Confessions of a Closet YouTube Sailing Channel Addict

YouTube Sailing Videos: You either Love’em or Hate’em.

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To me, YouTube is perhaps one of the biggest marvels (so far) of the early 21^st Century.

Nowhere on this Earth can you learn so much, in so little time, about how to do most anything you’d like to do, or learn about how to do, with as little effort, as it takes to just the enter a short search query and the click of a button.

Whether you would like to bake a cake, learn photography or field strip a 1939 Walther P-38. It’s all there.

How about learning to fly or just following Elon Musk on his way to Mars?

Ok. So you’re more down to Earth and you’d like to know how to Camp in extreme weather or learn some new Excel formulas. YouTube has numerous channels for those skills also.

It’s all in there and much more. It has become the “go to” tool for a lot of people. On both sides of the camera.

Including those who use it (or it’s viewers) as a source of income. Your interests, dreams and imagination are the only limit.

Sailing Videos

For me and for some not so small part. It is YouTube Sailing Videos. A (Mostly) 2 hours a week time wasting pastime and something of which most people don’t even care about. Just about everybody that knows their way around the water and boats know that the vast majority of cruising sailors and water people out there don’t have time to create such nonsense because they are busy doing what they set out to do in the first place and that is to work on the water or live out their dreams on the water. Not to make Soap Operas about it. But for some viewers, when winter rolls around and the tired old bones need a good warming up, I’ll settle in and follow many of my favorites as they sail off into Tropic oblivions. I really like a few of them and have even established distant friendships with a few of the creators.

 I’m mostly just curious to see how these channels deal with the everyday demands and challenges that living aboard a Sailboat can provide. Everything from learning to work with fiberglass to cooking on a boat. At last count, there were about 800 Sailing Channels on YouTube, of which, I subscribe to about 100. Yes, I suppose that qualifies as being “mildly” addicted.

Normally, most of the videos are about 12-15 minutes long and some channels only post bi-monthly or monthly. But at least I’m not just watching someone else do it. I learn a lot and lead a pretty active onboard lifestyle myself.

Admittedly, I do watch YouTube about 6 hours a week. 2 hours of which are dedicated to sailing related content. The remainder is split between discovering all the ways that the foreign media is trying to convince us that Russia is getting their Ass kicked by Ukraine and watching instructional videos done by the professional photographers I follow. Only TikTok is more entertaining. Thankfully, I haven’t watched even 1 minute of Network TV in over 4 years now. Finally having the time to devote to the growth of my photography business online has provided me the schedule to do so. Where else would someone with an insatiable thirst for knowledge go to learn so much in such a limited time?

The Human Drama

In watching the sailing channels, I’m also interested in the human drama that can and does unfold inside of 40 feet or so of these floating “Peyton Place(s)”. Admittedly, drama can unfold even in the small world of a solo sailor such as myself but more often when two or more personalities are involved. Especially when you throw in the dynamics and challenges of boat ownership, weather and relationships. Watching this weekly reality show starring mostly unskilled, content starved and a few personality disordered individuals is entertaining at times and writing about it is even more fun.

I’ve watched enough to know that I’m sure glad I don’t have to deal with all the depicted drama that sells these videos as “normal” sailing life. That much drama in my life would drive me nuts.

I follow many of the sailing channels on a regular basis and find myself contemplating seriously on a question recently posed by an admin in one of the online Sailing Forums I frequent. That question is what gave birth to this blog installment and one of which I thought merited deeper insight. The question and post on the forum was generally about what everyone’s favorite sailing channel might be and why. (you see.. I’m not the only one that wastes his time on this).

 In choosing a favorite, I take a lot of things into consideration and also write about a few things here that I had been noticing more and more of, as late.

For myself personally, I’ve gained a lot of entertainment from watching many of the channels. Primarily because of an appreciation for the growth of technical quality in many of the channels and real-world value received resulting from their content. I admire the photography and story-telling skills of many of these “creators” and I’ve learned a lot about boat-handling, rigging and repair work from experts with more experience than I. I’m just geeky that way and we do have that in common.

A more common interest to everyone I suppose, is the inevitable drama that life brings to every human being. How the individual channels deal with the “human drama” is more interesting to me than the quick video that was shot up or down somebody’s wife’s or girlfriend’s shirt.

“What”??!! You ask…”Did I read that correctly”?

It’s true that there are many channels that snag a viewer’s interest with the more “traditional” methods of scantily clad women, alcohol consumption and sensational attention getting thumb nails (also known as “clickbait”) Curiously, but keep in mind, like many other public social venues, YouTube has built in to it’s algorithm a way to “flag”, suppress or outright bury a channel’s content if the content produced doesn’t align with it’s own tech giant standards or thought think. This is both scary and not surprising when you realize how polarized our society has become.

 No doubt the tiny bikinis and barely concealed boat nudity provide some interest and probably result in hundreds of subscriptions, but like sand on a beach, there’s plenty of it out there both on and off the ‘Tube.

After all, that’s the approach of how one of the oldest and most successful channels got it’s start over ten years ago. Displaying a Hedonistic and carefree lifestyle, island hopping their way around the world, The Series, and it’s primary actors, are all grown up now. Having finally put ashore the partying brother and his steady troupe of in and out wayfaring lasses, The Captain and female First mate have found the time (and space) needed to produce some crew of their own in the form of a cute baby girl, They have recently settled into a more believable lifestyle, cruising into US ports of call where they wear a lot more clothing and are better recognized. Last I read, they are hauling down almost $16k per weekly episode now. That ain’t chump change.

