My advice on the tender is this and collectively agreed on as being sound advice in the cruising community. Get the biggest tender you can fit on your boat. A fiberglass/aluminium RIB, ideally above 3.5 meters in length with a front locker you can put the fuel tank in along with the anchor and flares etc(having the fuel talk up front balances the weight of the boat out). There are brands like OC that have become popular lately and solve some of the issues inflatables have, you won't find one on the used market most likely though. This is your car, you will do many side adventures in it, will go through rough waves in it, load it down with gear and people while wanting it to still plane when you head miles away for a diving trip or side quest to the other side of an island. There is no need for something with a steering wheel and it can even get in the way. I understand the desire to save money and get something smaller with a smaller engine, in the end you will just end up getting a bigger and faster dinghy though because it won't handle itself well for your needs. From my understanding you will need something in the 20hp-30hp range in order to plane while loaded down(make sure to not get the wrong engine size for your needs!). As far as placement goes, for long passages some people prefer to put it on the foredeck upside down and secure the engine in a locker. Many simply put it on davits and for passages secure it more throughly. Personally I fall into the davits camp unless I am facing a dangerous storm, then I would secure to the deck upside down to ride out the storm. My thought is that from anchorage to anchorage it is much easier to drop from davits and not have to deal with removing the engine/installing the engine every time I want to use the dinghy. On passage if the unthinkable happens and you start to sink, dropping the dinghy from davits, putting the life raft along with all supplies needed in the dinghy is much faster than having to haul it off the foredeck. At night/when I am not using it, I would bring the boat out of the water to keep algae and critters from making a festival of the dinghy underside, having davits just makes this easier. You can get a lock for your engine/dinghy and put a hidden gps device onboard to secure against theft or in the case it floats away...

"When a 10 minute job turns into an hour" is the most accurate single sentence about boat life, haha!

the reason your video did so well was your genuine enthusiasm for this new life. biggest issue is rig inspection anything over 10 years will be an insurance nightmare good luck. looks like a great boat

I have to say I look FWD to you both getting deep into the Boat and Leaning so much along the way. Don't stress about making what you may think must be great videos, I see what you have put out so far to be a great start. As for being on the boat FULL TIME, is that part of your plan? I think you said you were selling your home or moving out, does that mean you will be living on the boat from now on? Sorting out the boat and learning how to solve problems as you go, remember I don't think you supposed to know everything at the start, you will always learn more so don't get frustrated, remember the best part of your channel is that you both appear to be a great team so support each other always. I suggest if this is your thing, to start a working spreadsheet on your computer. Locations on the boat, what you keep in them to start (ALL STORAGE SPACES). LIST of all items on the boat and their location (SPARE PARTS/Tools/Sails/Materials/Safety Gear on hand and needed). Also a MAINTENANCE LOG, where you can List things that need to be done and when the last time that maintenance was performed (OIL/FILTER/THROUGHHOLES/RIGGING/MAST/BOTTOM ANTIFOUL/DATE OF LAST HAUL OUT/INSPECTION DATES and many more. The more organized you are the easier things will become over time. I look FWD to your journey, Stay Strong.

If you plan on long distance cruising a complete and through inspection of the rigging and the hull is mandatory. Eventually, I'd put an arch with davits on the stern. The arch can support 3 or 4 solar panels for charging the house batteries and they act as a cover for the tender on the davits so it doesn't fill up with a lot of rain water. A Highfield Classic 340 with a 20HP outboard would be perfect tender.

So glad to be at the beginning of your journey and seeing how things go, and being there at your first trials!

A consideration for outboard engine is weight for transfer between yacht transom bracket to tender transom . They can be awkward and cumbersome especially when bouncing around on anchor/mooring with one of you ( in our case me)balancing on swim platform while other ( in our case John) in tender to attach the engine to transom . Ooh side note always tie outboard engine onto tender transom once clamped on avoid escaping engine sinking 😂

Fantastic seeing around the boat it’s so beautiful 🙌⛵️

Hiya guys, congratulations on your boat! You might want to get in touch with 'Sailing Uma' about your dinghy and outboard questions. They'll also be able to help/advise you with the electrical systems and electronics, since they built most of theirs themselves. They have videos about their systems. Wishing you lots of fun and pleasant adventures - looking forward to future videos.

Use an iPad with Navionics or Open CPN for navigation.

Great couple. Great boat. So excited for you both. Take your time and enjoy every minute!

Congrats again folks, let the projects commence!

Great to watch again! The future is very bright for you both.

So stoked for the two of you 🤙

Great to watch you both embarking on a new adventure. Look forward to the next video. Best of luck!

Great that you guys are showing the reality of making this dream happen, looking forward to the progress on the boat and your adventures to come 👍

So please do have found your channel enjoying it immensely and also very pleased to have been watching from the start. Looking forward to regular episodes keep it genuine and it will be a winner for you. I am sure😊

Well done guys,good luck to you both.

