Results of our Shakedown Sail | Sailing Soulianis - Ep. 15

That’s a wrap on our shakedown sail! In this episode, after sailing back across Lake Michigan to our home port of Racine, Wisconsin, and getting a little weird during the crossing (being alone on a boat definitely makes you go a little batty), we talk through everything we learned during our 3-week cruise along the west coast of Michigan.
We wanted to do a proper shakedown cruise for two reasons:
1) FUN. After years of planning, saving and searching for a sailboat, we wanted to have some fun, see the west coast of Michigan, and sail into Charlevoix to achieve one of Kirk’s childhood dreams.
2) TEST the BOAT. Even though we’d taken some daysails, up until this point we hadn’t used the boat like a cruiser, which was the big plan. Before setting off south from our home port, we wanted a better idea of what we needed to fix, change or upgrade on the boat. A multi-week shakedown sail/cruise gave us a much better understanding of what it was like to live aboard our Tartan 37.
Below is the TO DO list of things we decided were the most important and/or easy/cheap to complete before leaving on our big trip down the Mississippi/inland river system.
* Ground tackle upgrade
* New anchor - amzn.to/2ulA1sI
* Add windlass
* New anchor bridle
* New all-chain rode
* New chain hook - amzn.to/2JisyQ1
* New anchor swivel - amzn.to/2uoAo5S
* Replace leaky head with compositing head
* Convert all lights to LEDs
* Cabin - amzn.to/2Jlziwq
* Navigation - amzn.to/2L81N5L
* New battery bank
* Communications upgrade
* Purchase Verizon mifi - amzn.to/2ukuQcI
* Cellphone signal booster - amzn.to/2NMf821
* Marine cellphone antenna - amzn.to/2uxRCgj
* Wifi booster
* Insulate engine compartment
* Hydrogen sulfate monitor - amzn.to/2umsJVP
* Plumb 2nd water tank
* Add foam to settee cushions
* Run spinnaker halyard internally
* Sew UV canvas covers for winches, handrails & compass
* Buy handheld VHF - amzn.to/2uydZCq
* Rig anchor light for river trip - amzn.to/2JmTvlp
* Buy jerry cans for diesel & water/make deck railing for stowing
* Diesel - amzn.to/2NQG8NV
* Water - amzn.to/2LgYjdZ
* Re-charge fridge
Stay tuned for the next episode as the projects begin!
Hope you enjoy!
Lauren & Kirk
P.S. If you’d like more Sailing Soulianis content or would like to support our video production, consider becoming a patron here: / sailingsoulianis
-
Patreon: / sailingsoulianis
Instagram: / sailingsoulianis
Facebook: / sailingsoulianis
Website: sailingsoulian...
-
We’re looking for music! If you or someone you know makes good tunes, give us a shout at [e-mail].
-
Music:
Days Passing By - Wandersound / wandersoundradio
Horizon - Deaf-an / deafanmusic
Adventures - A Himitsu • A Himitsu - Adventures...
-
Our camera gear:
Canon 80D - amzn.to/2D6T6kO
Canon M6 - amzn.to/2Dyzya0
DJI Mavic Pro - amzn.to/2FEiQGT
RODE VideoMic GO - amzn.to/2FEfOSZ
GoPro Hero 6 Black - amzn.to/2G3ZCtk
FeiyuTech G6 - amzn.to/2G3ZCtk
-

[@BrianStDenis-pj1tq]

Found your channel today. Starting to follow your journey here. So I'm a few years late... My family is planning a similar journey - down the MS, to the Caribbean (but we are planning a motor yacht for the trip). When you said you work from the boat, that hooked me.

[@SailingSoulianis]

It's getting easier and easier to do now! One positive outcome from the pandemic.