New Trends

Personally, and among a few other things I will mention, I’ve lately become disinterested by the current Sailing Channel phenomenon and all the associated “B” roll footage that is being focused in the direction of having and dealing with babies onboard. I love babies and kids. But like a lot of Sailors who once enjoyed the pre-kid videos, I seem to agree that spending 30% or more of a 12 minute video on the eating, sleeping, crapping and behavior habits of a baby is irrelevant in a sailing video and only slightly appeals to a small segment of viewers. It also shifts focus away from the more valuable content I think the majority of sailors prefer. I’ve lost track of the number of channels this has just recently become a focus of. (At least 8 or 10 at last count)

If one follows a lot of channels such as I do, it’s easy to see where patterns start to develop on the various feeds and it is this that interests me and one that has prompted me to write about such an undiscussed topic. Being a regular viewer of all these channels makes one very attune to patterns, trends and sometimes outright plagiarism. between the channels. It’s incredible how the entire culture can take on a life of it’s own. If one popular channel offers up a particular subject, you can be sure others will soon follow, almost in lock step to duplicate a similar scenario, cover the installation/rebuild of a particular piece of equipment or to complain about the same challenges. For example, Covid got way more than it’s share of coverage and blame. I say “more” in this case because a lot of the individual’s complaints stemmed from the result of poor or nonexistent planning on the participant’s part during the Pandemic.

The competition has gotten very fierce for the viewers time and money. The talent for creating consistently good and interesting content has gotten very small in respect to the number of channels that are now out there. It’s surprising to see the number of channels following this latest move and now, how it has extended itself into having babies and other things mentioned later here.

“Keeping up with the Joneses” YouTube style.

In reality, I realize that most of these couples are young, most are still in love and are in their respective child-bearing years just like a lot of their viewers, plus, being in remote, or romantic places certainly helps. After all, Sailing is well known to be 90% boring and 10% sheer terror and that one-sided statistic probably contributes a lot, too.

With the recent “baby explosion” that is now coming to light on many of these channels, I really find myself wondering what the heck is in the water they are drinking or floating in. It’s getting to be as tired a subject as Pig Beach. 

Ask, and Ye Shall Receive!

Another interesting (to me) pattern that is just now beginning to become regular fare is the number of channels that are starting to outright ask for money to fund another bigger or better boat. Is this now becoming a new trend too? The comments that accompany these videos and that I see in the forums from the older crowd who watch these videos, (most of whom were chained to a 9 to 5 for decades before earning their retirement), depict having a difficult time identifying with the plight of Young, healthy and in many cases, obviously some well-to-do but “dropped out” couples who regularly show no shame in begging for your hard earned dollar.

They do this mostly by suggesting that you “buy them a beer” or becoming a Patron on their Patreon account where you can “support” their efforts in producing these videos in such “challenging” conditions. There are beginning to be more and more of these channels who are just out right begging for your money. They have no qualms whatsoever in telling you that they need your dollars to help buy that $4000 windvane so that they can continue to provide you “quality” content. What ever happened to working and saving your money to be able to have the things you want? Surely, with some of the highly paid occupations that I hear them brag about abandoning, they would never have had to suffer the corporate world to retirement age. So, unless they are already in their 50’s, their mantra of “Go now” doesn’t cut a lot of mustard for some of us.

Not surprisingly, Covid and the resulting economic conditions seem to have contributed greatly toward these numbers and industry statistics bear that out in no uncertain terms. Many of them justify their asking by consistently trying to convince you into believing how much time goes into the making of these videos, Obviously, some do take quite a bit of time to put together and it’s obvious in their production standards. Or, just maybe they have more talent than a lot of their peers..

Other reasons that are common are equipment needs or how “hard” it is to come up with interesting content week after week. These are all featured in the weekly pleading for your cash.. If it’s that difficult, you can bet that it shows in their quality and my question for them is then why do it? These channels are the ones who rapidly earn an “unsubscribe” click from me and many others.

It used to be that YouTube would allow you to demonstrate your dislike for content in the form of a thumbs down icon that came equipped with a counter so that you could also determine how many other folks felt as you did about the video. Reminds me of the sort of a “rating” system like the Romans used in their Gladiator sporting events when they wanted a defeated combatant killed by his competition at the end of the bloody match. YouTube has tried to change this by making it no longer possible to give a “thumbs down” due to some screwed up “woke” thinking that is now programmed into their algorithm.

However.. It has now become possible to download an extension to your browser that rightfully returns that choice (in a limited) but satisfying way. You can find it here as it is an extension to Google Chrome. I highly recommend it.

A Few Examples of Patterns Emerging and a Few Bones to Pick.

I first noticed the “begging” while watching the drama unfold of the careless passage-making skills of a guy and his girlfriend who came close to losing a poorly prepared, ill equipped and decrepit catamaran in heavy seas off Hawaii. This is probably the reason he lost his girlfriend as well in the process and I don’t blame her for jumping ship at her earliest opportunity. He almost got her killed along with himself. I would have bailed on him too.

Now..months later, he shows up with an older, in need of repair, but much bigger and much more expensive luxury yacht that most people could never afford provided by some sort of Go-Fund-Me program or handout scheme. You can bet that the repairs and refit of this yacht will be handled in the same financial way with the accompanying “clickbait” of unsuspecting and beautiful young ladies to feed the dreams of his naïve and predominately Male Patrons.

This above occurrence was very soon followed by another like minded channel because the Captain’s insurance wouldn’t cover a reported irresponsible recent loss of the use of his yacht. Somehow or another, during the entire debacle that actually occurred in near-coastal waters, which also involved an on-board fire and the risking of lives by the USCG, he managed to get it all on film which he later put out as a $5 Pay-per-View drama. 3 weeks after the rescue, unashamedly asking for over $100k in repair funds so that he can continue his journey toward warmer climes producing the bikini and drinking binge content he is so famous for. 

I know Captain Ron said “If it happens, it’ll happen out there” but this sounds like a setup to me and obviously to many others.

And then… just a short time later..one of what used to be a favorite channel of mine, was asking for purchase funds to replace a small but sturdy little “pocket yacht” they have been living on and extensively refitting for the past 4 years for a Pacific crossing because of all things…

Their reason? A Termite infestation. 

The entire restoration effort has been extensive and videoed for all to see on dozens of episodes spanning months and months. Did they just now figure out they had bugs?

