Salty Podcast: Sailing

Salty Podcast #64⛵Started Sailing at 60 | Sailed Solo New England to Bahamas!

• Captain Tinsley | Deborah Hammett of SV Mavia • Season 1 • Episode 64

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What happens when a 60-year-old retired teacher decides to sail solo from New England to the Bahamas? Deborah Hammett's remarkable journey proves that our boldest chapters can begin exactly when society expects us to slow down.

After three decades teaching on Martha's Vineyard, Deborah traded lesson plans for navigation charts and sailed her 36-foot Jeanneau "Mavia" over 1,500 miles - mostly alone. Her transition wasn't without challenges. From anchoring alone near Harlem at night to fixing mechanical failures with no prior experience, Deborah faced countless moments where panic and fear threatened to overwhelm her. Yet each obstacle became a lesson in resilience and self-reliance.

Throughout our conversation, Deborah reveals how sailing transformed both her mindset and capabilities. She describes mastering diesel engines and electrical systems through YouTube videos, learning the rhythms of docking and navigation, and discovering a generous sailing community that defied her expectations. Perhaps most powerfully, she confronted long-held beliefs about herself and others, finding that her preconceptions often limited her more than any external challenge.

Beyond the practical aspects of her journey, we dive into the profound emotional growth that comes from pursuing a dream that others might consider impossible or impractical. Deborah argues passionately that retirement should be viewed as an opportunity for bold new beginnings rather than a winding down. Her experience suggests that actively learning complex skills might even help stave off cognitive decline, while the physical demands of sailing have motivated her to maintain strength and fitness well into her 60s.

Whether you're contemplating your own sailing adventure or simply wondering what might be possible in your next chapter, Deborah's story will inspire you to reconsider the boundaries you've set for yourself. After all, as she reminds us, "People do what they want to do." The only question is: what adventure are you putting off?

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SALTY ABANDON: Cap'n Tinsley, Orange Beach, AL:
Oct 2020 to Present - 1998 Island Packet 320;
Nov 2015-Oct 2020; 1988 Island Packet 27
Feb-Oct 2015 - 1982 Catalina 25

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Capn Tinsley:

Tonight's guest is living proof that it's never too late to chase a wild dream. At 60, Deborah Hammett retired from teaching and then set sail solo, mostly from New England to the southern Bahamas round trip on sailing vessel Mavia, her Jeannot, 36th sailboat, no crew, no excuses, just guts, grit and a whole lot of growth. Sailboat, no crew, no excuses, just guts, grit and a whole lot of growth. We'll dive into what pushed her to take the leap, the highs and lows of her voyage and how sailing became the boldest chapter of her life. We'll talk about her book Young Salt at 60. There's a link in the description, by the way. Hold fast, this one's inspiring. But first, if you enjoy stories like this, please like, subscribe and share. It helps grow the channel and lets me bring you real sailing stories from real sailors.

Capn Tinsley:

I'm Captain Tinsley of Salmon Vessel, Salty, Abandoned and Island Packet 320, and this is the 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 talk beforehand, but it's good to get to know you. I read your book over the last few days and I got to learn a little bit about you and I'm just fascinated. I appreciate you reaching out to me to come on the podcast.

Deborah Hammett:

Well, thank you for having me. It's really a pleasure. I appreciate it.

Capn Tinsley:

Let's talk about your boat real quick. I want to show a picture of it and if you would just tell us briefly about Mavia.

Deborah Hammett:

Okay, mavia is a 36-foot Jeanneau and she was a lake boat. I bought her on Lake Champlain and she had really only been sailed about three months a year and because you know it's so cold up there, she had to be hauled out for the winter every year. And the owner was Canadian and couldn't cross to sail her for three summers two summers because of COVID and one summer because he had other problems going on and couldn't cross. So when I was able to get her she was practically a new boat, so it was wonderful.

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah, fresh water, that's amazing. Okay, so let's start with a little background of your life on Martha's Vineyard. Just briefly, we want to get into the sailing. What were those years like and what did retirement look like at first?

Deborah Hammett:

Okay, well, I was a very ambitious, progressive teacher and I knew everybody in my small community and, um, you know, I loved, I loved, love, love being a teacher. I loved being, um, you know, in the grocery store and having the kids say, oh there's Mrs Hammett, you know, and um, you know being at their sports games and my kids grew up with my students and you know very, very fishbowlish. But at the same time I, after 30 years of living here, really wanted some more adventure and after I retired I decided I would finally have a chance to do some extensive travel on my own, traveled around Asia, traveled in the Dominican Republic, and then I ended up. I ended up meeting somebody who brought me to Vermont, where we suddenly together started watching YouTube videos and getting involved in sailing, and next thing, you know, I was sailing on Lake Champlain.

Capn Tinsley:

And then you got a. You had two boats at one point.

Deborah Hammett:

Yeah, so well he had. He bought another boat. Yeah, because we bought this boat, Mavia, together on Lake Champlain and learned how to sail on this boat. We took ASA classes. We did a week long um ASA course in the Bahamas with a catamaran.

Capn Tinsley:

And did you do 101, 103 and 104 in that week class?

Deborah Hammett:

101, 103, 104, and 114.

Capn Tinsley:

Oh, what's that one? What's 114? Catamarans.

Deborah Hammett:

Ah okay, so we did that. And then we came back to Lake Champlain and bought Mavia. Be well suited for the Caribbean or the Bahamas, because you know she didn't have any solar. She didn't. You know she wasn't really set up to be a cruising vessel. Plus she's at 36 feet. You know he didn't think she would be big enough for two people, for you know, months on end he didn't think she would be big enough for two people for you know, months on end. So he wanted to buy a catamaran. So he bought a catamaran in Fort Lauderdale and we sailed the catamaran from Lauderdale up to the Chesapeake and put the catamaran on the hard in the Chesapeake and then went back up to Vermont for the summer where we would sail Mavia and also try to maybe sell Mavia. So that was kind of the point.

