"Reality" Youtube Sailing Channels

[Happ]

Originally Posted by Gigaflopper

Hello! I'm a relatively new owner of a small cabin cruiser, landlocked in the Midwest on a lake. I watch a lot of these YouTube sailing channels, and I've always wondered if they accurately reflect live-aboard lifestyle for cruisers, or if it's just a skewed perception designed for us "dreamers" to take the click bait and monetize their lifestyles. Out of curiosity, I have questions for you all.

1. Do you watch any of these YouTube channels yourselves?
2. If so, do you watch them on occasion, or pretty routinely?
3. Are you a Patreon for any of them, or financial support your favorite in any way?
4. How accurately do your favorites channels reflect true live-aboard life, in your opinion? (if you have enough experience to have one! Obviously I do not )

You're a true enthusiast for their content, I have a few more questions but don't want to over complicate the discussion. Feel free to message me privately if you want to continue the conversation beyond the points above.

Thanks all.

First let me say all these videos are about their lives onboard and yes some are skewed to make them seem unique. Some are drama queens. Some are already wealthy people telling you about their latest and greatest. My favorite by far is Sailing Uma. Why? Go back to episode 1 or as they call it Step 1. Their slogan is “Don’y buy a Couch. They paid $3,500 for a 1970’s Pearson 36. Did the work themselves and left the dock with an unfinished boat and $20 in their pocket. Eight years later they have sailed from Florida through the Caribbean to Columbia. Then worked their way north to Canada, crossed the Atlantic, spent a year above the Arctic Circle and are now in the Mediterranean. They are incredibly artistic and show life aboard and a tutorial of sorts of them upgrading the boat. They also show incredible Drone footage and share many adventures they have ashore. Highly recommend them.

Now to your questions.

1) I do watch several channels
2) Routinely
3) I do not contribute. I think I should change that though. Sailing Uma is in the top 10 money earners on YouTube. They make about $100k a year.
4) Many are somewhat accurate. One I think are just Drama Queens. I have the same sailmaker so I have been given a bit of insight.

[Happ]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Tuber cruisers are much like the glossy magazines of old. They sell the sizzle (often in a skimpy bikini), because that's where the clicks go, and the money follows.

Just like all so-called "reality TV," most of what makes it onto the little screen is mostly not real. It is highly produced drama aimed at keeping you engaged and clicking.

That's not to say there is nothing of value. Most of the big names are top-quality productions. They are entertaining, visually interesting, narratively engaging, and sometime even have useful information. But make no mistake, they are edited portrayals of a nautical life which are 'occasionally true*'.

Most of all, and much like the glossy sailing mags, they are aimed at dreamers and early planners. This is purposeful since that's where the largest market is. Once people actually get into the life, they offer little value, other than pure entertainment.

*A subtitle I saw applied to the fictionalized Catherine "The Great" TV show recently.

Mike check out Sailing Uma. Two kids right out of Architectural School buy a boat and literally rebuild it themselves. Now 8 years and 10’s of thousands of miles, an ocean crossing a year in above the Arctic Circle and the list goes on. He’s Canadian and she’s from Haiti. Think of Customs and Visas’s. Great Drone video’s.

[SV_Sweet_Ruca]

We used to watch lots of sailing channels before we left and went cruising.

We created our own https://youtube.com/c/sailingsweetruca

As far as the "reality" of things, we found lots of channels really don't really put a lot of miles on, likely because it is actually really hard to shoot, edit, and upload while crossing oceans and maintaining a boat. There is a reason why so many are in the Bahamas or Caribbean, life is easy and good. Perhaps that is the reality for most.

We try to keep it as real as possible, but let's face it, the YouTube algorithm does no favors to most real sailing channels. Sailing can get pretty boring, and a successful offshore passage is pretty uneventful. To make it worth the time investment of filming and editing some clickbait is required. YouTube even seems to encourage it.

Many people ask us to share our experience, and we enjoy doing so, with the goal of helping others get out there or just to take a breather from real life for 20 minutes. The Patron side helps cover some of the extra costs involved (it is a large time and money investment to create the content in a professional way) and we really love the relationship side of Patreon. We communicate with our patrons so often and openly, they become like friends and family to us. We think of it the same as someone tipping their waiter for good service or as buying backstage pass.

We still enjoy watching our favorite channels when we can and we are happy they put out their content and encourage others to get on the water. We hope to inspire others in the same way.

To us, it is just another form of content, like CF, a sailing magazine, or the books the previous generations of cruisers have written.

[JAFO]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Free Range Sailing. (Now known as Free Range Living, ever since they swallowed the anchor and set up in a moderate-sized country property.) However, their entire back-catalogue of sailing videos is still available on their channel.

Basically, they're a young Aussie couple who spent several years circumnavigating Australia, aboard a 50yo 30' monohull, whilst producing a video almost every week for the entire time. They keep it real, are very down-to-earth, and are great at gently explaining/teaching things, without being the least bit condescending. They do virtually all their own boatwork, and show that too. And they don't do the T&A thing. They research the history of the places they visit, and are a great source of knowledge/information on all kinds of subjects. When it comes to fishing and/or hunting food from the ocean, they are probably the most successful cruising sailors I've ever seen in that regard. And they are willing to share all they know about the subject.

Quite a few people have suggested over the years that they should approach TV stations with the aim of producing a documentary style travelogue, the quality of their productions is that high.

Thus, they are one of only 2 YouTube channels I support financially. (The other is SV Tapatya, a build vlog of the same type of boat I intend to build myself.) I've learned a lot from them, and they have firmly cemented my plan to begin my cruising life with a circumnavigation of Australia.