I don’t mind if you embellish a little. All sailing stories start out with “you’re not gonna believe this.” But seriously….Don’t insult my intelligence and disrespect the hours of time and “likes” I have given to support your channel. Give me a break.

If you follow this channel, it has been obvious for quite some time that the female of the couple has been unhappy with the challenges of living on a small boat and the partner, who is very knowledgeable, ambitious and capable, is finally realizing how foolhardy the idea would be to even consider such a voyage on this boat given the couple’s self-proclaimed limited experience, and the age, condition and size of their boat.  It has also been obvious for quite some time that they have been rethinking their bold declaration to cross the world’s largest ocean. Most experienced viewers were pretty confident that it would have been foolhardy to ever follow through with such a poor plan. They are brave, intuitive people and seem to be deeply in love. They just got themselves backed into a corner. But they are not stupid.

A few hours after their “begging” video aired, their pockets had swelled to over $50k and was still climbing. From Rags to Riches in 3 short months. I don’t know, or care how much they finally ended up with. To me, it all just smelled like a “set-up” for cash and I quickly unsubscribed. Termites my ass. At least be truthful with your viewers. By the way, as we read.. Baby #1 is on the way. Just in time to take advantage of the extra space on their new-to-them but very expensive 40 ft. “Blue Water” ocean going yacht.

Does anyone see a pattern here? It’s beginning to reek of just another form of street begging. With a digital cardboard sign. And I think I my YouTube habit is about to run it’s course. . At least of some of the sailing video parts of it. I’m sure that in the comments I will be reminded that “it is my choice to watch” and the unsubscribe button is there for a reason. Thank goodness for that but like I wrote at the outset of this post, watching all this drama unfold and seeing patterns like these emerge in these reality show type settings is fascinating! I guess you could say that it is the sub-culture that attracts and holds my attention.

Even more amazing is watching these channels burn themselves out because of soon discovered unrealistic expectations about living aboard (as they say, it’s not all bikinis and rainbows) Anticipated revenue amounts that can’t sustain the lifestyle or failed relationships that come to light when two people try to unsuccessfully get along aboard only 40 feet of boat. I’ve gotten to the place I can almost pick these out of the pack from the very first series of episodes. That’s why I personally gravitate toward channels that feature older creators that are closer to my own age. Their expectations are lower, they are more established and they seem to realize better the value of a close relationship while still managing to retain an individual personality.

Final Observations

 Before anyone accuses or judges me my view, First of all I don’t really care. These are just my own thoughts and musings. But importantly, I don’t consider myself bitter,  jealous or a “hater” by any means, because I am very happy, proud and thankful for what I have earned and I have genuinely and wisely learned that always trying to retain a positive attitude pays off in big dividends. In addition, being happy for others always pays back good fortune.

But I am strangely amazed in some way with this trend toward undeserved and what I perceive as instant gratification that some of these channels are applying themselves to. A very surprising fact is that people of all ages and financial standings are participating. On one hand, you have a couple that consistently brags about having “a 5 thousand dollar Craig’s List Boat” and on the other, is a couple sporting a new 54 foot Swedish luxury cruiser that tips the scales at about $800k. Why the Hell do these people need YouTube revenue or a Patreon account? They must have a pretty boring onboard life to devote so much time toward making videos instead of just enjoying the well-to-do life they have built. Would they even notice if I “bought them a beer?”. For the latter couple, they obviously don’t need the money.

I’ve given this some thought and the only thing I can come up with is that these people either have huge egos OR they don’t want to be left out with what the younger crowd is doing. Either way, I am still trying to come to grips with understanding how all this begging under the disguise of putting out quality content is acceptable to so many viewers. The proof is in the phenomenally long lines to “kiss the ring” at the YouTube Sailing Video Booth every year at the United States Sailboat Show in Annapolis. After watching a few channels coverage of the event this year, I get the distinct impression that an invitation to and scheduled placement therein is reflective of “Oscar Night” in Hollywood. Indeed, there were channels whom demonstrated they were a tiny bit bitter about being excluded this year. It was hilarious and quite interesting to see the “Star Struck” look on the faces of many creators, new channel actors and the surrounding mobs of worshippers

My observations, for the purpose here, is what they are. No more, No less. Perhaps it is the “new” way of realizing benefit on the front end of sincere effort, planning and sacrifice. Perhaps it is the result of the present generation of sailors feeling as if they are individually entitled. Perhaps, I have just gotten older and wiser and also more of a Curmudgeon. Like it is said “A Bitchin’ Sailor is a Happy Sailor” but I truly believe that the “paying of real dues” never goes out of style.

 I am constantly amazed that there are thousands who agree that a few years (or less) of making videos and the documentation of temporary vacations from their idea of a “normal” life, justifies the plentiful contributions toward financing someone else’s lifestyle. It is even more interesting (and sometimes perplexing) to watch how many very deserved people go without asking of any special help because they lack the technical and social media video skills of some of these YouTube channels or were taught to not rely on anyone but themselves. Asking for, or begging for money is just not in some of these people’s DNA.

Channel Relief

If you’re interested, my list of channels worth a few minutes of your time include Drake Paragon, Eric Aanderaa, (No Bullshit, Just Sailing), Emerald Steel, Sailing Florence and lately. The Sailing Brothers. If you like true, unrehearsed sailing and unpretentious courage, hard earned Seamanship skills and valuable, informative “how-to” episodes gained by many years of hard knock experience, you might enjoy these. All are very respected and experienced Sailors. What they lack in slick salesmanship and an entitled attitude they more than make up for with rolling their sleeves up and attacking their problems with a can do attitude of hard work, smart choices, pride in themselves and of the lifestyle. Principles which all good seafarers have possessed for Millennia. If you like honest, thoughtful, informative and high quality video and story telling skills, Sailing Florence checks all these boxes. Go check them out.