[@spinnaker5514]

A handheld VHF is a great idea and it's a secondary back up as well. I did this in my boat to. I also found that even the good handhelds don't have the best or loudest speakers. So what I did was ad a second speaker off the main radio and mount it in the cockpit which turned out to work great! It was loud, clear and most of all cheap! You might want to consider this option! I like you other upgrade on the anchor rhode as well. I had all chain. Nothing like the comfort of an all chain road during a really big blow! I would also suggest a major storm anchor like a big Mantus or Fortress. They are easy to take apart so you can stow them when not in use. If you check out sailing UMA Dan lived through a Caribbean huricane on a 60 lbs. Mantus that he put together in about ten minutes with one simple wrench. He didn't drag a foot! I immediately went out and bought the same anchor and although I never went thru a huricane I did go thru a few snoty 50 knotters! I hated spending money on something I might never use, but knowing you have it if you need it is a real comfort! Believe me!

[@SailingSoulianis]

Good idea with the second speaker. We would actually love a remote mic (amzn.to/2LkYogR), which provides all the functionality of the main radio in the cockpit.

[@spinnaker5514]

You two are such an adorable couple.....even when your not speaking fake german! LOL! Thanks for letting us sail along with you! What could be better? Sun, sea, a beautiful girl and macaroni und cheese! God Bless and keep making these great videos!

[@SailingSoulianis]

Thanks for the kind comments!

[@wrbrdnt]

The official rule- when you are in the lead you are racing. When you are trailing well life is too short to always be competing.

[@jordanlarkin4533]

Love it! Here I thought I was the only one who turned into Marvin the Martian with a German accent when bored! My girl friend doesn’t find it as funny as Lauren does though.... Bring on more episodes!!

[@rundown48]

Oh yes.....I don't want to miss a single episode of this adventure ...I've seen lots of great sailboats for sail in the great lakes and always wondered how hard it would be to get one home to the gulf coast of Florida...Best wishes ...........Cheers

[@SailingSoulianis]

Thanks, David! Looking forward to sharing it with you!

[@nncoco]

This duo is very practical. Spend 10 years dreaming and saving. Look at many boats to buy. Walk away if it isn't right until you finally find a creampuff. Spend your valuable time sailing, not retrofitting an aged boat. Of course, if you don't have the years to save, getting a cheap fixer-upper would be the way to go. It is time, sacrifice and hard work no matter how you proceed.

[@corybrown994]

I am looking forward to your trip down to the salt, I haven't seen anyone else go that rout, and I haven't been to any of those states so this will be neat to watch,

[@pocketchange1951]

It took me 15 videos to comment, that is a new record for me. First off great channel, great people, and beautiful boat. So only advice I could give you is get some big ass solar panels and a wind gen. Engine alternators are ok for recharging starter batteries, no so good for deep cycle batteries. Invest in a solar arch aft. My sv is very similar to yours. I made the solar arch to fit 3 x 320 watt panels and my wind gen. Why so much solar you ask. Well I am not a mechanic, and diesel engines require more maitenance than I am will do to. Torn it out and put in an electric motor. I do have a generator for emergencies. Good idea to have the fridge looked at. Put solar will overcome your power consumption, and be less reliant on the diesel motor. Keep the videos coming.

[@markcrothers3707]

Love your videos! Sailing Soulianis is now my favorite! I still like Sailing La Vagabonde but I must say I look forward to your adventures more.

[@gcclique]

Mark Crothers I’m feeling the same. I’ve been watching Sailing La Vagabonde for a long time. I love Riley and Elayna but I’m so happy I have found another great couple to follow on their journey in the Caribbean!

[@arottie4097]

On our marks! Get set!! LET Gooo!!! Thanx for taking us along!

[@jonofrono762]

Looking forward to following your journey.

[@watercop5115]

Your shake down cruise was excellent, good luck gods speed Fair winds following seas.

[@fxpthl]

Outstanding video kids! Your boat is so beautiful and comfortable looking. This next adventure south looks like something that most of us subscribers will really enjoy. Using the river/ditch passage is truly out of the norm but should be much faster and safer. Interesting that your list of "things you need" , there was no mention of any solar! The covers on the decking, winches, etc. seemed less important to me. Any way, looking forward to the next chapters!

[@SailingSoulianis]

Hi Edward, thanks for your comment! Yep, we didn't mention solar because going down the river the engine is running nearly all day charging the batteries. Solar is definitely in the cards, but since we didn't need it before the trip, it wasn't included in this list.

