Thank you! It was kinda cool to go through those super tall seas, because now I’m far more comfortable in seas that I used to think were bad.

Yep, going upwind into that swell is my least favorite point of sail.

@@wallacegrommet9343no doubt! It’s so uncomfortable!

I could’ve sworn I replied last night. Sorry. Thank you so much for watching! After that passage, given no damage was done (other than the mental struggle while navigating the rocks), I totally agree with your saying. I will never knowingly put myself or my boat in a position like that again. It’s just not worth it. But, now I know.

Right on! He’s one of my best friends. So happy to be back to cruising with him!

He loves it! It’s called a Fatty Knees. It totally fits his personality! Those iguanas were crazy! Wish I’d had had some grapes. No wonder they’re so massive, people feeding them every day. They’re in heaven.

Thank you so much, Wally! I’m loving this lifestyle SOOOO much!

Hahahaha! That’s awesome! It was the first time I’d ever raced crabs. But it was actually kinda fun.

Thank you so much for watching and subscribing! It’s an unreal experience. Every day I learn something new.

Thank you for watching! I found myself sailing super fast between places at first. I had to slow myself down, so that I could actually enjoy the various Bahamian islands, which made the time so much more enjoyable. Those coral heads really did scared the heck out of me! I slowed down as much as I could while still maintaining control. Like I mentioned in the video, I was literally crossing my fingers that I didn’t hit one. It was such a dumb choice on my part! I no longer make plans, and I certainly don’t necessarily take the quickest route to get somewhere.

I used it almost daily. It was a perfect gift! ❤️

Oh, it took a solid few hours before I felt confident. I wish I could figure out how to get the true sea state to show on video. They were massive waves that day! I’d never been on a sailboat until the day Maritopia went in the water. I just kinda learned as I went. I had a dream, so I kind of felt it was rather simple to figure out how to make it work.

That's amazing Amy. How did you get insurance, licence etc, is there like a beginners permit?@@AmysSoloSailingAdventures

Insurance was super simple. I just called State Farm, who my car was insured through, and got it set up. Though now that I’m out of the US and in the “hurricane belt”, it’d be near impossible to have coverage. Oddly enough, there are no required licenses. There are courses (ASA101, ASA102…etc) that you can take to learn from experienced instructors. But I’ve always been the type of person that learns hands on and as I go.

Thanks for the info. Cheers.@@AmysSoloSailingAdventures

You’re very welcome.

Agreed. It’s on the list of things to add while doing a bunch of upgrades during hurricane season.

Great being back in the same anchorage as you!

The seas that day were the roughest I’d ever been in. No way was I tacking in that, as the size of the seas were why I was going directly upwind to begin with. I didn’t want those seas directly on my beam. I agree with another destination or time. Like I mentioned in the video, I learned that day how true it is to not make plans with other people when on a sailboat. I’ve not done it since that day.

If you have no engine. Or if you're a 'purist' sitting on you couch.

As a Keel boat sailing instructor for over 14 years & have been sailing for over 60+ years....as in life one makes choices & either learns from them or does not achieve ones objective....that is if one has self knowledge. @@two-sense

@@petertaylor8922She achieved her objective just fine, even without your sage advice. She doesn't need to justify her actions to you.

I forgot to add in the previous comment that I do in fact have a spinnaker. I’ve flown in a couple times. The first time, I was doing something like 6kts in only 9kts of wind. That was wild! Yep, I’m familiar with Uma. Their boat is identical to Maritopia. Theirs is a 72. Maritopia is a 73. They’ve done an amazing job with Uma! Never heard of Florence, but I do watch Sweet Ruca.

@@AmysSoloSailingAdventures I love Sailing Yacht Florence. They produce amazing videos and probably the best that I've seen from a sailing channel.

@@robertlaird6746 sweet! A new channel with a solid recommendation. Thank you!

@@AmysSoloSailingAdventures Yep, once I saw one of there videos, I was hooked and binged watched every video.

@@robertlaird6746 it’s nice to hear people recommend channels. Thanks again!

