ATLANTIC CROSSING: Why you should always listen to your gut. #98

[@nikolas18v]

Above all, I like Sophie's sense of humor gushing from her narration in all the videos

[@feanor3876]

It seems to me that as ocean sailors the decision to stop because "we wanted to" is the perfect reason. Ryan's technical explanation of the radio was perfect.

[@RyanSophieSailing]

Right?! I think that sometimes, we loose sight of the fact that we don't always need a good reason to stop!

[@tomjones6777]

“A burger and a beer.” Such a simple pleasure BUT oh so wonderful, eh ? Fatigue can be serious because it compromises alertness, judgement and stamina- for all these reasons and more a stop is the safe and responsible thing to do.

[@Cortez-rx7vj]

Your videos are always fun to watch no matter the weather....how a 15 minute video picks up a dislike 12 minutes after going live is a complete mystery to me. Keep up the good work and good luck.

[@RyanSophieSailing]

Aaah thanks so much! :) so glad to hear you enjoyed it!

[@notwhatiwasraised2b]

I suspect some people make a sport of disliking all new videos by any/everyone

[@francismontocchio9910]

What’s there to dislike? I don’t get it…

[@joesamson8666]

I believe the dislike are because of the constant whining and complaining that Sophie does. Always OVERcomplaining as if sailing was supposed to be as smooth as ice-skating, especially when she contributes literally 0% of the actual sailing effort! This video was muuuuuuuch better though! She didn't complain as usual!

[@notwhatiwasraised2b]

@@joesamson8666 then don't watch the channel!

[@SailingwithScott]

Ryan hit it on the nose... "Cruise Director". I love it!

[@JustMe-pp1mp]

I, for one, am mystified that neither beer nor burger fixin's made their way onto Polar Seal prior to departure. Both fall into the realm of 'comfort food' at my place. HOWEVER, it is what it is (or was), Sophie got her burger, Polar Seal got her radio fixed ( I assume ) so all's well in the world. Look forward to next weeks video, I'm thinking there's a hangover or three looming. :-) Stay safe

[@wk6976]

Hamburger and beer is a favourite. It would be difficult to pass up. Thanks for sharing.

[@robertlavigne8153]

As a very frequent visitor to BDA .. I heartily approve of your stopping there AND your getting sozzled at the Swizzle INN ...hope the rest of the trip was as much fun .... BDA is always a great place to stop ...

[@RyanSophieSailing]

Robert... I promise to make your comment honor in next week’s video 😉

[@robertlavigne8153]

@@RyanSophieSailingImmpécable !! Merci J’espère que vous visiterez le Canada ..., soyez en sécurité et au plaisir de vous rencontrer en France, au Canada ou à Swizzle Inn !!

[@michaelmarcus2318]

For VHF radios, antenna height matters more than power. Thus a converter that let's you connect the hand held radio to the mast head antenna can be useful and is a lot less expensive than a duplicate full power radio. Plus, if you're a ham, you can use the converter to connect a 2m ham radio to the mast head antenna and get good range in countries like US when the 2m ham band is heavily used.

[@doyouwanttogivemelekiss3097]

and antenna gain, I guess

[@michaelmarcus2318]

Actually antenna gain for sail boats is a mixed issue. High gain antennas used on power boats are longer than normal low gain sailboat mast antenna so they can cause bridge clearance issues. They also focus on the horizontal plane so when the boat is heeling the high gain is probably pointed in the wrong place. But another key factor is getting the lowest loss cable you can afford to both buy and to install in your mast. In general low loss cables had more weight/ft and larger diameter than cheaper cables.

[@nicholasmorin1175]

Excellent video again can't wait to see the Swizzle inn episode loll. Vous êtes parfait les amis , profiter de la vie . take care..( hey Sophie...il fait froid ici au Canada en ce moment, et l'hiver se pointe à l'horizon.🌨⛄) Keep up the good work and i wish you good weather. Bon vent 😎👍

[@RyanSophieSailing]

Super!!! Merci Nicholas! :)

[@bayanicustodio3998]

I am always under the impression that people go cruising was to see new places… good that you guys stopped in Bermuda… otherwise I we wouldn’t have seen it through your eyes. 👍🙂

[@RyanSophieSailing]

It is, but it also costs a lot of money in terms of visa and covid protocols. So stopping is not always the obvious decision! :) With that said, I'm glad we stopped!