[@davidkean8399]

Hello you guys! Keep it up, love the sarcastic comedy! I live and sail in Michigan, Midland MI to be exact. I've had a 10 plan to move my boat to Florida and start the same thing! I'm on my last year, all my debt is paid just wrapping up lose ends! Kudos and fair winds you two!

[@SailingSoulianis]

Heck yeah, David! That's what we like to hear!! We're stoked for you and your new adventure. 💙 Thanks so much for your comment!

[@brentmeyer4162]

No FCC needed for VHF. SSB is not worth the expenditure. Check out Irridium GO as an offshore options. Also, I think zincs are different for fresh vs. salt water. Lots of spare filters for oil & fuel.

[@jhs6056]

Great episode, and looking forward to your continued adventures ahead. Fair weather and enjoyable seas... Cheers J & D

[@SailingSoulianis]

Thanks J & D!

[@jhendric98]

if someone stumbled on only this video from your channel, they'd seriously think you did nothing but eat. HAH! Fun channel folks. Thanks for sharing. :)

[@rondejoux8006]

Very enjoyable, and Tanks for zee Laugh.

[@cbfinchy]

Great VLOG! I'm glad I found you! I've only been sailing for a couple of years (101 and 103 complete), and I look forward to my first boat in a couple of years. Sail on!

[@SailingSoulianis]

Congratulations Christopher, that's an accomplishment to be excited about. Good luck with your boat search!

[@sasquatchhadarock968]

Everytime Kirk pans down into the cabin Lauren is wolfing down snacks 😂. Better stash some secret rations for your longer voyages, Kirk!

[@chrisphinney6430]

good to see your plan. being a milwaukee native your story really appeals to me. keep up on the videos for those of us stuck on land

[@neanderthor66]

The river cruise sounds fun. It's giving me the daydream of sailing from St. Paul to Sao Paulo

[@AdventureCalls]

We are very excited to see the trip down the river!

[@risasb]

Oh cool always wanted to see someone do the Ditch.

[@SailingSoulianis]

There is very little coverage about this stretch of water. We have been researching it and been unable to find a whole lot. Hopefully we can help others who are thinking about the same trip.

[@iainlyall6475]

all i really know about that trip is sand bars and tides. it's supposed to be worse than the icw :-( can't wait for you to go down it. :-)

[@edrussell7960]

Looking forward to your route down the ditch. Should be great video opportunities. Thanks for sharing. And love the long hair, so nice

[@SailingSoulianis]

Hey Ed, thanks for watching!

[@bayareablues2255]

I just binge watched all your videos over the last two days. I really like the channel. Great music, too. I'm looking forward to following you down the Mississippi. Sounds awesome!

[@SailingSoulianis]

Thanks so much!!

[@wildaltarose]

BayAreaBlues Well you are slow I did it in 1 day.....

[@bayareablues2255]

@@wildaltarose Well, it was in the days before quarantine! ;-)

[@oldmanriverrimington3442]

I'm so excited to sail down "the ditch"

[@bill4nier]

Nice plan. Will definitely be interested in what type of refrigeration system you get. On your dodger, I think you should with a hard one. It will offer better protection in all types of weather with the option of soft sides when you need it. That my 2 cents.😉 Thanks for sharing. 😍⛵⛵⛵⛵⛵⛵⛵⛵😊👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@nealsnapp7730]

Another fabulous video! I wish they were an hour instead of twenty or so minutes :) But I understand that would be way too much work!! I appreciate the effort you guys put into these videos and I can't wait until the next one!

[@SailingSoulianis]

Thanks so much, Neal! You're so right, an hour would take forever to create. As it is these 15-min videos are still taking us 2 weeks+ each...!

[@kevinfisher1345]

Nice, do not really see much videos like this oddly. Yea sure others go over some things or you see it over several videos of DIY repair / install. But nice break down covering everything one learned from their shake down is great to see. I am sure you are not the first, but all the channels I watch, it is something have not seen a lot of, so it really fills that gap. TA!

[@TheMorganMonroeShow]

Super awesome. Enjoying the show so keep up the good work. You have yourself a new follower for sure.

[@karitane]

Sounds like you've gone through a very comprehensive learning curve before setting off on your adventures proper. I look forward to following it with you. Good luck matees.

