I never went out on my boat when something didn't turn it into the "trip from hell". Grounded for 3 days, bloody crews, crew getting knocked out by the boom, crew begging for helicopter rescue, mutiny, rats jumping ship as we pulled into the dock! I love the Captain Q series and watched your video with tears of joy and laughter in my eyes. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for sharing all the ups as well as downs owning a boat and Sailing a boat. I have throughly enjoyed your entertaining videos. Keep them coming. I’ll continue to live vicariously -with-you! Hang in there!
Having owned a yard for ten years, I have seen worse. We tried to share our wisdom, especially when it came to de-winterizing and rigging. Things only went South when they ignored our advice. My biggest advice was always, 'A month of shakedown before you do the Horn. If you don't know what the Horn is, three years of shakedown '.
@@jpkatz1435 My father's second boat was a Hughes 38, where the auxiliary engine was actually beneath the cabin sole in the bilge. He launched in spring of 1969, failing to first replace the drain plugs in the Atomic 4. After seeing the water streaming into the bilge, we were too mortified to tell the lift operator to haul us back out and, instead, scrambled to get the four plugs out of the chart table and into the engine. I have never forgotten the plugs since. Just another teen day in soaken Topsiders. Frankly, we were far more concerned with the rig.
It's like getting a new car- once you get that 1st scratch, or- first door ding- you're all set! You've already gifted blood to Posiedon, and suffered for Neptune- your season is completely free & clear!
Hey RanDay, many people who fly drones off boats keep a big fishing net on hand to catch it. It will keep the drone out of the water, and will also keep you from cutting your fingers to the bone. Good luck :)
There are two types of sailors. Those that have run aground, and those that don't admit to running aground. A year ago, we splashed our boat that we had just done a refit on. A month later we took it out for it's first real sail. We went to a local park that has docks. Tied up and spent the night. The next morning while drinking my coffee, I noticed a sailboat having a hard time getting off the dock. I started to run down to lend a hand, and ruptured my Achilles tendon. I went flat on the ground. we had to call a friend to help us sail the boat back to our own marina and I had to get to an emergency room. To add insult to injury, I am convince those other sailors had no clue that I was coming to help them......they ended up getting off the dock just fine.
Stories like these are made for sitting on a beach with a fire and swapping with other sailors. It seems bad now but it will be fun to tell later. My big one was while sailing a trailer sailer. We were approaching a mud bank I normally could pull up the swing keel and glide over. I told a member of the crew to raise the keel, unfortunately he cranked the wrong direction and when we hit the bank about 2 feet of keel was buried in mud. Ended up having to shovel mid with an oar as the tide was going out. Got unstuck enough to crank the heel up but it had so much muck on it the keel stay partially down. We pushed backward off the flat and had to swim out to the boat covered in mud dragging oars. Was really worked up that day, but laughing today
Friend and I bought a '79 Hunter 30 on April 15. Spent 12 weeks getting it fixed up for launch. Launch day, my 60th birthday, hot as heck and little wind. The crew launched us about 10 miles from the lake marina where we'd arranged a slip. No sails hanked on yet - we hadn't finished the roller furler and just figured we'd motor to the slip. A couple miles out the engine died. Couldn't get it to fire again. Tried putting up the main - wouldn't go to the top (not much wind anyway). We got it reefed so we could at least make some headway. About half an hour later I was sitting below deck in hot misery, wondering how it had come to this ... when I looked over and noticed the fuel petcock was off. We'd motored through whatever fuel was in the lines and the filter and then it gave up! Made it the rest of the way under power.
What a great story Randall! Unforgettable really and I think in a strange way all the. Bad luck was used up for the time being. Your boat properly christened by the blood of our dear Captain. Keep that sense of humor.
Well, It's a nice story, you'll have more fun to keep souvenir of it. And special thanks for sharing it with your audience. We all learn from this. Drones can be very disturbing little things, that move the crew out of their focus. And Captain, you get my best admiration.
Tragedy + time = comedy. Glad Q is okay- I have a mooring on the East End that will be free next week as We’ll be sailing down east to haul if you want to use it…Leif
I boat on the Gulf out of Naples. There is Nothing so soul soothing as watching a green flash sunset, turn around in your seat and be awed by a Harvest Moon rise over the shore.
Never going to forget my first time crewing on dad's 78 foot schooner. Lesson number one: NEVER stop paying attention if you are in a dredged channel. NEVER. After watching so very many recent sailing videos experiencing drone and boat mishaps, perhaps new versions of rules should include never fool around with a camera or drone if you're in unfamiliar waters. You're safe, everyone is still speaking to each other and the boat is gorgeous, running swift and true, and you're able to regale your fans with stories. Best of wishes for a quick healing to Captain Q, and great good luck to you all. Thank you for sharing!!
