Hey! This is an old video. Our videos have improved massively since this one. For better quality episodes, skip to season 2 or 3. Season 2 - Sailing Kittiwake around the Mediterranean: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/gbWpY6Rk27rYd5s.html Season 3 - Upgrading to a 37ft American design sailboat: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/bNmpaLdmnLvWqYE.html

Finally a couple that don't feel they got to put the missus into a g string and parade her around the deck to get some more hits. Awesome content. Keep it up.

I just watched Episode 2 and was transfixed by the recounting of the storm and it’s consequences. The freshness of the incident and the impacts to the two of you were obvious and I could not go on without responding. I am a former member of the U.S. Coast Guard, the service responsible for maritime safety in U.S. waters. During my time in service I was a direct participant in approximately 1000 search and rescue operations. Most of the time I was on shore answering calls for assistance and coordinating search and rescue operations between multiple Coast Guard stations, boats and aircraft but I also went out on the boats as deck crew. The scenario that you experienced and recounted in the Scilly Isles was typical of the urgent rescue work that I participated in. The two of you conducted yourselves brilliantly coping with this difficult, dynamic and dangerous situation especially considering your somewhat limited experience. You kept your wits about you, kept up with the changing conditions, knew your boat and the limitations of the actions that you could take, took effective action to prevent a collision and provided real assistance to those in distress. Nobody could have expected or asked for anything more from you. There is a point in the video where you seem to blame yourselves for the injury to the lifeboat crewman. You should not, the two of you are in no way to blame for for that accident. The crewman was injured because he (or she) or a crew-mate made a mistake that put that crewman in a position that they should never have been in. Your decision to call for assistance did not cause the injury. You had no control over the actions of the Coast Guard. They are the trained professionals, they decided, based on their orders, experience and capabilities, to come to the scene and to move the lifeboat into a dangerous situation. You merely communicated the situation to them as you should have. Never hesitate to call when you or others are in need of assistance. Through your cautious, thoughtful and educated approach to seamanship the two of you are well on your way to becoming expert sailors and are a credit to your maritime community. Bravo!

Your actions of calling for help didn't cause a man to get hurt, the actions of a irresponsible crew of the other sailboat caused the man to get hurt. Your actions were correct.

I wonder how many British sailors in history have said ... "We better keep an eye on those French boats" 😀

The French boats were probably bareboat charterers and as such had very little experience. They committed the Cardinal Sin of seamanship, Colreg #5: Keep a watch, and paid the (next to) ultimate price. Sorry to hear of the loss of limb of the Coast Guard crew. You guys, on the other hand, got it right, even with what sounds like limited cruising experience, you had the instincts to prepare and above all, stand watch throughout the gale. Nice work. aside: Might you need a more powerful motor/engine? Love your channel ( compared to the myriad of available ones) and will live vicariously through you guys. Safe travels.

Wow... first proper cruise and all hell breaks loose... talk about steep learning curve! Well done, you cracked it!

My goodness, what an episode. You did everything right; if you had been the only boat in that cove, nothing dramatic would have happened. What a terrific pair you are.

Great video. You are experiencing life not watching it on TV. Well done. And in the process you are learning - that’s called life experience. It’s utterly compelling to watch. I’m hooked!

Talk about a baptism of fire! Well handled.

A terrible way to learn a valuable lesson. It sounds like you did everything right and the guilt isn't yours. I hope the others understand the grief they caused. Thanks for sharing, I will never forget your example.

it may be old - but i really enjoyed finding this ...sat at work bored and dreaming - wow i could actually do this!

Thank you for your honest representation of what happened that night. I know there has been a lot of time and distance between you and the feelings that somehow you were partially responsible for the injury to the coastguard. I hope that that distance has lead you to feel as though you did the right thing calling for assistance. You should never second guess calling in help in an emergency situation. My wife and I recently bought a boat after a 30 year absence from sailing and we are looking forward to local trips. fair winds and following seas.

Hi what a baptism of fire ,no wind and water, well done .No wonder you have gone so far over the time you have been at sea may you both enjoy your time together,fine sailing ttfn

Oh my goodness. It's experiences like these that make us better sailors. You guys did great. Look forward to seeing more of your voyage. Now it really begins!

