I’m done with it! Can she continue living this lifestyle? #69

[@iainmacdonald1170]

Thanks

[@FollowIntrepidBear]

Oh wow! Thanks Iain…much appreciated 👍🏻😊

[@robinmorgan1149]

Another good one Iain and Kate. I enjoy your videos immensely…. The video and drone work is always high quality which brings out the best in the places you visit. Keep them coming 😊

[@FollowIntrepidBear]

Thank you Robin, I’m glad you enjoyed it. I do love producing them and it’s become a real hobby for me with a particular love for the drone flying 😊🚁⛵️

[@svfairisle]

Very nice video guys, well done. We never managed to anchor off Calobria despite sailing past it many times, always too rough, so very nice to see it. Especially filmed that well.

[@FollowIntrepidBear]

Thank you guys, high praise indeed from awesome film makers such as yourselves! We were very glad to have called in at Sa Calobra as it was absolutely jaw dropping. Would love to hike the canyon one day. Cheers 😊⛵️

[@sailingprojectparrot]

Thanks for always showing real life on board, warts & all, so important for us wannabe’s to get a realistic picture 🙌🥰

[@FollowIntrepidBear]

Thanks Rachel 😊 Yes it’s not all cocktails and sunsets there are challenges which some people will relish and some will hate. There are so many variables to cruising which means everyone has a different experience. We’ll do a pros and cons video one day perhaps 😊

[@iainhunneybell]

Oh dear, Kate sounds like she’d had quite a night in one clip. I understand the rolling and have yet to really get a bridle to work. As for the storm… In 23 we were in southern Greece ready to have Storm Daniel roll over us. We ended up running north for protection in the northern Argolic, but not without having a F7 and a couple of storm cells roll over us during a 10 hour run. Not so good with the lightening striking the sea maybe 100m from us … not to mention deafening. Happy not to repeat that experience!

[@FollowIntrepidBear]

Hi Iain…yes that was a grim night for both of us but Kate felt it even more than me. Your lightning experience sounds scary! We were running from thunder storms in crossing the Tyrrhenian Sea and feel real exposed as the only high point on a flat sea fortunately it didn’t get as close to us as it did you! 😬⚡️

[@iainhunneybell]

Yes, we had a few days of it @@FollowIntrepidBear . I don't know how well you know the southern Peloponnese although I see you have 'done' Montenegro, so maybe. On the first day of our run back it was another near calm ... truly the calm before the storm which we'd been experiencing for day making our progress 'out' slow. Then mid-afternoon on day 1 of the run back, a little breeze, so sails out, but within 10m it was 40kn and so instantly shortening everything. It turned foul really quickly. Got into our anchorage, hook down, take a breath and then ... instant 'biblical rain' and lightening, only not directly over us. But enough for us to watch a bush fire start on Kythira to the south of us. Next day back around Cap Maleas heading north for shelter. Not great, but not to bad. Into Yerifa ... shopping, back to the boat and ... biblical rain again! Next morning was ok, calm, came out to run up to the next forecast quiet anchorage, sail up, out past the rock of Monemvasia and into instant F7. Horrendous. The obvious thing to do was to turn back, except I knew what was coming and so it was a case of staying out to avoid even worse weather. Finally got onto a making tack, the boat settled, short sail, engine plodding, and storm and yet more biblical rain. Then the lightening came. Distant at first, but closer and closer. We ran north for 10 hours, although thankfully only about 7 in storm. I have one video clip of the rain, which more a moment bleaches to white with a strike behind us, but we had a later one even closer off our port quarter. Tremendous noise! Meanwhile you are running through what you might need to do any second should our 'waving lightening conductor' attract the wrong kind of attention. Apparently something to do in such circumstances is to trail the kedge chain in the water with it also wrapped around a backstay. Helps to give the lightening a direct path to water without going through the hull and keel. Thankfully we were spared a strike ... but yes, no worry dear, everything will be fine ... all the time wondering if I should get the raft out ready for launch should it be needed ... only to do that would spread panic! 🥴 Happy not to repeat this experience....

[@FollowIntrepidBear]

@ we didn’t do the southern Pelopenese, we went through the canal both ways. Eastbound the canal was by choice but then, having changed our minds from Turkey to Montenegro, the weather around the Peloponnese wasn’t conducive to getting out of Schengen in the time allowed so did the canal again on the way back. Your experience down there’s sound horrific and reinforces our reasons for coming back through the canal. I know there are some stunning spots down there too but sounds like you had a rough time of it. Lightning close by must be very worrying, we’ve been fortunate to avoid anything too close! Glad you got through it 😬😊⛵️

[@dutchglobetrotter4513]

I crewed on an Oyster 56 and we would always race our buddy boats, however this Oyster was a modified racing kind (86ft tall carbon mast and hydraulic vang and back stay) so it wasn't really fair even against 50 ft. catamarans. So we decided on a handicap system over a stretch of water. We still won. every time, that 35 ton boat would hit 11 knots in 15-20 knots of wind, I miss sailing on her almost every day.