[@SailingSoulianis]

Cheers! Thanks, Derek!

[@philo5096]

Hinckley 42, they have bucks!

[@stevesheliflying]

I will be looking forward to your river ditch travels. It was something I thought we would be doing, but then we bought our boat in NC so we will not do the river trip. Great video. FYI, I have seen others use their winch to help retrieve the anchor. Something you might want to keep in mind.

[@patrickcleland6065]

Another fan! Just found your channel a couple of weeks ago after buying a sailboat. Will be putting in at South Haven for the first time later this week. Awighty......I got to say this, cause I am born and raised in Michigan. Where then Great Lakes are life. At about the 4 or 5 minute mark of the video , Kirk says "all 4 Great Lakes" What the poop?? Come on man, he knows there are 5 Great Lakes. Which one is he not counting?

[@SailingSoulianis]

Hi Patrick! Congrats, that sounds awesome! I do know there are five lakes, HOMES was drilled into me at a very young age. I was referring to the four lakes we’d have to traverse (sans Superior) to get to salt water via the east coast ICW leg. -Kirk

[@patrickcleland6065]

Ahhhh.....well it makes sense when ya say it like that! As a matter of fact, I feel like a bit of dork now for not catching that. I have been watching a ton of sailing videos lately as we are gearing up to make our own "first trip" on our sailboat. In a sea (pun intended) of shabby and just awkward KZbin videos......your channel is a refreshing change! Your videos seem to be well thought out/better planned than most.

[@john3Lee]

I didn't realise how picturesque the towns are on the lake side of Lake Michigan :o Also, I noticed how nice the varnish is on your boat 4:06 - Thumbs up from me in South West England..

[@SailingSoulianis]

Hi John, the west side of Michigan is as good as it gets in the Midwest! Unfortunately we can't take any credit for the varnish. That was all the previous owners of our boat. Cheers!

[@davidinafrica8898]

You guys are great! Binged watched and I’ve yet to see an episode where Lauren isn’t eating, 😂

[@SailingSoulianis]

No intentions there with the editing, but I had noticed that, too, after publishing... Fortunately I don't think I've reached Brad Pitt in Ocean's Eleven status, yet. 😂 -Lauren

[@wildaltarose]

Next to the eating Lauren is always smiling.

[@dburns82]

Hello from Alabama! I enjoy watching your channel. I think it’s amazing what you guys are doing. Best wishes on your journey. Dave

[@SailingSoulianis]

Hey David, thanks so much for your comment! 💙

[@gregcarpenter8128]

Hey guys. Just completed sailing classes at Kenosha Yacht Club, with an eye to pulling the trigger on buying a boat. It's great you're going to head for the ocean on the route you've chosen. I'll be super interested in how that goes. Great channel, by the way. Thanks!

[@SailingSoulianis]

Hey Greg, congratulations. Sounds like you’re off to a great start on a fantastic adventure. Cheers!

[@curacao11]

awesome video guys, can't wait to see you in the Caribbean :-)

[@SailingSoulianis]

Cheers thank you! We can't wait either. :)

[@sayterslam]

Judging by the eating,laughing anz za accent, you guys hit a dispensary.

[@CheersWarren]

What? your not going to rip out the interior and spend 9 months putting it all back in like every other channel! Good on you! I like your List based on what you discovered......almost like you know what your doing! Defiantly going to be interesting to see you doing part of the " great loop" . Make sure you find time to stop and see "SV Seeker' in Oklahoma, he is planning to take his 75' steel junk rigged boat down the Mississippi too! How far do you have to go before you can put your mast up?.....Oklahoma is the head of big ship navigation I think? You didn't mention lots of spares for the engine. what is that noisy engine anyway? Cheers Warren

[@RemodNC]

Excellent video! Keep them coming, you will get support!

[@SailingSoulianis]

Cheers, thanks!

[@Schnot]

Going down the Mississippi will be great to watch. Good luck guys!

[@SailingSoulianis]

Thanks? ;)

[@Schnot]

Haha I hit the wrong damn punctuation...

[@MrRourk]

You see why a lot of people can never leave the Great Lakes :)

[@SailingSoulianis]

But such great adventure awaits!