You keep it real. Boat life can give so much pain that a day without accident and a sun set appears as pleasure and joy because the pain previous was so deep. It is the contrast that is so close in sailing.
It's a good thing only a two hour tour was planned, three hour tours can take out a Minnow. :D I am glad you got some of the mishaps out of the way, things only get better from here. I am a little jealous, I would love to have AK on a maiden voyage with me. I rarely ever ask for more content but I am making an exception here, keep posting up your adventures with this beautiful old girl, it is far more interesting and valuable to us than you may realize.
As they say; there are two kinds of sailors, those that have run aground and those who lie about it. I didn't run aground my first time out but I might have a time or 3 since.
if you are a gymnast, a carpenter, a dancer , a musician.... whatever you do. It is all about a good recovery! Stand up, brush yourself off and keep on.
Your adage at the end...It was supposed to be a two hour cruise and the chaos that ensued reminds me of theme song for Gilligan's island TV show. This is so educational and great content.
Please give Cap my well wishes and hope he is well soon .Randal what a crazy day .the boat was baptized with Captain Q's blood .you run aground 2 times you think your sinking .and you loose the drone and you had a mutiny .quit the adventure for a maiden voyage .but in the end a very beautiful sunset .quit an Auspicious day .One that I am sure that no one will ever forget . O yes before i forget your diagrams with your explanations of what happened were excellent .thank you .O yes one more thing get a good first aid kit on board .
I'm glad Capt.Q is on the mend and everything turned out well in the end. If you decide to rename your boat, don't go with Minnow. That's just a recipe for more disaster.
Thank goodness all came out well, even the youngsters making it to their wedding thingy. You’re doing fine Randy and I am glad the Captain is okay. Cheers!
I'm really enjoying these videos. At least I know I'm not the only one riding the emotional rollercoaster. When you have those highlights hold on to them and remember it always comes back around.
I don't know who came up with this quote but it's' something that seems to follow me around, "Experience is what we get when we don't get what we want." Many of us have been there like you.
Ouch! You two need proper supervision, you characters! 30 years ago a friend and I got it in our heads that it would be a stellar idea to take a Laser II out for a rip in the tail end of a hurricane. We were going so fast the hull was screaming from the vibrations and we lost the auto-bailer, ripped right off the boat along with my friends water shoes along with it! A few minutes later we thought it was best to head back in...but ended up being considerably harder than we had counted on. It was a downwind leg so we thought it was going to be cake but we had not accounted for how bad the weather tiller would be, full 90 degrees and the boat was still going straight. This problem was compounded by the fact that straight was taking directly at the side of the brand spanking new HMCS Charlottetown on her maiden voyage! Sailors on deck who had been watching our progress were suddenly waving us off frantically while we're doing righteous battle with the sails and tiller to get the damn boat to do anything other than careen towards the remorseless broadsides of a steel hulled warship. There may have been some "slight" contact, there may also have been some diplomatic exchanges between the crews! At the end of the day we got the boat back in minus a spinnaker, the auto-bailer , a pair of water shoes and a few beers for diplomacy's sake! ; )
Randy thank you for your calm honesty. You and the Captain are family. Yea electronically bound but nevertheless family to me. Life is worth living and there are always lessons to learn. That is what makes living so much fun. Thank you for sharing time and tide await no man.
WOW.....talking about a content filled day! It was a blessing in disguise for your channel! What a comedy of errors, but that's sailing, and from two of the best kinds.
All is easily mendable except National Treasure Captain Q, glad to hear he bore it with such stoicism, and is hopefully fully on the mend. Plenty of useful learning in this video, thanks for sharing!
I’m really enjoying these videos about your journey with boat ownership! Please keep them coming. Hopefully the Captain has made a full recovery by now- that sounds very painful.
You’re not alone! When I was 8 my father bought a 19ft wooden cat boat. Our maiden voyage on Barnagat Bay in NJ was an unmitigated disaster. No blood was spilled, but there was a tense moment when my father decided to cast the anchor to stop the boat so he could troubleshoot, well, everything, and he got fouled in the anchor rode and nearly was dragged overboard. As a result of that day, my father named the boat “Catastrophe”, and it remained so named for the years he owned it.
Ok I had a suspicion Captain Q was like my father in law, but after the stitches I’m convinced. Old war horses are a breed of their own and don’t realize they’re not 40 anymore😀 But they’re a heck of a lot of fun to hang with.