I really can't recommend them highly enough.

[Cynara]

I don't watch them. I've tried but never got the information they said was in it. I did watch one talking about Jack lines. If I followed his advice I'd be dead by now.

[Rasselas36]

Sail life is the only channel I watch religiously. Mads and his wife portray a real life on a boat.

[vpbarkley]

A combination of DIY, entertainment, oceanic travel:

https://www.youtube.com/@SailLife/videos

https://www.youtube.com/@gonewiththewynns/videos

https://www.youtube.com/@SailingSunday/videos

https://www.youtube.com/@ProjectAtticus/videos

https://www.youtube.com/@SailingYachtFlorence/videos

https://www.youtube.com/@ErikAanderaa/videos

[SV Coronado]

As I sit here and look out at the anchorage, I can guarantee none of the boats around me are watching sailing on YouTube! The YouTube videos we watch are more along the lines of some guy who filmed a video on his photo about how he changed the membrane in his watermaker.

It's almost impossible to capture on video what it's like to live on a boat. How do you make someone sea sick, exhausted and a little scared from watching a video? Also, they have to feel this way for about 72 hours while they're really hot or cold.

[CarinaPDX]

I have not been following any channel but on occasion i have watched an episode, only to be reminded why I don't watch them. I have done my own cruising and have my own way and my own experiences; I don't see the value in watching others at this point. Perhaps it is good motivation and some useful knowledge for those who have yet to slip the lines.

I recently encountered a channel that was involved in repairing a boat like mine, but a bit larger. Silly me, I thought that I might be able to help them with some knowledge and ideas. Basically it is a fundraising effort for them - really more of a business - where they provide the videos (entertainment) in return for money (either through YouTube advertising or more directly through Patreon). He does most of the work and she does the camera work, editing, and production of the videos (i.e brings in the money). If you watch on YT the videos are delayed and there is no direct correspondence, which is fine for the voyeur. For timely access, emails, and other perks there are various levels of Patreon support. The lowest level is $2/video, so at a video a week that is more than $100/year. That is more than I would pay to watch. Since my interest was in offering help I was definitely not going to pay for the privilege. For the wannabe cruiser I would recommend spending the time and money on getting a boat ready to go and not on supporting someone else's dream, but to each his own.

Greg

[Sailor Sailor]

Originally Posted by Gigaflopper

1. Do you watch any of these YouTube channels yourselves?

No, I have a life.

2. If so, do you watch them on occasion, or pretty routinely?

Never have, never will.

3. Are you a Patreon for any of them, or financial support your favorite in any way?

Hell no, why I would I pay anything for something free. There are deserving charitable organizations actually helping people in need. Why would I support freeloaders begging for money so they can enjoy themselves?

4. How accurately do your favorites channels reflect true live-aboard life, in your opinion? (if you have enough experience to have one! Obviously I do not )

ls this a joke? Is this whole thread a joke?

[Off Trail]

Originally Posted by SV Coronado

The YouTube videos we watch are more along the lines of some guy who filmed a video on his photo about how he changed the membrane in his watermaker.

This! (and I dearly miss Pactrick Childress RIP)

[billdomb]

Originally Posted by Gigaflopper

If you pay any attention to the timeline slider on any of these channels, the most replayed parts of a video are never those scenarios, but always the "bikini shots." So I think most people feel the same way you do, unless you're trying to figure out how to do the same maintenance or repair.

Hmmm. What IS the timeline slider? Where's it located? I have seen some 'mountain' above the timeline, is that it? Those seem to indicate the more interesting segments of the video. Are you suggesting they develop as more people REPLAY that segment?

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by vpbarkley

A combination of DIY, entertainment, oceanic travel:

That kind of gives the breakdown of the channels we watch:
- DIY: When I'm trying to figure out how to do something. Rarely just watch these type without a purpose.
- Destination: When looking at going someplace and want a preview.
- Entertainment: Probably the trickiest as they need to be organized and well put together but not to professional.

I find that I lose interest often when channels become too popular. While I have no objection to people finding success, they often lose their original charm when they try to appeal to the masses (where the money in youtube is) and insert a lot of advertising/product placement (ie: sponsorship money). If you are going to do an advertisement mid video, just do and don't try to make me think the money isn't why you are gushing about it.

One of the vlogs you list (and we used to watch) just did a video trying to claim they are objective with product placement and that the brand new large catamaran they are getting at substantial discount won't influence their reviews of it...as if they will pick the boat apart online after getting a 6 figure discount.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by billdomb

Hmmm. What IS the timeline slider? Where's it located? I have seen some 'mountain' above the timeline, is that it? Those seem to indicate the more interesting segments of the video. Are you suggesting they develop as more people REPLAY that segment?

It doesn't always show up (not sure if the creator turns it on/off or if you can) but frequently above the timeline is a graph. The higher it is, the more people have viewed that part of the video.

I do find it handy on DIY videos sometimes, they post a 20min video on a 3min task.

[ksuderman]

Only one with any regularity and I support her on Patreon as well; Taylor's Travels. She is a fellow Canadian, has sailed the north-east, but mostly because she has the same model boat I have. She had to deconstruct her galley to replace her engine and I have stepped frame by frame through every shot of her engine compartment. That really helped me figure out what was going on with the manifold for my water tanks.

It doesn't hurt that she rocks a bikini, but her videos are mostly sailing and boat work. Anytime I get discouraged I will watch a few videos of her single handing down the east coast.