[@billhanna8838]

Number 1 rule when cruising - No time table & Burger , Beer & Rum close second - Fair winds

[@kaskl5403]

The water looked amazing.

[@RyanSophieSailing]

It was! Minus the sargossa... 😬But that sunset before we arrived was epic!

[@petercharles6462]

Thanks again for telling the unvarnished story. The trials and second guessing are just one more part of life at sea. It's not all sun and sundowner! Showing all sides of your journey is brave, and helpful for those considering this life.

[@moriver3857]

Nothing wrong to stopping and regroup. Looks like the VHF radio smelled the burger and beer. Fair winds.

[@steveburton5825]

Not that anyone will give you much grief for it, but the Q (Quebec or Quarantine) flag should always be flown UNDER the host country flag (which should always be in the position of honour as the highest flag on the boat). I noticed Ryan put the Q flag on top of the Bermuda flag.

[@philgray1023]

The officials in some countries have zero sense of humour over this. Their flag means a lot to them.

[@demale1]

So glad your powerful lesson had a happy outcome!

[@ratchet1freak]

As a hint for putting the spinnaker back into the sock you should run the line through a ratchet-block tied to a cleat on the deck. That way you can put more weight on the line and there is no danger of getting pulled off the deck by a stray gust of wind, the one-way ratchet will then make sure you can hold the line should such a gust pop up.

[@ianb4801]

I'm more concerned by the hang-dog attitude, as in "woe is me". on the part of Ryan. He seems so awkward and unsure of himself on the foredeck, certainly far from happy - not what you need. Strange that the sock fell apart like that, but the sail seemed to be drawing fully and that mightn't help. I've seen your idea before as well, but that wouldn't stop the sock being pulled apart like that; just what were those lines like at the top at the time? Another problem your suggestion gets around was that the Ryan didn't have the sock control line secured anywhere; one slip and off it goes, flying like a flag. About dousing the sail, I've only ever flown my asym single-handed and on long legs where I never need to gybe. I find it works best for me to release the tack, letting the fly free but nowhere near the forestay and getting the sock and sail down is a breeze, right next to the mast where the halyards are. ps I've been trying to get a ratchet block as you have but with covid issues since the UK, finding one has been just impossible at Cascais, Curacao and now Colon. Mind you I'd settle for matching nuts, bolts and washers at Colon right now.

[@JakobEngl]

Great Video !

[@sergest-pierre6160]

Considering you got beat up for a week, I would have stop. Getting back into the rhythm after a break of a few days is mush quicker. Can wait for what is coming next. Thanks for showing us how important a light air sail is. Most boat don't come with one and you need to get one and practice to use it.

[@marktaylor484]

Excellent

[@linf525]

Why were you originally in such a rush? Stopping in Bermuda seems like a very good choice, even if you didn't have to get a new VHF. You have proven yourselves to be able sailors as you went through a terrible time early in your voyage!

[@thatoceanvibe2058]

I think maybe because of the weather? but true, I also think its better stop and take a good rest because an Atlantic crossing is no joke🤪

[@RyanSophieSailing]

Weather, for one, but also cost. Bermuda is super expensive, and we had to pay quite a bit for entry procedures related to covid. Having a functionning VHF is absolutely necessary while far away from land. While we could have survived without it had it broken offshore, the priority would have been to get it fixes ASAP. And considered what happened to us later on (in exactly three episodes :p) we are VERY happy we had a functioning VHF with us!

[@Kit2Canada]

Superb!

[@RyanSophieSailing]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@edwardking7283]

I second Robert Lavigne's comment for visitors into Bermuda, the Swizzle Inn cannot be beat . . . Swizzle Inn - SWAGGER OUT!!!

