Episode Transcript
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Capn Tinsley (00:05):
Tonight's guest is
living proof that it's never
too late to chase a wild dream.
At 60, Deborah Hammett retiredfrom teaching and then set sail
solo, mostly from New England tothe southern Bahamas round trip
on sailing vessel Mavia, herJeannot, 36th sailboat, no crew,
no excuses, just guts, grit anda whole lot of growth.
Sailboat, no crew, no excuses,just guts, grit and a whole lot
(00:26):
of growth.
We'll dive into what pushed herto take the leap, the highs and
lows of her voyage and howsailing became the boldest
chapter of her life.
We'll talk about her book YoungSalt at 60.
There's a link in thedescription, by the way.
Hold fast, this one's inspiring.
But first, if you enjoy storieslike this, please like,
subscribe and share.
It helps grow the channel andlets me bring you real sailing
stories from real sailors.
(00:47):
I'm Captain Tinsley of SalmonVessel, Salty, Abandoned and
Island Packet 320, and this isthe Salty Podcast, episode 64.
Please help me.
Welcome.
Young salt and 60 at 60,Deborah Hammett, Hello, hello,
Hi, Jinsley, Good to meet you.
Okay, we did just talkbeforehand, but it's good to get
(01:14):
to know you.
I read your book over the lastfew days and I got to learn a
little bit about you and I'mjust fascinated.
I appreciate you reaching outto me to come on the podcast.
Deborah Hammett (01:25):
Well, thank you
for having me.
It's really a pleasure.
I appreciate it.
Capn Tinsley (01:30):
Let's talk about
your boat real quick.
I want to show a picture of itand if you would just tell us
briefly about Mavia.
Deborah Hammett (01:40):
Okay, mavia is
a 36-foot Jeanneau and she was a
lake boat.
I bought her on Lake Champlainand she had really only been
sailed about three months a yearand because you know it's so
(02:02):
cold up there, she had to behauled out for the winter every
year.
And the owner was Canadian andcouldn't cross to sail her for
three summers two summersbecause of COVID and one summer
because he had other problemsgoing on and couldn't cross.
So when I was able to get hershe was practically a new boat,
so it was wonderful.
Capn Tinsley (02:19):
Yeah, fresh water,
that's amazing.
Okay, so let's start with alittle background of your life
on Martha's Vineyard.
Just briefly, we want to getinto the sailing.
What were those years like andwhat did retirement look like at
first?
Deborah Hammett (02:38):
Okay, well, I
was a very ambitious,
progressive teacher and I kneweverybody in my small community
and, um, you know, I loved, Iloved, love, love being a
teacher.
I loved being, um, you know, inthe grocery store and having
the kids say, oh there's MrsHammett, you know, and um, you
(03:00):
know being at their sports gamesand my kids grew up with my
students and you know very, veryfishbowlish.
But at the same time I, after30 years of living here, really
wanted some more adventure andafter I retired I decided I
would finally have a chance todo some extensive travel on my
(03:24):
own, traveled around Asia,traveled in the Dominican
Republic, and then I ended up.
I ended up meeting somebody whobrought me to Vermont, where we
suddenly together startedwatching YouTube videos and
getting involved in sailing, andnext thing, you know, I was
sailing on Lake Champlain.
Capn Tinsley (03:45):
And then you got a
.
You had two boats at one point.
Deborah Hammett (03:49):
Yeah, so well
he had.
He bought another boat.
Yeah, because we bought thisboat, Mavia, together on Lake
Champlain and learned how tosail on this boat.
We took ASA classes.
We did a week long um ASAcourse in the Bahamas with a
catamaran.
Capn Tinsley (04:10):
And did you do 101
, 103 and 104 in that week class
?
Deborah Hammett (04:14):
101, 103, 104,
and 114.
Capn Tinsley (04:18):
Oh, what's that
one?
What's 114?
Catamarans.
Deborah Hammett (04:23):
Ah okay, so we
did that.
And then we came back to LakeChamplain and bought Mavia.
Be well suited for theCaribbean or the Bahamas,
because you know she didn't haveany solar.
(04:43):
She didn't.
You know she wasn't really setup to be a cruising vessel.
Plus she's at 36 feet.
You know he didn't think shewould be big enough for two
people, for you know, months onend he didn't think she would be
(05:04):
big enough for two people foryou know, months on end.
So he wanted to buy a catamaran.
So he bought a catamaran inFort Lauderdale and we sailed
the catamaran from Lauderdale upto the Chesapeake and put the
catamaran on the hard in theChesapeake and then went back up
to Vermont for the summer wherewe would sail Mavia and also
(05:26):
try to maybe sell Mavia.
So that was kind of the point.
Capn Tinsley (05:31):
Yeah, I was
reading the book and I was like
wait, what?
They have?
A catamaran.
I was confused, yeah, yeah, butthey had to keep reading.
Deborah Hammett (05:38):
Yeah, so yeah,
it was his catamaran.
And then I sailed Maviasingle-handed during the week
while he was at work, um, youknow, in Vermont, and I really
started to love single-handing,yeah.
Capn Tinsley (05:57):
I was.
I was zoning in on that becauseI know what it's like to be on
there by yourself and not haveto explain things, or, you know,
even when I was learning, Ithought that was very helpful to
be by myself, because I didn'thave the terminology, maybe even
to explain it to somebody.
I was just trial and error.
Exactly, exactly.
Deborah Hammett (06:16):
Gave you that
opportunity to do trial and
error Exactly, and also to beable to make mistakes without an
audience.
I didn't like the idea that hewas watching me when I was
making mistakes.
So, you know, I, I and I madeso many mistakes.
It was ridiculous.
The people you know in themarina were so helpful and you
(06:39):
know they were really rootingfor me.
They, they thought I could doit.
And um and my partner, tony, um, you know, he, he ended up, you
know, leaving the whole sailinglife behind.
He didn't really like it asmuch as I did, and um, and I
(07:00):
ended up buying him out and andour relationship sort of
dissolved because, you know what, I was in love with sailing and
and he was in love with work,and so, you know, it kind of, uh
it, it really just didn't workwell.
Capn Tinsley (07:16):
And so we, you
know, we went our separate ways
and I bought my, I bought myhalf, the other half of Mvia,
and started to prep her to go,uh, south down well, did you
when you, when, when you guyswere saying it was in the book,
when you're saying it wasn'tgood for the bahamas and it
wasn't big enough for two people, do you still feel that way?
Deborah Hammett (07:36):
no well, I love
, I love my boat.
I absolutely do.
This boat is perfect for me forsingle team.
Yeah, all of the lines leadback to the cockpit.
I never have to leave thecockpit when I'm underway and,
you know, at this size I candock her well enough.
She doesn't have bow thrusters.
(07:57):
I have figured out how to dealwith that.
I have figured out how to holdher in position.
You know, when I'm waiting forbridges and things like that.
Capn Tinsley (08:09):
Um so that's the
best training If you have to go
through.
I remember going through ninebridges in one day.
By the end of that day I waslike, oh, I can do anything.
Deborah Hammett (08:17):
Yeah, on the
West coast of Florida, the ICW
in in Florida.
You know, on the East coast Ibelieve there's like 26 bridges
between.