Ryan and Elena a cracking little video and very sobering. I think a number of us have been in same situation with boats around us dragging at one time or another and it is worrying. I had a safe position in a bay in the Ionian but the wind picked up and a large motor sailor ketch started to drag towards me. Initially my wife and I thought the yacht was unmanned and we'd have to move but a yacht nearby used its air horn repeatedly and eventually a naked bloke came onto the deck of the yacht that was dragging. He quickly realised he was in danger and took action which was somewhat comic as he ran between the wheelhouse to manoeuvre and then ran forward to bring up his anchor still stark naked. Danger averted he moved off into clear water and re-anchored. Bottom line, and I all the comments I've read pretty much agree, is I think you did everything right to make sure your boat was safe and then to try to get assistance for the yacht that went aground. Why its crew left their yacht is beyond weird. Anyway I have had friends who were in RNLI and none would want you not to hesitate to make that shout in such a situation. It was absolutely tragic there was an accident onboard the lifeboat but you cannot blame yourself for it happening. I do hope all your viewer support the RNLI as it is a very worthwhile charity and we are lucky to have it plus the volunteers who crew the boats. Heroes all. Just a thought that you might want to invest in a second anchor, like a fortress, which stows easily in case you have to abandon you main anchor or want to lay two anchors in the first place for bad weather. Playing catch up on your videos but wishing you the very best in the meantime.

Thanks for keeping it real. This is a story that people who are interested in sailing need to hear. I'm sure it wasn't easy to decide to do this and it's not the kind of feel-good sailing material that makes for baller YouTubing, but you've done well by us for sharing your experience. Thanks!

Wonderful video, guys! I found your yesterday and can say that your style of sailing videos is very refreshing. I have followed others for some time now and have become disheartened when they turned more commercial. You guys are down to earth and "normal"...don't change. Keep up the great work!

Thank you very much for your story. Grabbing the camera just does not come to mind during a situation and we have experienced a few! You have reminded us of our cruising start back in summer 2014. After both of us retiring we passaged out of Milford Haven with my youngest son and his wife who accompanied us to Vigo, (nw Spain).Our first stop out of Milford was a buoy at St Mary's and we had a pleasant few days, happening upon the long boat race festivities! Our next destination was to be France as we were heading for the Med but when a storm was forecast we sailed to Falmouth and spent a lovely week there, exploring the Chain Locker (& the local area!). We have now clocked 4002 nauticals and are presently in Sicily (via Morocco, 56 marinas & 40 anchorages!). We use Weather4D Pro, an inexpensive AP which is an amazing tool for our purpose. There have been occasions when it's missed local winds around mountainous areas but the majority of the time it's spot on. We began our sailing back in the late 70's with a Hurley 21' constructed with marine ply (= lots of work restoring her!!) and over the years we have learnt to dive for the nearest marina in a blow. Sailing to Falmouth was a significant deviation from our plan but saved a battering off the Atlantic coast of France and gave us a super unplanned holiday in the beautiful Fal area. Kindest regards, A&A.

I wish there were more responsible sailors out there like you two.

What a way to start out! The lost boat was completely preventable. You had the right strategy. You'll do well. Enjoy!

Thanks for sharing your experiences. I've sailed several times to the Scillies from Falmouth and Plymouth over the years and have known many experienced 'yachties' who openly admit they would not go there, simply because the area affords limited protection and can be very exposed to quickly changing weather conditions, particularly during late Summer. As a low passes its not unusual for wind direction to turn 180 degrees, turning a protected 'off shore' anchorage into a 'lee shore', as you soon discovered. The problem then is that your once anchor has been successfully set to cope with initially encountered winds it is rotated on the sea bed when the wind direction changes and can be dislodged and break free under strain. The considered safe option when bad weather is ever likely or forecast for the Scillies, is to leave the Islands altogether and run for a sheltered anchorage off mainland Cornwall. Failing that find somewhere between the islands (dependent upon weather) say to New Grimsby Sound between Tesco and Bryher (but its not good in SSE/NNW) So when the wind direction changes you can gain some shelter. The Scilly Isles offer beautiful cruising grounds, but that beauty comes at a price and is much loved by French skippers. You did well to keep your boat safe. Were you eventually able to recover your anchor? - Evano

Honest storytelling and a fine choice of music -- great stuff. I've definitely learned a few lessons from your experience -- thanks. And thanks for bringing us along on your adventure. I hope to get to the Isles of Scilly one day too.