After you watch and before you point out that all these ask for monetary consideration, ask yourself do you consider their efforts compensable. If you’re looking for great content, there are many more out there than the few that are mentioned here.

Channel Suicide

None of the aspects outlined at the front of this post will stop me from at least “checking in” once and awhile on these mentioned and other channels. Happily, I’ll stick around on all of these just for the entertainment value and to see the various circus’ transform themselves in ways I can never imagine happening in my limited world.

Without fail, the introduction or mention of a Political or Social view into their format is enough to make me set sail. And that has been known to happen. The Greta Thunburg case is a good example. A couple of the European and other foreign based channels made an effort to capitalize on her controversial fame by offering her assistance (obviously for more channel exposure) or defending her behavior through Social Media online. I don’t really care about your political or Social views and I won’t take issue with anyone’s. But don’t expect me to support your channel in anyway when you use your influence on Social Media Platforms as your soapbox.

If the channel or it’s authors make the mistake of getting involved in a Political Pissing Match on their channel or one of the many sailing Facebook groups they might be a member of, it can put the death knell into motion for sure in a YouTube Sailing Channel’s life. At the least, it could result in consistent “thumbs down” reactions from viewers to any future episodes they publish who do not agree politically or those viewers who just don’t like politics in their entertainment. Due to the current and sharp divisions within cultures these days, it doesn’t matter which side the the creators take. It could result in a revenue losing situation for the channel.

Supporting a Channel

 To be honest, I have contributed a number of times to channels when I was able or felt a sincere need. Most recently to a lady sailor who lost her husband due to Covid while in S. Africa on a circumnavigation. Alone and frightened, I felt that she deserved help. Turns out, that in his absence, she has emerged much stronger and more knowledgeable than first appeared. Most times, I will just make a small purchase from a channel’s merchandise store for a T-Shirt or Amazon purchase through a link in their info column so that they realize a small cut. But will I ever help or contribute hard earned cash to any channel to buy beer, another boat, or finance the operation of the one they have? I don’t think so. Besides, Brilliant Cut takes all of that.

Boys and Their Toys

Just Another Way We Learn

The Gorgeous 23.8m (78’1″) Custom built Buddy Davis Motor Yacht “Plastic Toy” takes at break at Jarrett Bay Industrial Park along the ICW in Core Creek, NC

I’ve always had a love for boats. I think it started when my best buddy in Grade school and myself dragged an old, rotted and wooden skiff out of the woods near the banks of the Tar River in Greenville.

Even though Tom Sawyer was just another book to be read at the time, Mark Twain must have known exactly what the historically strong attraction that young and adventurous boys have always had for boats. Especially boys who had the great fortune of being able to grow up near navigable Rivers, Lakes and Oceans.

The inevitable challenges that boating adventures (and mis-adventures) present to the young minds of boys are just too irresistible for those young minds and I suppose, go a long way toward building the all important self-confidence that would be needed later as they grew into young men and responsible people.

These early challenges and water borne activities may not ever had been experienced or had possibly been forgotten by our parents who, by this time in our growth years, were suspicious but nevertheless mostly unknowing of their offspring’s antics as long as the activities of said offspring didn’t turn life threatening. Besides, They were of “The Greatest Generation” and had much bigger fish to fry as family providers and survivors of a brutal World War.

The dangers and consequences of dragging an old wooden skiff out of the woods to experience a mid-summer, 20 mile trip downstream a narrow, muddy and mostly lazy river was never an issue in our 15 year old minds. Instead, it was the adventure of planning our own expeditions and the accompanying freedom from hot, sticky Summer tobacco jobs that madly drove us in our poorly planned, but (sometimes) successfully executed endeavors.

Of course, as every future Mariner should know, a “shakedown” cruise is absolutely necessary on any newly acquired watercraft and our wooden skiff was no exception. As I much later in life discovered, a shakedown cruise is a very important part of the boat ownership process.

Pushing off from the banks of the muddy Tar River for the first time, we quickly discovered that minor leaks were a part of the wooden boat experience. To remedy that, we made some cut up Clorox bottles to bail out the water if it got deeper than an inch in our vintage watercraft. We didn’t realize it at the time, but these plastic bottles were to be our introduction to the much more sophisticated version of the automatic electric bilge pump we would rely on in the far off upcoming future. Apparently, the saying that “there is no better bilge pump than a scared man with a bucket” still holds true to this day.

Soon after, on our second excursion, we realized that some sort of steering would be needed so we “borrowed” a couple of Cypress Garden water skis from a friend to use as oars or more accurately, as paddles. They did a fair job of keeping our bow pointed downstream but precise steering was yet to be learned as our paddling skills (like 15 yr. old male brains) were not yet quite developed.

The loss of steering control continues to this day, to be one of the most serious emergencies that can occur on any watercraft. The US Coast Guard regularly performs seaborne rescues just off our coast to vessels and Mariners who have lost this vital ability aboard their crafts. We learned this lesson early in our boating lives on the third of our Saturday shakedown series as we pushed to “sea” from our ancient home port on the Tar, known throughout history as Port Terminal.

Port Terminal occupies an important place in Tar River history as it served as a port and warehouse area for the shipping of timber, pine tar and other commodities produced in our area in the early Colonial days

The Tar River gets its name from North Carolina’s history as a naval stores colony, where the dense longleaf pine forests provided much of the tar, turpentine, and pitch needed for shipbuilding and transporting goods throughout the colonies and abroad. Like all coastal rivers, it is also due to this abundance of trees, and the tannins their leaves produce, combined with the stirring and movement of rich sediment during storms that the Tar River gets its brown color.

I can remember, it was a very hot, windless and lazy afternoon. Our afternoon float plan allowed for about an hour or two for fishing for Catfish and just general “skylarking” (a Navy term) as adolescent boys are so well at doing.

Drifting downstream on these shakedown cruises was always an open-ended thing. We never knew exactly where we would end up but were always careful to not stray too far from where we had set off from. The Tar had a swift current. And if not careful, our planned for “passage”, which was still in the planning stages, would get started before we were actually ready for the “Big Day”.