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah, I was reading the book and I was like wait, what? They have? A catamaran. I was confused, yeah, yeah, but they had to keep reading.

Deborah Hammett:

Yeah, so yeah, it was his catamaran. And then I sailed Mavia single-handed during the week while he was at work, um, you know, in Vermont, and I really started to love single-handing, yeah.

Capn Tinsley:

I was. I was zoning in on that because I know what it's like to be on there by yourself and not have to explain things, or, you know, even when I was learning, I thought that was very helpful to be by myself, because I didn't have the terminology, maybe even to explain it to somebody. I was just trial and error. Exactly, exactly.

Deborah Hammett:

Gave you that opportunity to do trial and error Exactly, and also to be able to make mistakes without an audience. I didn't like the idea that he was watching me when I was making mistakes. So, you know, I, I and I made so many mistakes. It was ridiculous. The people you know in the marina were so helpful and you know they were really rooting for me. They, they thought I could do it. And um and my partner, tony, um, you know, he, he ended up, you know, leaving the whole sailing life behind. He didn't really like it as much as I did, and um, and I ended up buying him out and and our 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 work well.

Capn Tinsley:

And so we, you know, we went our separate ways and I bought my, I bought my half, the other half of Mvia, and started to prep her to go, uh, south down well, did you when you, when, when you guys were saying it was in the book, when you're saying it wasn't good for the bahamas and it wasn't big enough for two people, do you still feel that way?

Deborah Hammett:

no well, I love, I love my boat. I absolutely do. This boat is perfect for me for single team. Yeah, all of the lines lead back to the cockpit. I never have to leave the cockpit when I'm underway and, you know, at this size I can dock her well enough. She doesn't have bow thrusters. I have figured out how to deal with that. I have figured out how to hold her in position. You know, when I'm waiting for bridges and things like that.

Capn Tinsley:

Um so that's the best training If you have to go through. I remember going through nine bridges in one day. By the end of that day I was like, oh, I can do anything.

Deborah Hammett:

Yeah, on the West coast of Florida, the ICW in in Florida. You know, on the East coast I believe there's like 26 bridges between. You know, north Florida and Miami is crazy and you know, and I've, I have learned that, um, I am not doing anything on the ICW on weekends anymore. It's too insane. But but I but this, the boat is the perfect size for me. You know, I've got I've got two cabins and it it sort of feels like it's enough of a home. You know, I try to keep both cabins set up like nice bedrooms, so I feel like I'm in and rather than shoving a bunch of stuff in one.

Deborah Hammett:

Yeah, exactly, I don't want it to look like I have, you know, three, three or four closets. I have a garage in my boat because it is a. It's a boat that the design could have been for two cabins or for three. So this is the two cabin version, and the third cabin is wow, storage is storage. Yeah, but it's set up that way. So the door. So so what you get for the two cabin version is you get an enclosed shower area in in the bathroom, in the head, and then behind that there is, um, you know, a garage. Put folding bike in there.

Capn Tinsley:

I can put, you know, all sorts of stuff in there, oh man, or generator, or an extra generator, so tell us where you are right now.

Deborah Hammett:

So I am in Oak Bluffs, in my hometown right now, and I just got here a couple of days ago, Um, and I am in a mooring field that is soon to be very, very busy. In this harbor they anchor I mean they moor four boats to a mooring Wow, Rafted up and for 50 bucks a night. Each of those four boats is paying 50 bucks a night to be rafted up and there's not a heck of a lot of room in between the moorings.

Capn Tinsley:

to begin with, I mean like you're going to be talking to your neighbor. I mean, you're right.

Deborah Hammett:

Yeah, well, I'm not going to be, I'm going to get out of here and you know Wow.

Capn Tinsley:

That's fine if it's somebody you know, but goodness, I mean they can hear you coughing in your boat or something, right? Oh, yeah, oh absolutely Absolutely.

Deborah Hammett:

So I have some sneaky quieter spaces I can find for anchoring, yeah. But that's what happens when you live here for 30 years you get to find out those sneaky quiet spaces.

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah, and we're going to bring up. I like to ask people what their favorite or sometimes it's hard for people to choose a favorite Anchorage, and we'll, we'll do that. Um, let me see. Um, what was your biggest fear going into the journey and how did you push through it?

Capn Tinsley:

Well, okay, so I think my biggest fear going in was, I think, when I got to New York City after going down the Hudson River. I guess we should say that you sailed from Massachusetts to the southern Bahamas and back, by yourself Mostly. You had a couple of instances. So in case, I haven't said that. That's what we're talking about.

Deborah Hammett:

Well, yeah, but I sailed from Lake Champlain Initially. I brought the boat from Lake Champlain to the Southern Exumas and then back to Massachusetts to. Martha's Vineyard. But when I was first coming down the Hudson River and I got to New York, I had read about a mooring field at a marina just before the George Washington Bridge and I thought this will be good, because then I can stay the night. It's going to be getting dark and then I can wait until morning to deal with, you know, new York Harbor and all that stuff.

Capn Tinsley:

Right. So, um, I'm smiling because I remember this from the book. It was kind of rainy.

Deborah Hammett:

Yeah, it was kind of rainy and uh, and it was getting dark and I was going in there and I saw just a couple of dilapidated boats, small derelict boats, on two of the maybe 75 moorings that were there. The other moorings were vacant and there was nobody at the dock. There weren't any boats at the dock, 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 in there's, you know, grab a mooring, tie up for the night and you can come and pay in the morning. I was like, okay, well, that sounds, you know, reasonable. So I came in and I grabbed a mooring and I realized that all the homeless camp under the bridge, they were all watching me. Come in, you know. And and there I was, you know, obviously, a single woman tying up to this mooring and and I was like, oh my God, like what?

Capn Tinsley:

And they saw that. They saw that it was just you right. They saw that it was just me.

