Are You Nervous? Navigating Shallow Mangrove Waters in Bocas del Toro, Panama - Episode 59

[@BohemianBeatster]

You meet the nicest people in the sailing world.....SV Delos. Stay groovy and stay safe.

[@SailingOneLife]

Yes they are even more kind and welcoming than you'd imagine from their videos! Was so nice to meet them before they went down to San Blas. Hopefully we cross paths again some day.

[@daneulekowski929]

Really enjoyed this episode. Look at you guys hanging with Delos, drinking Brian's moonshine. Have fun guys

[@SailingOneLife]

Hey Dane! It was so cool to meet them! They inspired us years ago to get out here and do this.....and we finally got to thank them! The moonshine was super smooth.....makes us want to learn how to make some onboard One Life!

[@daneulekowski929]

@@SailingOneLife that was a super funny episode of theirs not too long ago, Brian was teaching Taylor how to make it.

[@daniellebolner9505]

So so cool you guys got to me Bryan and Kaza from Delos! Much love to you all❤

[@SailingOneLife]

Hi Danielle! Yes!! It was so cool to meet them. They are just like they seem in their videos.....super chill, warm and welcoming! Hope you are doing well! Sending much love your way! ♥️

[@dizzystick9]

I have just found your channel and have watched sv delos for years. All i could think about is they were not far from you and i wished you would meet them. Sure enough you did! They are the best and i'm glad y'all met!

[@SailingOneLife]

Hey John! Thanks for the comment! Delos inspired us a couple years ago and it was super cool that we finally got to meet them! They are just as down to earth and welcoming in real life as they are in their videos. We wish we could have hung out with them longer but unfortunately our plans were in opposite directions!

[@dizzystick9]

Well i'm binge watching your video's and they are fantastic 😊 you have a new and life long fan! Stay safe and have fun!

[@SailingOneLife]

Oh wow! Thanks so much, John! Working on the next one as we speak!

[@mollyleggett7852]

Super peaceful anchorage and as always, LOVE the diving footage as it takes me away from the world along with you!

[@SailingOneLife]

Being in the mangroves reminded us so much of being in the Banana River! Made us miss 'home' a bit. ❤️

[@TheStanley65]

Great education .good to know stuff . Like project Atticus use to be !

[@gordonclark1711]

What a great way to live. Long may you sail.

[@SailingOneLife]

A tough way to life, but sooo rewarding! Cheers!

[@beachplumb]

Just found your channel last week. I’ve watched just the first 20 episodes so far, but by #20, you both looked about 10 years younger and much healthier!

[@SailingOneLife]

Thank you! Happy someone noticed!! We feel much healthier too! Stress is terrible on your mind, body and soul!

[@beachplumb]

@@SailingOneLife And now I'm all caught up to date - just in time for the Panama Canal transit! Thanks for sharing your adventures.

[@clarkkent772]

I have had congestion issues when diving until I met a sports doctor. She told me to take Sudafed an hour before the first dive. And then us Afrin nasal spray five minutes before each dive. Worked like a top.

[@SailingOneLife]

Hey Clark! Ah yes, Sudafed works great! Unfortunately I did take it but it didn't seem to help this time. Normally it works like a champ!

[@tumtum4023]

Yo! What an inspiration you two are! Lots of these types of vids on KZbin and I find most couples extremely annoying 🤣. Really like your personalities though. Live it up y’all!

[@SailingOneLife]

Hey Tum Tum! Wow thanks! Cheers! 🍻

[@jerrycupples3001]

Nothing but love, best wishes and admiration, enjoy your videos very much, all the best :)

[@SailingOneLife]

Thank you very much, Jerry! ⛵

[@hagdav]

I've been binging your channel from the beginning! It's awesome to see how much fun y'all are having!

[@SailingOneLife]

Thank you for going back and watching from the beginning! We appreciate you coming along on this adventure with us!

[@larrykindret1413]

i so enjoy your dilemas and stories for your advemtures for years

[@SailingOneLife]

Thanks Larry! Happy to be sharing this adventure with you!

[@TheLarry113]

I enjoy watching your videos, please keep on making them.