[@RyanSophieSailing]

Please be here for next week’s video 😉

[@anthonybeck2384]

Nice work team 👏🏻👏🏻

[@Big.Ron1]

So its burger&beermuda. I would most likely stop. But then again I would most likely go up to Maine and not go to the Azores. But thats just me. I think its cool what you have done. Thank you and be safe.

[@RyanSophieSailing]

If I had a visa to enter the US, we would have chosen Maine too. But I still can't :)

[@Jakfilm]

That very same guy from Bermuda Radio gave me such a hard time when we arrived there three years ago. I was really tired and said we were arriving from the North East rather than the North West. He wouldn't let it go and humiliated me on the radio for hours.

[@thatoceanvibe2058]

That sucks, why are people like that? 😂

[@RyanSophieSailing]

No way?!!! He was super nice to us! Can't believe it!

[@aaronbarlow7701]

Ryan messing with the spinnaker - “ oh s**t “ Me - ☠️☠️☠️

[@biscuiteater40]

I do enjoy your videos as it’s not all Sun, bikinis and rum. I just wonder how you know who to contact before you reach another country. When you called Bermuda Radio for example. Granted, I just live vicariously through all the KZbin sailing videos so not sure if I just haven’t seen those videos yet or will learn when I take my sailing 101 course.

[@RyanSophieSailing]

That's actually an excellent question! Before any passage, we prepare a "navigation plan" that includes contingency options. Part of planning for contingency includes checking the requirements for checking in. In this particular case, we had taken the contingency planning as far as to actually fill in the passenger locator forms (including PCR tests) for Bermuda, to make sure that we would have no problems entering in case we'd need it. Entry protocols are usually fairly easy to find online!

[@marvinlacson132]

Hi. Guyz.. Why choose mono.? Catsail are awesome for comfort.. Been watching ur voyage.. Rough one.. 😂 Keep safe..

[@RyanSophieSailing]

$$$$

[@jamieminton172]

What's the point of cruising if not for the fun of it? The B.O.A.T. bit.... if your not used to it by now... OH WELL. Keep em coming. 😁

[@JCAJCA3]

Another really good video! Sophie, When will you tell us about how the Washer/Dryer are doing? Thanks a bunch, JC

[@RyanSophieSailing]

I'll have to do a "short" about it!

[@JCAJCA3]

@@RyanSophieSailing Thanks Sophie!!!

[@stevenplancich6449]

Ya gotta stop at Bermuda…Ya got the Flag & the Beer would be Tasty😉 Stay Safe & Enjoy😎

[@paulinebutler5186]

This isn’t the route from Azores to Caribbean. How old is this trip?

[@MC-re2ry]

"Your brain can blind, your heart can play tricks, but your gut is almost always right." -- anonymousp

[@Willco5114]

The VHF made your decision. I totally agree.

[@AlsinoFerreira]

Haha great video guys :-)

[@neilgardiner7632]

Love the videos, keep them coming...BUT, convention dictates that you should never put a Q flag (or any other for that matter) above a courtesy ensign on the same halyard...

[@thelifeandtimesofteddywint5396]

Not understanding the sleep issues on such a smooth approach to Bermuda.

[@RyanSophieSailing]

Go back to the last two episodes for a debrief of the sleep issues :p

[@thelifeandtimesofteddywint5396]

@@RyanSophieSailing nah its OK thanks, just saying that video starts on day six calm as you'd like and stays the same past day ten when you arrive. BTW your arrival was a little calmer than our last arrival. We sailed up from BVI and as we approached from the south of the island we were hit unexpectedly by 65 knots and 6m seas. Shredded all our sails and it took us 5 hours to get into harbour under power. My mate Keiron had to fly home after being thrown around the cockpit a few times and breaking some ribs. Happy sailing! 😊

[@scottysscandinavia5793]

Gut feel/instinct only ever works in hindsight.

