Catsaway is for sale - https://SVCatsaway.com/forsale Live map - https://SVCatsaway.com/map Virtual Reality Sailing. Move your phone around or click to see a 360 view of the scene. Experience sailing from the helm of SV Catsaway as she crosses the Bahama banks from Bimini to Chub Cay. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qnn4zpJLr2M

Catsaway is for sale - https://SVCatsaway.com/forsale Live map - https://SVCatsaway.com/map This episode, the crew of Catsaway spends their time back in Canada to get more prepared for their border crossing. We were able to source a used Zodiac 8’ RIB dinghy, with a 8hp Yamaha outboard. We bought it at a great price, and decided to license it for our travels. Even though Canadian regulations state that anything under 10HP is not required to be licensed, there have been cases of travelling Canadians getting ticketed in US waters. Licensing is free, so we went ahead with that option. Our engine had been sputtering and dying on us, so we decided to change the fuel filter. It improved, but was still having issues. Eventually we figured out that the lift pump that pumps fuel into the engine was broken. Luckily, the previous owner had already purchased a replacement. We installed that and we were good to go! Greg was issued his B1/B2 visa for entering the US. He applied online and went to an interview at the US embassy. After a stressful few days compiling our documentation and paperwork, we treated ourselves to a day at the Nordik Spa in Chelsea, QC. We did our second crossing to Oswego and made excellent time the first day, thanks to excellent winds! Unfortunately we were turned around again, due to the fact that Greg This episode, the crew of Catsaway spends their time back in Canada to get more prepared for their border crossing. We were able to source a used Zodiac 8’ RIB dinghy, with a 8hp Yamaha outboard. We bought it at a great price, and decided to license it for our travels. Even though Canadian regulations state that anything under 10HP is not required to be licensed, there have been cases of travelling Canadians getting ticketed in US waters. Licensing is free, so we went ahead with that option. Our engine had been sputtering and dying on us, so we decided to change the fuel filter. It improved, but was still having issues. Eventually we figured out that the lift pump that pumps fuel into the engine was broken. Luckily, the previous owner had already purchased a replacement. We installed that and we were good to go! Greg was issued his B1/B2 visa for entering the US. He applied online and went to an interview at the US embassy. After a stressful few days compiling our documentation and paperwork, we treated ourselves to a day at the Nordik Spa in Chelsea, QC. We did our second crossing to Oswego and made excellent time the first day, thanks to excellent winds! Unfortunately we were turned around again, due to the fact that Greg needed a B1/B2 Visa and an I-94 visa waiver (?). We could only acquire these at a land crossing, so we turned around and headed to Cape Vincent. Greg needed to cross the border on a fer ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwqPuvvEevc

Catsaway is for sale - https://SVCatsaway.com/forsale Live map - https://SVCatsaway.com/map We had a close call on Catsaway!  We decided to take the outside route from Stuart to Miami to avoid the high number of lift bridges.  The weather conditions looked ideal; NE winds blowing 15-20 knots.  Waves were predicted to be about one metre (3 feet) high.  However, we forgot that when the winds and current disagree, large swells can form in the ocean inlets.  When leaving Fort Lauderdale, we experienced swells of 1.5 (4.5 feet) metres going against us.  This caused a few waves to sweep over our bow.  Our hatches were closed but not sealed and so we knew water had entered the cabin, but decided to deal with the mess later.  Halfway through our journey, Diana smelled something burning from her spot at the helm and ran inside.  The stove and oven were off, she turned towards the master cabin as smoke was curling from there.  The smoke was coming from an overheated USB cable that had been splashed by salt water and was slowly burning through the bedcovers and mattress.  Greg grabbed the fire extinguisher and put out the fire.  Jazz was sleeping in the master cabin and was irritated at our intrusion and jumped through to the sitting area. Things we learned: 1) Always seal your hatches before ocean journeys! 2) Never place USB/electronics in a place where it can get wet and stay wet 3) Use fuses when creating your own electrical contraptions On the way through South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, we saw much of the leftover devastation from the recent hurricanes.  We saw more than one mast sticking out of the water, many damaged boats still tied up to mangroves, and several beached vessels.  We would like to invite all those who have been affected by the recent hurricanes to come for a sail if we are in your area. Credits: Cellophane Sam - Every Cowboy http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Cellophane_Sam/Desire/Cellophane_Sam_01_Every_Cowboy ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyWyWtZWrcc

Catsaway is for sale - https://SVCatsaway.com/forsale Live map - https://SVCatsaway.com/map This week we managed to adjust our rigging, set up our sails and finally get Catsaway sailing on the water. Setting up our jib was a good learning opportunity for us as neither of us had worked with a rolling furler. Diana was the only one who had set up sails (during her course), so we did some troubleshooting. Our mainsail was more straightforward, except that we accidentally confused our spare halyard with the topping lift. Luckily, we’re still in touch with the original owner, so he gave us some guidance. Our first sail was wonderful. Catsaway sailed easily at 7 knots, and tends to sail about half the speed of the wind. Our tacking was challenging, but we think it was because we were releasing our jib too early. We also flushed our water tanks clear of the winterizing antifreeze. We didn’t realize that the dock taps were lake water (which we were using for the flushing). Although this negated our guilty feeling about wasting so much water, we realized that we needed to purify the tanks again. We set out to the gas dock to refuel and fill the tanks with potable water, which we then purified again with iodine tablets. The next day we attempted to fix a leaking hatch, only to be stumped when we couldn’t release the hatch from the hull. As a quick fix ONLY, we decided to clean up the old caulking around the hatch and recaulk the outside. We realize this is *only* a quick fix, and we were need to seal it more thoroughly in time. We have purchased butyl tape for the seal and have also done some more research on how to get that hatch out. We have been working on having more accurate and concise communication with each other. One of our improvements is to thoroughly discuss what our intentions are before actually putting the boat in action. This has helped clear up miscommunications. :) A big thank you to all the wonderful folks at Treasure Island Marina. You have all been very helpful in assisting us, lending us tools, giving advice and helping us launch and dock the boat. You have definitely made this process a lot smoother, and it has been wonderful getting to know the community. Social Media: instagram.com/svcatsaway facebook.com/svcatsaway twitter.com/svcatsaway Need Cat Stuff? https://SVCatsaway.com Credits: “Acoustic Folk Instrumental” by Hyde "I Know Where You've Been” (Instrumental) by Forget the Whale ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXsoy7ydG4w