You know, north Florida andMiami is crazy and you know, and
I've, I have learned that, um,I am not doing anything on the
(08:39):
ICW on weekends anymore.
It's too insane.
But but I but this, the boat isthe perfect size for me.
You know, I've got I've got twocabins and it it sort of feels
like it's enough of a home.
You know, I try to keep bothcabins set up like nice bedrooms
(08:59):
, so I feel like I'm in andrather than shoving a bunch of
stuff in one.
Yeah, exactly, I don't want itto look like I have, you know,
three, three or four closets.
I have a garage in my boatbecause it is a.
It's a boat that the designcould have been for two cabins
or for three.
So this is the two cabinversion, and the third cabin is
(09:23):
wow, storage is storage.
Yeah, but it's set up that way.
So the door.
So so what you get for the twocabin version is you get an
enclosed shower area in in thebathroom, in the head, and then
behind that there is, um, youknow, a garage.
Put folding bike in there.
Capn Tinsley (09:43):
I can put, you
know, all sorts of stuff in
there, oh man, or generator, oran extra generator, so tell us
where you are right now.
Deborah Hammett (09:53):
So I am in Oak
Bluffs, in my hometown right now
, and I just got here a coupleof days ago, Um, and I am in a
mooring field that is soon to bevery, very busy.
In this harbor they anchor Imean they moor four boats to a
(10:16):
mooring Wow, Rafted up and for50 bucks a night.
Each of those four boats ispaying 50 bucks a night to be
rafted up and there's not a heckof a lot of room in between the
moorings.
Capn Tinsley (10:30):
to begin with, I
mean like you're going to be
talking to your neighbor.
I mean, you're right.
Deborah Hammett (10:35):
Yeah, well, I'm
not going to be, I'm going to
get out of here and you know Wow.
Capn Tinsley (10:40):
That's fine if
it's somebody you know, but
goodness, I mean they can hearyou coughing in your boat or
something, right?
Oh, yeah, oh absolutelyAbsolutely.
Deborah Hammett (10:56):
So I have some
sneaky quieter spaces I can find
for anchoring, yeah.
But that's what happens whenyou live here for 30 years you
get to find out those sneakyquiet spaces.
Capn Tinsley (11:03):
Yeah, and we're
going to bring up.
I like to ask people what theirfavorite or sometimes it's hard
for people to choose a favoriteAnchorage, and we'll, we'll do
that.
Um, let me see.
Um, what was your biggest feargoing into the journey and how
did you push through it?
(11:35):
Well, okay, so I think mybiggest fear going in was, I
think, when I got to New YorkCity after going down the Hudson
River.
I guess we should say that yousailed from Massachusetts to the
southern Bahamas and back, byyourself Mostly.
You had a couple of instances.
So in case, I haven't said that.
That's what we're talking about.
Deborah Hammett (11:49):
Well, yeah, but
I sailed from Lake Champlain
Initially.
I brought the boat from LakeChamplain to the Southern Exumas
and then back to Massachusettsto.
Martha's Vineyard.
But when I was first comingdown the Hudson River and I got
to New York, I had read about amooring field at a marina just
(12:15):
before the George WashingtonBridge and I thought this will
be good, because then I can staythe night.
It's going to be getting darkand then I can wait until
morning to deal with, you know,new York Harbor and all that
stuff.
Capn Tinsley (12:28):
Right.
So, um, I'm smiling because Iremember this from the book.
It was kind of rainy.
Deborah Hammett (12:34):
Yeah, it was
kind of rainy and uh, and it was
getting dark and I was going inthere and I saw just a couple
of dilapidated boats, smallderelict boats, on two of the
maybe 75 moorings that werethere.
(12:54):
The other moorings were vacantand there was nobody at the dock
.
There weren't any boats at thedock, but I had called the guy
ahead of time and I said, hey,you know I'm coming in.
He said, oh yeah, come on inthere's, you know, grab a
mooring, tie up for the nightand you can come and pay in the
morning.
I was like, okay, well, thatsounds, you know, reasonable.
(13:14):
So I came in and I grabbed amooring and I realized that all
the homeless camp under thebridge, they were all watching
me.
Come in, you know.
And and there I was, you know,obviously, a single woman tying
(13:35):
up to this mooring and and I waslike, oh my God, like what?
Capn Tinsley (13:42):
And they saw that.
They saw that it was just youright.
They saw that it was just me.
Deborah Hammett (13:46):
And then I grew
.
I actually grew up inWestchester and New York, about
an hour North of New York city,and when I would go into the
city, my parents would alwayswarn me not to go to Harlem.
And I realized that was Harlem.
I was in Harlem, within view ofall the homeless people in
(14:06):
Harlem, you know, tying up myboat in the rain at night alone,
and I, just, I just had to.
I just looked to my higherpower.
I'm a very spiritual person.
I'm not a churchy person, but Ihad God with me on that trip,
that's for sure.
And I just said, you know, god,this is totally going to be up
(14:27):
to you, and I'm just going tobelieve in the best of these
people and I'm, I'm just goingto tie up and go to sleep.
And I did.
And somehow I just, you know,managed to put that fear out of
my head.
You know, managed to put thatfear out of my head.
And the next morning I got upand, um, I brought the boat over
to the dock, tied up, went andtalked to the guy nicest guy, so
(14:50):
, you know, incredibly nice hetook my trash for me.
Uh, he helped me, untie, and Ithought, wow, you know, expect
the best of people, alwaysexpect the best of people.
You know, be cautious.
But everybody's not out to killme.
Capn Tinsley (15:08):
They're homeless,
luckily.
So.
Jessica Thibodeau has a messagehere for you.
Hi Deb, I'm from MV2, graduatedMVRH 1981, so a little older
than you Starting?
My sailing journey on our HR39in September.
Hope to see you out there.
That's so cool.
Do you know her?
(15:30):
Jessica Thibodeau.
Deborah Hammett (15:32):
Jessica
Thibodeau.
No, but I know the name.
Capn Tinsley (15:36):
She's got a good
Louisiana name.
That's how I know how to say ita name.
Deborah Hammett (15:44):
That's how I
know how to say it.
Well, in 1951, I graduated fromhigh school in 1980 in New York
.
I didn't go to Martha'sVineyard High School, but I came
here, I washed ashore to thevineyard in 1983.
Capn Tinsley (15:56):
Well, cool,
jessica, I hope that you are
subscribed because I would loveto talk to you sometime.
So if you want to, let's see,I'll put my email up here.
Boom, email me, please.
Would love to talk to you, okay.
So where was there a specificturning point on?
Deborah Hammett (16:23):
your voyage
that made you realize I can
really do this.
Yeah, at one point I went infor fuel in the Chesapeake and
(16:45):
it was in I think it wasGalesville in the Chesapeake and
I went in for fuel and Iactually managed to dock the
boat without my heart rate goingup.
And this, the girl was, cameout to help me tie up, but I was
basically already tied up bymyself and so I really didn't
need much assistance at all.
And then I was able to leavethe dock and I was just as cool
(17:06):
as a cucumber, as calm as couldbe, and I thought I'm really
getting the hang of this.
That wasn't even scary at all.