[@RyanSophieSailing]

that is very true! :)

[@allanmoore7790]

Your wishing for a new asymmetric spinnaker and new navigation/electronics has come true! Maybe it’s all because you sailed through “The Bermuda Triangle”. 😁

[@bojangles8837]

Correctly using VHF marine radio initial call transmissions procedures are rarely studied. When obtaining your restricted radio operators permit does not require any such course. What I hear incorrectly all too often is repeating station calling and working 3 times for normal transmissions. You should use 2X's transmission for initial call of a potentially UNMONITORED stations. Better just once if no response call again. Then just talk normal, no need for "OVER" after each transmission. According to regulations only emergency distress, urgency and safety transmissions require a repetitive calling. This operating procedure has seemed to fester into a standard call procedure for normal calls throughout the amateur marine VHF community. Routine calling procedures require name and/ or other identifying information of the station being called, spoken once only. The three times should only be used for distress, whether for Sucurite, Pan Pan or MayDay

[@RyanSophieSailing]

The US is about the only country in the world that does not require a course or testing for the certificate. Most europe countries do. What are the regulations your referring to? In our RYA course we were taught 3x for all transitions. (Personal view. I'm aviation we never say it 3x only once, which I like a lot more. That said, in the marine world and especially on sailboats sometimes we can't hear the full transmission cause you are away from the VHF the 3x can help with that. )

[@bojangles8837]

@@RyanSophieSailingYou have been taught incorrectly. As far as I know same for all as it is an international standard. If you have information otherwise, I would be interested to know the reg.

[@bojangles8837]

Bad information and procedures are like a cancer. Some RYA instructor says this is how it’s done or hear others doing and all swear it is a reg and SOP

[@mch979]

Hi guys. Love your content and practical tips. Just my opinion, but the music in the background when you are talking is a distraction and not necessary. Background songs are fine, so long as you don't have to talk over them. Probably make editing easier if you dropped the music, at least while you are talking.

[@bradewing5470]

Enjoy the burger and beer.

[@DaveHines1]

Bet that burger and beer tasted good 😃🍻

[@RyanSophieSailing]

Oh my god Dave... it was AMAZING :D

[@DaveHines1]

@@RyanSophieSailing good food and drink + circumstances , often makes it Amazing 😃🍻

[@michaelmarcus2318]

@@DaveHines1 Jimmy Buffet's Cheeseburger in Paradise was written after a similar voyage kzbin.info/www/bejne/oHPWgY2MZpl8Y80 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheeseburger_in_Paradise

[@gerhardvanwaltsleben8944]

Lekker man lekker

[@svporqueno]

Don't overthink it.

[@philgray1023]

No beer or burgers. How in the hell do you get anyone to sail on that thing. French toast, that's got to be the answer.

[@RyanSophieSailing]

It is the answer indeed ;) Also homemade fresh pasta with truffle hollandaise and bacon shavings. Works well too!

[@johninerie9251]

clearly the Bermuda triangle claimed another victim....

[@Jeff034]

Noooooooooooooooooo! If it’s good keep going. Oh dear - 🤢🤢🤢. Oh well enjoy the burger and beer. Really lovely vid production.

[@RyanSophieSailing]

I'm on your side... but then if you've watched until the end, you'd be on ours; good thing we stopped! :)

[@Jeff034]

@@RyanSophieSailing yes I jumped the gun. Sorry.

[@lordjoni187]

Heia Sverige ⛵

[@mikepbhs]

Stop! A burger and a dozen beers.

[@stevenhs8821]

French accent, right? Tres mignonne.

[@danknox9986]

I’ve never been a fan of a spinnaker sock. To me they are just more trouble that they are worth.

[@RyanSophieSailing]

Our new spinnaker will be mounted on a top down furler! :)

[@joecucch8261]

You can't cross the ocean without stopping to lift a few tankards and munch on a burger with the works on top...can you ?

[@PhilLemoine]

10:45. I'm confused

[@RyanSophieSailing]

I was too 🤪

[@ianb4801]

A very strange arrangement on Polar Seal - I didn't realise that a boat could work as a democracy like that - and I still don't. Without a compelling reason to stop, and you suggest there wasn't one, I would've sailed on as Sophie seemed inclined to do - even though she's been the one suffering with seasickness. I score 1 goal for Sophie 0 for Ryan. Also I would've been extremely reticent about entering a strange port at night like that, just too trusting on those charts. Better to slow down or even heave to and wait for daylight than that - IMHO The radio failure seems strange too; I'd suspect a aerial connection problem over the radio itself, especially with the heavy pounding and rain that you experienced earlier. But I wasn't there while you were.