Deborah Hammett:

And then I grew. I actually grew up in Westchester and New York, about an hour North of New York city, and when I would go into the city, my parents would always warn me not to go to Harlem. And I realized that was Harlem. I was in Harlem, within view of all the homeless people in Harlem, you know, tying up my boat in the rain at night alone, and I, just, I just had to. I just looked to my higher power.

Deborah Hammett:

I'm a very spiritual person. I'm not a churchy person, but I had God with me on that trip, that's for sure. And I just said, you know, god, this is totally going to be up to you, and I'm just going to believe in the best of these people and I'm, I'm just going to 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 that fear out of my head. And the next morning I got up and, um, I brought the boat over to the dock, tied up, went and talked to the guy nicest guy, so, you know, incredibly nice he took my trash for me. Uh, he helped me, untie, and I thought, wow, you know, expect the best of people, always expect the best of people. You know, be cautious. But everybody's not out to kill me.

Capn Tinsley:

They're homeless, luckily. So. Jessica Thibodeau has a message here for you. Hi Deb, I'm from MV2, graduated MVRH 1981, so a little older than you Starting? My sailing journey on our HR39 in September. Hope to see you out there. That's so cool. Do you know her? Jessica Thibodeau.

Deborah Hammett:

Jessica Thibodeau. No, but I know the name.

Capn Tinsley:

She's got a good Louisiana name. That's how I know how to say it a name.

Deborah Hammett:

That's how I know how to say it. Well, in 1951, I graduated from high school in 1980 in New York. I didn't go to Martha's Vineyard High School, but I came here, I washed ashore to the vineyard in 1983.

Capn Tinsley:

Well, cool, jessica, I hope that you are subscribed because I would love to 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 specific turning point on?

Deborah Hammett:

your voyage that made you realize I can really do this. Yeah, at one point I went in for fuel in the Chesapeake and it was in I think it was Galesville in the Chesapeake and I went in for fuel and I actually managed to dock the boat without my heart rate going up. And this, the girl was, came out to help me tie up, but I was basically already tied up by myself and so I really didn't need much assistance at all. And then I was able to leave the dock and I was just as cool as a cucumber, as calm as could be, and I thought I'm really getting the hang of this. That wasn't even scary at all. I mean, granted, there wasn't like this ferocious current and weather and all that. There wasn't like this ferocious current and weather and all that, but it was a turning point in terms of the way I, in terms of how I was dealing emotionally with docking.

Capn Tinsley:

You've gotten comfortable with it, which comes with practice. Yeah, I have gone south every year since 2016, except for 2024, and have been in so many marinas and so many different situations, different wind, different tides, different by myself Sometimes there's somebody there, sometimes there's not, and it just takes practice, wouldn't you agree?

Deborah Hammett:

Oh yeah, I mean, you know I'm not saying there aren't times still where I get nervous, you know, like like I had to back in the other day in Block Island and you know, and it was Rhode Island, yeah, there were tons of.

Deborah Hammett:

It was just the other day, right on my way up to the vineyard, and there were tons of race boats because it was race week and they could squeeze me in. In one area, in the dock, there was a little miscommunication, you know. I told them I would be tying up on the port, but when I got there the only possibility was to, you know, either tie up on the starboard or back in, but you know so. Anyway, I backed in, it was fine, but I was, I had to go, you know. So. Anyway, I backed in, it was fine, but I was, I had to go, you know, dangerously close to very skinny water, two feet deep water, um, while I was, you know, sort of making my impromptu u-turn, you know so it was, it was a little dicey yeah, you have to be ready for anything coming in and out of a dock.

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah, yeah, you just never know, it's never going to go the way you want. Like you were talking about prop walk in the book. I'm going to bring the book up here. Let me just this is the book. What? That's not it? There we go Very nice cover, by the way. It shows the boat. This is I want to say something about this book. This is I want to say something about this book.

Capn Tinsley:

Um, I read a book for my guests last week and um, there was uh, there was a lot of uh jargon in it and it. It was okay for me, but I did. I noticed I looked at and there's nothing wrong with that, there was. I looked at the um reviews and there was new people that said, oh, he used a lot of jargon and um, and that's great because he was talking about going around the world and people can look stuff up. But I liked that your book. It's so perfect, I think, for beginners because you explain a lot of the jargon and how to do things, and I've recommended it to somebody who I want to sell with me this fall. I said I think you need to read this book and she's. She already downloaded it and she's going to listen to it because it really takes you from the beginning about how to do things and and explains you know what the different parts are and the jargon. So what was your thought process in that? Is that what you were going?

Deborah Hammett:

for, yeah, that's a. That's a really good point. I was tutoring and teaching online while I was doing my single-handed voyage to the Exumas and back. Yeah, a sailor really shouldn't have a schedule because it forces you to make poor choices. Yeah, yeah, the choice is really talked about that mostly about the weather and not about your teaching schedule.

Deborah Hammett:

So I thought, you know, maybe I can afford to abandon this teaching thing, and but and I actually did. But then I found myself with a total lack of purpose. I'm like, okay, so what am I doing? I'm just flitting around the world in my sailboat without anything. And and I really I'd always had, like this deep sense of purpose about my teaching and I thought, well, you know, I could teach somebody how to do what I'm doing. Okay, but I don't have time to teach lessons online.

Deborah Hammett:

And I, you know, I'm 60. Now I'm 63 years old and you know these YouTubers in their string bikinis. You know down there, you know spearfishing. I can't really keep up that. Instead, I am going to, I'm going to write a book, because people my age still read books, yeah, or listen, or listen, yeah. So I, I thought, you know, I can, I can write a book and I can be really clear. I can use my teaching skills to do that and you know, when you teach elementary school for your whole adult life, you learn how to be very clear and specific with language, because if you don't, when you've got 25 kids trying to interpret what you're saying, they could be going all different directions.