Nice narrative of proper anchor handling! As well as keeping watch during the blow. A little knowledge goes a long way!!! Thank yoi

Hi Ryan and Elena, we really enjoyed your video. Sharing details of experiences like this can help us all learn from the mistakes of others. You guys did the very best that you could under the circumstances and please bear in mind in any situation like this it is inevitable that some 'what ifs' will cross your mind (they would cross the mind of any intelligent and conscientious person finding themselves in that situation). Don't listen to these thoughts: what happened happened and you guys couldn't have done anything better than you did. In a serendipitous kind of way it is good that this happened right at the start of your adventure - you have learned some very valuable lessons and these will stand you in very good stead for the future. Onward and upward... Fair winds! Chris & Rossella 🙂

Easily the best sailing video I have seen to date. Your detailed account of the incident along with "lessons learned" is a credit to both of you. Very well done.

You absolutely did the right thing calling the coast guard. Just a freak accident. They also could have saved a life...you never know. Be safe, be alert and have fun. Waiting for you in Florida...

What a start to your adventures and what great video production! Don't blame yourself for anything - the lifeboat crewman certainly wouldn't. And well done helping your French neighbours. Especially difficult when their idiocy put you in such danger. Maybe you need to improve your weather forecasting? When you said we moved to the anchorage well sheltered from the SW, I thought Oh dear that looks open to the NW and, when lows pass by, the wind often veers to North of West. Hey ho! To paraphrase - what doesn't hurt you makes you stronger!

Good job! well done. It always amazes me how careless some people anchor. You did right calling the coastguard.

Watching your series again, now a few years later. So lesson given…you can’t have a big enough anchor! And always back it in. You acted very well. My only thought was perhaps the coastguard should have been contacted as soon as you saw the French boat dragging.

Just two episodes in....and again, professional production, truly imaginative accompanying sounds. adventure and compelling personality - look forward to more! Safe sailing.

Hello from Sydney Australia where we also own a catamaran. My wife and I are from the UK and started sailing in a 30' catamaran in when we lived in Bournemouth. We sailed away on a 48' trimaran with 3 kids. You two seem to be very sensible, thoughtful and willing to research and learn about sailing. These are excellent attributes. I have a good feeling that you will make a huge success of this venture and have a lot of fun, especially in the warmer weather! I look forward to following you. Cheers!

Love the videos. Love the little catamaran. Thank you.

I love your musical choices and your editing is spot on! When cruising there is often the situation where as another vessel anchors within "your comfort zone". Then there is the fact that you do not want to seem like an uptight safety nanny and ask them to move. However, your gut feeling is often right, and you are protecting your vessel and home. Thus having a polite, if firm, conversation with the other vessel is not only appropriate, it is proper. If that fails, you have the ultimate option to move to a safer location. Carry on, I'm enjoying the adventure!

Good lessons well learned. Life at sea is serious business and those who take the sea lightly usually regret it. Safe voyages!

Wow amazing I love the Helford and what an experience you had, it's experiences like that, that you learn from and never forget. Great to see a new Brit sailing channel I'm hooked. I hope its all going well for you al, the best Dave

Just the songs. .enjoy yr episodes. .stay safe

You are making an old Cornishman guys did all the right things, marooned in Africa, very homesick. Aren't the Scillies just beautiful? I have worked on both trawlers and mackerel boats in Cornwall and in my opinion you guys did everything right. Well done.

Nice! Good lesson and understanding. From a retired master mariner.

What a dramatic experience you've been through, but as you rightfully said you've also learned a few lessons. Well done, sailors!

To add to other comments, Wow! A really challenging start, well done for coming out of it OK

Thank you for a such a great video

Pure insanity. So much craziness. Great video. Thanks for making and sharing.

