More Cruising Videos on YouTube

Last June, we posted about our favorite sailing videos on YouTube. We are still watching YouTube, but there are some new videos we have discovered over the past year. So, we figured we would update you on some of our current favorites.

While some of the “channels” we detailed in that earlier post are still putting out videos, one of them, DrakeParagon’s The Cruising Life is probably the single best and most consistent cruising channel out there, making it worthy of another mention here. Drake and his girlfriend Monique, aboard their Westsail 42, are currently wintering over in Iceland on their way to Ireland and Scandinavia. Drake posts videos every Tuesday and Thursday. Recently he has had videos detailing their trip north from Oriental, North Carolina to Iceland, interviews with a rigger, aerial shots of the Iceland landscape from his quadcopter, and an extensive interview with another cruising couple and tour of their boat while they were undergoing a refit. Drake and Monique produce high quality videos, and we look forward to new episodes.

Another video that we anticipate every week is the new release from Curtis Westsail. Curtis recently moved aboard his new-to-him Westsail 32 and quit his job seeking a simpler and more rewarding life on the water. His videos are a look at his experiences living in a Vancouver marina, settling in to life aboard, and prepping his boat so he can anchor out. Along the way, Curtis mixes in commentary on his hopes and fears, view of the world, and outlook on life. He is a fun-loving guy who seems quite genuine. In short, we really enjoy his weekly missives, which he usually publishes on Mondays.

The only other person that we know of putting out weekly videos is White Spot Pirates. The series is focused on Nike, a young, German woman who moved aboard an aluminum boat in Panama with plans to return to Germany by way of the Pacific. For the past year, Nike has done very little sailing while she has been dealing with various boat problems. Like Curtis, Nike shares the highs and lows of her week and seems to be incredibly open and honest.

There are several other folks who put out videos more sporadically. And, it is surely a sign of how dorky we are that a new post from any of them can elicit a celebratory yell or, occasionally, from me, the Jersey guy, a fist pump. One of these casual posters is Brian SV Delos. Having quit his job in his twenties and set sail around the world with his brother, they are now in the Philippines with a somewhat revolving cast of characters. They dive frequently, party with all the locals, and just have a fabulous time exploring the world and meeting new people. Their most recent video detailed their onboard still, where they produce all types of hard liquor.

Another YouTube channel we follow is Alaskagraphy. Created by Krystin and Bixler up in – you guessed it – Alaska, Alaskagraphy is a view of their experiences on the water aboard their Cal 34, Carpe Ventos. They pride themselves on extending the season, daysailing from March through October with a few overnights and one multi-week adventure every summer. They like to hunt, fish, drink beer from sunrise on, and smoke cigars while talking to the camera about how awesome their day is. When we finally make it to Alaska, we definitely plan on sitting down for a drink, which will inevitably turn into several, with them.

Another great YouTube channel is Carsondcat, which follows the adventures of Nicky and Bob aboard Koru, their 40-foot aluminum boat, as they sail across the Atlantic and, eventually, beyond. They post daily passage logs much like Lealea, and, in fact, they are clearly fans of the Hawaiian boat. Bob is the one always in front of the camera, and he provides a funny, upbeat take on their day while Nicky offers the occasional comment from the other side of the camera. They have been spending the winter in France, but are still slowly posting video updates from their Atlantic crossing last fall during hurricane season.

In the past few weeks, we started following another channel, More Hands on Deck, which is just getting off the ground. About two early-twenties guys who are refitting a boat on a shoestring budget in Mexico, the videos they have put out so far have been enjoyable. Hopefully they will keep the quality up and continue to post additional videos in the coming months.

There are several other channels we watch, but these bunch along with those from our previous post are some of our favorites. We would love to hear recommendations from anyone who might be reading. And, stay tuned, as we hope to post some of our own videos this summer when we are aboard.