S01E08 - Night Driving, Failed Autopilot, Chop on a Catamaran, and Our First Bridge Encounter

This episode is likely safe viewing for all ages (language: "crappy", "freakin'"). :) Please give us a thumbs up if you enjoy this episode! Continuing our journey on our Seawind 1160, up the Gulf Coast of Florida. We set off in the pitch black dead of night from Coya Costa State Park. We had a long journey up the coast and through Sarasota Bay, and with no wind, and wind from directly ahead, we were forced to motor all day. We quickly learned why you shouldn't set off in the dark without radar (thankfully no boats were hurt) and why having a working autopilot is so important. It's tiring hand-steering for 12 hours straight! Things got more visually interesting when we hit the ICW going up towards Sarasota. There were a ton of boats out enjoying the weekend afternoon, and the waterfront house-spotting was pretty fun. It's a really nice area. That being said, experiencing the sunrise over the water was probably the highlight of this trip for me. Aside from seeing dolphins, of course. We checked out the bay around Marina Jack where we plan to moor the boat during the remaining winter months, once work on her is complete. We also had our first encounter with a bridge ? that was a bit nerve-wracking! Finally, we talk a little about the differences between monohulls and catamarans under motor, specifically through short chop. This may well be one area where the monohull is queen. Our catamaran seemed very bouncy going through the short chop, much more than we expected, and despite lying almost completely still in the same type of waves when at anchor. The pups will be joining our voyages in April. And we'll make sure to give you a peek at them very soon - we'll be doing an abbreviated "life story" and Q&A soon! -Kate Video gear used in this video: Sony A7ii camera with 35mm and 55mm lenses Sony ECM-GZ1M Zoom Microphone Sony RX1R Mkii camera (fixed 35mm 2.0 lens) RodeVideo Micro compact microphone GoPro Hero5 Black GoPro Pro 3.5mm Mic Adapter Rode SmartLav Black Pro Basic Common Outdoor Sports Kit for GoPro Hero 5 Boat info: 2004 Seawind 1160 Catamaran (Deluxe style) Music by: 00:00 Martin Gauffin: 'Daydreaming at Work' from Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com) 05:30 Joakim Karud: 'Longing' 06:55 Peter Sandberg: 'The Warmth of the Sun on her Skin' from Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com) Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sailing_with_dogs/ Check out our website: http://www.sailingwithdogs.com Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SailingWithDogs/