Capn Tinsley:

Right, and you got to keep their attention while you're making your point. But yeah, again, if you're watching or listening because this will be on the audio podcast as well or watching in the replay, this is an excellent book if you're starting out. It's also interesting if you're a veteran, you know. So whatever, but if you want to really listen to one person's how she started all the doubts that happened, I really like how you described how you figured out how to fix things. And I really like how you described how you figured out how to fix things. I mean, you were trial and error and then, if you couldn't do it, you'd go ask somebody to, hey, what do you think?

Capn Tinsley:

And I just think it's a great read for anybody really.

Deborah Hammett:

Yeah, and you know we're lucky now to have YouTube. You know, before YouTube I don't know how people figured all this stuff out, you know, especially if you're not mechanically inclined. So for me it was really tricky to figure some of these things out. And I had to watch YouTube videos, and you know, watch a little bit and stop it and go do it. You know a little bit more and stop it and go do it. And every time I took something apart, I had to take pictures of it along the way to make sure that I would be able to put it back together in the same way without forgetting a screw or something. So, yeah, I am learning, but, boy, there's a lot to learn on the sailboat, the, the water system, the um, you know, the electrical system, the, the diesel engine.

Capn Tinsley:

And speaking of you, mentioned one time and it might my ear caught it online diesel class. Sign me up for that. What is that? Where did you? What did you do this? What Well?

Deborah Hammett:

I actually uh, I can't remember the the one that I took took, but it was about four hours long. I can't remember where I found it, but Calder now has one, not just for electrical but for diesel, and if I were going to do it again I might consider taking his. Calder is the guy that wrote the book about Nigel. Calder wrote the book about marine electronics.

Capn Tinsley:

Oh, I would like that too. Do they have a class?

Deborah Hammett:

for that. That's like the marine electronic Bible for sailors by Nigel Calder. But he is now doing these YouTube courses, yeah, and he did an electrical one, but he's also offering a diesel one, and you know. So, um, I need to do something related to electrical, so I took the, the diesel one, and I I have a pretty good handle on how my diesel system works, Uh, but the electrical system is uh, is really I?

Capn Tinsley:

yeah. Well, I always say I don't want to start a fire, so I'm just going to call somebody a professional, but I do need to learn how to do it. I mean, yeah, because I'm not. I'm not giving this up anytime soon. 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 these videos I will. I'm going to take this classes, so is it Calder C-A-L-D-E-R.

Deborah Hammett:

Yes, n-i-g-e-l.

Capn Tinsley:

Right, okay, I'm going to check that out Again. If you would like to get this book, I included a link. Please use the link in the description for for Debra's book. I was jotting down when I was driving down the road, listening. I wasn't looking, I was riding and driving, so it's kind of messy. But the propane tip I didn't even think of that. You said you turn it off Before you 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. You know that's probably obvious to a lot of people, but there was still. There could still be the gas in the line.

Deborah Hammett:

Yeah, Tip of the day. That's the tip of the day. Yeah, I learned that in sailing school. Yeah, I really did. I had a great instructor at Cruz Abaco, joe, captain Joe, and he was. He was really wonderful. You know I hear his voice in my head. You know when I'm talking, a cleat, hitch, two rivers and a bridge, and you know just all sorts of things that he said. You know slow is pro, neutral is your friend.

Capn Tinsley:

Right, neutral is your friend.

Deborah Hammett:

Okay, Well, I remember uh, don't look at what you don't want to hit.

Capn Tinsley:

Oh yeah, that's right, that's right, jim liked that one. Was he talking? Yeah, so that is one that I always um, if you're looking at the piling, don't be looking at that 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't even read this. Yeah, I found it fascinating that you met somebody that their aunt or your aunt, a hundred years ago, uh, sailed from Lake Champlain to New York city.

Deborah Hammett:

Yeah, um, a great aunt, yeah, a great aunt had sailed from Lake Champlain to New York city. Yeah, yeah.

Capn Tinsley:

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 a hundred years ago.

Deborah Hammett:

Apparently there was one exactly, it was my mom's aunt and she was a go-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 was attached to her boat. It was called the Molly Braun Wow.

Capn Tinsley:

Okay, pretty cool. You mentioned confronting old beliefs during your time at sea. Can you share about that?

Deborah Hammett:

Well, yeah, I mean just the whole thing about the prejudices that I have in my mind. You know, being having lived in Westchester, new York, and then Martha's Vineyard for 35 years, the, the um, you know I, I I'm not really exposed to like the depths of inner city um stuff, and you know, just like the thing about tying up in, you know, at under the George Washington bridge and uh. And there was another time when I actually had an accident. I fell into the water when I was moving way too fast and I was trying to leave the dock and I got. I stepped off the dock onto a real sketchy dock and I missed the piling. Somehow. I missed the piling and the the piling hit me in the sternum on the way down.

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah.

Deborah Hammett:

And I hit my leg on the dock on the way down, and then I was in the water and it was. It was a Monday, the Marina was closed, 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, the plywood companionway door, and the whole hadn't looked like it hadn't left the dock in a century, you know. And um, no lines on it, nothing. And when I I I had left my boat at this Marina because it was cheap no, that's right, I left my boat there and I flew to Boston to see my kids, and when I came back, I was in a in a hurry to take advantage of a weather window that I'm running and and I'm, you know, getting ready to leave the dock, I fall in, I'm screaming and I'm getting swept under the dock in the current, you know, onto the pilings are filled with barnacles and the current is strong, too strong for me to be able to swim to my transom, to get back on the boat, and so I was really, really scared and this kid from the derelict boat comes out and he saved me.

Deborah Hammett:

He jumped on my boat and he threw me a line and he dragged me to the, to the transom, and I was able to get out, leaving my boat there for the week. This is the kid that I was worried about, that he was going to, you know, do something bad to my boat, right? You know, mavia is, you know, the queen of the marina in some marinas and she's also looking like an aerolike boat in other marinas. It depends on, you know, the, the, because there's all kinds of marinas, Depends on the yachts.

Capn Tinsley:

If there's a bunch of Depends on the yachts, exactly.

