A huge whale and a great two day sail to the Balearics! #66

[@svfairisle]

Amazing to see a whale! So jealous and well done for capturing it.

[@FollowIntrepidBear]

Thanks guys! We got really lucky that we were on the foredeck already filming on the GoPro (the one you very kindly gave us as it happens!) and with an iPhone also to hand to get a little bit more zoom. We feel really lucky to have seen it 😍🐳

[@ralfmayer4622]

Many thanks letting us be with you - you are so kind and Intrpid Bear - a Najad 391 or Hallberg Rassy 39 - are my dream to come in 10 years - hopefully. Have a good time, enjoy your moments and stay healthy. Ralf.

[@FollowIntrepidBear]

Thank you Ralf, you are very welcome. I'm really glad that you enjoy following our journey. The 391 is a fabulous solid boat that will take you anywhere and is also beautiful inside and out. I believe the Halberg Rassy is very similar in quality and beauty. I hope you find your dream one day. Thanks for your comment and support :-)

[@moonhand8311]

Beautifully sailed guys, and very nicely filmed. This video has a great vibe to it.

[@FollowIntrepidBear]

Ah thank you... we really enjoyed making this one so are really glad that you enjoyed it. Appreciate the feedback 🙂

[@ooweesaler]

What a beautiful sail. In two years of cruising we have been unable to choose a destination decided by the wind. 😁Never seen a whale either. 🤣 I do look forward to this blog. This week we have sold our old boat and .....maybe buying a new one. Bring on that survey

[@FollowIntrepidBear]

We were very lucky on this sail both with the weather and the Whale! We were fortunate not to be in a hurry to go anywhere and equally happy to see Barcelona as Menorca. We were delayed at the fuel dock which was a little tedious but ultimately if we hadn't been delayed we wouldn't have seen that whale! I'm glad you enjoy what we are doing its really nice to hear. Great news on the sale of your boat and best of luck with a new one... exciting times for you! :-)

[@DavidStockford]

For the whole 12 years I was in the Navy I felt squishy as you put it for the first 6 to 12 hours. It never went away.

[@FollowIntrepidBear]

Thanks David... Kate has always had a slightly stronger stomach than me so was surprised to have been feeling a little off colour even on a flat sea. This video was from August 23. Her squishiness did pass and she is back to normal thankfully.. thanks for chiming in :-)

[@peterhaymaker7562]

Following on from F.B'k, 'Yes, I did very much enjoy the video thank you Kate and Ian.' My kind of sailing and a whale; Wow!

[@FollowIntrepidBear]

Thanks Peter... yes it was an awesome sail and the whale just really topped it off. Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for your comment... :-)

[@countbasingstoke]

….. and every now and again you come across genuine beautiful people such as yourselves on this thing called KZbin. I was busy researching Menorca for a trip in a few weeks and came across your channel. So far I must say I love your channel! It has made me very interested in sailing ( at the age of 52). I was “this” close to buying a canal boat last year. But just never flicked the switch so to speak. Where on earth would one start to learn about sailing? ⛵️ if say my retirement wish was to do something like you do? Much love and respect Jason. Basingstoke Hampshire

[@FollowIntrepidBear]

Hi Jason…thank you for your kind words 😊 Really glad you enjoyed some of what we do. The best way to start learning about sailing would probably to take a course. The RYA do a course called “competent crew” which is an entry level course. That would give you a very basic first look at sailing. From there you can maybe join sailing clubs or look online for crewing opportunities or even get yourself a boat to start gaining experience on. Progressing through the RYA courses would be good but of course can be costly. If you get qualified to Day Skipper then you can charter boats in the Med. A flotilla holiday, where you sail in a group, is a great introduction to Med sailing. Do try and sample the life before you push the button though because, whilst it may appear idyllic, there can be a lot of hard work and frustration and it’s not for everybody. You’ll see how we, at times, are worn out by it which is why we are heading slowly home. We’ll still live on a boat and cruise locally but we want a home base for a while. I’m not trying to put you off I’m just saying it’s not all crystal clear seas and cocktails! Whatever you choose to do then the best of luck to you 😊⛵️

[@countbasingstoke]

@@FollowIntrepidBear Thats fantastic advice. Thank you very much. I suppose live is like a tide really. Ebb and flow. You may plan to do “x” but the reality of a situation in “modern times” can be quite different. So many things can affect your decision/s. And it can change at any given time. In all my 52 years. The one thing I have learned is …… the sooner you can adjust or accept and new situation, the easier it is on you. Mostly mentally but also physically. Eg like sitting in the pouring rain. Once you accept the rain isn’t going to stop for a while the easier it is mentally to just wait it out :). But saying that. Lifes goals are forever changing. As long as you are real to yourself and accept a new goal or change of goals all the better. As long as it keeps a smile on you and yours face :)))) Sending much love from “sunny uk” lol. I look forward to your next video. Sail safe xx

[@richardhall7822]

Epic sailing - great episode 🙏

[@FollowIntrepidBear]

Thanks Richard... yes I think this has to be our favourite long passage for sure. We weren't too sure if we'd be too close hauled but thats why it was so nice to have options as to where we ended up 🙂

[@lynetteblackburn-leary8431]

Second to like, first to comment. Been enjoying the French cruising. Hope to use as reference sometime. Stay safe and happy ❤.

