GTFOplan #102: Tangled in a Fish Trap at Anchor!

IN THIS VIDEO: We set sail for Ilet Pigeon, home to the renowned Jacques Cousteau Underwater Nature Reserve, for another incredible scuba diving adventure. One of the highlights? Finding the infamous underwater bust of Cousteau-though sadly, it was vandalized in 2012, with his hand (once making the 'OK' sign) now missing. Despite this, the dive was breathtaking, and we can't wait to do it again. Our time at Ilet Pigeon was a welcome break from boat projects! We also took on an epic challenge: hiking Le Soufrière, the active volcano in Guadeloupe! Seven miles, six hours, and 40+ knot winds later, we reached the summit. On our descent, we passed active steam vents, making the experience even more intense. A hidden waterfall along the way gave us the perfect spot to cool off after the grueling trek. Meanwhile, our boat adventures continued? Throughout the night, we kept hearing a mysterious bump-turns out, a fish trap buoy had drifted into us. As luck would have it, we got tangled in the trap's lines again! While Ann was out paddleboarding, Dennis raised the anchor and singlehandedly reset it, all while helping the trap's owner free his lines. For some reason, fishermen seem to love placing their traps right in our anchor circle! Thankfully, no damage was done. After nine rainy but beautiful days, we pulled anchor and set sail for Pointe-à-Pitre, where we scouted out the area in preparation for family visiting us soon. Stay tuned for more adventures ahead! 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