GTFOplan #100: Fishing Line On Our Prop! Are We Ok?

IN THIS VIDEO: After an unforgettable New Year's Eve in St. Barths, we set sail for Guadeloupe! Our original plan was to head to Pointe-à-Pitre with Basse-Terre as a backup, but sailing often comes with unexpected changes. When we made great time and heard our friend Rob and his crew were in Les Saintes, we couldn't resist the detour-and it turned out to be the best decision! What started as a quick stop became an incredible week of adventure. Les Saintes, a cluster of picturesque islands just south of mainland Guadeloupe, is a must-visit destination. With its abandoned ruins, breathtaking scenery, and world-class diving, we were eager to explore. Scuba diving gave us a chance to dust off our gear and refresh our skills, with dives reaching about 40 feet. Conveniently, the dive shop was just a quick dinghy ride away, making tank refills a breeze. We also hiked up a 950-foot hill to an old abandoned watchtower, where we were rewarded with stunning panoramic views. Later, we joined our friends Jeff and Carrie (SV Rhythm) for an epic beach BBQ featuring fresh lobster, alongside Pascal and Zara (SV Sirtaki) and Chris and Sue (SV Talise). After nearly a week, we were ready for more adventure. We sailed up to Basse-Terre, aiming to hike the active volcano before heading to Îlet Pigeon, home to the famous Jacques Cousteau Nature Park. While the volcano hike didn't happen, we explored historic forts and other scenic trails-plus, Dennis had a classic sailor's mishap, discovering fishing line wrapped around our prop (luckily, no damage!). Join us for this incredible leg of our journey as we dive, hike, and sail through Guadeloupe's hidden gems! ??? 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