GTFOplan #104: A Year in Review

IN THIS VIDEO: Join us as we reflect on our first year of living aboard our beautiful home on the water. We take you through our biggest challenges and best moments, sharing the highs, the lows, and everything in between. ? Our Worst Experiences: From losing steering mid-passage and taking on water in the engine compartment to a terrifying near-miss with our electric furler, we've faced some intense situations. We'll also talk about crew ditching us, a break-in while on the hard, getting tangled in a lobster trap, and even getting hit by another boat. ? Our Best Moments: It hasn't all been rough seas! We relive our first solo sail, crossing the equator, finishing a passage just the two of us, incredible dolphin encounters, and the amazing people we've met along the way. ? The Cost of Cruising: We break down our expenses for the year-what we expected to spend vs. what we actually spent. Spoiler: it was more than we thought, and some costs surprised us. ? Lessons Learned: From problem-solving and self-reliance to embracing the cruising community and adapting to life without land transportation, we share the key takeaways from our journey so far. ? Looking Ahead: As we gear up for our second season aboard, we're setting our sights on new challenges, new adventures, and a major passage to the Mediterranean. Whether you're a seasoned sailor, dreaming of the cruising life, or just love adventure stories, we hope you enjoy this deep dive into our first year at sea! 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