GTFOplan #72: Maritime Crises - Water Rescue and Dragging Anchor Peril

IN THIS VIDEO: We finally enter the United States for the first time in 7 months! We stopped in Cape Canaveral, Florida, requiring us to go under 1 drawbridge and through 1 lock. Customs is super easy for Americans entering the United States - we simply login to a Customs and Border Protection app and we were approved soon after. What could be easier?! We did a big shop at Walmart where there is an amazing selection. We met Ann's sister, Lynda, at Walmart and brought her back to GoTFO??. She stayed a few nights with us, enjoying touring the Kennedy Space Center, watching a SpaceX Rocket Launch, and seeing countless dolphins and several manatees. Would you believe after thousands of sailing miles and numerous anchorages, our anchor dragged for the first time - right into dangerously shallow water. Thankfully we always put our daggerboards up so we have a shallow draft of 3' 8" or 1.12 m. GoTFO?? suffered zero damage but we lost some clothing and our sheets ripped in the 35 kt winds. Ann reduced the overlap in Schatzi's front yard and stitched the turf to the trampoline. This method has now held for 3,000 nautical miles and is still going strong. We love not having lines catch on the clamps that used to secure her turf and especially not having to go forward to fix her turf, getting drenched in the process. Then when we were going ashore in our dinghy, we saw three people in a skiff taking on water. The skiff went completely under water. Thankfully the water was shallow enough that all three passengers could stand but it was a long distance to swim back to the main shore line. We sped over in our dinghy and rescued them and all their belongings. Then we were able to flag down another boat that helped them empty the water out of their skiff and towed the skiff back to the main shore line. They were so relieved as their outboard was ruined by going under in the salty sea water! So our several day visit was packed with adventures, enjoying family, and helping other boaters! CREDITS: Mike F. on his race boat: GO FAST, DON'T DIE Max speed is 85 mph in the 400 class. Framed Offshore Racing proudly represents Key West as a premier offshore race team. We are dedicated to showcasing the city's passion for high-speed competition and innovation. Our team's success reflects Key West's vibrant racing spirit and commitment to excellence in the sport. See the app #forthewin or framed offshore racing. 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