That’s so great to hear that you’re enjoying the videos! Hahaha! That’s a fantastic pun! Yes, just do it! As cliche as it is, we only live one, and we’re too old to do things before we realize it. Good luck to you on your adventures as well!

Thank you so much for watching again! Every day is a lesson right now as I truly learn how to sail. It’s entirely different on the open ocean that in a bay.

Thank you so much for watching! While I love this lifestyle and wouldn’t change a thing, every day has its own, unique challenges. Trout regrets sooo much selling Song of Wind! I don’t think a day goes by that he doesn’t mention her.

The bianca is a good boat .bit slower but as good as the cape dory. When solo, a smaller boat is easier to manage. Will be watching you both. Fair winds

Thank you so much for watching. I’m happy you’re enjoying the videos. It definitely takes some getting used to. And every day has its own unique challenges. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I’m totally envious of your shallow draft! I draw 6 ft, so I’m not able to get into many anchorages.

Thank you so much for watching! I sincerely hope that one day I’m able to say that I’m a long time cruiser. The solar panels themselves have rounded plastic corner caps. I did however slice the top of my head open twice on the brackets that hold the panels on. I now have padding over all of them. Not sure why I didn’t learn the first time it happened. 😜

@@AmysSoloSailingAdventures We never stop learning. That's one of the best parts. Enjoy!

I’ve never heard of Ventusky; I’ll have to look it up. Thank you! Never hurts to have another tool in the arsenal. I currently use Windy, Predict Wind and Windfinder. For those rocks and coral heads, it scares the heck out of me! But, live and learn. And learn I did.

Thank you very much! Still have quite a bit of work to do to her, but I wanted to enjoying life for a while.

Thank you for watching! I was legitimately freaked out when going through that area.

Thank you! It’s Awl Grip paint.

@AmysSoloSailingAdventures You probably haven't had it on, long enough to give full feedback, but it sure looks great. When I was in the US, I could buy tinted Gel Coat (which is a two part polyester resin) which is inexpensive and lasted well but i made the mistake of using too dark a color (which absorbed too much heat for the tropics), so sanded it all down and put on a white, Sherwin Willians two part epoxy (the best solution I could find in Panama). That's doing OK, but it's too early to tell, longer term. Elsewhere, I have used the Brightside polyurethane paint. That looks great for a month or so, but it is too soft (gets easily damaged) and suffers from UV damage, such that it needs touching up several times a year, so it is both expensive and not a good solution. I have also used Sherwin Williams line of industrial (UV resistant) one part polyurethane paints, which I found both superior and less expensive than the Brightside but still require frequent touching. Now you got me wondering, maybe Awlgrip is superior to both Gel Coat and paint (although expensive and difficult to find outside the US)?

It’s been right at 2 years since I painted the hull. The AwlGrip is still looking just as good as the day it was applied. Albeit with a few scratches The only problem I’ve found with AwlGrip is that it can’t be faired. And since I’m living on the boat throughout the refit, I can’t paint it all at once. When you paint one layer over another that you had previously done, it leaves a line that’s impossible to remove. Other than that, I love it.

Definitely a horrible decision on my part. Given no damage was done, though, I absolutely learned from that experience. I’m still learning how to properly balance the sails. Weirdly, using the autopilot to judge an exact sail balance is something I’ve started doing while learning.

Trout is such a cool dude! So happy to have met him, and to be buddy boating with him.

Yeah, I use both Navionics and Explorer charts. For this particular area, Explorer charts were even worse, as they showed WAY fewer coral heads. It was just a super dumb idea for me to go through that patch alone.

I have always treated a bunch of coral heads on an Explorer chart as essentially a "no go" area rather than an indication of how many coral heads were there. As you point out, sometimes the longest and slowest route is the best and, in fact, easiest as one's anxiety level is much lower.

I couldn’t agree more, and that’s exactly how I look at them after that day. It was purely my naivety that led me through there. Never again! Not worth ruining my adventures to get somewhere quicker.

IPs are such nice boats! Tom’s is a 380.

@@AmysSoloSailingAdventures Thanks I love mine!!

Fair winds! Enjoy your awesome boat! 🤘