Guys! I love this video. Beautiful scenery, information about the place you're visiting, sailing, details about what it is really like out here - good job, and we'll certainly be watching. Excellent work on Kittiwake as well. Cheers! 🍻

Wow,quite an adventure,and very sobering. Really no idea why the two other boats went ashore without leaving a watch with the gales forecast but you did all you could and more so hats off to you. Andy

Thanks for sharing. Great video. And these islands are still on my hot list

Brilliant. Ryan I can imagine you were totally unimpressed by the whole debacle! Happy sailing.

Wow, there are some great channels just starting. Very well done video and very exiting times, I have binge watch them all. My 2 cents on the matter. If your narrative was accurate, as member of Coastguard myself, let me tell you on first hand that you should not take any blame of what happened to the coastguard member. We train hard to manage this kinds of situation, the safety of our members is paramount, first the safety of our crew, then the safety of the people involved, then our property and at very last other peoples property. Seems like the rescue plan needs to be investigated, so we can learn from it. Please remember even we the most bulletproof plan, things can turn to worse very quickly, that's a risk we take when we decide to do this type of volunteering work. We do it because just like you, we love the ocean. Very good lesson to learn. Better now than later on.

I saw the pin below. Apologizing for video quality. I find it sad for you to ask your audience to skip. These are your humble beginnings. The purest of times. I am enjoying them very much. Also so much of Kittiewake is just like our vessel Kakamora.

Nice video, a testing situation. Isle of scilly as nice as it is, don't have many bad weather options. Crowded anchorages tend to be hazardous even in good weather. All the best :)

I’m glad you stayed and enjoyed the islands instead of going home. I have sailed all over the world and never experienced what you did on your first trip

Harrowing indeed. It appears you both took appropriate actions. Experience is sometimes a harsh instructor. Godspeed!

Amazing teaching experience. Forunately, you got through the storm OK.

Hi, I really enjoyed your video. Thank you for going into such detail about a disastrous situation. I'm glad you came out of it unscathed. I can only imagine how frightening and exhausting it must have been.

I'm no expert but it sounds like you both all you could and made good choices. The crew of the life boat are well trained and responsible for there own actions so don't second guess yourself there. THere were a lot of mistakes you could have made that you didn't so be proud of yourselves and remember these lessons for your future happy cruising life!

Hi both, "where are we heading next you asked?" Due to the eye watering cost of marinas in the med we select an area of interest and negotiate a stay for a year, being the best value and not having to rush anywhere in particular being retired. During our year at a marina we are joined by family and friends and for our purpose it is fantastic. I share looking after my mother with my brother so, I split my time between sailing and life at home. I have three "children" and they use Artemis as a (no cost) hotel when we are absent. We are having a wonderful retirement, we see our five grandchildren when home and sailing. During our recent leg from Rome to Sicily we had three grandchildren and their parents for 650 nauticals! When at home we fly our Microlights! I think we are one of the few families that have managed to fly and sail for recreation!!! In reply to your question, we have planned a sailing trip to Malta but nothing else. We will do most of our travelling by public transport, hiring a car for a few weeks before returning to the UK on each occasion & also use the car to return us to the airport on our departure day to save taxi costs. Marinas are even more expensive for cats and I can well imagine that you find it outside your budget. It's usually possible to have a free night in a Marina if you arrive late & tie up to the fuel pontoon. Can be a bit nosey if there are fishing boats using the same facility. If the night watchman directs you to another area, it's still a free night at the Marina and as a bonus, use the Marina cafe for WiFi, provisions etc. Some marinas and harbours will offer you a buoy at a much reduced cost if you explain to the owner your limited sailing budget. During your passage to the med you will be faced with trying weather and night passages that can be exhausting. We make a "bed" on one side of the cockpit, and swop the watch every two hours or so & are always clipped in. Needless to say, we have severely tested our credit cards to stay safe! The nice thing with marinas is peace of mind whilst away from your boat exploring the local area. Kindest regards, A&A.

Great video - I was on the edge of my seat with the shipwreck story. Glad you are both OK.

Such great information. Your detailed explanation is so helpful. Thank you!