Deborah Hammett:

So, yeah, I, I, I, I learned, you know, don't be so quick to judge people. And you know, you know, and and just all the political stuff you know. I, I think the South is more conservative and as I was heading South, you know I think the South is more conservative. And as I was heading South, you know I would hear people say things that would be like, whoa, you can't get away with saying that up North. You know like, yeah, good, good people with all sorts of you know experiences and prior knowledge. And you know just even the whole thing about the gender. You know gender bias, my own gender bias, my expectations about what men are going to think when they see me sailing my own boat, single handed you know, Um, you know, so I, I've learned a lot about don't project, because what I get back is like tremendous respect from most men.

Deborah Hammett:

So I, I, I, I get, I get that most of the time. I do get some you know condescending behaviors other times, but I need to really like continue to expect the best.

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah.

Deborah Hammett:

Well, you know.

Capn Tinsley:

I have found that when I come into a marina and I always say I handled it like a boss, you know it feels good when you come in in a difficult situation, it's the men that will stop me on the dock. I really like how you handled your boat.

Deborah Hammett:

I'm so impressed.

Capn Tinsley:

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 say anything. That's right. I didn't even know they were watching. I welcome them If there's a whole line of people at the restaurant. I'm like it doesn't bother me anymore. You know I used, when I first you know kind of was a little well, all the eyeballs on you could feel it burning, burning a hole in you. Yeah, they do watch.

Deborah Hammett:

That's that. That is. That is one thing that's 100 percent consistent. Yeah.

Capn Tinsley:

Everybody wants to watch that Everybody's watching. Yeah, yeah, everybody wants to watch that, everybody's watching, yeah, and when you see the couples coming, in and arguing. It's like a show, you know, but the sailing community is so. The boating community, uh, especially the sailing community is so giving and they share their, their knowledge and they're they're always willing to help and I just really love that about the sailing community.

Deborah Hammett:

Yeah, yeah, it's amazing. I have been so scared in different situations and I have gotten such generous help from other sailors.

Capn Tinsley:

Generous, that's a good word.

Deborah Hammett:

Yeah, you know people who will give up a couple hours of their time without batting an eye just to help me, you know, figure out. I had somebody in Exuma come to my boat and you know, he helped me figure out a fuel leak and it was such an obvious thing. When he found it I was like, oh my God, how stupid that I 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, and he was on his way and it was awesome you know, well, I've heard that about, especially about Georgetown.

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah, georgetown's amazing. Yeah, you can just about get anything done. You can trade stuff.

Deborah Hammett:

People have parts they have they have services, have I stayed for um three months this year in georgetown?

Capn Tinsley:

yeah, well, I hope to get there this year this october. Leave um gulf shores, alabama in october and I have a friend, uh, qs john, he's uh, I give everybody nicknames he, he's in QS, obviously, and, um, we're probably going to buddy boat now. He can fix anything the sailing part. I'm good, but if I need someone he's going to be there, so, um, that's comforting.

Deborah Hammett:

Yeah, yeah, definitely the fixing. And, um, you know, exuma is fantastic because in Georgetown you can get, you know, you can get your propane, you can get your water, your groceries they have there's. Everything is designed for cruisers.

Capn Tinsley:

But I've heard that you may not be able to get like a part or like a screw or something.

Deborah Hammett:

No, no, no, no, you can't. That's the whole llamas. Yeah, don't count on getting anything.

Capn Tinsley:

And that's when calling people on the sale net anybody have a this or that? Oh yeah, I've got one, and they come and bring it to you on their dinghy, yeah.

Deborah Hammett:

I had to bum a raw water pump belt from somebody, yeah, and you were able to get the right size. But it got to Florida. Yeah, it was almost the right size. Talk about a nail writer. I was yeah, that's almost the right size. Talk about a nail writer. I was.

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah, that's kind of important. What kind of reactions did you get from your friends and family when you did this, when you started talking about it?

Deborah Hammett:

Um, really mom.

Capn Tinsley:

Like you've never even talked about sailing.

Deborah Hammett:

I think they were just a little confused. Um, yeah, they were a little confused and I think it's taken them a while to wrap their minds around 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 conservative little life of you know you're in this box school every day, and you were going outside of that box.

Deborah Hammett:

Very, yeah, very much so. But I had taken them, but I had taken my kids on trips to the Caribbean a lot solo, because my ex-husband didn't like to travel, and school vacations it would be all me with the kids, you know, taking them to the Caribbean because I wanted to go to the Caribbean in February on school vacation week, the Caribbean, because I wanted to go to the Caribbean in February on school vacation week. So I I found like really cheap interior cabin cruise tickets and you know, me and three little girls in an interior cabin for a week and and but you know I would be shuffling them all over, you know to theis and you know, on the boat, off the boat, that sort of thing, with a whole bunch of old people. Yeah, but then I got old, so hey, bite your tongue on that.

Capn Tinsley:

Don't say that, um uh. How did solo sailing challenge you emotionally, not just physically?

Deborah Hammett:

Well, you know, I just had to muscle up and do things myself, because there was nobody there to help me and I couldn't. You know, I could cry and I could scream and I could panic, and I did all of those things regularly, 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 to focus, I had to take a deep breath and I had to look at what is going on here. Assess the problem, yeah, what is going on here, assess the problem, yeah. So you know, panic is not really helpful when you're trying to assess a problem. So, um, I I think I really just learned that the sooner I can get analytical, the better.

Capn Tinsley:

I just wanted to show this. You're fixing your squeaky wheel here Doing your video. Yeah, and you had. You were talking about changing the impeller. There was a lot of projects you described in the book. It's going to be very helpful.

Deborah Hammett:

I mean, changing an impeller is easy for me now. Changing the oil is easy for me now. You know, getting the alternator to move over enough so that I can change the alternator belt and the raw water pump belt is, you know, annoying and hard, but I think I could probably do it if I didn't have help. I have had help. I haven't had to do it totally alone.

Capn Tinsley:

It's that tightening getting the belt tight and getting a big screwdriver, yes, and stretching it out and then tightening everything. That's a challenge, yes.