I mean, granted, there wasn'tlike this ferocious current and
weather and all that.
There wasn't like thisferocious current and weather
and all that, but it was aturning point in terms of the
(17:27):
way I, in terms of how I wasdealing emotionally with docking
.
Capn Tinsley (17:34):
You've gotten
comfortable with it, which comes
with practice.
Yeah, I have gone south everyyear since 2016, except for 2024
, and have been in so manymarinas and so many different
situations, different wind,different tides, different by
myself Sometimes there'ssomebody there, sometimes
there's not, and it just takespractice, wouldn't you agree?
Deborah Hammett (17:58):
Oh yeah, I mean
, you know I'm not saying there
aren't times still where I getnervous, you know, like like I
had to back in the other day inBlock Island and you know, and
it was Rhode Island, yeah, therewere tons of.
It was just the other day, righton my way up to the vineyard,
and there were tons of raceboats because it was race week
(18:20):
and they could squeeze me in.
In one area, in the dock, therewas a little miscommunication,
you know.
I told them I would be tying upon the port, but when I got
there the only possibility wasto, you know, either tie up on
the starboard or back in, butyou know so.
Anyway, I backed in, it wasfine, but I was, I had to go,
you know.
So.
Anyway, I backed in, it wasfine, but I was, I had to go,
(18:43):
you know, dangerously close tovery skinny water, two feet deep
water, um, while I was, youknow, sort of making my
impromptu u-turn, you know so itwas, it was a little dicey yeah
, you have to be ready foranything coming in and out of a
dock.
Capn Tinsley (19:01):
Yeah, yeah, you
just never know, it's never
going to go the way you want.
Like you were talking aboutprop walk in the book.
I'm going to bring the book uphere.
Let me just this is the book.
What?
That's not it?
There we go Very nice cover, bythe way.
It shows the boat.
This is I want to say somethingabout this book.
This is I want to say somethingabout this book.
Um, I read a book for my guestslast week and um, there was uh,
(19:25):
there was a lot of uh jargon init and it.
It was okay for me, but I did.
I noticed I looked at andthere's nothing wrong with that,
there was.
I looked at the um reviews andthere was new people that said,
oh, he used a lot of jargon andum, and that's great because he
was talking about going aroundthe world and people can look
stuff up.
But I liked that your book.
It's so perfect, I think, forbeginners because you explain a
(19:49):
lot of the jargon and how to dothings, and I've recommended it
to somebody who I want to sellwith me this fall.
I said I think you need to readthis book and she's.
She already downloaded it andshe's going to listen to it
because it really takes you fromthe beginning about how to do
things and and explains you knowwhat the different parts are
and the jargon.
(20:09):
So what was your thoughtprocess in that?
Is that what you were going?
Deborah Hammett (20:13):
for, yeah,
that's a.
That's a really good point.
I was tutoring and teachingonline while I was doing my
single-handed voyage to theExumas and back.
Yeah, a sailor really shouldn'thave a schedule because it
forces you to make poor choices.
Yeah, yeah, the choice isreally talked about that mostly
(20:38):
about the weather and not aboutyour teaching schedule.
So I thought, you know, maybe Ican afford to abandon this
teaching thing, and but and Iactually did.
But then I found myself with atotal lack of purpose.
I'm like, okay, so what am Idoing?
(20:59):
I'm just flitting around theworld in my sailboat without
anything.
And and I really I'd always had, like this deep sense of
purpose about my teaching and Ithought, well, you know, I could
teach somebody how to do whatI'm doing.
Okay, but I don't have time toteach lessons online.
(21:22):
And I, you know, I'm 60.
Now I'm 63 years old and youknow these YouTubers in their
string bikinis.
You know down there, you knowspearfishing.
I can't really keep up that.
Instead, I am going to, I'mgoing to write a book, because
(21:43):
people my age still read books,yeah, or listen, or listen, yeah
.
So I, I thought, you know, Ican, I can write a book and I
can be really clear.
I can use my teaching skills todo that and you know, when you
teach elementary school for yourwhole adult life, you learn how
(22:03):
to be very clear and specificwith language, because if you
don't, when you've got 25 kidstrying to interpret what you're
saying, they could be going alldifferent directions.
Capn Tinsley (22:14):
Right, and you got
to keep their attention while
you're making your point.
But yeah, again, if you'rewatching or listening because
this will be on the audiopodcast as well or watching in
the replay, this is an excellentbook if you're starting out.
It's also interesting if you'rea veteran, you know.
So whatever, but if you want toreally listen to one person's
(22:35):
how she started all the doubtsthat happened, I really like how
you described how you figuredout how to fix things.
And I really like how youdescribed how you figured out
how to fix things.
I mean, you were trial anderror and then, if you couldn't
do it, you'd go ask somebody to,hey, what do you think?
And I just think it's a greatread for anybody really.
Deborah Hammett (22:55):
Yeah, and you
know we're lucky now to have
YouTube.
You know, before YouTube Idon't know how people figured
all this stuff out, you know,especially if you're not
mechanically inclined.
So for me it was really trickyto figure some of these things
out.
And I had to watch YouTubevideos, and you know, watch a
(23:16):
little bit and stop it and go doit.
You know a little bit more andstop it and go do it.
And every time I took somethingapart, I had to take pictures
of it along the way to make surethat I would be able to put it
back together in the same waywithout forgetting a screw or
something.
So, yeah, I am learning, but,boy, there's a lot to learn on
(23:37):
the sailboat, the, the watersystem, the um, you know, the
electrical system, the, thediesel engine.
Capn Tinsley (23:44):
And speaking of
you, mentioned one time and it
might my ear caught it onlinediesel class.
Sign me up for that.
What is that?
Where did you?
What did you do this?
What Well?
Deborah Hammett (23:56):
I actually uh,
I can't remember the the one
that I took took, but it wasabout four hours long.
I can't remember where I foundit, but Calder now has one, not
just for electrical but fordiesel, and if I were going to
do it again I might considertaking his.
(24:16):
Calder is the guy that wrotethe book about Nigel.
Calder wrote the book aboutmarine electronics.
Capn Tinsley (24:26):
Oh, I would like
that too.
Do they have a class?
Deborah Hammett (24:28):
for that.
That's like the marineelectronic Bible for sailors by
Nigel Calder.
But he is now doing theseYouTube courses, yeah, and he
did an electrical one, but he'salso offering a diesel one, and
you know.
So, um, I need to do somethingrelated to electrical, so I took
(24:50):
the, the diesel one, and I Ihave a pretty good handle on how
my diesel system works, Uh, butthe electrical system is uh, is
really I?
Capn Tinsley (25:02):
yeah.
Well, I always say I don't wantto start a fire, so I'm just
going to call somebody aprofessional, but I do need to
learn how to do it.
I mean, yeah, because I'm not.
I'm not giving this up anytimesoon.
I'll be until I jump in the box, you know my end of my life
I'll be sailing.
So, yeah, yeah, Eventually.
I keep saying that on thesevideos I will.
I'm going to take this classes,so is it Calder C-A-L-D-E-R.
Deborah Hammett (25:26):
Yes, n-i-g-e-l.
Capn Tinsley (25:29):
Right, okay, I'm
going to check that out Again.