[@SailingOneLife]

Hey Larry! Awesome, happy to hear you are enjoying them. There are more coming your way!

[@MadMarv.]

What amazingly clear underwater shots!

[@SailingOneLife]

Thanks, Mad Marv! The visibility was much better than we expected it to be!

[@327365hp]

Hi there, I saw you on Delos, or Calico Skies or both. Loving your adventure!

[@SailingOneLife]

Ah very cool! Thanks for hopping over to check us out!

[@04charl08]

I would only assume you were big fans of Delos before you started sailing and then to hangout with them must of been epic. Tons of knowledge between Calico Skies and Delos. 🍻 very cool.

[@SailingOneLife]

Hey! Yes, the Delos crew are legends! They inspired us to get out here! It has been very cool to cross paths with them and even better that we also met Calico Skies. They are all such down to earth sailors and we are lucky to call them our friends!

[@bertstreetsr5483]

Great just great I binge watched you guys for the last week and now I'm out of videos ☹ . I cant believe how much healthier you 2 look now. Well I guess I have to wait for the adventure to continue.

[@SailingOneLife]

Hey Bert! Wow can't believe you binged watched! So cool! Don't worry a new episode is in the works! Thanks for all the comments!

[@ylemoine1]

Hi guys, love your channel. On the roller furling boom, you should try raising the angle of the boom even more to get more of the sail inside the boom. The rolled up luff exposed to the sun is just killing the luff with UV degradation. The age of your main is making that happen even faster. If you don’t have a UV leach cover (like on your furling Genoa, you should also throw on a boom cover to protect the sail from the sun. If you do have a cover on the leach, at least cover the end of the boom at anchor to protect the luff, luff tape and batten pockets. Roller boom furling is the best once you get used to it. You’ll notice that when you up grade your mail with the amazing performance regardless of amount of reefing. 👍

[@SailingOneLife]

The boom actually does have a cover built in, which slides over 95% of the sail. We always pull it over when the sail is furled. And we have an additional sunbrella cover that goes over the luff (and the head) too, so none of it is ever exposed except when sailing. We're okay with the boom furling, but get jealous when we sail someone release a main halyard and it instantly drops into a stack pack. Meanwhile we are winching and winching to furl it down! Benefits and negatives to every option I guess.

[@MrPaulcm1]

Oh, lovely place to yourselves. Ooh, lovely Chicken Taco's. :)

[@SailingOneLife]

Tacos for the win! Always!

[@TheStanley65]

Nice backflip ,on the San blass rope

[@SailingOneLife]

Good job spotting my quick cameo! 😂

[@TheStanley65]

Precision sails , perhaps is the best.

[@SailingOneLife]

We've heard great things about Precision Sails....we will check them out more.

[@beagssss1]

Great video and learning experience. I had no idea that you could furl the main inside of a boom.

[@SailingOneLife]

It's more typical on much larger sailing yachts, we haven't actually been on another boat with a boom furler yet! We're still learning everyday with it out here!

[@larrimos]

Very cool, laid back episode. I dig your attitudes, and your outlook on cruising. Always something to learn if you’re open to it. Be well and see you next week.

[@SailingOneLife]

Thank you! Definitely learning every day out here.....sometimes the lessons are harder than others! 😂 See ya next week!

[@tartansailor]

That's a super nice place to be, cheers

[@SailingOneLife]

It is very calming and beautiful in the mangroves!

[@jaysparc]

Instead of sail repair tape I used reinforced "kite repair tape" used on windsurfers/kites. It's a fairly clear, but reinforced tape that sticks to ANYTHING and is much stronger that official sail tape. I used it on a jib that was on it's deathbed and it gave me another year on a sail that was well beyond it's usable date.

[@SailingOneLife]

Ah interesting, we never considered kite repair tape! We will order some to add to our sail repair kit! Is there a certain brand/type you would recommend?

[@jaysparc]

@@SailingOneLife emma kites Kite Sail Repair Tape on Amazon or something like that. It's the reinforcement strands combined with adhesive that doesn't seem to get broken down by water (not sure if a salt environment would change that) but I had a lot of luck with it.