We knew that the Tar became the huge Pamlico River at Little Washington. We also knew that the Pamlico eventually flowed into the vast Pamlico Sound and eventually through Teach’s Hole Channel out into the Great Atlantic Ocean. Never mind the distance. We had already done this first leg (with our parent’s permission) floating along on truck inner tubes. (I won’t go into explaining what they were, just Google it)

The exact place the Tar River becomes The Pamlico River at the Highway 17 bridge (left) in Little Washington, NC

As all 15 year old’s know, we believed we were up to any task and invincible. This was the lofty and overly ambitious route of our future plans and dreams. But we didn’t care. We would make it!

In the time that it would take to get all of this accomplished, we would somehow figure out how to explain how we got so far from home to our parents and they would happily come to get us and our gear in their early ’60’s station wagons. (Google again) The great experience would make all the whippings to our backsides and groundings worth it in the end.

It was on this day that we discovered how important steering was to a well found vessel.

The first sign of trouble was realizing that we had gotten caught mid-stream in the fast current. There had been recent thunderstorms which had brought an abundance of rain which in turn, caused high water and a very fast moving down stream current. We noted that it would be these conditions which would be to our advantage on the first leg of our passage to Little Washington, 20 miles down stream. We also agreed that finding a 16 yr old friend with a driver’s license and access to a car for a ride to get back to Greenville could wait until we got closer to the day of the start of our “circumnavigation”.

Rushing downstream without the aid of propulsion was thrilling. Steering was another matter. We soon found ourselves being pushed to the edges where giant trees overhung their branches into the high water caused by the recent rainstorms.

Unknown to us at the time, really big snakes and water moccasins loved to lay out and sun themselves on the lower branches where they could easily slip back into the water to escape predators or pursue prey.

As we were pushed under one of these leafy branches, the biggest Water Moccasin I’ve ever seen just fell down into our little skiff with us. It MUST have been 6 feet long! The snake dropped in and we all bailed out into the muddy, fast moving water.

We eventually managed to get the boat to a sandy bank where we pulled it from the water and overturned the craft to rid it of the unwanted passenger. We learned a valuable lesson that day that would last a lifetime. A vessel under control is much safer and especially more conducive to pleasant passage making.

Pondering what to do as part of our “great trip”, my lifelong buddy came up with the idea that we could “borrow” his Dad’s outboard motor from his garage to both provide propulsion and steering and would also give us the option of a method for our eventual return. This idea would take time to implement as proper planning for the opportune time to “borrow” it was instrumental to the plan’s success. A few week later, the right moment arrived and we all met down at the sandy beach where our vessel lay in wait for it’s final shakedown and excursion.

Initially, we had a little difficulty in getting the old Evinrude started but being the tinkerers we were, we soon had the old 2 cycle smoking and coughing her way back to life. We had placed it on the transom and were soon ready for shoving off. Thinking back, I believe there were 4 of us who boarded that day.

None of us considered that this day would be our last aboard the old wooden skiff.

We had really come to love our “find” and were even trying to come up with a name for her that all of us could agree on. She had previously provided us with crazy fun, lots of freedom, a new knowledge of watercraft and yes, a few scares which have all developed into one of the lifelong stories that long time friends always share and reminisce about decades later.

Shoving off from the beach in Neutral at a fast idle in a cloud of oil smoke and gasoline fumes, we were modern day versions of Tom Sawyer, Christopher Columbus and Robinson Crusoe. We were 10 feet tall, bulletproof and invisible. Until we kicked the little Evinrude down into gear.

Disregarding that the motor was at a much too high idle to go into gear properly and that our old wooden skiff did have a lot of rot in the transom, we dropped her into a grinding and loud bang forward gear which promptly destroyed the rotted wood on which she was mounted allowing the entire river to rush in and quickly sink our boat along with all of our carefully thought out plans of becoming the first Pitt County natives to successfully cross the Pamlico Sound to the Outer Banks in a 12 foot skiff. The poor motor also sank to the bottom but was eventually recovered albeit with much explanation.

Perhaps the old skiff found it’s own way down the River and eventually became a fixture in a local flower garden.

It might have even made it’s way to the Outer Banks where it became a piece of Yard Art in front of an Island Daycare Center. Here, it could inspire the dreams of a much younger crowd. I’d like to think of this ending for the skiff.

It’s crazy, but we learned a lot with that little boat. Knowledge that has unbelievably lasted to this day. Shakedown cruises are important in that they will bring out most of the weak points in a vessel. Never go out without lifejackets and proper safety gear. Boats are always full of challenges, surprises and fun. And finally, as parents.. to never fully trust the judgements of a early teen.

Now that I am older, arguably wiser and a licensed captain, I still have that dream of cruising and passage making. I still enjoy the challenge of single handing my 38 foot sailboat “Brilliant Cut” in all kinds of weather. I can also see the lust for adventure, and sadly, a lack of knowledge and Common Sense and casual disregard for Safety in the eyes and actions of some new and some experienced boat owners. Being around the water everyday and delivering all kinds of boats provide a lot to observe.

In trying to understand some of the craziness I see on the water, I sometimes think that these folks never had the advantage of being raised close to water or the opportunity to learn from the irresponsible behavior that naturally comes with the freedom of adolescence. Most of us, if we are lucky, live through those times to understand that our actions come with consequences. Never as much as they do with time spent around water or boats. Unlike breathing, responsibility and knowledge is not a natural human trait. It must be taught and learned. Hopefully with as much a lack of pain as possible.

Boating is supposed to be fun and a rewarding part of life. As you go about your Boating fun this Summer, make sure you have the proper training and knowledge to safely enjoy one of the greatest pastimes our earth offers. Your life and the lives of those you love may depend upon it.

Fair Winds and Following Seas.