[@MalloyUnfiltered]

All the best!

[@BabetteS]

One sailing boat ia a sailing boat... Two sailing boats is a race... :-)

[@SailingSoulianis]

ALWAYS! Whether the other one knows it or not... :)

[@arottie4097]

Yup! & if the other beats ya. Whilst never even realizing they were in the racing. Well then they just flat out cheated!! Ha! ;) Grrrrr.

[@lucasspaniard8430]

Any time 2 boats are sailing in a similar direction it is a race...... Whether they admit it or not! :)

[@jessicakirchoff1214]

Wasn't a one design race so PHRF rating the Hinkley would definately owe the Tartan some time. . . two boats always makes a race. All for fun!

[@mk500]

I can’t wait to see the ditch!

[@rherman9085]

Excellent video!! You might want to look into LiOn batteries. They are much lighter, more forgiving, take more abuse and have a much longer service life. The downside is that they can charge slow. I would look into solar charging. Buy yourself a set of wire crimpers, crimp kit and look into Power Pole connectors. PM me if you need help with this. Look into getting your ham radio license. Being on the water (sea water), it makes for a natural antenna. Being down in the Carribean, you'll learn about the HWN (Hurricane Watch Net) and the Sea Farers net. Both of these are wonderful. The Sea Farers Net (14.300) will enable you to report your position daily and know you have someone looking out for you via ham radio.

[@lkm5462]

SSB radio, out in the ocean. Also two handheld vhf. So if One takes the tender the other can talk back to the Boat .amazon gives a 100$ credit if you apply for a card and that will pay for one hand held. Also as a US vessel you’ll need for a technicians license(fcc) for use in the US.. more to follow

[@ryanh4889]

@Lk M SSB is going the way of the FAX machine. Not used very much anymore when you can get a low cost data plan with Iridium. Also FCC license for VHF or SSB is hardly ever enforced. Sounds like you are reading books published in the 80s.

[@billyberrey9395]

We enjoy watching your Videos. We live in Gulf Shores Alabama and keep our boat in Homeport Marina. When you come this way if you need anything look us up. Billy and Leslie

[@Bhatmann]

When I first saw Soulianis, I thought Lithuanian, maybe Dutch. Not I know, it’s a star. Very nice area, I went to school there for 3 years. But I don’t care for the winters. Good luck on your travels,

[@lucasspaniard8430]

fun video, I want to see footage of Kirk during a long passage please lol! :)

[@drwindsurf]

I love the way you share you thinking and reasoning for doing what you do. I had no idea you could exit the Great Lakes any other way than the St Lawrence or Erie Canal...I am really looking forward to learning about forth coming route. Thank you for another fantastic video :)

[@SailingSoulianis]

You have a lot of company! There are a ton of people who had no idea this was possible. We, were included in this group until just a couple of years ago. How cool to know the entire eastern seaboard, including Michigan, where I grew up is an island! -Kirk

[@DavidJones-bg5cf]

Suggest converting your to frig and freezer to operate from an engine driven compressor. An hour or two of run time per day should keep everything cold without any load on your electrical system.

[@johnjanetcourant7517]

Very good list from your shakedown cruise. I take back anything bad I said about you.

[@larrykramer6057]

Am familiar with the Illinois River down to Lake Peoria, and wish to advise you that it would be advisable to become alcoholics since there are bars everywhere along the river-- everywhere. Good luck in the ditch.

[@jackpatteeuw9244]

Before you start your trip down "The Ditch", you need to stock up on spare parts. Water pump impellers, gasket, belts, etc. Engine water pump, alternator and a starter are also good spares, the later two should be shrink wrapped for long storage. A good set of tools, lubricants, sealants, etc. Also get a digital multimeter, one with an "amp clamp" that will read up to about 100A DC. I STRONGLY recommend upgrading your electrical system SOONER rather than later ! To start with, an engine alternator is NOT a good power source, especially for recharging deep discharge (house) batteries. I recommend four 6V golf cart batteries (Sams Club or Costco) for your battery bank. Flooded (wet) lead acid batteries are the most cost effective, but of course require monitoring and topping off. If you want to charge your house batteries from your alternator/starting battery you need a DC-DC multi-stage charger like a CTEK D250SA. Finally, a good inverter/charger/automatic transfer switch is essential. I recommend a Samlex EVO. It accepts shore power input, generator input and even solar input and will automatically switch the AC output to the correct source. Then you can actually buy a small window A/C. Sooner or later you will have to deal with the engine cooling system. Pay particular attention to all coolers/heat exchangers and the exhaust manifolds, elbows/risers.