If you would like to get thisbook, I included a link.
Please use the link in thedescription for for Debra's book
.
I was jotting down when I wasdriving down the road, listening
.
I wasn't looking, I was ridingand driving, so it's kind of
(25:50):
messy.
But the propane tip I didn'teven think of that.
You said you turn it off Beforeyou turn the flame off, turn
the switch off at the breaker,the breaker off and let it burn
out and then turn it off.
Is that?
Yes, I didn't, even I didn't.
(26:11):
You know that's probablyobvious to a lot of people, but
there was still.
There could still be the gas inthe line.
Deborah Hammett (26:18):
Yeah, Tip of
the day.
That's the tip of the day.
Yeah, I learned that in sailingschool.
Yeah, I really did.
I had a great instructor atCruz Abaco, joe, captain Joe,
and he was.
He was really wonderful.
You know I hear his voice in myhead.
You know when I'm talking, acleat, hitch, two rivers and a
(26:40):
bridge, and you know just allsorts of things that he said.
You know slow is pro, neutralis your friend.
Capn Tinsley (26:52):
Right, neutral is
your friend.
Deborah Hammett (26:53):
Okay, Well, I
remember uh, don't look at what
you don't want to hit.
Capn Tinsley (26:56):
Oh yeah, that's
right, that's right, jim liked
that one.
Was he talking?
Yeah, so that is one that Ialways um, if you're looking at
the piling, don't be looking atthat If you don't want to look
at the number inside the slip.
And so far, so good on that.
But, um, let's see, uh, I can'teven read this.
(27:16):
Yeah, I found it fascinatingthat you met somebody that their
aunt or your aunt, a hundredyears ago, uh, sailed from Lake
Champlain to New York city.
Deborah Hammett (27:30):
Yeah, um, a
great aunt, yeah, a great aunt
had sailed from Lake Champlainto New York city.
Yeah, yeah.
Capn Tinsley (27:38):
Well, that's
amazing, a hundred years ago
that was you know, I know.
I know how many women sail.
Solo sailors were out there ahundred years ago.
Deborah Hammett (27:46):
Apparently
there was one exactly, it was my
mom's aunt and she was ago-getter and she did all kinds
of uh gutsy stuff.
Are there pictures?
Yeah, she was a badass.
Uh no, but I have the.
I have.
I have her name.
That came off.
It's a piece of brass that wasattached to her boat.
(28:09):
It was called the Molly BraunWow.
Capn Tinsley (28:13):
Okay, pretty cool.
You mentioned confronting oldbeliefs during your time at sea.
Can you share about that?
Deborah Hammett (28:24):
Well, yeah, I
mean just the whole thing about
the prejudices that I have in mymind.
You know, being having lived inWestchester, new York, and then
Martha's Vineyard for 35 years,the, the um, you know I, I I'm
not really exposed to like thedepths of inner city um stuff,
(28:52):
and you know, just like thething about tying up in, you
know, at under the GeorgeWashington bridge and uh.
And there was another time whenI actually had an accident.
I fell into the water when Iwas moving way too fast and I
was trying to leave the dock andI got.
(29:15):
I stepped off the dock onto areal sketchy dock and I missed
the piling.
Somehow.
I missed the piling and the thepiling hit me in the sternum on
the way down.
Capn Tinsley (29:28):
Yeah.
Deborah Hammett (29:29):
And I hit my
leg on the dock on the way down,
and then I was in the water andit was.
It was a Monday, the Marina wasclosed, nobody was around, and,
um, but there had been this guy, this like 30 something year
old guy, and in a derelict boat,you know, with, like you know,
(29:50):
the plywood companionway door,and the whole hadn't looked like
it hadn't left the dock in acentury, you know.
And um, no lines on it, nothing.
And when I I I had left my boatat this Marina because it was
cheap no, that's right, I leftmy boat there and I flew to
Boston to see my kids, and whenI came back, I was in a in a
(30:14):
hurry to take advantage of aweather window that I'm running
and and I'm, you know, gettingready to leave the dock, I fall
in, I'm screaming and I'mgetting swept under the dock in
the current, you know, onto thepilings are filled with
barnacles and the current isstrong, too strong for me to be
able to swim to my transom, toget back on the boat, and so I
(30:38):
was really, really scared andthis kid from the derelict boat
comes out and he saved me.
He jumped on my boat and hethrew me a line and he dragged
me to the, to the transom, and Iwas able to get out, leaving my
boat there for the week.
(30:59):
This is the kid that I wasworried about, that he was going
to, you know, do something badto my boat, right?
You know, mavia is, you know,the queen of the marina in some
marinas and she's also lookinglike an aerolike boat in other
(31:20):
marinas.
It depends on, you know, the,the, because there's all kinds
of marinas, Depends on theyachts.
Capn Tinsley (31:23):
If there's a bunch
of Depends on the yachts,
exactly.
Deborah Hammett (31:26):
So, yeah, I, I,
I, I learned, you know, don't
be so quick to judge people.
And you know, you know, and andjust all the political stuff
you know.
I, I think the South is moreconservative and as I was
heading South, you know I thinkthe South is more conservative.
And as I was heading South, youknow I would hear people say
things that would be like, whoa,you can't get away with saying
(31:50):
that up North.
You know like, yeah, good, goodpeople with all sorts of you
know experiences and priorknowledge.
And you know just even thewhole thing about the gender.
(32:10):
You know gender bias, my owngender bias, my expectations
about what men are going tothink when they see me sailing
my own boat, single handed youknow, Um, you know, so I, I've
learned a lot about don'tproject, because what I get back
(32:30):
is like tremendous respect frommost men.
So I, I, I, I get, I get thatmost of the time.
I do get some you knowcondescending behaviors other
times, but I need to really likecontinue to expect the best.
Capn Tinsley (32:51):
Yeah.
Deborah Hammett (32:52):
Well, you know.
Capn Tinsley (32:54):
I have found that
when I come into a marina and I
always say I handled it like aboss, you know it feels good
when you come in in a difficultsituation, it's the men that
will stop me on the dock.
I really like how you handledyour boat.
Deborah Hammett (33:09):
I'm so
impressed.
Capn Tinsley (33:10):
They didn't have
to say it, and even a lot older
than me.
They didn't have to do that.
They didn't have to sayanything.
That's right.
I didn't even know they werewatching.
I welcome them If there's awhole line of people at the
restaurant.
I'm like it doesn't bother meanymore.
You know I used, when I firstyou know kind of was a little
well, all the eyeballs on youcould feel it burning, burning a
hole in you.
Yeah, they do watch.
Deborah Hammett (33:32):
That's that.
That is.
That is one thing that's 100percent consistent.
Yeah.
Capn Tinsley (33:38):
Everybody wants to
watch that Everybody's watching
.
Yeah, yeah, everybody wants towatch that, everybody's watching
, yeah, and when you see thecouples coming, in and arguing.
It's like a show, you know, butthe sailing community is so.
The boating community, uh,especially the sailing community
is so giving and they sharetheir, their knowledge and
they're they're always willingto help and I just really love
(34:01):
that about the sailing community.
Deborah Hammett (34:03):
Yeah, yeah,
it's amazing.