So glad I found your channel and can’t wait to see where you guys go❤️

Awesome video guys!! Taking the plunge and living the life many of us dream of!! Only found your video yesterday and already had another one to watch, amazing!! This channel has the making of such a good experience to watch!!! All the best to both of you!! Happy sailing!!!

Amazing vessel! Beautiful content! Can't wait for more!

Love the boat, love your ultimate goal. I look forward to following your new venture, hope you sail through it with fair winds and calm waters.

Love both your videos. You’re doing what most people only ever talk and dream about doing. Enjoy every moment, I’m looking forward to following your journey

Great job already. Can not wait for more :) Thanks for sharing.

Such a brave move to do what you are doing! I am so looking forward to following you on your journey and travels. Congratulations and all the best x

Love watching a new channel and watching it grow and you grow with it . Seen a lot of now popular ones start and your video and editing is already great, keep up the good work can’t wait for you to take us along on your adventures.

Well done both of you! You acknowledge that you are going to go through a steep learning curve in a number of areas, but given your enthusiasm and love of your beautiful boat, I’m sure that you will get there and enjoy it all as well. I look forward to following your videos.

Love what you’ve achieved in only two vids. After arm chair watching many similar sailing KZfaqrs, go watch what some others are doing and what they have learnt over the years. A lot of owners opt for a Highfield tender with a 6 to 9hp two stroke. Others have said that installing a davit haul out system has changed their life! It’s so difficult hauling a motor and tender up and onto the deck let alone the lost deck space. Also if you opt to tow a tender they tend to fill with spray and other crap. When you do start full time sailing you’ll be amazed at how often you’ll want to use the tender so why not make it as easy as possible.

Good luck guys, enjoy yourselves while you're young.😉

Great content...! You both make a good team. A proper job there Ash, top Lancashire lad like myself. 👏👏👏

Okay, subbed and along for this ride, and hopefully only about two years behind you. Best of luck, stay genuine, thanks for sharing.

Good luck...enjoy the journey looking forward to come along ❤

Only just come across your channel. Well done and I look forward to following you and fair winds for the future

Good Luck on your new travels, Really enjoyed the vlog.. 🎉

All the best to you both. Happy for you and your adventures.

You are doing a fabulous job, lm not a boater but really enjoy an adventure, my wife and l are looking forward to following your adventure, we wish you the best of luck and look after each other xx

Good on ya guys, all the very best in your adventures on the water. The world is your destination now . No stopping you. Happy sailing from me in Australia. Chase the Sun and the Stars.

To learn to sail and purchase such a beautiful yatch in such a sort time , you have both done amazing, and wish you all the best can't wait to follow you both through your videos..

Great 2nd video, looking forward to watching your journey

Well done. Just love your enthusiasm for adventure and can’t wait for more videos. You two come across as being so authentic and natural. Wish you all the best. Try to include the date in the narrative so we know how up to date we are.. Thanks. Love all the other comments too.

THIS is going to be one the most addictive channels I’ve subscribed to. So looking forward to the journeys ahead with you both. Good luck! ⛵️😎

Just can’t wait to see more. Just a note now the fun and hard work begins. Just make a list and start with the Must ❤Do’s 1st. Once again Congrats. Fair Sails Ahead. ❤

Congrats on a beautiful boat! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

After seeing your first video keep popping up on my suggestion list I decided to watch and oh my what a great channel you have started in just only 2 videos! Keep up the great work!

Yes yes! The Aqua Marina Aircat 2.85m Air Deck Inflatable Catamaran is a fantastic dinghy. Its design allows for minimal drag.

Huge well done you two. xx

Hopefully the channel may raise some funds to modernise the boat, navigations systems in time. So much to do I'm sure and must be overwhelming - just try to enjoying the journey and not the destination. The videos and editing have been great for a new channel and sure you learn more as you get time & experience. Sadly I don't have any sailing or boat experience the biggest achievement I ever did was becoming a PPL pilot in my younger days. Perfection isn't required - auntiticity is what attractive and watchable - safe travels cannot wait for more to come. ❤❤

Looking forward to your future vids/adventures.

Really enjoyed your first two videos and I'm looking forward to following your adventures. Can't be back on our boat in Greece in six weeks time!

Great video. Good luck for the future.