You are a better sailor for having gone through all of that. You made your destination eventually. You saw and experienced the incredible beauty of the sea at sunset. Mission accomplished, I’d say! We all have those days we’d rather forget.
This episode changed my dream sequence with a bit more caution. Really unique channel with all the boats whispering their past stories while Ran-day writes his own, and both of you add great personality and humor to keep us coming back. Sweet sunrises ahead...
Captain Q, I remember times jumping about fore and aft on boats and scuffing up a bit. See, I’m still good at it. Just kidding guys. Captain Q and you make a superb team and I always look forward to new episodes. Randy please continue keeping us aboard for your new adventures. My very best respect sent for Captain Q the legend, and you. Sail on 👏⛵️🏝
It's always something sailing. I've owned 7 sailboats in my 40+ years sailing. Always my maiden voyages there's some extremes that just have to happen. My most recent new boat, the day of launch this year, I run aground 100 yards from my dock, not paying attention!!!! Had to get towed off. Naturally it had to be a hard grounding. The bottom paint was just put on!
After my 1st brilliant comment I recalled an adventure my senior year of HS. My new friends in Utah invited me to go tobogganing during a blizzard up one of the canyons outside SLC. They picked me up in a WW2 Jeep. The snow was so deep the sledding was a failure. On the way back I was sitting behind the driver with my back to the road freezing , the Jeep was open air. As we turned onto 45th South off Foothill Blvd. we slid into oncoming traffic and hit a car. I went flying out and they found me like a tripod on my head and knees. Out cold. I only know this because after I woke they told me several times what happened. The next day I woke up thinking it was the day before. Then there’s the time I broke a slalom ski over my head. But that’s another excellent adventure I survived. Good memories huh Ran-day!
Ah yes, taste the water in the boat. Years ago we were sailing about 20 miles off Mount Desert Island Maine, ME when my wife went below and screamed that there was water over the cabin sole. The bilge pump was not running, so I wasn't all that worried. The first thing I told her was to taste the water. Of course she refused so I had to get her up to the helm so I could go below and taste the water. As in your case it was fresh. I was very relieved. One of my water tanks had shifted and popped the inspection port open. I went back the helm and hove to so I could take the time needed to fix the problem. In your case I imagine the angle of heel caused water to run out the tank vent (perhaps the vent hose came off). I hope it was an easy fix. As far as running aground in a narrow channel like that goes, I always run that sort of channel on a rising tide. It is best not to run aground at high tide or on a falling tide, but now you know that. Plan your groundings! Oh yeah, let Captain Q know that bleeding on the boat is not acceptable protocol.
Finally got some time and watched this. The good news is that you have 4 lessons learned. The fast track to experience!! My third time out as a new sailboat owner...demasted!!! That was quite a day as well. Turned out to be corroded standing rigging. What do I like about problems out at sea. You live and learn, and try not to make the same mistakes. I've found that each season I get better and better and make less and less mistakes--because I learn from my mistakes! Glad Capt.Q is OK.
Great story. I have yet to have my splash day. Even with all the drama, it was a great story and I'm glad it was only stitches for Captain Q! #whatdoesittastelike
Thank goodness you weren't on a three hour tour, you might have ended up on an uncharted, desolate island and would have had to live in bamboo huts. Glad the Skipper and Gilligan are both OK everything else can be replaced. Fair winds.
I had a bit of a “ship-show” myself last weekend. I was pulling my inflatable dinghy into the dinghy dock and was leaning over the bow trying to make room by pulling other dinghies back to give me space to tie up to the dock and when I went to pull back on one of the dinghies who should have had the recommended 10 feet of painter, but only had 2, I lost my balance when his boat refused to move and I went straight over the bow and into the harbor directly in front of a packed restaurant of diners. Earlier in the weekend, I had been meaning to hail the pump out boat, but kept forgetting to hit the ATM to get some tip $ and was waiting for the tank tender warning light to come on as I hadn’t tested that on our relatively new, to us, boat. Apparently when the tank gets really full, it can overflow through the vent and we found an almost overflowing head (one that we do not use) and it was beginning to slosh….and I was down to my last rubber glove, so cleanup was literally single handed as the Admiral promptly extracted herself from the “shituation” …at least this didn’t cost as much as when my furler jammed while trying to reef in 35 knots ripping my genoa to ribbons..:)
Wow. What a day! I'm glad you all survived it and seem to have your sense of humour intact. Events like this can shake your confidence, but I love the way you frame it: Lessons Learned. That's wise.
Wow! Sorry for all the pain. You two are awesome! I'm sure this adventure made your friendship stronger ;) Captain Q is one tough guy! I admire his spirit!