I have been so scared indifferent situations and I have
gotten such generous help fromother sailors.
Capn Tinsley (34:15):
Generous, that's a
good word.
Deborah Hammett (34:16):
Yeah, you know
people who will give up a couple
hours of their time withoutbatting an eye just to help me,
you know, figure out.
I had somebody in Exuma come tomy boat and you know, he helped
me figure out a fuel leak andit was such an obvious thing.
When he found it I was like, ohmy God, how stupid that I
(34:36):
couldn't have found this.
You'll know next time.
Yeah, but he found it, you know, he tightened it up.
Everything was great, you know,and I gave him a tuna fish
sandwich and you know, and, andhe was on his way and it was
awesome you know, well, I'veheard that about, especially
about Georgetown.
Capn Tinsley (34:53):
Yeah, georgetown's
amazing.
Yeah, you can just about getanything done.
You can trade stuff.
Deborah Hammett (34:58):
People have
parts they have they have
services, have I stayed for umthree months this year in
georgetown?
Capn Tinsley (35:05):
yeah, well, I hope
to get there this year this
october.
Leave um gulf shores, alabamain october and I have a friend,
uh, qs john, he's uh, I giveeverybody nicknames he, he's in
QS, obviously, and, um, we'reprobably going to buddy boat now
.
He can fix anything the sailingpart.
(35:26):
I'm good, but if I need someonehe's going to be there, so, um,
that's comforting.
Deborah Hammett (35:32):
Yeah, yeah,
definitely the fixing.
And, um, you know, exuma isfantastic because in Georgetown
you can get, you know, you canget your propane, you can get
your water, your groceries theyhave there's.
Everything is designed forcruisers.
Capn Tinsley (35:48):
But I've heard
that you may not be able to get
like a part or like a screw orsomething.
Deborah Hammett (35:53):
No, no, no, no,
you can't.
That's the whole llamas.
Yeah, don't count on gettinganything.
Capn Tinsley (35:57):
And that's when
calling people on the sale net
anybody have a this or that?
Oh yeah, I've got one, and theycome and bring it to you on
their dinghy, yeah.
Deborah Hammett (36:06):
I had to bum a
raw water pump belt from
somebody, yeah, and you wereable to get the right size.
But it got to Florida.
Yeah, it was almost the rightsize.
Talk about a nail writer.
I was yeah, that's almost theright size.
Talk about a nail writer.
I was.
Capn Tinsley (36:24):
Yeah, that's kind
of important.
What kind of reactions did youget from your friends and family
when you did this, when youstarted talking about it?
Deborah Hammett (36:35):
Um, really mom.
Capn Tinsley (36:39):
Like you've never
even talked about sailing.
Deborah Hammett (36:43):
I think they
were just a little confused.
Um, yeah, they were a littleconfused and I think it's taken
them a while to wrap their mindsaround it and they've come
sailing on Mavia a few times and, um, you know, I I mean it was
tough, uh, cause it was very,very different from my
(37:06):
conservative little life of youknow you're in this box school
every day, and you were goingoutside of that box.
Very, yeah, very much so.
But I had taken them, but I hadtaken my kids on trips to the
Caribbean a lot solo, because myex-husband didn't like to
travel, and school vacations itwould be all me with the kids,
(37:31):
you know, taking them to theCaribbean because I wanted to go
to the Caribbean in February onschool vacation week, the
Caribbean, because I wanted togo to the Caribbean in February
on school vacation week.
So I I found like really cheapinterior cabin cruise tickets
and you know, me and threelittle girls in an interior
(37:52):
cabin for a week and and but youknow I would be shuffling them
all over, you know to theis andyou know, on the boat, off the
boat, that sort of thing, with awhole bunch of old people.
Yeah, but then I got old, sohey, bite your tongue on that.
Capn Tinsley (38:11):
Don't say that, um
uh.
How did solo sailing challengeyou emotionally, not just
physically?
Deborah Hammett (38:33):
Well, you know,
I just had to muscle up and do
things myself, because there wasnobody there to help me and I
couldn't.
You know, I could cry and Icould scream and I could panic,
and I did all of those thingsregularly, but the end of it was
it was just me.
So I had to get my act together.
I had to calm down, I had tofocus, I had to take a deep
breath and I had to look at whatis going on here.
(38:55):
Assess the problem, yeah, whatis going on here, assess the
problem, yeah.
So you know, panic is notreally helpful when you're
trying to assess a problem.
So, um, I I think I really justlearned that the sooner I can
get analytical, the better.
Capn Tinsley (39:17):
I just wanted to
show this.
You're fixing your squeakywheel here Doing your video.
Yeah, and you had.
You were talking about changingthe impeller.
There was a lot of projects youdescribed in the book.
It's going to be very helpful.
Deborah Hammett (39:36):
I mean,
changing an impeller is easy for
me now.
Changing the oil is easy for menow.
You know, getting thealternator to move over enough
so that I can change thealternator belt and the raw
water pump belt is, you know,annoying and hard, but I think I
could probably do it if Ididn't have help.
I have had help.
(39:57):
I haven't had to do it totallyalone.
Capn Tinsley (40:00):
It's that
tightening getting the belt
tight and getting a bigscrewdriver, yes, and stretching
it out and then tighteningeverything.
That's a challenge, yes.
Deborah Hammett (40:12):
Yeah, getting
the bolts off in order to move
the alternator.
Yeah, getting the bolts off inorder to move the alternator.
Yeah, I get the bones.
Yeah, um, you know, like tyingmy dinghy so that it doesn't
swing, you know, um, because youknow I have Davits and it has
to be tied crisscross, you know,so that it doesn't swing
(40:35):
forward and back, so it doesn'tswing side to side, so it
doesn't swing up and down.
So I have about five lines thatare strategically placed now
and that dinghy is rock solid.
But let me tell you, it hastaken me about two years to
figure it out.
Capn Tinsley (40:48):
You got to get the
right combination of crisscross
of lines.
Yeah, I related to yourcomments about being a solo
woman sailor.
I found it um definitely hasits upside.
We were just kind of talkingabout that.
Even, uh, when I need it,people are men, are willing to
help.
That's, you know, like, if I amneed some lifting.
(41:11):
There's a couple times, likewhen I um want to put my engine
on my dinghy engine.
You said you have a pulleysystem.
I don't have, but I would say,hey, can you help?
And they'll come and pick upthat.
It's a 30 pound, awkward 30pounds, to get it off that
railing.
There's always some nice man,yeah, and it only takes him, you
(41:33):
know, a minute.
Deborah Hammett (41:35):
I'm all good to
go.
I haven't had those nice mencoming by.
I've had.
I've had jet skis coming by,waking you know, while I'm
trying to lift the, the, the 30pound oh that's not good.
I have a six horsepower.
I have a six horsepower Yamahaengine and I, I, I haul it up.
(41:58):
I'm going to show you right now.
So yeah, let's see it.
There's my, there's my dinghyengine, you see beautiful.
Capn Tinsley (42:05):
You like it, I do.
What did you put stickers on it?
What is that?
I painted it, you painted.
That's good, and people wereprobably less likely to steal it
exactly, that was the wholepoint.