[@FollowIntrepidBear]

Sounds like an awesome sailing machine and a lot of fun 😊 We certainly enjoyed our little impromptu race…gives you an extra incentive to get that sail trim just right 👍🏻⛵️

[@vickicooper4156]

Amazing drone footage, thank you again for sharing, I sense it’s a lovely Island but maybe anchorages and conditions not great always for that part of the med so good to note. I love Kate how you are ok with saying you are not always ok with the lifestyle, it can be emotional and overwhelming, you are incredibly brave and strong, and honest and true. I really enjoy following your adventures thank you so much for sharing xxxx

[@FollowIntrepidBear]

Thank you Vicki. Yes you are absolutely right the Balearic Islands including Ibiza are all stunning in different ways but, whilst sometimes you can get lucky and find protected anchorages, there are very few places with all round protection and sometimes the swell can just suddenly come in from weird angles. If you sail there maybe be prepared for more marina time than you think. Stunning islands not to be missed though 😍⛵️

[@vickicooper4156]

Thank you so much, will start saving 😂 xxx

[@jcfgh]

Thank you, much appreciated.

[@martinbowskill5511]

The med stands for Motor Every Day cheers n beers Marty Australia

[@FollowIntrepidBear]

Haha yes heard that one too and it’s true most of the time! 😂⛵️

[@peterstocker6863]

Thankyou

[@FollowIntrepidBear]

Thank you Peter 😊

[@sailingfalcornwall1405]

I think it is very important to be realistic and show the good and the bad times. Sailing is challenging at the best of times but so much more rewarding for it……. However, I do understand how some times the weather etc just doesn’t play ball and it really can be all too much. I always enjoy your vlogs - many thanks. x

[@FollowIntrepidBear]

Thanks guys…yes there are just so many variables. Some people have homes away from the boat they can return to for a break, some have plenty of money for marinas when required, some don’t mind a rolly anchorage and some hate it! So many variables around preferences and personal circumstances that everyone is on a different journey but yes it’s not all sunsets and cocktails that’s for sure. Full time liveaboard life is actually hard work. There are some awesome rewards of course but everyone’s threshold of effort vs reward is different. We’re still finding exactly where our line is! Thanks for the supportive comment I’m glad you enjoy what we do 😊⛵️

[@geoffmeehan9723]

Looks glamorous but you have both showed the reality, but at least you have tried it, we only have one life and thank you for sharing this with us. Regards Geoff M

[@FollowIntrepidBear]

Thank you Geoff…yes people assume we’re on holiday all the time when actually the lifestyle is really hard work. Of course the rewards can be incredible but at times the balance between effort and reward is quite finely split. We’re very happy to have done it and still be doing it but look forward to being a little closer to home soon 😊⛵️

[@carltonbirds]

Lol

[@MikeDavidUK]

Why the dramatic headline? I will not watch the video as I know it will come to nothing, negative headlines are always false and misleading and say something about the person who made the video at least it tells me watch videos not to waste my time watching!!

[@iainmacdonald1170]

OK, there's some hyperbole there but its a shame you decided to comment without bothering to watch it. Kate gave a very clear explanation - backed up by some good video - of why she felt as she did. These guys come across as authentic cruisers, willing to present the down times as well as the good ones. The video itself is a nice balance of sailing (or at least being underway...) and the scenery. Sprinkled with a dose of humanity it contrasts nicely with other channels where the presenters take themselves far too seriously. I'd label Iain & Kate 'anti-celebrities' - which is a compliment in my book.

[@ShindigTrader47Sundeck]

The videos are pretty good but I do agree, this is a common thing now to attract views. A 'dramatic' headline but in reality a very minor issue.. I don't like what is basically 'click-bait' either.

[@vickicooper4156]

Shame, focusing on headlines cos you miss some awesome footage… your loss .

[@PeterNorton-ki6oj]

What a sadly negative comment. You've obviously not been following Intrepid Bear's adventures. Presumably everything in your life is perfect or perhaps you just don't have the courage to admit when it's not.

[@FollowIntrepidBear]

@mikedavidsailing here’s the thing…in a competitive space yes we work for attention grabbing headlines because it gets views which gets ad revenue pennies which help support this hobby that we enjoy. The cameras and equipment required are not cheap and do break quite a lot. So we will “ham up” things a little bit but, to us, there’s a line that we don’t like to cross and that’s why the title wasn’t “she’s quitting” or something like that. Kate has an emotional moment in this video where she is “done” for this season so yes we’ve played on that a bit. It’s part of the KZbin game unfortunately. The thumbnail and title go a long way to determine the success or otherwise of the video. I’m sorry you find it so offensive as to pointedly not watch but in actual fact Kate was very “done with it” in that moment and we were very nearly “done with it” at the end of last season so yes it was hammed up but so was a previous episode named “A whale of a sail” Due to limited camera gear you only got 20 seconds of distant whale but, in order to get interest, you have to work with anything in the video that stands out a bit and might pique people’s curiosity. Do we always get that balance right? Maybe not but no one gets everything right all the time. Anyway if you don’t want to watch that’s entirely up to you but just thought I’d let you know how it works and why we do such things. In this case it’s not entirely empty, Kate was upset and “done with it” and we were questioning our future as we quite often do. If you do watch it I hope you enjoy the stunning Sa Colobra and parts of Ibiza we visit but if you don’t then that’s up to you and thank you for your feedback, it’s always useful to know what everyone thinks. We can’t please everyone all the time but if we know what people are thinking we can work towards it. Although what we actually work towards is producing content that we enjoy 😊