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“Don’t shoot what it looks like.. Shoot what it feels like”

David Alan Harvey

“Hierarchy“

Years ago, when I used to teach Photography and some associated courses at Virginia-Western’s Daleville, Virginia campus, four out of the five courses I designed for the curriculum were of technical nature. Going in, that was the part of photography that most newcomers to the Craft (the students) felt it was that they needed the most help with.

About half way into the very first semester, I learned a valuable lesson as a Photography Instructor.

Technical expertise was what they all needed, to be sure. But more importantly, the technical aspects soon became far outweighed by what it was they actually wanted out of the courses.

So quietly, I adjusted the curriculum to give them what they truly wanted and as a result, became a much better photographer myself in the process.

Like most new photographers, my first few years in photography were spent going around snapping pictures of anything and everything that interested me. I was always “looking” and trying to improve my technical skills. This is admittedly, the “geeky” side of photography and what attracts many “Left Brain” thinkers to The Art.

By technically obtaining better skills in Exposure, Focusing and Composition, I felt it was important for me to shoot everything I saw. This was a real challenge back then as everyone (at least the Professionals and those who wanted to be) were shooting Transparencies (slide film, which were called “Positives”), and using Manual Focus and Exposure cameras and lenses.

Technical skills were especially important to me, because at the time, I managed to secure some side work (another story) shooting College and High School Sports, Landscapes and of course, Sailing.

Because of work, I was also shooting a lot of Black & White. I was as happy as a clam because it was cheaper and I could develop and print my own film at the newspaper that I worked at which kept my processing costs lower.

Even though it was over 35 years ago, I still remember a photograph that stirred up a new awakening in me that I had not experienced before..

Let’s take the instance of trying to capture a high school football player in action for example.

First of all, it’s Friday night. And it’s Dark. Transparency film, in other words, “Slides”, which is what we liked to shoot, had to be properly exposed. And to be properly exposed, you were only allowed 1/3 of a stop either plus or minus either side of absolutely perfect exposure. More latitude than those small fractions could ruin an otherwise great shot. You had to know your camera and more important, you had to know light. (Remember, we were only using manually adjusted cameras).

Transparencies did not have the 5 stop exposure latitude that print film possessed at the time. But Wow! were they ever oh-so-sharp! And the film possessed very little “grain”. (What we now call “digital noise”)

They were so cool! They even seemed to have a 3D effect when viewing them with a lightbox and loupe. Remember looking into the Viewmaster? Those devices used miniature slides on a cardboard wheel.

Next, when shooting any sport played with a ball, you have to make sure the ball gets in the shot. If not, your Sports Editor would just drop all your hard earned work for the night into the waste basket by the side of his desk. Believe me, I know this. Accomplishing this task can only be done by never taking your eyes off that ball, especially when you are looking through the viewfinder. We didn’t have electronic focus-tracking back then either. We only had very fast hands and fingers. (this is why I still keep both eyes open when shooting)

This next part is when it gets really exciting.

Ok. It’s the 4th quarter of a brutal game and “the play” starts. As the quarterback rolls back and hands off the football to someone in the backfield, you realize with glee, that the play is actually coming your way! The closer, the better, Right?

As a matter of fact, in a few hundredth’s of a second later, your glee quickly turns into an “Oh Shit!” moment as you realize that the fast and huge 250 lb. kid with the ball is coming straight at you with an entire team on his heels. All the while, you are manually changing focus, keeping the ball in the frame and being mindful of the stadium lights and their sincere desire to ruin your must-be-perfect exposure.

You’re still looking through the viewfinder and adjusting focus as adrenaline kicks in and you suddenly spring 4 feet straight up into the air. The violent tackle on the sideline passes just beneath you amid a maelstrom of grunts, dirt, screams, sweat and curses. During the ensuing seconds, all you can think about is protecting the only equipment you’re wearing which is your camera. And keeping yourself from winding up inside the rescue vehicle that’s waiting in the Endzone.

After returning safely to Earth and your heart rate finally eases, You hope and pray that everything you did was right. Later that night, time in the darkroom and under the enlarger would bring welcome relief and a great satisfaction for your effort.

This time I got lucky.

A perfectly exposed and focused image.

A frame filled with the “all hallowed” ball, a look of determination in the face of a defensive linebacker and sheer terror in the eyes behind the face mask of the offensive Back.

The Sports Editor was happy that night.

The next edition, which would sit alongside the Sunday morning coffee and breakfast of a few thousand High School sports crazy townspeople, features your photo, in a top dead center, five-column spread in all it’s Black & White glory.

To master all of the technical issues in the above story took a lot of practice. (about 37 thousand prints, to be more accurate) and thousands more Positives (slides) that have never seen the light of day.

To really capture the holy grail of what turned out to be the most important thing to me in that photograph, took much longer for me to actually realize. And it follows me by my being very thankful to this day, many years later, for all that time I had the pleasure to spend in the Black & White world of photography.

Even though that print and slide and the companion article are buried somewhere in a storage shed somewhere with 40 thousand others, I can still remember what it was about that shot that thrilled me the most.

It was not the perfect exposure nor even the perfect focus. I can’t even remember the two schools that were on the field that night. Nor can I remember the color of the jerseys. But I can remember the moment and what struck me the hardest.

It was the look of that football player’s face and eyes behind that face guard.

It was, for lack of a better term, the emotion on his face that told that story best. I have always believed that the best photographs tell a story. And Black & White photographs do much better (for me) to get the emotion I feel into a photograph. More than color does. What I feel when I press the shutter is much more important to me now than in those days when I was simply documenting things that I looked at.

Look at the following images and try to imagine the story they tell. I have placed them individually inline so that each can be examined separately.

“Think it Through”

“Wing on Water”

“American Truckers”

“Salutations”

“Howard”

If you notice, the use of color doesn’t support these photographs in any way. Probably, it might instead be the feeling you get in making up your own story or an understanding of the story the photos are trying to tell.