[@sv-macgyversridewjackbabbj6739]

Ps: I lived in the UP for 6 years great people . Bruce Crossing Mi . Y’all lol great . God bless

[@rubin5064]

We are selling our bend oregon house and moving back to Marquette & heading to the Bahamas. Our journeys sound similia--- SUPER stoked to watch your journey!!!

[@SailingSoulianis]

Hi Rubin, that sounds fantastic. We've never been to Bend, but would like to do some more exploring in the PNW some day. We've only had a small taste. Cheers!

[@AdventureCalls]

Be careful not to mess with engine cooling when installing the sound installation

[@SailingSoulianis]

We do have a good exhaust fan, but you're right - as it is now, there is fresh air getting in through all sorts of openings in the engine compartment. Part of the sound deadening will be to patch those all up. So it is something to think about.

[@dagwood1327]

40 years ago I helped build a couple of locks and dams on the ditch. At least one very tall lock in the system. 98ft water to water near bay springs, ms.

[@SailingSoulianis]

Hi David, that's fantastic! What a feat of engineering they are. Quite incredible to see up close in operation. I can't imagine the difficulty in building them. -Kirk

[@dano.819]

Your route down the east coast of Lake Michigan is pretty much the route we take to bring boats back from the race to Mackinac Island every July, including the last leg being a 24 hour crossing to Chicago. We've had a great time in each of those towns, I hope you guys did as well!

[@SailingSoulianis]

Hi Dan, we had a fantastic time. We love the west coast of Michigan! There is so much to see and do, we're heading back this summer over land in the van!

[@Wearyman]

It's funny going back and watching this in 2019. I live right near the Erie Canal. (about 300 yards from it. Can see it from my bedroom window) While I understand your decision not to go that way, I am still a little sad you didn't come my way. Would have liked to have seen you guys, you're such a nice couple.

[@MsStrong30]

Two boats on the water, you're always racing.... even if you're not!

[@user-tz8oj2cc4k]

いい日々をね♪ Thank You

[@para1324]

Great videos enjoying very much. How about buying an anchor alarm? 👍🇺🇸

[@waynedoeblin6801]

If you are unstepping the mast,you must have some bridges to go under? If I can give any advice at all,it’s never skimp on power. Backup systems for backup systems.And water,I guess you’ve figured a usage rate by now,but within reason,you can’t have too much water 💦 Awesome to see you two again,all the very best,I am also looking forward to the “ditch”😊

[@SailingSoulianis]

Hey Wayne, yep, there's a 19' fixed bridge on the Illinois River. Thanks for watching!

[@waynedoeblin6801]

I love watching you guys,thanks for replying.Looking forward to next time😊

[@marshallbrowne5371]

See you in the Caribbean...Just purchased a Pearson 40 in Rhode Island and will be going down the ICW in November. Good list well thought out. Do you have solar? I highly recommend it. Most important, have fun!

[@jantoniolaboy]

Ok, I'm invested. When's the next episode

[@SailingSoulianis]

Hi Joshua, we've been releasing videos every other week or so.

[@scottiedoesit9480]

Wow, shaking down in Michigan - almost as sweet as shake downing in NZ! :p Greetings from Kiwiland ;)

[@scottiedoesit9480]

What is the verb for shakedown sailing anyway?? :p

[@arottie4097]

I believe that would be. Shakedown sailing!? Wait what? Ha! ;) Grrrrr.

[@33eyeman]

In the St. Pete area Gulfport FL. Is a great area for a layover.

[@williamdykes2750]

My dad was the first Commodore of the Gulf Port Yacht Club back before WW-2. Just a bunch of kids that lofted and built their own sailboats and raced the daylights out of them. I have a racing trophy on my fireplace mantel, the Cliff S. Hadley Trophy, First Place 1941. Unfortunately, my father was killed in an Air force plane crash when I was young. The apple didn't fall far from the tree though. I love sailing. My adult daughter was raised sailing. I'm too old to do it much anymore, but am happy to watch the adventures of all ya'll.