Hi guys, I’m a life-long sailor and follow a number of the sailing channels on KZfaq. Only just found yours. Like your style very much, so I’ve subscribed. Quite an adventure in the Scillies, but - as others have noted - while the accident to the lifeboatman is a real tragedy it is not your doing. I’ll follow your voyage with genuine interest. By the way, did you recover your anchor ok? Fair winds, Roy

Wow! What a way to start your sailing adventure. I am sure you have learned a lot of lessons that will be invaluable in your future. Keep up the good work. -johnny

Hi Elena you did very well in those conditions it was right to advise Falmouth of the french boat but as there was nobody on the French boat there was no threat to life so its not a May Day I would have radioed St Mays harbour master who was nearer who would have done whatever was necessary any way very well done. We were there the following week and was very sorry to here about the life boat Man and we saw the french boat up on the shore with a large gash in her side. everyone was talking about the poor Life boat Man who lost his foot, so sad

I just subscribed to your channel, can't believe what happened on this video. Watched a few channels now and everyone is going for the same type of anchor that you have, as they are very good in a storm. I've got to binge watch all your other video's now to catch up. Cheers from Lee in South Wales, UK.

Wow that must have been a bloody frightening experience that could could have put lesser people off the whole thing. Not much more you could have done really without endangering yourselves .You should be proud of your actions and yeh like you said you can only learn from other people misfortunes. Happy Sailing John

Well done guys

Hi Drama! Hope you enjoyed Scilly. What a lovely spot.

Very useful information Thank you.

Complimentson a very good video and very good seamanship!

Very good video, interesting (even if dramatic) story. Well done and TFS.

One wonders what kind of anchor or achors the french had. (at least two anchors, one good for rocks and one for sand is necessary at least for me to feel adequately prepared and having a greater chance that one grabs and lessen the risk of dragging considerably) Also, even in quite moderate winds, it is very useful with two anchors laid out in a v-form formation when anchoring over night behind an island for instance, as it prevemts the boat from zig zaging from side to side against the wind during the night. I'm amazed at how some sailors have just one (often too small or inadequate) anchor on a 30-40 ft boat). Hopefully they learned a lesson.

All that drama and about 3 seconds of video of it arrgghh! 😁 Glad to see you got through it though

love you guys!!!

Wise heads on young shoulders 😀 Loving your videos

loved it , great vid . best wishes Phil

The boat looks great. I still need to do all that work on my Snowgoose, but figured I'd enjoy her over the summer first.

Did you say the life boat man lost his foot or injured it? Your refit of the boat was really well thought out for storage and looks really smart inside. I'd imagine the value of the boat has increased markedly.

Well done.

Excellent. Remember you are in cat so that you can tuck right in the shallows and anchor fore and aft. Even take the ground especially where there is a large tidal range :-)

What I took from this experience is; you can't stop others from acting inappropriately. In this case with those other two boats anchoring too close and not enough chain, maybe it would be better to move away from them to another anchoring spot. At least their bad decisions won't become yours. This is after the fact on my part, but by your testimony, it sounds like you both made the best of what you had to deal with at the time. I am glad they didn't push you onto the rocks.

Did the lifeboat crewman really loose his foot? What a terrible situation. When the wind starts blowing sailing is a completely different ball game. Thanks for sharing this information and good sailing.

Enjoying your videos. There are so many pretentious rich kids who have no idea of reality so this is very refreshing. Did you have previous sailing experience or RYA qualifications before you got Kittiwake? or did you buy it and start to learn? How long before someone can make the kind of journey you guys are doing from knowing nothing about sailing till setting off to the Med? Would you consider crossing Atlantic in Kittiwake? Sorry, too many questions.

Alcohol and incharge of a vessel. Skipper should have been dealt with by officials and punished them financially as a deterrant to others.

