Rescue at Sea: We Saved a Life On Our Sailboat When Whale Watching turns into a Rescue Mission Ep 92

What was meant to be a calm and beautiful day of sailing in Moreton Bay, Australia turned into one of the most unforgettable experiences of our liveaboard sailing journey so far. We left the marina for a relaxing day sail, ready to enjoy the sunshine, spot migrating whales, and soak up the freedom of life aboard our sailboat. But as every sailor knows — the ocean can change everything in an instant. While out enjoying the water, we spotted something unusual in the distance. Within moments, we realized someone was in serious trouble. What began as a peaceful day of whale watching from our sailboat suddenly became a real-life sea rescue. In this episode, we take you through every moment — from the initial discovery to the adrenaline-fueled rescue, and finally the emotional aftermath of helping save a life at sea. This video is a raw and honest look into what it means to live and travel by sailboat. Sailing around the world isn’t just about sunsets and island hopping — it’s about seamanship, responsibility, and being prepared for anything. Whether you’re a sailor, boat owner, or someone dreaming of the liveaboard lifestyle, this episode shows the real side of ocean adventure sailing and the unexpected challenges of life afloat. We share how our training, teamwork, and quick thinking helped us respond in time — and how moments like these remind us why respect for the sea is everything. It’s a powerful reminder that the ocean is both beautiful and unpredictable, and that every day out sailing is a lesson in awareness, courage, and gratitude. We’re now getting ready to sail around the world full-time, documenting our journey across oceans, islands, and continents. Follow along as we chase whales, explore remote anchorages, and live our dream of full-time cruising and sailboat life. Subscribe to join our liveaboard sailing adventures as we prepare for our world circumnavigation! We’re sharing what it’s really like to live aboard a sailboat while exploring Australia’s coastline, with tips for beginner sailors, sailing families, and anyone curious about the cruising lifestyle. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell for weekly episodes packed with sailing tips, ocean adventures, and life on a boat. It's been two years since our first sail in @SailingAstridTheWombat actually that means it's been a year and a half since our first sail ever. That's right a year ago we bought this Beneteau Oceanis 430 and pulled the sail up for the first time ever when we brought her home. A sail that stretched 700 nautical miles from Townsville in Far North Queensland Australia to Moreton Bay in Brisbane Queensland. We are now preparing to move onboard and to sail around the world. Join us to see the challenges as we continue to learn to sail, prepare our boat and make changes so our boat feels like a home. We are moving onboard in just a few weeks so our sailing dream is getting closer and closer. Each experience we have and each new sailing skill learnt just keeps bringing us closer to taking off to sail around the world in our Beneteau Oceanis 430 @SailingAstridTheWombat living our boat life dream. We hope you enjoy our content. Please hit subscribe and follow our journey to full time sailing around the world. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:17 Sail Plan 02:58 Leaving the Marina 03:30 Headsail Out 03:45 Telltale Check 04:41 Five Knots 05:20 Looking For Whales 05:32 Mishka 06:17 Dolphin Sighting 07:08 Relaxing in the Cockpit 07:38 Lunchtime 09:19 Sailing 12:47 Two Knots 13:05 Kayaker in Distress 16:16 Rescue at Sea 17:01 Coastguard on the Way 17:41 Ambulance Ready 18:27 Rescue Debrief Please leave a comment, like and subscribe to follow our journey. We are Gav and Shezz an Aussie couple with a dream to sail and scuba dive around the world. We bought our Beneteau Oceanis 430 in October 2023 with zero sailing experience but the belief that we can do this. We have filmed our journey from looking for boats, buying the boat and downsizing our house so we can liveaboard and all the messy wonderful life stuff in between. Join us now as we start to get our boat prepared for liveaboard life. As new sailors we want to share all of our learnings and keep it real in our videos. We want to show step by step what it takes to choose a boat, buy the boat and learn how to sail. Our sailing learning curve is steep so come along with us as we learn and grow as liveaboard sailors. We promise you will have a laugh! Welcome aboard Astrid The Wombat Gav and Shezz You can also find us on Instagram and Facebook: Sailing Astrid the Wombat #sailing #liveaboard #sailingaustralia #sailingadventures #sailboat