Many of you know the quote from Henry David Thoreau that has long been the credited byline on much of my published work.

“It is not What you look at that Matters, It’s What you see..”

Henry David Thoreau

This quote was expanded upon in 2013 in an article in the Huffington Post by Dennis Merritt Jones, Contributor Award Winning Author, Keynote Speaker, Mentor – Thought Leader

“The gift of conscious perception can be an astounding event that happens whenever we realize that it is we, and we alone, who assign meaning to whatever our eyes fall upon every moment of every day”.

David Alan Harvey who is an American photojournalist based in North Carolina and New York City, says it very well. He’s been a full member of Magnum Photos since 1997 and he said it the best. In pure and simple tone that is easy for me to understand, and I quote:

“Don’t Shoot what it looks like, Shoot what it feels like.”

In closing, it is my wish that if photography is your “thing” or maybe you just need a way to express yourself in an alternative way than with just words, Black & White Photography can allow that. Shooting what you see rather than what you’re looking at will enlighten and help you grow in so many ways that I haven’t covered here or even have the time or space to do so.

Like many of those students in Virginia, It might turn out to be what you wanted all along.

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Getting Aboard

Making Preparations Toward Getting Underway

I have been living aboard “Brilliant Cut”, a Catalina 380 Sailboat, now for almost 2 years. I discovered that deciding to Live on the Water is something that was a major thought process for me and many others. Before I was to cut ties with landside living, cast off the lines and get underway, I had a lot of soul seaching to do. In making the preparations to change my lifestyle, there was also a lot on my plate to consider. I had a lot to think about.

“Lost in Thought”

Street Kid
Nikon D700, Baltimore Harbour, 2010

Why, in God’s name did I ever consider doing such a thing at this stage of life?

All along, I had Dreams and Motivation that promoted and influenced the final decision.

There were Dreams of Freedom. Adventure and Challenge. Going places I’ve never been and seeing things I’ve never seen. Learning and doing things I’ve never done. Getting to know people I had yet to meet. And there would be better opportunities for the personal development of my Photography. All of this and more was in my thoughts.

Sure, it is true that having been a Professional driver and Instructor for a number of years, I had traveled and spent time in every state and major city in the US and Canada except for two. That time certainly provided the need for Adventure, Challenge and Travel. Didn’t that effort at “death by vehicle” purge those needs from my system?

Misery on Wheels
Samsung Galaxy S4
Toronto, 2007

Happily, I can now give a definitive answer of “No” to that question. I had not yet done it by way of the water. However, I spent many sleepless nights pondering the new direction I was about to embark on.

Then, there were the inevitable things that were in place that most everyone wants to naturally escape from that motivated me from a negative pespective. For example and to name one, The Great “Rat Race” as it is so often referrred to.

I was tired of having to live on someone else’s schedule to just live my life. Go here. Go there. Be there at this time. Be there at that time. I was just tired of the 18 hour a day grind. Jobs are really good at that. Especially for a Professional Driver back during those “glory” days. During that time, “Big Brother” wasn’t infringing upon the industry as much as he does now. That “Living Hell” is a topic for another conversation at another time. And there was always that traffic. All of which “went with the territory”, as they said. Small headaches you might say. Unless you’ve done it you have no idea how it effects your health and “Mental Hygiene” every single day you live it. Take my word for it. It’s a slow death if you don’t kill yourself and others along with you first.

“Night at The Ambasssador”
Detroit, January, 2014

There were a few other “Negative” points to drive me too.

Perhaps, it was living in places I had to live because of one reason or another that didn’t sit well with me. Mean or Nosey (or anti-social) neighbors come to mind. Or another, Maybe I was there living someone else’s dream, which was not something I wanted to do.(I was really good at this and not being true to myself). Maybe it was just that job that I was committed to that kept me there.

All of the above was motivation in one way or another toward “My Dream”

Then, there were other questions that demanded answers.

The Freedom. What would I do with THAT? Think about that. Think deeply. What would you do? As I recalled those long weeks and months on the road and not having had much freedom before, except just the occasional weekend and holidays that I was able to steal, even more questions were raised.

How about facing the fact that I was going to have to give up most all of my worldly possessions? That was a Big One. Being the sentimental and nostalgic person I am made the thought of getting rid of most everything I owned, a painful one.

“There is no greater sin than desire, No greater curse than discontent, No greater misfortune than wanting something for oneself. Therefore he who knows that enough is enough will always have enough.” – Lao Tzu

Holding on to possessions are a strong deterrant toward totally “freeing” yourself in life. Sometimes, and in this instance, Faith and Self-Confidence was called upon to play a huge part in the thought process. Then there is the Ginormous effort of putting forth the thought to truely think about what is really important to you. This is not an easy task, especially for those who have always cared for others and/or worked hard.

I knew it would be a challenge. Heck, it was even a challenge to even think about. It quickly became “The 800 lb.Gorilla in the Room” for me. Had all the years gone by sucked the need and physical ability for this change out of my soul? I was surely not getting any younger.

There was more.

If someone came into my life as a Partner, what would they want? If they wanted to join in the fun, How would I go about handling theirs and my own “Personal Space” at times aboard a 38 foot Sailboat?

Even though I do not have small children that depend upon me, probably one of my biggest concerns was: What about Family? Would they think I had gone completely crazy? I can only imagine how tough this would be for those with children that must be schooled and cared for. But I found out that there are many who do it. Quite successfully.

Next, it was of the more “Organic” type of explorations.

Did I want to just live aboard at a Marina? Or did I want to Cruise? If so, would it be Part time or Full time? There are separate budgets and other considerations for both. Vastly different.

I touch on all of this (and much more) in some upcoming posts and to let you know what it was like for me and possibly to help you decide if living full time on a boat might one day be for you. If not, that’s perfectly understandable but maybe you’ve considered it. I know a lot of people who are doing it or are contemplating doing so. Others are just curious. And if that’s your thinking, I hope I can help.