Love you guys, wish you every success

Cracking first videos guys, looking forward to seeing your adventures! Dream about doing something like this… by three young sons would love this! Who knows, maybe one day. Good luck to you both ⛵️😎👍

Good luck to you both - fab start to your videos, looking forward to following you with your adventures 🙂

Congratulations on the new boat. For a tender as others have said get the biggest you can fit across the sturn. We have an aluminum hull Quicksilver 290(way too small) with a 15 Suzuki. Our quicksilver has a reasonable deep v making it a good riding boat in heavier weather. 15 hp is about 110lbs. I tie a lanyard to it and lift it on and off the tender. Best of luck hope you find what works best for you both

great boat great couple

Only 2 videos 😲 I was hoping to binge watch you guys sailing all over - Subbed & waiting on the next adventure 😁

Looks like you picked a good boat. Step by step a huge amount to learn. Good luck

You were talking about things such as fridge problems and vibration noises etc, and it may be useful to think back to your house where if you think back you probably know of creaking floor, door etc and all accessories that broke. Like you said, will get used to it on the new home 👍

Good luck on your journey! We consider doing the same. It will be great following your progress and learning from your mistakes and successes 😊 hope to see you out there one day

Thanks for the vlog. You don't need me to tell you it's a marathon not a sprint. Take your time to learn your boat and it's systems. You don't need to go new on equipment and there's plenty of forums to find out things. A 10 to 15 HP outboard is more than enough for a tender, and try to go rigid bottomed if your budget allows. Keep being positive. If something goes wrong or breaks, which it will, take it as a learning curve.

Beautiful boat.I can see why you picked it

You two are doing just fine being new to editing videos. Just keep plugging away at it.

Great follow up video, and a lucky find with that boat, could be a classic! The sound is coming across fine, not sure about others but i don't mind any wind noise, it gives a sense of being there onboard and what the conditions are really like!

I’ve a feeling that your new channel is going to fly so it’s great to be onboard from the start.

You'll. be surprised how many people will love watching your channel and subscribe. Maybe suppliers will give you items if you have a large enough following. All good luck to you.

Great videos keep on coming brave New couple for a brave New world. Remember storytelling is about who what where when and how. Take it from somebody who's watched thousands of sailing videos for many many years, you're off to a great start.

Love the fact your fridge was 90% alcohol. Keep following your dreams and I hope to follow you to some truly amazing places!!

Kudos to you both, you are a lovely couple starting on what's going to be an amazing adventure. You are going to learn so much, just don't forget to take us with you. I did subscribe on the first vid... you guys did good. The secret is to just have fun and what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Wishing you both the best.

Subscribed! I look forward too seeing you’re adventures & stay safe! Well done for being open too so much training \ learning 👌👌

Hi, a great second video from a down to earth couple. No boat is perfect, but this boat is your 'imperfect' and soon enough you will look back at all the things you have learnt and the skills you have gained. A great source of information for boat electrics and electronics is a guy called Jeff Cote who run a Canadian company and KZfaq channel called "Pacific Yacht Systems". He has made lots of boat show seminars freely available in addition to How To's and product information. His company website is mainly retail, but each product page also links to relevant videos, so offering multiple ways to find information. Definitely worth a root around for anyone wanting to learn more or brush up on skills. My boat is am 8 metre motor boat, mine has a Toyota Landcruiser engine and like yours, my research told me it was a solid and reliable engine (as long as looked after and respected). As most yacht engines are sub 30HP, I nearly choked when you said 120HP. At what speed do you get up on the plane? 😀 The first TT practice took place today, so no doubt your dad will be loving KZfaq over the next few weeks as uploads start appearing online. Remember though, watching on a screen is no substitute for being here, so hurry up and get that yacht out on the water 😀 There's a round of cold drinks here with your names on them. Enjoy your new life and savour every moment, there will be plenty of wins and smiles in the months and years ahead. Glad to be here with you both at the beginning. Cair Vie.

Good luck guys. We are also full time live aboard sailors for last 9 years, sailing for over 40 years. To stop the topping lift from vibrating slacken the main sheet a little.

Love your first two videos, you guys are doing great. When it comes to outboards, I think 6HP is manageable. Had an inflatable boat with Tohatsu 6HP on our last boat, There I had to take it off and on every time. On our new boat I have a 4-stroke Suzuki 9.9 and it is much heavier. I know many people go for the 9.9hp 2-stroke, but then I think there are only used outboard motors. I look forward to following you on your journey. Greetings from Norway

If i don't see you haul a tuna onto that huge aft deck, I'm going to be upset, lol! You guys got this👍

Someone once said to us " You'll only be a first time cruiser once. Sooo, remember and enjoy this moment." Don't worry about the weight of the motor. it will hold. ;-)

Mad love to you 2 Go live it!

At first I thought oh no anther beginner video full of disasters and enbarrassing mistakes, painful to watch! But actually what a great approach you are taking and I am sure you will be successful at cruising and videoing. I have subscribed and am looking forward to the story unfolding. Lovely boat and a lovely couple, good luck!

Hello...we have a Franchini 41s we keep in Greece. Just refitted her. Great boats...same fridge!

