What Went Wrong — Lessons from S/V Escape

This video took me three years to make. Two sailors lost their lives aboard S/V Escape, and this is a careful, experience-based breakdown of what went wrong to understand the seamanship lessons that matter. Captain’s Locker — FREE DOWNLOAD Gear, checklists, watch schedules, night-reef cards, emergency playbooks, and more that I actually use at sea: https://bethecaptain.com/pages/locker Be The Captain — my book on decision-making, judgment, and seamanship: https://bethecaptain.com Further Reading & Context • Lessons From a Tragedy at Sea — real-world analysis and takeaways: https://www.morganscloud.com/2022/08/22/lessons-from-a-tragedy-at-sea/ • Reefing a Sailboat — a practical primer on reefing techniques that work: https://www.morganscloud.com/2010/11/19/reefing-a-sailboat/ About This Video I was one of the last people to see Karl and Annemarie before they departed Bermuda, and this analysis is grounded in real-world offshore experience. If we learn the right lessons from this, it can help prevent something similar from happening again. If you found this video useful, consider subscribing and sharing your sailing plans in the comments. Chapters: 00:00 Context & Intent 01:09 What Happened to S/V Escape 05:50 Lesson 1: Reef at Sunset 06:54 Lesson 2: Sail at 80 Percent 07:42 Lesson 3: Wind Against Current 08:43 Lesson 4: Reef Off the Wind 09:48 Lesson 5: A Ship Is a Crew Brain 11:26 Lesson 6: Boat Size and Control 12:59 Lesson 7: The First 72 Hours 13:36 Personal Reflection 14:09 The Captain’s Locker (Free Resources) 14:56 Final Takeaways