Deborah Hammett:

Yeah, getting the bolts off in order to move the alternator. Yeah, getting the bolts off in order to move the alternator. Yeah, I get the bones. Yeah, um, you know, like tying my dinghy so that it doesn't swing, you know, um, because you know I have Davits and it has to be tied crisscross, you know, so that it doesn't swing forward and back, so it doesn't swing side to side, so it doesn't swing up and down. So I have about five lines that are strategically placed now and that dinghy is rock solid. But let me tell you, it has taken me about two years to figure it out.

Capn Tinsley:

You got to get the right combination of crisscross of lines. Yeah, I related to your comments about being a solo woman sailor. I found it um definitely has its upside. We were just kind of talking about that. Even, uh, when I need it, people are men, are willing to help. That's, you know, like, if I am need some lifting. There's a couple times, like when I um want to put my engine on my dinghy engine. You said you have a pulley system. I don't have, but I would say, hey, can you help? And they'll come and pick up that. It's a 30 pound, awkward 30 pounds, to get it off that railing.

Capn Tinsley:

There's always some nice man, yeah, and it only takes him, you know, a minute.

Deborah Hammett:

I'm all good to go. I haven't had those nice men coming by. I've had. I've had jet skis coming by, waking you know, while I'm trying to lift the, the, the 30 pound oh that's not good. I have a six horsepower. I have a six horsepower Yamaha engine and I, I, I haul it up. I'm going to show you right now. So yeah, let's see it. There's my, there's my dinghy engine, you see beautiful.

Capn Tinsley:

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 were probably less likely to steal it exactly, that was the whole point.

Deborah Hammett:

But I have, but I have to lift that thing up onto. You know, this block, that's right here. You know, on the side, I have that exact.

Capn Tinsley:

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 with boats? Yeah, not cheap. Anything that has to do with boats? Yeah, yeah.

Deborah Hammett:

Now would you say to someone nearing retirement who feels like it's too late to try something? What would you say to that person if they think it's too late? I would say that is absolutely not true, that you can achieve anything that you want to achieve and, honestly, when we're 30 years old, we're looking at the future. Like you know, we can decide to be something, we can make a decision to become something at the age of 30 and it can work out. It can work out really, really well and you can have a whole career and a whole you know.

Deborah Hammett:

Run a business, you can do all those things. People start businesses at 30, and they do, you know. Run a business, you can do all those things. People start businesses at 30 and and they do, you know, unbelievably well. But at 60 people don't start things as easily and with as much hope, and I think that becoming retired can't be enough. Being retired and just doing a little more traveling, maybe, you know, doing a little bit more resting, maybe more gardening, you know, whatever but to go all in with something new and different is something that I think everybody can do and it can also prolong your life.

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah. You were talking about that, I think with the mind and well, physically.

Deborah Hammett:

Learning. You know the research shows that learning really fends off dementia. And you know, and certainly when you're doing something like this, that requires physical strength. I have to really spend a lot of time making sure that I stay fit Right. You know I have to have, I have to be, I have to have some agility, I have to have balance, I have to have some upper body strength in order to lift that engine and do a hundred other things on the boat. And you know it's, it's all part of it, and I feel like all of those things together are going to keep me in shape and able to do this for a few more years.

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah, I just turned 60. I've never actually said my age on my YouTube channel. I've had it since 2015. So I just turned 60. I've been I have been working out with a trainer for 16 years. When I first started thinking about this, I thought, well, when I'm going to be doing this, when I'm retirement age or, you know, I'm a real estate agent, I really don't have to retire. But you know, I think that that has really helped. I think it's very important. It does, like you said, with the flexibility, the balance, all those things. And being on a sailboat, you, you really you get tested with 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:

Yeah, just save yourself, exactly, exactly, turning the winches, you know? Yeah, I don't have any electric winches.

Capn Tinsley:

No.

Deborah Hammett:

It's all my cups.

Capn Tinsley:

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 saying that. Um so, uh, here's a few rapid fire questions. Uh, what's one mindset shift that helped you grow fat most as a sailor? We might've kind of covered that.

Deborah Hammett:

One mindset Well, that I can do it, that I can fix mechanical things, Ah yeah.

Capn Tinsley:

You can learn about a diesel engine at 60.

Deborah Hammett:

How many people say that you know, my, my default is I can't do it, you know, but I I actually can if I, if I just, you know, get centered, and you know, I have YouTube to help me. I have people.

Capn Tinsley:

Chat GPT Chat. Gpt people chat gpt, chat, gpt.

Deborah Hammett:

Oh yeah, chat gpt. And and um, you know, I I have usually I'm in marinas, or not in a marina, but in in anglers where I'm close enough to other sailors, yeah yeah, um, I just lost my train of thought.

Capn Tinsley:

I was gonna make a really important point. Oh, I know what it is. Uh, I get a lot of people saying I could never do that. I'm sure you've heard that and I've just you know what my response has become now. Well, you would if you really wanted to. You just don't want to. Yeah, that's right. Don't you think people do what they want to do? People do what they want to do.

Deborah Hammett:

Yeah, yeah. And. And people don't people, people want to be comfortable, right, right. So taking a risk and doing something that requires a tremendous amount of energy and quite possibly a lot of discomfort to in order to access, you know, beautiful, pristine beaches, you know in the tropics in your own boat and you know, be able to watch sunsets and have a 360 degree water view every night and live on a boat, and I mean it is wonderful and it gets me through those uncomfortable crossings.

Capn Tinsley:

It'll get you through the furious, infuriating what's the word repairs that come up and it might be, once at a time, boom, boom, boom, boom. No, you really have to have that goal, that end goal in mind.

Deborah Hammett:

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 just doesn't get any better really coming up in the morning and seeing you know a Harbor that's like as smooth as glass. Sometimes I'm in, I'm in storms and you know it's, it's crazy and I I don't know if I'm going to make it. I'm at an, I'm anchored in a storm and I don't know if I'm going to drag, and you know it's it. It can get wild, but, um, but it's worth it, yeah.