[@SailingOneLife]

@@jaysparc nice thanks! I'll order it now! Worth a try for sure!

[@edkleinstuber2119]

Hey guys, great to see you and that you are doing well. My boat has an in mast furling which can also be troublesome. Using the topping lift to raise the boom when unfurling is a drag. We finally have it keyed in and all is fine. you did a good job getting your boom lined up, good luck with that. Cheers from a very cold Delaware!!

[@SailingOneLife]

Hey Ed! Good to hear from you! Hope you are staying warm in Delaware. What kind of boat do you have? Yes, we agree now that we've got the angle dialed in, we love it! Too bad it took us so long to figure that out hahaha. Oh well! Hope all is well!

[@edkleinstuber2119]

@@SailingOneLife Hi guys, we are finally feeling some early spring weather which is great. It's almost time to head to the boat yard for spring work. My Catalina 350 sits in Rock Hall Md, as we currently said the Chesapeake each summer. I am hoping to sail her down to OBX this summer as we are getting ready to build our house there. Wherever you are, I hope One Life is holding up and serving you well. Ed

[@mikegreer5336]

I sure do enjoy your videos thanks for sharing awesome memories your making.

[@SailingOneLife]

Hi Mike! Thanks so much! Happy you are enjoying our journey!

[@bootsandsocks]

I feel you on the in-boom furling, the first few times that I furled it back in it was hard getting the boom to the right angle. I have a mark on my topping lift to make sure that I get the boom at the right angle with the vang. And you reminded me I have a batton that I need to put back in

[@SailingOneLife]

After two years we're maybe starting to get it figured out! 😂 We put a Sharpie mark on the boom bang control line, maybe we should add one to the topping lift as well. 👍

[@allmomomosthomebus3895]

With my kit boat company I'm going to use Sail Care in Ford City PA for the new sails and most of the rigging hardware. I met with Dan there earlier this week. Very nice folks. They've been in business for 35 years. Maybe see what they can do for you for repairs or new sails. They also clean sails.

[@allmomomosthomebus3895]

If you do get sails made with them I'll be happy to bring them down to Annapolis for you while you're at the boat show in October.

[@SailingOneLife]

Ah thanks! We are actually getting a new Genoa from Precision Sails. We look forward to meeting you at the boat show! Do you know what day you'll be there?

[@allmomomosthomebus3895]

@@SailingOneLife planning on being there on Saturday for sure We're driving down and staying at a hotel on Friday. Not sure if we'll probably spend some additional time there on Sunday or It's about 5 1/2 hours for us.

[@allmomomosthomebus3895]

@@SailingOneLife I'm sure you'll like the new Genoa. Other KZbinrs have been happy with Precision's products. What size Genoa?

[@SailingOneLife]

@@allmomomosthomebus3895 okay great! We may not be at the KZbin booth on Saturday but we will be around the show somewhere. Shoot us an email if you don't mind! [e-mail]

[@jorgegorina8358]

Loved the video. Anything I can ever do or offer In Miami, FL be glad to. Pretty cool u guys hung out with Delos. I follow them also.

[@SailingOneLife]

Hey Jorge! Awesome, thank you! We may make it to Miami one of these days and we'd love to meet up! Delos is so cool, we spent many years watching them and they helped inspire us to get out here ourselves!

[@SouthernCrossGO]

Top epesode. Well edited . New sub. Ships Ahoy. From Bali indonesia

[@SailingOneLife]

Hey there! Wow thank you! Cheers to you in Bali!! Maybe we will cross paths one day!

[@SouthernCrossGO]

@@SailingOneLife sure if you ever here look me up. I can point you in the right direction of boat shops & needs. :)

[@sunjungsonne]

Great info in your videos! How was it to take off with boat not knowing how to sail? Did you get into dangerous situations? Looking back what would you recommend a newbie to learn before she sets out to join this adventure? What were your main sailing "lessons"?

[@SailingOneLife]

Thank you very much! Of course we were a bit nervous about leaving the dock with such little experience but everyone told us we won't learn until we get out here and we believe that to be true. We learn something new all the time and all things we would never learn by taking sailing classes. We truly have been learning by doing. Of course some of the lessons learned have been much harder than others. Would you mind to send us your email address? Or send us an email [e-mail] that way we can answer your comment in more detail!