[@RyanSophieSailing]

With a good chart, nothing is impossible at night, especially in calm seas. We are very reticent coming in marinas at night, but anchorages are just fine! And our boat is very much a democracy ;)

[@ianb4801]

@@RyanSophieSailing fair enough, or maybe I should say "touche". Perhaps I'm simply not French enough, but I don't see how a new crew member's vote weighs the same either. About those charts, I simply fear them being inaccurate when it matters, especially in the less travelled places and I realise than night time into entry to Spanish Waters, at Curacao, is off limits for sailors for precisely that reason. Also note the sad fate of a couple looking for a reef, SW of Bonaire, to dive off, but things went bad and they lost their boat on that very same reef - because their Navionics charts were miles off - and they weren't mugs (I'm Australian, work it out). That I single-hand mostly maybe colours my thinking, but when I have to switch gradually into coastal navigating mode, it really tires me and I think very conservatively and I fall back on the "big water" concept - keep as much deep water between myself and land as possible and wait until I can see clearly, well ahead before going close or entering port.

[@jameschen9099]

When you arrive at an unfamiliar port at night do you heave to or anchor out until the morning or you follow the lighted "Aids to Navigation" to your berth ? Some needed sleep and tour of Bermuda is enough reason to stopover. Never know when you will get a chance to pass by this region again. Enjoy Bermuda.

[@RyanSophieSailing]

It depends on where we land. We try to avoid coming in new marinas at night, otherwise, channels are usually fairly well marked. The radio operator in Bermuda as well as our chart guided us perfectly fine through the narrow channel!

[@marioborg2009]

You maid claimes that you don't agree about popular production boats not being suitable offshore boats, maybe now you understand why...... You spent the mostpart of this leg very uncomfortable and now you decided to take a break and stop in Bermuda. These boats are designed for the charter industry with a lot of savings in construction, plust flat bottom boauts are great for racing as such is the design. when there boats go offshore they creak and slide from side to side with every wave that passes under, they are hard to steer and puts a lot of strain on an autopilot and the crew, fatigue sets in and that becomes dangerous.

[@RyanSophieSailing]

Go find me a boat that makes it comfortable to beat in 20 knots for days with waves on a beam at short intervals while dodging squalls, that does not compromise on liveaboard comfort AND that's affordable? Yeah sure, I'll buy it. But this is the boat that we could afford. Buying an older boat? Then your "creaking and sliding" argument doesn't hold for a second. Older boats break and make a shit ton of noise. Hard to steer and "putting a lot of strain on the autopilot" describe a lack of sail-trimming skills much more than a boat design. Now, there are a LOT of Beneteaus, Jeanneaus, Dufours, Bavarias, Hanses ad what not at sea. Not all of them are used for the same purpose, not all of them are maintained or equipped at the same level, and for those reasons, you can't put them in the same basket. But I can't fault you for drawing conclusions after a 15 minutes video. At the end of the day, that's all the data you have.

[@RyanSophieSailing]

@André I said “that I can afford” 😂 if I could be sailing a Garcia or a Hallberg Rassy right now, trust me, I would!

[@ianb4801]

Ryan and Sophie, I’m not sure what’# happening here, or what can be done about it, but the comments on your videos seem to being “bombed” by a porn channel. Have a look- but maybe you’ve already noticed.

[@RyanSophieSailing]

It's absolutely insane... It's been like this for a few days. I've tried everything I can to remove and block and report, but I can't seem to stop it. I've probably blocked a hundred of them at this point!

[@ianb4801]

@@RyanSophieSailing it’s been like this since the previous video. These bludgers (derogatory Aussie term) are technically clever. But I expect you’re ahead of me on this, and have spoken with Google and KZbin. Are they constantly altering their identity?

[@ianb4801]

@@RyanSophieSailing but it might be technically “of interest” that they seem to be bombing the comments made on here rather that making direct comments themselves. Have you found that - and does that mean anything significant to the KZbin people?