Shout out from South Africa. Watch SLV. Wish you all the best. Looking forward to more videos.

Hi would love to see another video from you guys,even if it’s a short update keep up the good work

Just subscribed guys. We live on a boat, slightly different to your lovely boat. Great content and brilliant to watch. 😊

Interested to see where this channel goes. I followed sailing vegabond on YT for years and they have gone absolutely crazy from where they started from. Good luck

Its really cool to see the history of the boat, good luck on finding replacement parts! You may end up becoming engineers to solve some problems!

Stoked for guys, Great boat, you two have the right attitude. From memory, those Raymarine plotter/radars do have a known issue which can be mended with a bit of light screwdrivering - look up "ribbon cable" and the model number of the plotter and see if I'm right :) The fridge just needs some liberal application of Sikaflex on the broken bits and it'll be fine for now. Save your money till it actually dies and stops keeping the beer cold. Same with all of your instruments etc. If they work, keep your money in the kitty, flash toys are not the best place to put your money, sails and rigging (when required) are. Re the tender. Aluminium bottom if you can afford it, and a anything from a 8hp-15hp will see you good service, but if you buy new, paint the cover/lid badly so it looks crap, otherwise it'll get pinched!

Your filming, audio, and editing was pretty good considering you're new to it! Before long you will be fully fledged documentary film producers........as well as experienced sailors! 👍

I would replace that refrigerator with a new more efficient unit that you will be able to get serviced and parts for. A hard bottom inflatable is a good choice . Easily store on deck and to Putin and out of the water , anything that fit so. Your foredeck 10 HP should be fine and your storage block looks adequate but someone with experience that can take a look in person should check it. Get a four stroke motor as more and more ports don’t allow two strokes as do many Marie sanctuary’s and national marine Parks. Looking forward to you adventure!

Can’t go wrong with a Yamaha 2 stroke and an inflatable tender. Look forward to watching your progress and adventures.

Subscribed today so look forward to your journey.

Following. ❤

Regarding the tender I’ve had them all. Best option for me was a 2.7 zodiac with Ali hull. Same weight as and air floor. Over time time airfloors become problematic. As for engine we are now happy with the electric remigo. Only 3.5hp but fantastic looking and light weight. Having heavy oily engines on board is a real pain. Davits are the way to go on a boat that size. An arch with solar panels which the tender can hang under is the perfect choice. Anyway I’m glad to see you did another video. I really enjoyed it. Reminds me of teulu tribe when they first started 2 years ago. I can see you being very similar. Well done the pair of you.

Love your video and check into putting the dingy aft on a frame and then adding solar on top, makes an efficient way to lower dinghy and space for soar that doesn't clutter up deck space.

Have you considered davits for the tender? The best decision I ever made.

Excellent well done. 6 and 10Hp are usually the same weight, your bracket will take that approx 15kg depending on tender either HP but if a rigid fibreglass go 10HP Mercury, Honda are the better look to see where you wish to cruise for spare parts availability Keep going, live aboard cruise is a wonderful existence

Loving the videos! When it comes to dinghies, don’t get one that’s too heavy for you to carry between 2. Anything over 3m or 31kg is getting bulky to move around. A 2.8m Avon with a 6hp will do around 6knts. It’ll be around 60kg to lift. A Good Avon second hand will outlast a Highfield 3 times over but the aluminium floor will take the ground slightly better. The aluminium floor will always handle better than an inflatable floor but at the size of 2.8m you’re not really looking for performance.

Cant give any advice because I don't know anything about sailing, but I'm looking forward to following your adventures. Next stop Antigua ?..

What a beautiful boat she is, congratulations! 😊 I dont know you but I am so happy for you both, living the dream 👌👏 I look forward to you're future adventures and to see how competent you both become in repairing everything on board 😅

😂feeding the egg you wouldn’t eat to the 🐟 fish. Great watch again 😊 can wait until your out sailing ⛵️.

❤

Tender go for a 3m or larger if space onboard and a 15hp if tender can take it. That said we have a 15hp and 2.5hp outboard. We use 2.5 most jut going short distances to shore. However you tender will become like your car. It’s nice to be able to get on the plane and go further, especially for shopping runs etc. A lot depends on your cruising area and lifestyle. If your in marinas often and town quays then not such an issue as you go shopping then. Also if you have a water maker or not as you go to shore to get water, or worse need the bigger tender for water can runs and diesel runs etc. We live all year at anchor mostly, only on rare times do we go on pontoons or in marinas (much cheaper as free at anchor) so you want a good tender and outboard

I suggest a 2.7M Highfield with a 9.8 4 stroke, capable of carrying 4 people at decent speed and reasonably light, ure engine stowage would cope with that easily and you could stow the tender on deck upside down.

Longer vids please