[@sergioedhi1839]

4/20 in the Great Lake!

[@cestmoi1262]

I think you overlooked the importance of generating electricity via windpower and/or solar panels.

[@JerryDLTN]

2:50 Let's hope he doesn't start writing a book "All work and no play makes Kirk a dull boy. All work and no play makes Kirk a dull boy. All work and no play makes Kirk a dull boy. " #TheShining

[@AthelstanEngland]

"We're racing... I don't know if he knows it" :) lol two boats on the water …. he knows. Great episode!! EDIT: Just scrolled the comments and it seems everyone knows :)

[@donkinzer5718]

Another great video! I'm looking forward to seeing your journey to the Gulf. You didn't say, however, what your anticipated departure time is. Just recently, I read an article about the inland waterway from Chicago to the Gulf of Mexico and it will be interesting to see how your experience fits with what I've read.

[@SailingSoulianis]

Hi Don, the typical time to leave is mid-late summer. However after purchasing our boat much later in the season that we had anticipated we didn't have much choice than to leave later. We had a lot we wanted to get done, and had to have some fun too!

[@mrzif0013]

Enjoying the videos! ! Sounds like you made a good boat purchase and you are from Ann arbor,to boot! We live in saline for the past 30 odd years! camping at young state park and East jordan, are these familiar places? I'll be checking out leland, pentwater and manitou island this summer,. Seaya !

[@MrRourk]

Plan enough daylight hours to make it through the Chicago Area and Joliet!

[@edrussell7960]

Anytime there is two sailboats together they are racing..... Even if nobody says so.even if they deny it later.lol

[@SailingSoulianis]

Absolutely. ;D

[@sevgilim1308]

great German Accent. well doneeeeee

[@matthewcragg3607]

In your video editing software…slice the video just before where the fake accent begins and slice it again after where it ends. Then highlight the now isolated part with the fake accent, right click it, then click "Delete". Then re-export the video and re-publish to KZbin.

[@nickpitera7891]

Looking forward to your journey.. You may want to consider a Sea Frost Cold plate. Runs off the engine alternator. Keeps the ice box cold all day and you only need to run it about 45 min. I also need to add chain . Curious what you upgrade your anchoring system. Please let us know... All the best. Nick, S/V Angela Mia T37 # 336. Lake Superior.

[@SailingSoulianis]

Hi Nick, thanks for the suggestion. After a recharge from our neighbor, our fridge should be all fixed up. At least we hope so ;)

[@travelwithus750]

So I have noticed someone loves Mac n cheese lol.

[@jefferylynn8848]

Boy do I feel like a fool here I thought I offered some advice on my experience on the river and you've been in Florida Keys this whole time

[@schoentje62]

From what year is yout boat, everything looks so new!

[@SailingSoulianis]

Soulianis is a 1979

[@robertjarrell5195]

So I see you are improving you midi, cell, and marine but where does your signal come from. Do you buy a month service

[@sv-macgyversridewjackbabbj6739]

I have say the voice of who ever you were speaking like needs a name like Mr . Wevelstokin and every time you do this say something as if guess who is here with us today and she will say who my dear . It Mr. Wevelstockin . Well anyway I laugh so hard at Mr .Wevelstockin I hurt my stomach . Oh I wish I could meet you two one day . Little late on the boat for me but hope to set sail this year . Retired Union workers 798. :)

[@snakeplisken4278]

Careful with those cellphone signal boosters...I work in the telco industry and can confirm they are very unreliable at best and often use incompatible frequency ranges resulting in slow speeds or no boosting. That said, if you do get a masthead antenna of the right kind (omni directional), it may help. Test if you can before you commit. Forget about wifi boosters, when and if you find any free wifi, it will be overloaded (thus slower than cell very often ) and potentially open to easier hacking. I found it best to use two providers ie Verizon and Google Project FI combined with an old (unused cellphone) as your hotspot. This way at least you have more chances to get decent coverage. With project FI, yes you are limited to the phones they offer, but you only pay for data you actually use and yes $10/Gb is not the cheapest, but as you move from place to place (worldwide) it auto connects to strongest signal worldwide and you don't have to change sim cards and cost is still $10 per Gig. Please report back on you what ended up working best for you as well. Oh, and with a handheld Garmin Explorer + you can get offshore weather anywhere offshore and blue tooth to iPad or phone to send and receive messages. This is generally cheaper that an Iridium Go and still get you decent weather. Sign for the yearly plan, then suspend when not used for no extra cost.

