[@Boody523]

Love the long passage and that Oxley sail looks beautiful

[@SailingBlownAway]

Thank you so much! We enjoyed it too. It's quite amazing to experience something like this especially if the weather is good!

[@irenekanowitz944]

Absolutely amazing! (Although, I felt a little green with some of the motion of the boat.) McGuyver rocks!!!

[@SailingBlownAway]

Ha ha. Thanks so much for watching and your comment. The motion was rough!!! Wasn’t Mac Gyver the best show???

[@ZeroDot42]

whoohooo...mahi,mahi awesome eating great catch

[@SailingBlownAway]

HA HA!! They were!! Thanks, Louis!!!

[@carlosvallejo4926]

Hellooo!!!!! How are you both doing? So happy to see this episode. I think you are getting so comfortable on the boat that a long passage is going to be a lot easier. Lots of hugs from Canary Islands my dear friends ❤️

[@SailingBlownAway]

Hello Carlos!! We are well. Thank you so much. Yes, with more knowledge and friends to help, passages ARE much easier. Miss you!!

[@thomasbrasse3145]

I need some passage experience after I get my certifications next summer. I am taking a week long class like you two did. This one had some of everything!

[@SailingBlownAway]

YES!! That's a GREAT move!! It makes a big difference getting offshore experience. You are going to be so equipped by the time you get your boat!! ;)

[@edfrhes]

Oil in the bilge should be a highlight. You found it. You didn't destroy your engine.

[@SailingBlownAway]

YES!! Great point. It could have been a disaster. Thank you for that reminder that we found it before any damage was caused.

[@tonyfromaus7855]

Oh wow that was a real adventure and action packed trip! Well done you guys. Especially Alex…. great assist in the tight spots. How did the oil find its way outside its normal habitat? I really like your attitudes to challenges…. I hope I do as well when we eventually get on the water. By the way…. that dremel the edges…. seems like a great idea and pity it isn’t already done by the original installers.

[@SailingBlownAway]

Hey Tony!! It was an adventure! Thank you!! Alex WAS amazing and gave us confidence on the journey. We think the rear main seal was installed incorrectly so oil poured out. Time will tell. We still have an oil leak and just cannot find the source. Boat life. Ha. We learned a long time ago that stuff goes wrong all the time and we have to have a good attitude or we will always be in a bad mood; you will do the same, for sure. The dremel helped alot but we had to use a metal file recently as that area was eating through our first reefing line.

[@tonyfromaus7855]

@@SailingBlownAway I wonder if you could dob an epoxy or red liquid enamel to the reefing channel end to make a smoother exit? (I suppose it might not last long.) Would a 3d printer be able to make a end cover with smooth curved exit for each channel? It seems like rubbing on raw aluminium is not a ideal situation. Chafing does seem to be a constant battle on the boats I follow on KZbin. I know that one day of real world experience would exceed years of KZbin watching, but I’m trying to learn all I can as a minor head start for my travels in the future. I have had a sailboat when younger but very limited in sailing experience.

[@SailingBlownAway]

@@tonyfromaus7855 Hey Tony. We like your ideas and way of thinking. After we filed it with a metal file, it's been fine. There is no chafing now. I guess there was a barb there that was catching the outside sheath of the dynema lines. We thought about having a chafe cover but when you reef, it's not always the same spot. I agree rubbing on raw aluminum is not ideal though. Chafing IS always a problem on a boat. You are SO smart to read, learn, watch. I wish we had the head start you will have. It will save you a lot of time and $$$. And, your sailing experience will come back to you....like riding a bicycle!

[@tonyfromaus7855]

@@SailingBlownAway yes I agree it will help me which is why I am so grateful to you guys sharing your hard won experience. You deserve a much bigger audience and I hope you get it. Thanks for sharing and chatting.

[@SailingBlownAway]

Thank you, Tony!! You are too kind! It’s a fun journey and having people like you come along with us makes it that much better!!

[@scottgibson7893]

Loved the video. What are you pouring in the gills of the Mahi to subdue them. I’ve always heard alcohol and have used rum and vodka before myself.

[@SailingBlownAway]

Hey Scott! Thanks so much. We used isopropyl. Rum and vodka work but are much more $$$! HA!

[@svwoven]

you can actually just use a spray bottle and mist it into the gills; works just as well and uses less.

[@SailingBlownAway]

@@svwoven That’s especially important when your using drinking alcohol vs isopropyl!🤣🤣🤣

[@kenbourne7855]

I have been waiting for the next video on the fuel tank issue. Any comments if or when?

[@SailingBlownAway]

Hi Ken! Thanks for asking. It will be a while...probably not until the summer. We are down to one computer, have had family on board, had to deal with major issues like shearing a rudder and other larger boat issues, organizing our short visit back to the US and doc appts/ordering parts/provisioning and then trip to Rio Dulce for hurricane season, and just recently got into good internet area. Brown is the one making that video and has not had the time or energy to do it! Hopefully in a few months...

[@Dubya9W9]

how much are slips around Virginia area for longer periods for cats, you guys know..i live in va and was wondering

[@SailingBlownAway]

We actually have no idea. We have never stayed in one. We are always at anchor. We did haul out in VA but never stayed in a slip.