Over the past three years, we have had some of the absolute most amazing experiences. We have been super fortunate to be able to travel as far and as long as we do with no serious mishaps (knock on wood). We have however had some pretty close calls. It is hard to pick up a camera when things are going wrong left and right so these moments you might have missed. Â Here is our top 3 scariest moments while living aboard:
3rd Scariest:
After being in the same anchorage for awhile we have security knowing that the anchor is well dug in. Well sometimes getting too comfortable can get you in some trouble. In late September of 2017 we went to bed around 11pm. We were anchored in the Connetquote River just outside Billy’s parents house. We had been working on getting all of our preparations done for our upcoming trip to New England, so we were working hard and very tired. At about 3 A.M. I was awoken to what sounded like a train hitting us.  I ran out of bed and looked out the window to see that we had drug anchor about a mile and Neverland was wedged in between someone’s dock pilings. When I got a better look I also got to see that the whaler was also wedged in the pilings but on the opposite side of the dock. Meanwhile, Neverland had been posted for sale on craigslist and we had a catamaran picked out to buy once our beloved Neverland was sold. When I saw the entanglement we were in I feared our dreams of sailing the Caribbean were crushed. But with some serious finagling, we managed to get the whaler free while quickly maneuvering Neverland through the multiple pilings with the whaler towing behind, all without ever coming in contact with the beautiful center console tied to the dock.
What we learned: Always, always, always, check the weather if you have the ability (we had full service and had no excuse for not being prepared). Put extra chain out if you know there are strong winds coming. If you are still unsure then dive the anchor and make sure it is set.
2nd Scariest:
Getting an up to date weather report in the Bahamas is a little more difficult. We had spent May 2016 cruising around the Exumas. We had started making our way back toward Jupiter, Fl. During this time we had been through multiple squalls. We decided to stop and anchor off Highbourne Key for a few nights. 8 p.m. came around and the wind picked up dramatically and changed directions again. We were no longer protected from the wind by the island. The waves picked up and soon began to roll by us,  bounce off the island, and come back for a second pass. We tried to continue eating dinner and even tried laying in bed but the boat was rocking terribly and things began to break. We decided cruising to Nassau during the night would be safer than staying anchored there. We picked up anchor and were soon met by the biggest lightning storm I have ever seen. The sky was lit up purple as strikes hit the water feet away from the boat. We turned off our autopilot feeling that a strike would ruin it. But then I had the worry of what would happen if we got hit while Billy was holding the metal steering wheel.  Jetty seems to enjoy sitting on my head and drooling on me while we are in not so pleasant situations. I am not sure if she is scared her self or is just trying to be close to me but nonetheless it does not exactly help. I had a replaying nightmare in my head of our electronics going out, Billy getting struck, and Jetty and I lost at sea forever. We eventually made it to Nassau in one piece and spent the next day at a marina with the A.C. blasting and rested all day.
What did we learn: Again, try to keep an accurate account of upcoming weather. Â Have a lightning box to keep electronics in when you get into a nasty storm. Try to stay calm, I know we have the ability to get out of scary situations but it is hard for me to remember that while stuff does not go as planned (I am working on it). With Adrenaline I am also doing my very best to learn how to handle the boat on my own just in case Billy gets hurt and cannot assist.
By Far the Scariest!
We bought Neverland as a project boat. We spent countless hours sanding, painting, fiberglassing, varnishing and the list goes on and on. During our first month aboard I spent a lot of time painting her interior while Billy lifeguarded. Jetty has been stuck by my side since the day I rescued her. I know she will never run away and will always do her very best to keep everyone away from me, Billy, the boat, and our cars unless she absolutely trusts them. This means making routine walks around the boat to ensure no intruders are approaching. While I was painting inside I noticed Jetty was not next to me, ODD. I walked around the boat still no Jetty. By this point, I am screaming for her and trying to understand where she could have gone. I noticed the gateway to the swim platform was open. My yelling became louder and louder as I tried to search the area around the boat. Then I heard a faint bark in the distance. I saw her sitting, soaking wet, looking at me on a dock about 200 yards from where we were anchored. Thank goodness she was smart enough to swim to the closest shore. I would have been lost without my little side-kick.
Jetty the Gypsy in her safety gear
What did we learn: Keep the gateway to the swim platform closed.. ALWAYS. We have tried to make Adrenaline as dog proof as possible but there are still a few places we need to keep an extra eye on. We have also been doing our best to make Jetty wear her PFD while we are sailing. To read more about our list of must have’s when traveling with a four-legged friend click here.
I have to say we have been very lucky these past few years. We will continue to do our best to keep all crew members as safe as possible while working on staying calm and productive in stressful situations.
What are your scariest moments while living aboard?
Thanks for reading.