[@sunjungsonne]

@@SailingOneLife I will send you an email. Thank you. YT did not notify me of your response. Puuh, I am glad I checked.

[@minorityreport2125]

How difficult is it to lower the main sail while sailing when the wind gets strong (do you have to turn the boat right against the wind to do it?) and have you had a top sail with the main sail say 50% down (side or upwind)? Or your weather prediction skills are so good you have managed to avoid 25-30 knots . . . (able to avoid)?

[@TheStanley65]

Perhaps , There your friends , because you have the tank compressor.

[@btrent9244]

Goooood morning One Life. Great all inclusive video with the hunt for food and propane and a cool dive. Superb drone video too. Nutritious lunch on your boat can’t be beat. Wow 7-14 days to fill up your cans. But what a beautiful location to have to wait. Nice navigation into a more peaceful anchorage amongst the mangrove islands. Absolutely beautiful out there. Good job at the helm Brooke 👍. Nice repair on the sail and correcting the angle of your sail boom. Love seeing your challenges and fixes. Real life adventures. Cheers for a great warming video and location, watching from a crazy, cold, ice, snowy WINTER. Life is good 👍🇺🇸😎⛵️...

[@SailingOneLife]

Good morning Trent! Yes it was a busy first week for us in Bocas. We knew there's a long wait to get propane filled so that's why it was first on our to-do list here. Always learning more about sailing and our boat, just trying to do as little damage as possible while we learn! 😂Hope you can warm up with a nice hot drink there in the winter wonderland! Cheers!

[@lloydbrown9327]

A great life....was the propane expensive in Panama? I visited Panama a few years ago, beautiful country!

[@SailingOneLife]

Hey Lloyd! It was $23 per 6lb cylinder. Not the most expensive (Antigua) or cheapest (Puerto Rico) place.

[@allmomomosthomebus3895]

What's the usual draft of your boat? It's a combination of getting into shallows like that area and speed that have me planning to build a shallow draft trimaran, likely a 38 or 41 footer.

[@SailingOneLife]

Our draft is 5.5ft

[@RobertMcFarland-py9vk]

Hey, the prop plane flying overhead at 4:24 had no turning props...was that a camera trick??🤷‍♂

[@RobertMcFarland-py9vk]

Also one at 7:22??

[@SailingOneLife]

Interesting.....we didn't notice until you pointed it out. 🤷 No idea.

[@islandman9619]

Aloha! Love your attitude and transparency when finding "new" intricacies on your boat that you're observing and fixing. Very annoying with your sail. Seems to me that if a company can't guarantee their work for at least 5 years, they shouldn't do it or at least inform you up front. Interesting about the Miami connection; I read about cruisers in Rio Dulce mentioning this type of shipping process, even mentioning Miami. Kudos to your work on the audio on your videos; it's very good, both transitions and level.

[@SailingOneLife]

Hey! Yeah, we were pretty annoyed with their work but hey at least it's been keeping us going and we've not had to replace it yet so that's a win! The logistics shipping company that has a warehouse in Miami has been great. It seems like it's a popular way to ship and receive things out here! Thanks for the comment about the audio. Unfortunately we know that's a weak spot for us and we are working on it. Our microphones just aren't that good but the good news is: we just ordered a proper mic for our good camera so hopefully we will continue to improve our videos! Cheers!

[@islandman9619]

@@SailingOneLife Well, if that’s bad audio I can’t wait to hear when you consider it good! Anyway, very nice content! Cheers!

[@stephenmahoney9531]

👍👍👍👍👍

[@scottholland4634]

you mentioned a favorite bourbon...what is your preferred brand?

[@SailingOneLife]

I'm not picky! Any old Kentucky bourbon will do!

[@ianfirth-clark5975]

I've always been amazed at how good Dacron self adhesive repair tape is and how long it lasts and don't worry they fade into the original cloth quickly lol. Great vid thank you

[@SailingOneLife]

Hi Ian! Hahaha good to know the bright white will slowly fade and match our off-white old sails! We are also quite happy with how the Dacron has held up for us! Thanks for watching!

