People ask us all the time — how do you fly a spinnaker on a Balance catamaran? In this video, Phil from Zoom Sails (who designed every sail for SV GoTFO) walks us through step-by-step: ⚓ Rigging with color-coded sheets & guys (Port sheet = red, Starboard sheet = green, Guys = black) ⚓ Hoist sequence — halyard + sock deployment ⚓ Trimming — sheets side-to-side, guys control foot height ⚓ Flying angles — best between the 120s°, can fly as high as 90° relative ⚓ The douse — comms, shackle release, sock down, halyard down We’ve flown “Big Purple” before, but this lesson was about balance and confidence. Even though Dennis wasn’t aboard, Phil was in Greece as we passed south — and I had to step in. My Love Bug 💜🐞 reflection? Sailing teaches us to own our triggers, protect each other when we’re flooded, and always return to the calm at the helm. 📧 Want our wind-angle PDF? Email us at gtfoplan@gmail.com. #GTFOplan #SVGTFO #ZoomSails #SpinnakerLesson Phil of ZoomSails.com CURRENT LOCATION: https://forecast.predictwind.com/tracking/display/SV-GTFO/ ABOUT OUR CATAMARAN: We love our new Balance 482 - it's a perfect size for a cruising couple to handle and is a great "balance" of performance and comfort. One of our favorite features is the excellent ventilation since we mostly live as "hookers" (aka at anchor) where the boat automatically turns into the wind so we stay cool and we don't need to battle mold. We also have starlink for easy off-grid life. Our 2400 watt solar panel array also means we rarely need to run an engine to charge our batteries. ABOUT US: We saved for a our future boat, sold everything that we owned, and shipped the rest in a container to Cape Town, South Africa. We then flew there and explored South Africa by way of a safari and touring Cape Town before moving aboard our boat. We then sailed to Saint Helena, Ascension Island, Fernando de Naronha (Brazil), Martinique, Sint Maarten (Dutch and French side), the US Virgin Islands (Saint Croix, Saint John, and Saint Thomas), the British Virgin Islands (Anegada, Norman Island, Jost van Dyke, and Anegada), The Bahamas (Inagua, Crooked Island, Long Island, George Town, Staniel Cay, the Exumas, and Eleuthera). We then sailed back to the United States, making landfall in Cape Canaveral, Florida. From there our destinations are endless! Both Dennis and Ann grew up military brats with Army fathers. Dennis (the Colonel) served 30 years in the US Army and his retirement pension helped us retire in our 50s. Ann (the ship's Captain) wrote Test Automation in Python and Java. Dennis and Ann met on Match.com where Ann had in her profile "Do you want to sail the world with me?" Ann easily brought Dennis into sailing, and he loved the GTFOplan of retiring early and sailing the world. After many years of saving, living on one income but earning two, and cutting back on everything possible, they saved enough to buy a Balance 482. Follow them as they get real about boat life and all the hassles of buying a new boat because we all know N.E.W. means Not Everything Works. Kisses, Ann & Dennis Twitter: @GTFOplan Facebook: https://facebook.com/anndennis.snellikin.3 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gtfoplan/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/gtfoplan Email: gtfoplan@gmail.com

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🐬 This is what dreams at sea look like. 😍⛵️ Our crew member Igor captured this incredible footage of a massive pod of dolphins right next to our boat in Fuerteventura. They stayed next to our boat for minutes, delighting every single person on board. It was one of those unforgettable memories that only nature can offer — and the kind we’re lucky to witness on our daily boat excursions. 🌊⚓️ Experience nature up close with our boat tours from Morro Jable.We offer dolphin and whale watching excursions in the beautiful waters of southern Fuerteventura. 🇪🇸💙🤩 Increíble avistamiento de delfines en el sur de Fuerteventura. ¡Qué pasada! 🐬 Así es como se ven los sueños en el mar. 😍⛵️ Nuestro tripulante Igor capturó estas imágenes increíbles de una gran manada de delfines justo al lado de nuestro barco en Fuerteventura. Se quedaron junto a nosotros durante minutos, deleitando a cada persona a bordo. Fue uno de esos recuerdos inolvidables que solo la naturaleza puede regalar, y que tenemos la suerte de presenciar en nuestras excursiones diarias en barco. 🌊⚓️ Vive la naturaleza de cerca con nuestras excursiones en barco desde Morro Jable. Ofrecemos salidas para avistar delfines y ballenas en las hermosas aguas del sur de Fuerteventura. 🇩🇪💙🤩 Unglaubliche Delfinsichtung im Süden von Fuerteventura. Wahnsinn! 🐬 So sehen Träume auf dem Meer aus. 😍⛵️ Unser Crewmitglied Igor hat diese beeindruckenden Aufnahmen einer riesigen Delfinschule direkt neben unserem Boot auf Fuerteventura gemacht. Sie blieben minutenlang neben uns und begeisterten jeden einzelnen an Bord. Es war einer dieser unvergesslichen Momente, die nur die Natur schenken kann – und die wir bei unseren täglichen Bootsausflügen erleben dürfen. 🌊⚓️ Erlebe die Natur hautnah mit unseren Bootstouren ab Morro Jable. Wir bieten Delfin- und Walbeobachtungsausflüge in den wunderschönen Gewässern im Süden von Fuerteventura an. #magicandsailing 👉 Book now in www.magicandsailing.com 📱+34 630 975 023 #fuerteventura #dolphin #boat #wildlife #naturelovers #animalshorts #oceanlife #ocean #delfines #swimming #shortvideo #islascanarias

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My 🐈 the Pantera at the marina in France lovely day fancied a kayak around and thought I'd do a short video for you guys & girls.⛵😎☀️🤙🏿🇬🇭🇮🇲

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The first week for the season ending frosties regatta at SLYC was sailed under grey skies with big breeze. The crew on GTR went with a reef in the main to make the boat easier to control with the wind gusting over 20 knots. The mainsheet main and job trimmer really got in sync up the second beat which allowed the skipper to put the bow done and get the boat speed over 7 knots. The team on GTR showed the rest of the fleet a clean pair of heels to take two bullets to get off to a flying start on race day 1. The team at bottom up boats hope you are enjoying the footage from the final regatta of the 2024 sailing season.

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