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GTFOplan #95: No More Sail Fails - How to raise an unfurled sail at Sea! Learn to sew a bread bag.

1,216 Views· 08/01/25
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IN THIS VIDEO: In this episode, we learn from our mistakes while raising our Code Zero sail-after a mishap when trying to hoist it unfurled. Join us as we show you the proper way to handle it at sea, without causing any damage. Trust us, you'll want to learn from our experience! With our crew-Rose and Brian-we fuel up in Bermuda and embark on the exciting passage to Marigot, Saint Martin. After Ann repairs our Code Zero, the crew gets to work on raising the sail while underway. Brian helps Ann with some crafty electrical tape work, and Dennis and Rose put the Selden electric furler to the test-only to find it's not up to the task. No worries though, our trusty manual Karver furler comes to the rescue and we raise the sail without a hitch. SUCCESS! Time for a happy dance as we feel the thrill of instantly sailing at close to wind speed! Once that's done, Ann gets creative, converting an old SV Delos T-shirt into a breathable bread bag-using a double-pointed needle for the first time! Watch as she comes up with a clever way to hold the spool of thread, keeping GoTFO?? fresh and functional. Meanwhile, Dennis rescues a flying fish with the help of a dustpan (a true hero move!) and Schatzi, the queen of naps, makes herself comfy despite the rough seas at night. We sail wing-on-wing with the Code Zero and jib as we head downwind, eagerly awaiting our new symmetrical spinnaker from Zoom Sails to take us to even greater speeds! Along the way, we finally catch a young Mahi Mahi-thanks to Brian's expert skills-and briefly spot dolphins, though they don't stick around long enough for the perfect footage. In the spirit of keeping the ocean clean, Brian catches a "trash fish"-yes, cleaning up the sea one bag at a time! When the seas calm, Dennis sneaks in a workout while Brian adjusts the daggerboard, and the crew has some laughs. From Brian's sunglasses trick to Rose's head-through-the-saloon-window moment, we're all about finding ways to entertain ourselves at sea. As the passage continues, Ann explains the middle-of-the-night squall that shook things up, and Rose and Brian showcase their amazing cooking skills. If you love good food, you won't want to miss this! The crew ends the day with a perfectly cooked steak (thanks to Rose and Brian's culinary skills), and we arrive in Marigot, Saint Martin, where we're greeted with fireworks and a well-deserved glass of bubbly to celebrate our safe arrival. After a month of sailing and great company, it's time to say goodbye to Rose and Brian-though we'll certainly miss their incredible cooking! Join us on our adventure, learn from our sailing experiences, and don't forget to subscribe for more sailing tips, cooking, and fun moments aboard GoTFO! 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! 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

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