At any rate, and after two years… One sure fact remains. I still don’t have all the answers. And I do not know if I ever will. I’m long since past needing that to live my life. But at this stage, I just know I made the right decision for Me. And that’s OK for now.

As always, Your comments, thoughts and questions are very welcome and important to me.. If you’d like to converse on the “down-low”, there is a Contact Form in the blog Menu area that you can use to reach me privately.

At the least, I’ll try to make it interesting and worth your time to read.

Hold Fast. And stay tuned.

Learning to Be Still…

and Putting Into practice The Law of Attraction

Most of you that know me know that I spent few years of my time in Western Virginia as a Photography Instructor at Virginia-Western Community College, Greenfield Campus.

Greenfield Campus, Daleville, VA
Nightshot, 5 separate images stacked. Nikon D700

The position at Virginia-Western was created out of a desire on my part to find a suitable venue for a local photography club that a few friends and I were trying to get started in the Roanoke Valley. Due to that and the vision of a school administrator, I was approached about establishing a curriculum and teaching it to prospective students. More on this later but I wanted to “lay some groundwork” for the start of this week’s Post.

I still maintain contact with a few of the many students who eventually attended my classes. About a month ago, I was contacted by one to inquire as to whether or not I could offer any advice to someone who is just starting out in Photography.. What would that advice be?

After some careful thought, the answer to her question came out of me that learning to Pre-visualize your image is something I wished I had known and put into practice years ago. In other words, the point I was trying to get across was to try to know what story you are trying to tell with your images before you take the shot.

Visualize what it is you would like your image to say.

Years before the “teaching gig”, I had the opportunity to study with a very respected lifestyle Pro-photographer. During my study with him he had drilled into me that a “good” photograph always “tells a story”. That small statement ties in well to the Pre-visualization concept and I use that nugget of advice to this day, every time I frame a shot.

There are questions that serve to get the Pre-visualization process started and they should be asked and answered in the mind before the actual technical process can begin.

Before I present these questions to you I will warn you at the outset that it takes a huge commitment of your time and mindful resources to get to the point of even asking yourself. That is, that they require the 3 “P’s” (Practice, Practice, Practice) in copious amounts. And many failures before the results start to show in your work and becomes an automatic process.

Do I still struggle with this? The answer is “Of course I do!” I can prove it in the amount of images I cull from every shoot I do.

Thankfully, with the advent of digital photography, which also enables almost everyone to walk around with a high quality camera disguised as a Cell phone, the learning curve has been greatly reduced in time and financial commitment.

Moving ahead. If you’re interested enough to have read this far, the following questions compose the process you should be practicing if you want to improve the number and Quality of your “keepers”.

What did you see? What did you hear? What did you experience there in that moment when you had the original urge to take the shot? When it comes to portrait photography, What do you truly know, sense and feel about that living thing or person in your viewfinder? Portraits are especially indicative of a wide range of strong thoughts and emotions.. And those qualities are (or should be) manifested everyday in photography.

“American Trucker” Valley Business Front, Roanoke.
Nikon D2H, 2011

But you say.. After I See, Hear, Experience and Feel…how can I reach past those tangible senses and get to the parts about “knowing” and “feeling”?

Believe this… You can count on the fact that most everyone else will know and feel these elements when they view your images. They may not know (or tell you) what it is they feel.. but they will know they feel something. This cannot help but be. It was once said that “the eyes are the windows into the soul”. I firmly believe and live by the fact that our viewfinders and lenses as well as our actions are the eyes into OUR souls manifested by the above process.

“Carly’s Eyes” Nikon D2h,
Summerfield, 2007

For me, approaching the proper mindset to achieve all of this starts before my camera comes out of it’s case and doesn’t end until final processing is done. Now to what brings us to the dual-topic of this post.

The Law of Attraction

If you’ve ever read the book, The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne, you know already what this visualization thing is all about. Using The Law of Attraction to help bring the process into focus is considerable in helping me to achieve the “Plane of Thought” level that I hope to when creating a meaningful image.

“What’s the Secret?”
Brookings Wedding, George & Beth. Nikon D700
Bayview NC 2017

Using Ms. Byrne’s thoughts and my words…

Previsualize first, what it is you want to say or do and the way you feel about your subject. Next, previsualize what you would like to have your viewer or yourself to experience when observing your work or progress

Learning to Be Still

Learning to be Still.. will enable your thoughts and senses to freely flow into and through your mind. Speaking from my own experience, learning to approach my challenges from a holistic and spiritual perspective created for me a major turning point that caused me to see improvements in what I wanted to accomplish.

While giving this much thought and trying to sort it all out, I find that it is helpful to remember the words an old Eagles song, (Learn to be Still) One that I replay in my mind or listen to from time to time to help me toward the visualization goal I hope to reach.

The last verse of the song goes like this:

There are so many contradictions

In all these messages we send

(We keep asking)

How do I get out of here

Where do I fit in?

Though the world is torn and shaken

Even if your heart is breakin’

It’s waiting for you to awaken

And someday you will-

Learn to be still

The Eagles, Album: Hell Freezes Over, 1994

If one takes the time to read, study and research, you will find that learning to be still (and the practice thereof) has been a premise that many of the world’s religions advocate.

Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and many others teach this.

Two major examples are.. the act of Meditation as a part of some Eastern religions such as Buddhism

“Look within. Be still. Free from fear and attachment, know the sweet joy of the way.”

Buddha

And again in Christianity, The Bible. (KJV)

”Be Still and know that I am God”

Psalms 46:10

…and there are others…all that seem to have the same thing in common.

Self-Portrait, 3 Cameras, 3 Locations. 3 Captures merged to produce 1 composite image
Florida, 2018

Learning to be Still has been a first step that has caused those elements and qualities of Inner peace to ultimately pave the way toward finding a path to follow in the creation of my images and enriching My life in general.

I hope that some parts of this is of some help if you are struggling to improve or just become happier with your images. practice the above and you will see. You can do this.