I'm so glad you said rpm and not rpm's. Because everyone says rpm's but rpm is already plural, so rpm's is very incorrect. RPM's is a Department of Redundancy Department official term. Thank you Randall! You get a score of 100. Your boat is absolutely gorgeous and incredible! Congratulations!! And don't worry about running aground, but next time...maybe keep the drone in it's box until you're out of the dangerous part of the river?
Another lesson there is when the guys in the yard tell you to leave before the tide turns then leave a bit earlier and give yourself a break. That is the voice of experience there when they tell you not to mess around. Also there is that old adage 'haste makes waste' - if you are on a new boat or in a new place then the last thing you want to do is hurry up to be somewhere.
My Dad finally gets a boat and on splash in day friends of our used their truck and trailer . We dropped the boat in at the ramp and the wives drove the truck and trailer back to a house the boat was being docked at. Half way thru the ride to the dock the boat starts taking on water , get to the dock and the transom has a hole next to the outdrive 😞 then as the ladies rounded the corner they got into an accident with the trailer. Had to get another trailer to get the boat back out what a day! Your not alone Ran-Day!! Hope CQ recovers quickly!
Good to hear no one was seriously hurt. I had a heart attack back on June 24th while I was on my boat. I'm still working through it and have been single handling her a few times since. Sailing is an adventure that you learn how to deal with the good and the bad.
One word. Wow! I was not expecting anything like this for your maiden voyage! Ok. My maiden voyage story. After my family and I built our 73 LOA Herreshoff schooner, we were motoring down the Fraser River out to the islands and the motor conked out. My parents wanted to wait for the tide to change and use the dinghy (which was a 14 ft Davidson lifeboat) with it's old seagull outboard to tow us back to our dock and repair the motor. Of course knowing my dad, once back the trip would be another time so.... I put out my thumb and thumbed us a tow out to open water. Once under sail my dad and I worked on the motor. We headed to a anchorage we could sail into, dropped the hook and good to go, yes. Next day we went ashore and bought the part we needed and bada bing bada boom, sailed on. Looking forward to your next episode Ran-Day
About 40 years ago we went aground in the Chesapeake (soft bottom) in a Ranger 37 with a fin keel. The captain's solution, which worked, as to fly the spinnaker with almost everyone on the bow. This lessened the draft enough for us to sail off and scamble madly to lower the spinnaker quickly! I have not flown a drone from a moving boat yet, but i did buy a drone handle for a few dollars. Your partner can then grab the handle that sticks straight down from the drone.
Thanks for sharing this. I think the world of you two and if it can happen to you, it can happen to anyone. Thanks for your candor and for sharing how you got through it!
Sounds like there were 2 Captains on that yacht! There can only ever be one! Any more than one and disasters are inevitable! (unless it's the wife of course!) 😁
Can't help you with the driving. Sorry. BUT, Sailing Catalpa just had an episode where they tested a floating drone that can actually take photos while it floats AND take off from the water. Just a thought. Not a great splashing day but one heck of a story you won't forget. Cap't Q rocks. Get well soon Captain. Blessings RanDay and all the rest of us.
Been there bro' feel your pain. I was barely 16 when my 'new' boat, a Moth, sank underneat me way out in the bay. My brother rescued me with his stink pot but I've never heard the end of it. You'd think after 50 years it may have gotten old, but apparently not.
I was helping a friend move her new Catalina from a marina in Alameda, CA (SF Bay) to her new home, Lock Lomond Marina in Marin County (SF Bay). The inlet to the marina is notorious for getting really shallow during low tide. And wouldn't you know it we cut the corner a little too close into the entry into the marina and ran aground in the muck. We had to wait until late that night for the tide to come in and float us off. I'll have to try your technique next time. She actually later moved the boat to another marina that didn't have the potential grounding problem. We had a near disaster in that marina, but that's another story! Fortunately, our initial adventure did not include any loss of equipment (this was pre-drone times) nor an ER visit. Glad Capt Q is A-OK!.
We've yet to require stitches, only steri-strips, that CQ is an overachiever! Boat + Adventure = Sea Story. Learning Lessons: Stuck aground = excellent opportunity to scrub the bottom. Don't bleed on the boat. Steri-strips are good to have as well as an up to date tetanus shot. Don't stand up in a dinghy.Take 2 hats, and nowadays 2 drones. Important to reach any shore, and if it was the one you started off for, bonus. Alternate destinations are aka "scenic routes." And usually best to arrive with the same number of crew you left with. It's all part of nauticalling and we thank you for sharing, so glad that everyone is okay and ready to set sail on the next Great Adventure/Scenic Route.
