Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee... in Boats!

Forget about the frilly orange Jolly car, Louis CK takes Jerry Seinfeld to his boat for a cruise and a coffee. I'm pretty sure the boat is a 47 Grand Banks Heritage EU. Nice boat Louis! He gives Jerry some fender lessons, and it's then off to an anchorage. I really enjoyed the cruise around New York, and especially enjoyed Louis animated story about being stuck on the mud at low tide with his kids. This is the best episode of CiCGC so far, don't miss it.

http://comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com/louis-c-k-comedy-sex-and-the-blue-numbers

The Launch of C-Shel Photography

C-Shel Photography

If there is one thing I became passionate about during all these years of boating and taking in the natural surroundings, it is photography.  I make no claim to being some great photographer, I have a lot to learn. However, one this is for sure I really do enjoy it, and will continue into the future and grow as a photographer. So I am am officially starting C-Shel Photography. A place where I will share my best work to date. It will only have the top 15-20 photos in the available portfolio, as more current work comes up I will be taking others down. So each print will have a limited time to purchase. You have the option to purchase different sizes of prints on a wide variety of medium, like traditional canvas to modern aluminum.

We are destined to travel by boat (the C-Shel of course) and capture some of the most beautiful places on earth. Reaching for imagery that is in some small way a capture of that deeply intense emotional experience I and others feel when we are on or near the water. There is just something about a boat, silky water, and a sunset.

The main theme of my photography is nautical, but to me this includes a wide variety of categories such as the voyage and the destination, the people and the places, the boats and the equipment, the rivers, lakes, and oceans.

We believe that life's journey is meant to be shared. Join us through imagery on our journey as we share ours with you... Even hang it on your wall if you like.

Boat Builder Blunders

There is a popular quote in the book "The Wind in the Willows" by Kenneth Grahame - "Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats"
However I think dear old Mr. Grahame may have changed his tune if he owned one of today's popular boat brands touted as "premium".

Over at The Marine Installer's Rant, a blog I thoroughly enjoy, Mr. Bishop documents some of the horrible circumstances he has to face on boats doing electronic installations. Some of his insights are brilliantly documented, and these need to be compiled in a book, then shipped to every builder on the planet.

You can see the contrast in values of most of today's boat builders compared to the builders who truly understand what it takes to own and operate a boat.
Superficial Glitz and Glam over Maintainability,
Layout over Accessibility,
Technology over Usability and Longevity.

Most people will measure quality by values on the left, when true quality is always measured by the values on the right. My advice to you, be careful what you are valuing when you are looking for your next boat, and hold builders and current owners to a higher standard.

I am thankful that Mr. Tollefson, the maker of my Tollycraft, leaned more to the right of these values above, and I hope to maintain those values in my next boat.

Here is Mr. Bishops post.
The Top Ten Things That Make My Life Difficult

Out of the Rat Race

I wanted to find a great way to let people know our future plans. Maybe a nice inspirational writeup or a video, however finding the time to do such a thing is hard to come by. Then today this video popped up on my Facebook feed. This is it! This captures what we have deep rooted in the core of our beings; the freedom, simplicity, and adventure that my Wife and I value so much. We are on the same road as the family in this very well executed video... except swap out the Airstream for a Trawler Yacht, and the "no date night" thing for date night every night. We have sold most of our belongings, at least the things that anchor us to a place. Our home is also sold. We are waiting for our boat to sell, and the right boat to come our way. We are slowly but surely finding our way out of the rat race. We don't know if it will work, or how long term it will be, but we are going to try to make a go at it. I once said to someone, the worst thing that can happen is if the plan fails, I come back and do what everyone else does. Then he said something that stuck with me ever since... "the only thing worse than failing, is not trying".

That's Boating!

Whether motor, sail, or paddle, there is something magical that happens when we step aboard a boat. The day ahead is filled with endless possibilities; a chance encounter with a monster of the deep, treasures on a remote island, or just breathing in the intoxicating breeze off the water, filling our heads with dreams that only seem possible when you are afloat. For us that "get it", and let our inner child roam free, our eyes are opened, and we smile, as if by some sort of miracle, it is instantly revealed to us, the secrets of a happy life.

Freedom, Adventure, Simplicity,

C-Shel