[@SailingSoulianis]

Thanks for the thoughts! We do have two providers (Tmobile on our cellphones) and we purchased a Verizon MiFi part way through our shake down. Unfortunately it seemed that anytime our Tmobile service was lacking, the Verizon wasn't any better, hence the thought of the signal booster & Antenna. I do like the idea of ProjectFI and we may consider it for this next year, especially. I am hoping this next generation iridium constellation gets online sooner than later :)

[@fudogwhisperer3590]

no watermaker? You ought to check out rainman. Also Lauren is going to want to think of wearing her hair shorter...........the humidity in the summer down here in the Caribbean is horrendous.

[@Nixontheman]

Good Tube!

[@markbernier8434]

You didn't mention spare Jerry can for gasoline. Also, speak to refrig tech about soft start for compressor. If using propane for cooking and bbq ensure a spare bottle and french style fittings/adaptors for Caribbean use. Think really hard about water maker, like rain man or similar. Not all dock water is pristine. Also, extra diesel filtration/polishing.

[@SailingSoulianis]

Hey Mark, we did mention jerry cans for diesel, as we have a diesel engine. For cooking, we have an alcohol stove and can pick up fuel at most hardware stores. As for a water maker, it's something on the wish list, but not something we need in the short-term future. This punchlist is for things we needed before our river trip, and didn't include projects we want to do for cruising beyond the USA -- that's a separate, bigger list!

[@markbernier8434]

Thought I saw a gas outboard on the tender.

[@sergyk9588]

👍👍👍

[@raymondobrien5686]

How do you keep the sailboat so clean

[@SV-DEDICATED]

Soulianis = great channel !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓

[@donkinzer5718]

Your "German" accent wasn't too bad - quite funny, actually. Remember, though, that a V would be pronounced as if it were a W - so voyage would be "wo-age".

[@tna2me197]

Ever been to Beaver island ? Planning a trip there this year in September

[@SailingSoulianis]

No, we haven't. If we had a little more time on the lake we would of loved to make it. I've seen the ferry go in and out of Charlevoix for so many years, but never had an opportunity to get out there.

[@tna2me197]

Sailing Soulianis I was there once when I was a flight instructor and had a student that owned a property there. But that was 20 years ago. I’ll probably do a little video about the trip. I’m thinking of starting a channel called Lake Michigan Sailing Adventure or something like that.

[@MrRourk]

There is Goat Island on the Tenn Tom

[@kapekodbob]

Ohhh, fantastic. Can't wait to travel along with you. Lots to do to get ready. Couple questions, what is the speed of the river current and what speed do you have to be at to maintain steerageway ? Is the plan to dock every night or not ?

[@SailingSoulianis]

The current varies quite a bit from 3-4 knots against our direction of travel, to slack water, and as much 5-6 knots in our favor. It depends on the river we're on at, the state of the dams along the way and weather (rainfall) in the areas that feed into the major river systems. As long as we have engine power we will have steerage. We don't have to match or beat the river current, we just need to be able to move our boat in relation to the moving water, so even at idle we will be able to maneuver the boat, we will just need to account for the drift in the direction of the current. Our boat makes 6-6.5 knots through the water, so it is impossible for us to stay in a Marina every night. But in addition to marinas, there are a number of free docks and plenty of anchorages along the way.

[@kapekodbob]

Thanx for the reply. Reason I asked is because I was a helmsman aboard a WWII USN destroyer in the mid 60's and when we came to "all stop" in the open ocean eventually we would lose steerageway and have to so announce to officer who had the "con"

[@Frindleeguy]

Bring Ze EGGS!!!