Wow !! That was a lot of drama so early on into your adventure.... :)

I love the music :)

Hi, very impressed with the work you did on the boat, sensible choices and by the looks of it done to a good standard. I haven't seen a "flying" roller furler like that before, was that your idea? Do all the Heavenly Twins have the stoop through to aft cabin? I came across your videos while researching composting loos - my new to me boat (Colvic Watson 34) has an electric loo with a massive holding tank, I've had it all apart, descaled & cleaned it all once and I'm seriously thinking of getting rid of the whole thing for a Simploo. Been FT liveaboard in UK eight years now. So a baptism of fire in the anchorage - you acquitted yourselves very well and you can't blame yourselves for the injury to the lifeboat crew, if anyone's to blame it's the irresponsible crew of the boat that dragged on to the rocks. Unfortunately anchorages seem always half full of idiots and party boats (of all nationalities), and where do they want to park? Right next to you! Very best of luck with your continuing adventures, there's definitely more to life than work and other shackles and I look forward to watching more of your videos...

Thank you for the very interesting video. I clicked Like and i subscribed. The only other sailing YT channel I watch on a regular basis is Gone With The Wynns. Wow what a difference. While I like the couple on the Wynns channel I think I will enjoy yours just as much if not more. Their cat is like a well kept used Lexus while yours seems to be like a 30 year old Ford Transit van that never left the hometown very much. Please don't be offended as I drive a 1990 Plymouth Grand Voyager Mini Van. Yes it is a clunker but it is paid for and it gets me to my Dr. Appointments at the VA and to the food store. I need little more at this time in my life. It was sad to learn the Coast Guardsman lost his foot during the attempted boat rescue. You should not blame yourself. You called in a vessel in distress, it was your duty I think in that situation. It seems to me you acted responsibly in being sure to dig in your heavy anchor and not leave your vessel in high winds. I look forward to seeing more of your adventures.

It's been said a lot about irresponsible French sailors. I've heard this from many other sailors. That incident confirms it once again.

Great video I look forward to more of the same.

WOW! I'm DEFINITELY getting an oversized Mantus anchor after this😐

Well as self confessed ‘new sailors’ you acquitted yourself admirably and intelligently - well done. Good decision to dump the anchor too.👍 As for the other stuff - sh1t happens.😳

A pity there's no footage of the stormy incident

Sailing Kittiwake with all those solar panels why don't you all get a electric motor for the Kittiwake? they are real easy to install, cost next to nothing and you would be motoring FREE (ON SUN POWER) when the sun is out or hiding in clouds you can all ways fall back to your engine or just use the batteries until the panels can run the motor and charge the batteries both at the same time, just saying, Old One Legged Joseph T.

Hy, I like and watch all your video s, all this because I love so much this way of life not to mention that Heavy Twin's is really my favorite little catamaran, from my point of view is the best in his class. And one question for Elena: you are from Romania? Your name sound so Romanian name :) Cheer's Ryan and Elena and good wind's from aft :)

i'll crew for you guys anytime!

As someone who is looking at either a sub 35ft Catalac, Prout or Heavenly twins in the near future how have you found the Hobby horsing or Pitching to be with your boat? I hear they are prone to it because of the hull rockers.

I don't see how your actions caused the harm but I understand what you're saying.. you done what you could. You anchored well and it held.. possibly a pan pan instead of a mayday as it wasn't you that was in trouble but that's maybe what you meant regarding "relay a mayday" And you certainly cannot blame yourselves for the poor guy losing his foot. Warren s/y Legend

Hi, keep up the good work! The guy didn't loose his foot because you called SAR. He lost his foot because of shotty seamanship of others. You're bound by law to help vessels in distress and omitting that is rightfully punishable by law. You're not supposed to endanger yourself so the only choice is to call in the professionals. It's not up to you to decide whether the vessel is empty or not, you're supposed to call it in and report the circumstances to the best of your knowledge. Then they decide and if something goes wrong it's a tragedy for sure, as is any work accident. So yeah, you did everything right, including having "oversized" ground tackle and not dragging across the anchorage. And including asking for a tow instead of crushing on the rocks.

In your first episode you mentioned that you both work on your laptop a few hours a week to provide income. My question is, doing what ? Please forgive my ignorance on the matter as I have been a machinist most of my life and I only know how to make a living with my hands. I would like to do the same thing as the two of you only on the west coast of America. Cheers.

I thought Sicily was in Italy :-)

Another Froggy on the rocks... Ha Ha big surprise..

The lifeboat guy tho😯😥