Deborah Hammett (42:16):
But I have, but
I have to lift that thing up
onto.
You know, this block, that'sright here.
You know, on the side, I havethat exact.
Capn Tinsley (42:26):
What's that thing
called that you put down the
mount, the mount.
Yeah, I have that exact one.
Yeah, yeah, they're not cheap,are they?
They are not cheap.
Anything that has to do withboats?
Yeah, not cheap.
Anything that has to do withboats?
Yeah, yeah.
Deborah Hammett (42:47):
Now would you
say to someone nearing
retirement who feels like it'stoo late to try something?
What would you say to thatperson if they think it's too
late?
I would say that is absolutelynot true, that you can achieve
anything that you want toachieve and, honestly, when
we're 30 years old, we'relooking at the future.
Like you know, we can decide tobe something, we can make a
decision to become something atthe age of 30 and it can work
(43:08):
out.
It can work out really, reallywell and you can have a whole
career and a whole you know.
Run a business, you can do allthose things.
People start businesses at 30,and they do, you know.
Run a business, you can do allthose things.
People start businesses at 30and and they do, you know,
unbelievably well.
But at 60 people don't startthings as easily and with as
(43:29):
much hope, and I think thatbecoming retired can't be enough
.
Being retired and just doing alittle more traveling, maybe,
you know, doing a little bitmore resting, maybe more
gardening, you know, whateverbut to go all in with something
(43:54):
new and different is somethingthat I think everybody can do
and it can also prolong yourlife.
Capn Tinsley (44:05):
Yeah.
You were talking about that, Ithink with the mind and well,
physically.
Deborah Hammett (44:11):
Learning.
You know the research showsthat learning really fends off
dementia.
And you know, and certainlywhen you're doing something like
this, that requires physicalstrength.
I have to really spend a lot oftime making sure that I stay
fit Right.
You know I have to have, I haveto be, I have to have some
(44:32):
agility, I have to have balance,I have to have some upper body
strength in order to lift thatengine and do a hundred other
things on the boat.
And you know it's, it's allpart of it, and I feel like all
of those things together aregoing to keep me in shape and
(44:52):
able to do this for a few moreyears.
Capn Tinsley (44:57):
Yeah, I just
turned 60.
I've never actually said my ageon my YouTube channel.
I've had it since 2015.
So I just turned 60.
I've been I have been workingout with a trainer for 16 years.
When I first started thinkingabout this, I thought, well,
when I'm going to be doing this,when I'm retirement age or, you
(45:18):
know, I'm a real estate agent,I really don't have to retire.
But you know, I think that thathas really helped.
I think it's very important.
It does, like you said, withthe flexibility, the balance,
all those things.
And being on a sailboat, you,you really you get tested with
(45:42):
the balance, wouldn't you say?
And occasionally the strength.
Oh yeah, all of a sudden,something will happen where you,
you've got to bring it all.
Deborah Hammett (45:49):
Yeah, just save
yourself, exactly, exactly,
turning the winches, you know?
Yeah, I don't have any electricwinches.
Capn Tinsley (45:58):
No.
Deborah Hammett (45:59):
It's all my
cups.
Capn Tinsley (46:01):
Well, shauna caps
uh says ladies, you inspire me.
Thank you for sharing all this.
Thank you, is it Shauna?
I guess it's Shauna.
Thank you, shauna, for sayingthat.
Um so, uh, here's a few rapidfire questions.
Uh, what's one mindset shiftthat helped you grow fat most as
(46:21):
a sailor?
We might've kind of coveredthat.
Deborah Hammett (46:27):
One mindset
Well, that I can do it, that I
can fix mechanical things, Ahyeah.
Capn Tinsley (46:34):
You can learn
about a diesel engine at 60.
Deborah Hammett (46:38):
How many people
say that you know, my, my
default is I can't do it, youknow, but I I actually can if I,
if I just, you know, getcentered, and you know, I have
YouTube to help me.
I have people.
Capn Tinsley (46:54):
Chat GPT Chat.
Gpt people chat gpt, chat, gpt.
Deborah Hammett (46:57):
Oh yeah, chat
gpt.
And and um, you know, I I haveusually I'm in marinas, or not
in a marina, but in in anglerswhere I'm close enough to other
sailors, yeah yeah, um, I justlost my train of thought.
Capn Tinsley (47:15):
I was gonna make a
really important point.
Oh, I know what it is.
Uh, I get a lot of peoplesaying I could never do that.
I'm sure you've heard that andI've just you know what my
response has become now.
Well, you would if you reallywanted to.
You just don't want to.
Yeah, that's right.
Don't you think people do whatthey want to do?
People do what they want to do.
Deborah Hammett (47:35):
Yeah, yeah.
And.
And people don't people, peoplewant to be comfortable, right,
right.
So taking a risk and doingsomething that requires a
tremendous amount of energy andquite possibly a lot of
discomfort to in order to access, you know, beautiful, pristine
(47:59):
beaches, you know in the tropicsin your own boat and you know,
be able to watch sunsets andhave a 360 degree water view
every night and live on a boat,and I mean it is wonderful and
it gets me through thoseuncomfortable crossings.
Capn Tinsley (48:17):
It'll get you
through the furious, infuriating
what's the word repairs thatcome up and it might be, once at
a time, boom, boom, boom, boom.
No, you really have to havethat goal, that end goal in mind
.
Deborah Hammett (48:36):
Yep, and when I
can sit on a mooring, on a
mooring and I'm, you know,watching the sun go down right
now, and you know it justdoesn't get any better really
coming up in the morning andseeing you know a Harbor that's
like as smooth as glass.
Sometimes I'm in, I'm in stormsand you know it's, it's crazy
(48:56):
and I I don't know if I'm goingto make it.
I'm at an, I'm anchored in astorm and I don't know if I'm
going to drag, and you know it'sit.
It can get wild, but, um, butit's worth it, yeah.
Capn Tinsley (49:10):
Uh, who, would you
say, has influenced you the
most in your life?
It could be sailing, it couldbe anything.
Oh, my dad, would you say heinfluenced, is he?
Was he influential with you in,in pushing through to do
something like this?
Deborah Hammett (49:27):
Uh well, my dad
, uh, my dad raised me not to be
a wimp.
Capn Tinsley (49:32):
Right, okay so.
Deborah Hammett (49:36):
I was never
allowed to be a wimp.
I was not.
I was not, uh, spoiled that way, not that way, although you
know.
But he influenced me and he asa um, as a do it yourself, or
also he was very much a do ityourself, or and uh.
Capn Tinsley (49:58):
So he's probably
talking in your ears.
Ears, like you know, fix it,try to fix it, try to fix it
yourself.
Deborah Hammett (50:06):
Yeah, yeah,
yeah, pretty much.
Capn Tinsley (50:09):
His words meaning
like from the past.
Deborah Hammett (50:12):
Yeah, or
yelling at me.
Yeah, you're not a Gen Xer,you're a baby boomer, but we're
built differently.
Capn Tinsley (50:19):
You're almost a
Gen Xer.
You're a baby boomer, but we'rebuilt differently.
You're almost a Gen Xer.
Deborah Hammett (50:21):
What are you
doing?
What are you doing?