Capn Tinsley:

Uh, who, would you say, has influenced you the most in your life? It could be sailing, it could be anything. Oh, my dad, would you say he influenced, is he? Was he influential with you in, in pushing through to do something like this?

Deborah Hammett:

Uh well, my dad, uh, my dad raised me not to be a wimp.

Capn Tinsley:

Right, okay so.

Deborah Hammett:

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 as a um, as a do it yourself, or also he was very much a do it yourself, or and uh.

Capn Tinsley:

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:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, pretty much.

Capn Tinsley:

His words meaning like from the past.

Deborah Hammett:

Yeah, or yelling at me. Yeah, you're not a Gen Xer, you're a baby boomer, but we're built differently.

Capn Tinsley:

You're almost a Gen Xer. You're a baby boomer, but we're built differently. You're almost a Gen Xer.

Deborah Hammett:

What are you doing? What are you doing? Why are you doing?

Capn Tinsley:

that you know, but yeah, now what do you miss most about your life before sailing Because you don't have a house? Yeah, you've got one in the yard.

Deborah Hammett:

Kids, your kids being young, no, no, just children in general. You miss that yeah, yeah, yeah yeah interacting with well, you're teach, being a teacher and all teacher and you know, especially when I was a principal, I had a thousand children in the building. It was a lot of kids and they were awesome and I was, like you know, when you're the principal, you're like famous. So, like you know, when you're the principal, you're like famous. So that was. You know, you're a rock star at the school. Yeah, I miss that.

Capn Tinsley:

When you're out there alone, what brings you the most peace?

Deborah Hammett:

Turning off the engine. I love that. I remember the first time that happened I was like whoa and it was moving, you know yeah, when you, when you get the sail set and you've got, you know, an awesome point of sail and the wind is great and the seas are flat, and you can turn that engine off and suddenly everything just goes you know, yeah, it's indescribable the way, all of a sudden, you realize the wind is moving you and there's, you're not.

Capn Tinsley:

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 you had at the beginning. That's no longer a fear at all, or almost not at all um, navigation, ah, navigation.

Deborah Hammett:

I don't have any problems with navigation anymore. I, you know, I have apps. I have, I I know how to use them. I have a chart plotter and the AIS. I, you know, I, I know how the ICW works. I know, um, you know, bridges, bridges, what to say to the bridge? All of that stuff is stuff that I can't believe. I was ever nervous about that because it's it's easy right now, yeah, to do that. I kind of feel, yeah, I kind of feel like I could go. I kind of feel like I could go anywhere. You know, yeah, I kind of feel like I could go anywhere.

Capn Tinsley:

Crossing the.

Deborah Hammett:

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 boat is your boat is. You know the opposite, because you know you've got a heavy ocean going vessel with a full keel and you know, but your boat is slower. So if you and I had a race, I got to tell you I'd probably win.

Capn Tinsley:

This is true. This is true, but fortunately I don't race.

Deborah Hammett:

So yeah, you wouldn't want to in your boat.

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah, no, it would be a little slow. What's more important at sea, preparation or adaptability? Yeah, adaptability yeah adaptability for sure one sailing moment you'll never forget, besides turning off the engine, one sailing moment I'll never forget.

Deborah Hammett:

Um was rounding hatteras and being on night watch and seeing boats, or what I thought I saw hearing out of nowhere, and they weren't on the AIS and I didn't know what was going on. There would be, there was one boat, and then there was another boat and the next thing, you know, I'm like surrounded by 12 boats. So I went down and I woke up my partner and I said these boats are coming out of nowhere. I know, I don't know what's going on, something's happening. And he said those are stars.

Deborah Hammett:

That's hard to believe I had no, I had no sense of distance and so, and you know, it was like, um, it was like, suddenly the, the sky opened up and the stars were magnificent. You know, like an hour later, when they were all like, we could see everything.

Capn Tinsley:

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 a favorite anchorage. So you sent me three. Which one would you like?

Deborah Hammett:

okay, so, uh, I guess my favorite anchorage would be sand dollar Beach at Exuma. Okay, well, stocking Island, which is near Georgetown.

Capn Tinsley:

Okay, so Stocking Island, let me Exuma Okay, once I get once I zone in, I'll I'll bring it up. Once I get once I zone in, I'll I'll bring it up. Oh yeah, oh yeah, okay this is by Chat and Chill.

Deborah Hammett:

Well, it's actually south of Chat and Chill, okay. So if you go south of Chat and Chill, uh, about a half a mile, and what is it close to you? It's called sand dollar beach and okay, I see it. Okay, let me bring it up yeah, there's a mooring field there, but there's also um so a few anchoring spots, and I really like to be there because it's far enough away from Chattin' Chill.

Capn Tinsley:

So let me show where this is. So we're in the Bahamas. This is the Exumas. There's Georgetown, there's the Chattin' Chill A lot of people know. There's Stocking Island, so it's right at the tip here, sand Dollar Beach. So where exactly?

Deborah Hammett:

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 it turns blue, where it turns darker blue. Right here, yeah, so right after it turns darker blue anywhere along in there. Like right, even up, can you go up in here? Go the other way. Yeah, yeah, yeah, go the other way Up toward Chattanooga. Okay, right here, or a little farther yeah right there, right there.

Capn Tinsley:

Right here.

Deborah Hammett:

Right there, uh-huh.

Capn Tinsley:

I don't see any boats there right now. And what do you like about that spot?

Deborah Hammett:

you're kind of far from everything I guess that's what you like about it. And do you see that that whole area where it's very light, blue, at low tide, you can um put? Your hand over there. Yeah, it is the most magnificent beach at low tide.

Capn Tinsley:

Is there a lot of people in there?

Deborah Hammett:

No. Oh nice and you can tie your dinghy up and you can walk the trails. There's trails that go along the perimeter there.

Capn Tinsley:

Sweet.