[@FollowIntrepidBear]

Hi Lynn.. yes we did quite enjoy the French Riviera although you do need a bit of a marina budget as there aren't always protected anchorages available. Some great places to visit though... Glad you enjoyed it. Take care of yourselves and see you out there again one day :-)

[@geoffmeehan9723]

This was fantastic but no join us next time ? enjoyed this very much when its raining here and dark. regards Geoff M

[@FollowIntrepidBear]

Ah sorry Geoff... thought I'd just let this one end uninterrupted but fear not there will be a next time as we start to explore the Balearic islands. Glad you enjoyed the video, this was last august so our weather is not quite that warm at the moment but I'm pretty sure its nicer here in Gibraltar than back in the UK. Sometimes wonder why we're heading home! Thanks for your comment...cheers for now... :-)

[@peterstocker6863]

Great video, thanks

[@FollowIntrepidBear]

Thank you Peter…glad you enjoyed it 😊⛵️

[@davehughes1193]

Great video thst one. Really enjoyed it

[@FollowIntrepidBear]

Thank you Dave, glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for letting us know 😊⛵️

[@kimarnold1594]

Hey guys, we’re also from the uk. I hope you don’t mind us asking but how old are you and when did you first start sailing ☺️

[@FollowIntrepidBear]

Haha! I’m sure you’re not supposed to ask question like that! 😂 But no we don’t mind we both turn 55 this year. I (Iain) have been into boats at various levels most of my life and have dinghy’s, a Micro 18 trailer sailer and motorboats over the years. I’ve been a police boat skipper and RYA Instructor for power. I started living aboard a motorboat (in a home marina whilst still working) in 2009 and met Kate in 2012. That was when she started boating. We bought our first liveaboard sailing yacht in 2018 but at 60+ feet she was tooooo big and old/expensive to maintain so we bought Intrepid Bear in 2019 and lived aboard whilst still working before casting off the lines on retirement in 2021. Hope that helps…feel free to ask if you have any other questions 😊⛵️

[@kimarnold1594]

@@FollowIntrepidBear that’s amazing thank you. I didn’t mean to sound rude but my husband and me hope to buy a yacht in 10 years time ( we’re currently 38 & 44) so it’s a retirement plan 😂 We’ve been binge watching your channel every evening so thank you ☺️

[@FollowIntrepidBear]

Haha! don't worry it takes more than that to offend us! Your retirement plan sounds awesome and you will still be plenty young enough! I'm sure you already are but the more sailing and maybe courses that you can do between now and when you plan to set off will all set you in good stead when the time comes. Flotilla holidays are a great intro to Med sailing with the back up of always having support nearby and if you are or become more advanced then a bareboat charter is fabulous. You probably saw that we got married on Paxos in Greece and sailed a charter boat to our wedding. Anyway best of luck with your plans. Glad you're enjoying our channel and hope you don't mind some of the more raw bits in later episodes. Everyone experiences the cruising life differently so the bits we don't love doesn't mean you won't. Anyway enjoy and feel free to ask any questions, we will always help if we can. Cheers for now :-)

[@lplate1000]

Is it a good workout sailing on passage. Or does the sedentary times balance out on that?

[@FollowIntrepidBear]

Hi Steve, sailing on passage is a reasonable workout because, even whilst sat around, you are always moving. However the problem is that our life on passage is probably less than 10% of our life and the counterbalance is all the time in anchorages or marinas eating and drinking with cruising friends! We try to get fit each winter but even that is a struggle against lots of socialising! We love the winter cruiser community's but its not great for the waistline thats for sure!!

[@SailingLifeTogether]

Hi Ian. Do you like the Windy app for the Med? Do you find it reliable? Also do you have Windy Pro for the option to set the starting and ending point to see the wind? Thanks and great video!

[@FollowIntrepidBear]

Hi guys... yes I do like the Windy App (the red icon one as there is another one also called Windy!) In the Med I find all the forecast's pretty hit and miss to be honest. If the forecast says there's a big blow coming then there probably will be but beyond that the day to day forecasts can be all over the place and can only, in our experience, be relied upon as a general guide. So is Windy reliable in the Med? Not that reliable but as reliable as any of the others. The trick is to make sure you look at all the models not just one. There is one model called Arome which only goes out to about 24 hours. That was the only model to predict the deadly 100kt storm in Corsica a couple of years ago but in contrast they also forecast 50kts for us one night and there was nothing! It's a bit of a lottery so gather all the information you can and always be prepared. When we go to bed at night we always ask ourselves is the boat secure for a 60kt squall? We haven't had one yet but they can happen so we always hoist the dinghy, lash everything on deck and make sure there is nothing that can fall down below just as we would if we were sailing... Some think it a little over the top but I've seen too many dinghys (with outboards still on) flipped or broken loose in a sudden overnight squall. Anyway I'm waffling on, yes we do have the Windy Pro option as it is really handy to be able to visualise where you might be and what the wind might be at that time. This latest sail was a rarity where the forecast actually did exactly what it said it was going to. We knew we'd be close hauled but hoped it would be flat and it was! Glad you enjoyed the video... cheers Iain :-)

[@SailingLifeTogether]

Thank you for the explanation. So it’s the Windy app that is red background with a white W?

[@FollowIntrepidBear]

Yes that’s the one 👍🏻😊

[@christopherblumen3848]

In 14 months of watching KZbin videos about sailing to prepare my own adventure I learned more about sail furling navigation wind and the first whale sighting in just this one video plus a nice bum shot!! Unlike all the other bum videos!! Lol

[@FollowIntrepidBear]

Haha! Thank you Christopher….glad you enjoyed it. Something for everyone! Bum shots are tough to avoid in the Med summer but there won’t be many if we get to Scotland! 😂🥶 Anyway glad you enjoyed and learnt from the video, thanks for commenting 😊⛵️

[@romeowhiskey1146]

Noodle Sammich: FLOUR noodles inside FLOUR bread. Huh.

[@FollowIntrepidBear]

😂😂😂 I didn’t say it was nutritious just that it tastes good! 😂👍🏻