Why are you doing?
Capn Tinsley (50:24):
that you know, but
yeah, now what do you miss most
about your life before sailingBecause you don't have a house?
Yeah, you've got one in theyard.
Deborah Hammett (50:33):
Kids, your kids
being young, no, no, just
children in general.
You miss that yeah, yeah, yeahyeah interacting with well,
you're teach, being a teacherand all teacher and you know,
especially when I was aprincipal, I had a thousand
children in the building.
It was a lot of kids and theywere awesome and I was, like you
(50:54):
know, when you're the principal, you're like famous.
So, like you know, when you'rethe principal, you're like
famous.
So that was.
You know, you're a rock star atthe school.
Yeah, I miss that.
Capn Tinsley (51:05):
When you're out
there alone, what brings you the
most peace?
Deborah Hammett (51:12):
Turning off the
engine.
I love that.
I remember the first time thathappened I was like whoa and it
was moving, you know yeah, whenyou, when you get the sail set
and you've got, you know, anawesome point of sail and the
wind is great and the seas areflat, and you can turn that
engine off and suddenlyeverything just goes you know,
(51:37):
yeah, it's indescribable the way, all of a sudden, you realize
the wind is moving you andthere's, you're not.
Capn Tinsley (51:44):
I don't even know
if I have the words for it, it
was.
It was an unbelievable feeling.
The first time um one fear youhad at the beginning.
That's no longer a fear at all,or almost not at all um,
(52:04):
navigation, ah, navigation.
Deborah Hammett (52:08):
I don't have
any problems with navigation
anymore.
I, you know, I have apps.
I have, I I know how to usethem.
I have a chart plotter and theAIS.
I, you know, I, I know how theICW works.
I know, um, you know, bridges,bridges, what to say to the
(52:30):
bridge?
All of that stuff is stuff thatI can't believe.
I was ever nervous about thatbecause it's it's easy right now
, yeah, to do that.
I kind of feel, yeah, I kind offeel like I could go.
I kind of feel like I could goanywhere.
You know, yeah, I kind of feellike I could go anywhere.
Capn Tinsley (52:56):
Crossing the.
Deborah Hammett (52:56):
Atlantic would
be, would be.
I wouldn't do it in Mavia.
No, no, no, she's a.
She's not a blue water boat.
No, not a blue water boat.
Not like your boat, your boatis your boat is.
You know the opposite, becauseyou know you've got a heavy
(53:17):
ocean going vessel with a fullkeel and you know, but your boat
is slower.
So if you and I had a race, Igot to tell you I'd probably win
.
Capn Tinsley (53:26):
This is true.
This is true, but fortunately Idon't race.
Deborah Hammett (53:33):
So yeah, you
wouldn't want to in your boat.
Capn Tinsley (53:36):
Yeah, no, it would
be a little slow.
What's more important at sea,preparation or adaptability?
Yeah, adaptability yeahadaptability for sure one
sailing moment you'll neverforget, besides turning off the
engine, one sailing moment I'llnever forget.
Deborah Hammett (53:59):
Um was rounding
hatteras and being on night
watch and seeing boats, or whatI thought I saw hearing out of
nowhere, and they weren't on theAIS and I didn't know what was
going on.
There would be, there was oneboat, and then there was another
(54:21):
boat and the next thing, youknow, I'm like surrounded by 12
boats.
So I went down and I woke up mypartner and I said these boats
are coming out of nowhere.
I know, I don't know what'sgoing on, something's happening.
And he said those are stars.
That's hard to believe I had no,I had no sense of distance and
(54:44):
so, and you know, it was like,um, it was like, suddenly the,
the sky opened up and the starswere magnificent.
You know, like an hour later,when they were all like, we
could see everything.
Capn Tinsley (54:59):
It was
unbelievable so it's just that
clear.
They looked up close.
Yeah, wow yeah that is amazing.
Yeah, um, so I do it.
Do want to bring up one of.
I like to um, bring up afavorite anchorage.
So you sent me three.
Which one would you like?
Deborah Hammett (55:20):
okay, so, uh, I
guess my favorite anchorage
would be sand dollar Beach atExuma.
Okay, well, stocking Island,which is near Georgetown.
Capn Tinsley (55:35):
Okay, so Stocking
Island, let me Exuma Okay, once
I get once I zone in, I'll I'llbring it up.
Once I get once I zone in, I'llI'll bring it up.
Oh yeah, oh yeah, okay this isby Chat and Chill.
Deborah Hammett (55:54):
Well, it's
actually south of Chat and Chill
, okay.
So if you go south of Chat andChill, uh, about a half a mile,
and what is it close to you?
It's called sand dollar beachand okay, I see it.
Okay, let me bring it up yeah,there's a mooring field there,
(56:17):
but there's also um so a fewanchoring spots, and I really
like to be there because it'sfar enough away from Chattin'
Chill.
Capn Tinsley (56:29):
So let me show
where this is.
So we're in the Bahamas.
This is the Exumas.
There's Georgetown, there's theChattin' Chill A lot of people
know.
There's Stocking Island, soit's right at the tip here, sand
Dollar Beach.
So where exactly?
Deborah Hammett (56:45):
Yep, so Sand
Dollar Beach right in there,
right here, yep, right there.
How deep is that?
Well, you have to go out,actually, no, you have to go out
a little farther.
It's right, you see where itturns blue, where it turns
darker blue.
Right here, yeah, so rightafter it turns darker blue
(57:09):
anywhere along in there.
Like right, even up, can you goup in here?
Go the other way.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, go the otherway Up toward Chattanooga.
Okay, right here, or a littlefarther yeah right there, right
there.
Capn Tinsley (57:23):
Right here.
Deborah Hammett (57:24):
Right there,
uh-huh.
Capn Tinsley (57:25):
I don't see any
boats there right now.
And what do you like about thatspot?
Deborah Hammett (57:31):
you're kind of
far from everything I guess
that's what you like about it.
And do you see that that wholearea where it's very light, blue
, at low tide, you can um put?
Your hand over there.
Yeah, it is the mostmagnificent beach at low tide.
Capn Tinsley (57:49):
Is there a lot of
people in there?
Deborah Hammett (57:51):
No.
Oh nice and you can tie yourdinghy up and you can walk the
trails.
There's trails that go alongthe perimeter there.
Capn Tinsley (58:01):
Sweet.
Deborah Hammett (58:01):
Yeah, it's
really nice.
Capn Tinsley (58:03):
Okay, and so how
long did you anchor right here?
Deborah Hammett (58:07):
Oh gosh, I
anchored there a month, I guess
Nice.
Capn Tinsley (58:10):
Okay, and so how
long did you anchor right here?
Oh gosh, I anchored there amonth, I guess, nice and um,
when you needed stuff.
Uh, how far of is this a dinghyride that you, yeah, yeah.
Deborah Hammett (58:19):
It's about a
five to 10 minute dinghy ride
Over to chat and chill and then,um, but you can't buy anything
at chat and chill, really, otherthan it's like a little uh
restaurant and you have to goover here.
Yeah, you have to go over togeorgetown, um, and that's maybe
(58:40):
a 10 15 minute dinghy ride andbut they have everything, okay.