[@ronalddow2710]

Hey guys I got a question for you. When you pull into a foreign marina and go pay your customs fees and such, do you have to run around and get local currency or do most places accept payment by credit card?

[@SailingOneLife]

Hey Ronald! It depends on the country but the majority of the time we have to pay in the local currency which means finding an ATM upon arrival. Or we've also met sailors who will have the currency we need and trade for it.

[@OldManGibb]

7 to 14 days to get propane filled? or did I misunderstand you. Awesome video as always, Thanks a million. P.S. Got the card today, That was so awesome, and personal. Thank you from the deepest part of my Old Man Heart.

[@SailingOneLife]

You heard that right! They have to be put on a boat and brought to the mainland to be filled, so it's quite a process. So glad to hear the card made it to you! Hope you're having a great Sunday!

[@chrisman5882]

Hello guys I am just wondering how safe is when you leave your boat to go to the shops etc Also how do you secure the dinghy at the marinas ? Thanks

[@SailingOneLife]

Hey Chris! So far we have only taking normal precautions such as locking our boat, closing hatches and not leaving things like snorkel and dive gear on the deck and we've felt pretty comfortable. The majority of the places we have visited (so far) depend on sailors to come and visit their shops, buy some drinks and support the local economy. They know if something happens to a cruiser or their boat during their visit that future sailors will avoid that area, so they want us to feel comfortable and safe. Of course there are exceptions to this but you have that everywhere. As for our dinghy, when we leave it tied to the dock while we go ashore we lock it with cable chain through the engine and the fuel tank and on to the dock. We also don't leave anything extra in it and we have never left it tied somewhere overnight. I think the time we felt the most unsafe leaving our dinghy at a dock was when we were in West Palm Beach, FL 😂 before we left. Hope this answers your question! Happy to answer any others....send us an email to [e-mail] Thanks!

[@chrisman5882]

Thanks for the info

[@darrellhendricks8225]

The tour boat must have been showing the tourist your anchor, kind of close...

[@SailingOneLife]

Haha, kind of close is an understatement. We've become quite used to the water taxis buzzing past us, whether on anchor or out sailing. But it's still a very sketchy way to operate a boat 🤷‍♂️

[@joephillips7612]

Did you say 7-14 days to fill your propane tanks? ;-o

[@SailingOneLife]

Yep! The lead time in Bocas was crazy. Apparently they have to take them to the mainland to get filled. It took the full 14 days. We were starting to get nervous. In the majority of places we have been, the turn around time is only a few days.

[@joephillips7612]

@@SailingOneLife Wow. I guess they don't do it on site but someone comes and gets them etc. I hear they call that 'Manana' time.

[@SailingOneLife]

@@joephillips7612 yep exactly! Manana, manana!

[@TheStanley65]

Red frog marina ?

[@SailingOneLife]

Indeed! Bastimento is a beautiful island!

[@TheStanley65]

I’m in Hollywood Florida the weather is nice today , yesterday it was raining all day. . Your wings as an eagle are strong enough to fly around the world , only if you know where you come from safe journey Fairwinds captain.

[@TheStanley65]

Born as eagle 🦅 , don’t fly with buzzards

[@daviddefrees9883]

Use a stiff credit card to smooth out your patches on the sails.

[@SailingOneLife]

Good tip! Thanks! We will try that out next time.

[@gallery13MPLS]

So married living in tight quarters what about arguments and pet peeves - how do you guys get through that !

[@SailingOneLife]

We have found we actually get along better on the boat! We are forced to communicate better and don't have the distractions of things associated with land life!

[@timothysmith2128]

your voice volume is low or distorted. Your music is loud, so I guess it's an adjustment you can make in editing. Keep up the adventure, do not conform.

[@SailingOneLife]

Hi Tim! Thanks for your comment! Yes, we are trying to sort out our audio issues. Hoping you see improvement as we continue to learn to edit and record! Cheers!

[@timothysmith2128]

@@SailingOneLife really like message and travels, I binged watched and have now seen you guy meet up in Panama. A lot fun to be had. Don't be shy, be part of the festivities, Gary has no problem, I have seen