GTFOplan #110: Boat Collision in Rodney Bay, St. Lucia | Sailboat GotFO Hit at Anchor! ??

IN THIS VIDEO: Can you believe another boat hit us while GoTFO?? was at anchor in broad daylight? After a quick sail from Fort-de-France, Martinique, we found ourselves anchored in the stunning Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia. Our friends Ted and Mia on SV *Serengeti* had left just ahead of us, and we gave it our best shot to catch up. We nearly closed the gap, but their head start was just a bit too much-next time, *Serengeti*! Rodney Bay is every bit the Caribbean dream, with its white sand beaches, turquoise water, and palm-lined resorts. Once anchored, we headed ashore to clear customs and immigration, and then explored the area. It's definitely got a touristy vibe, but there's also a strong boating presence with chandleries and marine shops that make life easier for cruisers like us. During one of our dinghy runs to shore, we spotted two young French women struggling to row after their outboard gave up. Dennis tossed them a line and towed them in-our second dinghy rescue of the week! Good karma, right? Oh-and yes, we got hit by another boat? again! Thankfully, no harm done this time. A 15-foot Hobie Cat, rented by a vacationing couple, accidentally bumped into us. Luckily, their soft bow made it more of a gentle nudge than a true collision. Still-twice in one week? We made sure to stick around for Rodney Bay's legendary Friday night "Jump Street" party, a 50-year-old tradition full of music, food, and high-energy fun. The next morning, we prepped the boat, weighed anchor, and pointed the bow toward Soufrière-home of the iconic Pitons and 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