Okay, georgetown has everything.
Almost everything, maybe notparts, right, well, some parts,
not you know.
Like you know, they might haveparts like, uh, I don't know, a
screwdriver you might be able tobuy a screwdriver.
Capn Tinsley (59:03):
Yeah, I had
someone tell me that people will
if they need something andsomeone's flying home, like for
a week or something people willsay oh, I need this, I need that
, Can you bring it?
Deborah Hammett (59:12):
back.
Oh yeah, definitely, definitely, and that's the only way really
.
There is a place called Brown'sand they do have a marine store
there, but you know, theseplaces are really hit or miss,
(59:32):
so I can't even say what youmight be able to find there,
because it's totally random.
Okay, so you might be able tofind, like the, the bulb squeeze
line for your dinghy, you knowgas engine, you know your dinghy
gas line, you know.
Or you might be able to find ayou know flashlights, or, or you
(59:55):
might be able to find shackles.
Capn Tinsley (01:00:00):
Okay, and so you
need to bring your parts.
You need to bring your spareparts, oh yeah.
Tip of the day.
Tip of the day.
Deborah Hammett (01:00:09):
Well, a sailor
is only as good as her spare
parts.
That's why I love my garage,because I can fit lots of spare
parts.
Capn Tinsley (01:00:17):
Yeah, I'd be
interested to see what your
spare part list looks like.
So you, since you took the tripI guess you wrote the book
while you were sailing, rightand you've since taken another
trip.
Yeah, and you did this again.
Deborah Hammett (01:00:35):
I did it again.
So I went in September of lastyear, I sailed down again to the
Exumas and I spent three and ahalf months in in Georgetown or
that area.
What months did you stay there?
I crossed on New Year's.
(01:00:55):
Uh, I crossed on New Year's Eveboth years actually.
It just happened to work outthat way that I crossed from no
Name Harbor in Florida over toBimini on New Year's Eve, and so
then I was there until lastyear I left on March 15th.
(01:01:17):
This year, no, last year I lefton March 5th and this year I
left on March 15th.
Capn Tinsley (01:01:26):
Okay, Okay, so I'm
going.
Hopefully I shared with youthat I lost my husband and so my
goal is to right now I'm alittle afraid I might be really
sad, you know.
So I'm giving myself some time,but in October it will be a
year, so I'm thinking I'm goingto try or I will not try to go
(01:01:51):
down there If all works out.
And are you going to be thiswinter?
Are you going to be down there?
That's my plan.
Oh good, I'll get to meet youin person.
Deborah Hammett (01:02:00):
Yeah, that's my
plan.
So I plan to do the same thingagain.
Yep, I might have crew for moreof the time going down the East
coast, because you know the ICW,it just gets so tedious and
it's a lot of work, because youcan't put it on autopilot and
you're just and it's cold in thefall and the days are really
(01:02:23):
short, which is why the wholetrip takes a long time, because
I don't stay out offshoreovernight when I'm single-handed
, so um, so I have to come in,and you know that means coming
in through the long channels,which takes about an hour, and
then I anchor, got to find ananchorage, anchor, and then the
next day do the whole thing allover again, so I can go more
(01:02:47):
than twice as fast if I havecrew.
So I am, I'm going to try tohave crew and then I'll be able
to stay.
I'll be able to stay here onthe vineyard until around
October 15th and then be able tostill get to the Bahamas by
around New Year's, maybe before.
So it takes you.
How long does it take you toget to the Bahamas by around New
(01:03:08):
Year's, maybe before?
Capn Tinsley (01:03:09):
So it takes you,
how long does it take you to get
to Key Biscayne?
Deborah Hammett (01:03:15):
Well, okay, I,
I I shouldn't say that it would
take that long, because for thepast few trips I've stopped in
North Carolina.
Capn Tinsley (01:03:25):
Oh, yeah, my mom
was in.
Deborah Hammett (01:03:27):
North Carolina
and I and I put Mavia on the
hard to have some stuff done,but she should not need knock on
wood, she should not need ahaul out on my way back down
South.
So I might actually I'm hopingthat I'll be able to leave here
(01:03:47):
October 15th and then maybe I'lleven be able to be in the
Bahamas by Thanksgiving.
Capn Tinsley (01:03:53):
Oh, okay, so you
heard it here.
Debra's going to be there.
Hopefully, I'm going to bethere.
Knock on wood and it'd be fun,it just it sounds like it's
going to be a party down there.
Deborah Hammett (01:04:07):
Yeah, oh yeah.
So Georgetown is really fun.
I, I, I, I really come to enjoyit.
Capn Tinsley (01:04:14):
Now you said it
was okay if I ask you this so
you don't drink and you haven'tfor a long time.
Deborah Hammett (01:04:20):
No, I.
I am an alcoholic and I havenot had a drink since 1992.
Capn Tinsley (01:04:26):
Okay, and you, you
shared that and I shared that
with you.
I also don't drink since 94.
Um, and you know, uh, you see,on YouTube and Instagram, you
see people, you know, drinkingmy ties and tequila sunrises.
And I just like it that you'reshowing people how to do it with
(01:04:49):
no drinking and nomood-altering stuff.
And then it's still fun,wouldn't?
Deborah Hammett (01:04:56):
you say yeah,
oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, of course.
Capn Tinsley (01:04:59):
Yeah, I've never
sailed under the influence of
anything.
Deborah Hammett (01:05:05):
Yeah, the way I
drank.
I would not be able to do this.
Capn Tinsley (01:05:10):
It probably.
The goal probably wouldn't havebeen achieved.
The goal might have beenachieved.
That's what I'm saying.
Definitely helps, when youdon't have that ball and chain,
to be able to complete tasks andlong-term goals.
Deborah Hammett (01:05:24):
Exactly exactly
.
Capn Tinsley (01:05:26):
So with that I'll
close it out and, uh, I want to
talk to you again and I canthink of many topics you know
like we can talk about beforeyou leave.
You could talk about your prepbefore we can.
There's all kinds of things wewe could.
I'd like to reconvene and haveanother conversation, um so, um.
(01:05:47):
So say hi to Jim, I will, jim,put your head in there.
This is your friend that youmet in the Exumas.
Deborah Hammett (01:05:56):
He's the
captain of his own boat, but
he's offered to crew for me, soI call him Captain J Crew.
Capn Tinsley (01:06:05):
No, you need to
call him First Mate J Crew.
Deborah Hammett (01:06:09):
I'm taking the
flag down.
He is taking the flag down.
Isn't that a good crew kind ofthing to?
Do Taking the flag down Becauseit's sunset.
Capn Tinsley (01:06:19):
Oh yeah, that's
what your First Mate, but I
think we need to while he's onyour boat, we need to call him
First Mate J Crew.
Deborah Hammett (01:06:27):
You mean
Captain First Mate?
Capn Tinsley (01:06:28):
Yeah, sure he
wants people to know he's a
captain.
I get that, but there's onlyone captain, right.
Deborah Hammett (01:06:37):
There is only
one captain.
I totally agree.
I totally agree.
Capn Tinsley (01:06:41):
Alright, well,
thank you so much.
What a pleasure, and I like toend these episodes the same way
Salty Abandoned out.