Sierra:)
Watching a sailing mate being tossed across the yacht we were racing in and over the side in rough conditions with the spinnaker up and travelling at nearly twenty knots. He managed to grab a lifeline and we dragged him back on board. Scary, scary stuff.
Funny footnote: Once on board our sailing mate croaked “Where are my dockies?” He had lost his Docksider shoes in his trip over the side.
Man overboard drills are super important. We need to have a day where we just go out not far offshore and practice falling off and rescuing each other. Glad your buddy was okay! hoping someone bought him a new pair of shoes!
Nothing really scary, but a lesson for me, just like you focused on the lessons learned. Returning home last October from a day trip to Baltimore harbor from Havre de Grace in a 20′ pontoon (only do this trip in solid good weather forecasts). Got caught up in a crab trap off Hart Miller Island on the way back and delayed slightly ( I know you never do that!) so heading back a bit closer to dark than I’d planned. Mid way back iPad/navionics died. What? It was plugged in! Lightning connector was broken off…. no problem, I know these waters. But as it got darker the differentiation between the bay, the Elk, turkey point, and Spesutie Island all disappeared and mixed into one and it felt really weird. Ok, I’ll just pull up the app on my phone, but darn! Forgot that the GPS had broken on my phone the week before and that was my backup. No problem, I’ll just pull up google maps and confirm the navigation with that…just as the battery died with no charger on board. Then the coast guard radioed for assistance for a nearby boater with heart attack symptoms.
Moral is, pay more attention to fail safe systems and contingency plans.. we get comfortable and lax.
Someone else reached the distressed boater before us (our max speed 20kn) and we made it back to our marina just fine…but…lesson learned.
So glad Jetty is safe. Our Golden will jump off our moving boat when ducks or geese fly close by just over the water! Scary. Gotta keep a hold of him. I notice that Jetty normally stays put. đ
Crab traps… what are those..??? hahahhaha we have had our fair share! Exactly you live and you learn. We have navionics on both our phones and the ipad. Luckily they all use the same charger so we have plenty!
Give your pup a treat from us:)
I worked and lived on a salmon fishing boat out of Kenai, Alaska one summer. I fell overboard into the freezing cold Kenai River. My boots filled with water and I would have drowned except for the skipper of my boat grabbing my arm and saving my life. When I was asked to crew again the following summer I declined.
Thank goodness you had someone watching! Glad you are alright!
While stationed in AK I got on a crab boat for two weeks. Great money, hard work with endless days of work. It is when we got back to land is when I had a problem. I couldnât get my land legs back for a couple of days.
As a child in 1969 we were on our 1967 28′ Trojan when Hurricane Camille was in the Chesapeake Bay vicinity. We made our way to a marina on the Sassafrass River ahead of the storms arrival. There, my parents were up all night making certain the boat did not float over the stationary docks as they submerged from the flood tide. Admittedly, this was far more frieghtening for my parents… i slept through it with my 3 sisters on the vee berth.
Just a suggestion… You may want to invest in an Anchor Alarm app for your phone. You spend a lot of time on the hook. For just a couple bucks it could give you a little piece of mind. I have no experience with one but it seems a reasonable idea.
hahaha! your poor parents. We have tried a few different anchor alarms but they just rang all night when we were not even moving! Let us know if you hear of a good one!
Try Drag Queen. Works great.
We had gone to the Bahamas to rescue a trimaran we’d acquired that had a few holes in her. We patched her up and launched her. She floated dry and we set sail back to the US so we could trailer her home to Canada. Two days after setting sail, we entered an anchorage for the night and BAM, SCRAPE, CRUNCH! We hit a reef. The poor boat had no working chartplotter so I was using my cell with Navionics to navigate. I was pretty sure we were far enough out from the reefs but I think I’d forgotten tides and current (we’re noobs re tides). I had taken my eyes off the water and the chart too soon, plus the sun was low and in the wrong direction. The new hole or holes weren’t too bad and hubby rigged up a hand pump from the shower drain so we could pump her out every three hours….all the way back to Florida. Not necessarily scary at the time as you just deal with immediate needs. It could have been much worse. Lessons learned for sure. Great blog Sierra! Maybe a book someday?
I am glad you guys are okay! Thank you for the story! Maybe a cookbook hahah!
I am not a big boat person, I like them, donât have a problem being on them, and do not get scared while spending the night. With all that said, I get lost in my own house.
Back in the early 90s, A friend of mine had a big boat and we took off from Southern FL around Fl, into the Gulf. He let me drive in the middle of the Gulf, who knew there was shallow spots in the ocean….. I hit a sandbar and got us stuck. On the way Home trip he told me to follow the reverse compass heading as when we went out to see, I got us to New Port Richie, not Southern FL.