Deborah Hammett:

Yeah, it's really nice.

Capn Tinsley:

Okay, and so how long did you anchor right here?

Deborah Hammett:

Oh gosh, I anchored there a month, I guess Nice.

Capn Tinsley:

Okay, and so how long did you anchor right here? Oh gosh, I anchored there a month, I guess, nice and um, when you needed stuff. Uh, how far of is this a dinghy ride that you, yeah, yeah.

Deborah Hammett:

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, other than it's like a little uh restaurant and you have to go over here. Yeah, you have to go over to georgetown, um, and that's maybe a 10 15 minute dinghy ride and but they have everything, okay. Okay, georgetown has everything.

Deborah Hammett:

Almost everything, maybe not parts, right, well, some parts, not you know. Like you know, they might have parts like, uh, I don't know, a screwdriver you might be able to buy a screwdriver.

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah, I had someone tell me that people will if they need something and someone's flying home, like for a week or something people will say oh, I need this, I need that, Can you bring it?

Deborah Hammett:

back. Oh yeah, definitely, definitely, and that's the only way really. There is a place called Brown's and they do have a marine store there, but you know, these places are really hit or miss, so I can't even say what you might be able to find there, because it's totally random. Okay, so you might be able to find, like the, the bulb squeeze line for your dinghy, you know gas engine, you know your dinghy gas line, you know. Or you might be able to find a you know flashlights, or, or you might be able to find shackles.

Capn Tinsley:

Okay, and so you need to bring your parts. You need to bring your spare parts, oh yeah. Tip of the day. Tip of the day.

Deborah Hammett:

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:

Yeah, I'd be interested to see what your spare part list looks like. So you, since you took the trip I guess you wrote the book while you were sailing, right and you've since taken another trip. Yeah, and you did this again.

Deborah Hammett:

I did it again. So I went in September of last year, I sailed down again to the Exumas and I spent three and a half months in in Georgetown or that area. What months did you stay there? I crossed on New Year's. Uh, I crossed on New Year's Eve both years actually. It just happened to work out that way that I crossed from no Name Harbor in Florida over to Bimini on New Year's Eve, and so then I was there until last year I left on March 15th. This year, no, last year I left on March 5th and this year I left on March 15th.

Capn Tinsley:

Okay, Okay, so I'm going. Hopefully I shared with you that I lost my husband and so my goal is to right now I'm a little 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 going to try or I will not try to go down there If all works out. And are you going to be this winter? Are you going to be down there? That's my plan. Oh good, I'll get to meet you in person.

Deborah Hammett:

Yeah, that's my plan. So I plan to do the same thing again.

Deborah Hammett:

Yep, I might have crew for more of 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 you can't put it on autopilot and you're just and it's cold in the fall and the days are really short, which is why the whole trip takes a long time, because I don't stay out offshore overnight 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 an anchorage, anchor, and then the next day do the whole thing all over again, so I can go more than twice as fast if I have crew. So I am, I'm going to try to have crew and then I'll be able to stay. I'll be able to stay here on the vineyard until around October 15th and then be able to still get to the Bahamas by around New Year's, maybe before. So it takes you. How long does it take you to get to the Bahamas by around New Year's, maybe before?

Capn Tinsley:

So it takes you, how long does it take you to get to Key Biscayne?

Deborah Hammett:

Well, okay, I, I I shouldn't say that it would take that long, because for the past few trips I've stopped in North Carolina.

Capn Tinsley:

Oh, yeah, my mom was in.

Deborah Hammett:

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 a haul out on my way back down South. So I might actually I'm hoping that I'll be able to leave here October 15th and then maybe I'll even be able to be in the Bahamas by Thanksgiving.

Capn Tinsley:

Oh, okay, so you heard it here. Debra's going to be there. Hopefully, I'm going to be there. Knock on wood and it'd be fun, it just it sounds like it's going to be a party down there.

Deborah Hammett:

Yeah, oh yeah. So Georgetown is really fun. I, I, I, I really come to enjoy it.

Capn Tinsley:

Now you said it was okay if I ask you this so you don't drink and you haven't for a long time.

Deborah Hammett:

No, I. I am an alcoholic and I have not had a drink since 1992.

Capn Tinsley:

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, drinking my ties and tequila sunrises. And I just like it that you're showing people how to do it with no drinking and no mood-altering stuff. And then it's still fun, wouldn't?

Deborah Hammett:

you say yeah, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, of course.

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah, I've never sailed under the influence of anything.

Deborah Hammett:

Yeah, the way I drank. I would not be able to do this.

Capn Tinsley:

It probably. The goal probably wouldn't have been achieved. The goal might have been achieved. That's what I'm saying. Definitely helps, when you don't have that ball and chain, to be able to complete tasks and long-term goals.

Deborah Hammett:

Exactly exactly.

Capn Tinsley:

So with that I'll close it out and, uh, I want to talk to you again and I can think of many topics you know like we can talk about before you leave. You could talk about your prep before we can. There's all kinds of things we we could. I'd like to reconvene and have another conversation, um so, um. So say hi to Jim, I will, jim, put your head in there. This is your friend that you met in the Exumas.

Deborah Hammett:

He's the captain of his own boat, but he's offered to crew for me, so I call him Captain J Crew.

Capn Tinsley:

No, you need to call him First Mate J Crew.

Deborah Hammett:

I'm taking the flag down. He is taking the flag down. Isn't that a good crew kind of thing to? Do Taking the flag down Because it's sunset.

Capn Tinsley:

Oh yeah, that's what your First Mate, but I think we need to while he's on your boat, we need to call him First Mate J Crew.

Deborah Hammett:

You mean Captain First Mate?

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah, sure he wants people to know he's a captain. I get that, but there's only one captain, right.

Deborah Hammett:

There is only one captain. I totally agree. I totally agree.

Capn Tinsley:

Alright, well, thank you so much. What a pleasure, and I like to end these episodes the same way Salty Abandoned out.

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