YouTube Trawler Channels

[dannc]

The YouTube boating channels we watch don't really get sponsor ship to the point of annoyance. Annoyance being the boat owner is using/installing free stuff in such a way that it is a commercial. There was one channel we were sorta kinda watching but I saw too many of their free be commercials and never watched another episode.

Delos has had some some deals with a variety of things over the years but they never crossed the line in turning it into a commercial as far as I was concerned. I think they know there is a fine line with trying stuff out and turning their channel into a infomerical.

Delos and RAN both have babies on board which certainly changes the videos. Not that this is a bad thing, it is just different. It might turn off some viewers but I suspect other viewers are wondering how in the heck do you take care of a baby while living on a boat. Diapers/nappies are a big deal and it is interesting how Delos has handled them. If you pay attention, they often have diapers drying in various places on the boat. Watching the kids grow up, literally, and learning to walk, on a moving boat, is interesting.

From the Delos videos it would seem they were wondering how to raise kids on a boat years ago because they were interviewing families who were cruising.

Later,
Dan

 

[Cruising Sea Venture]

Dan,

Great points. I think it would be very difficult to have a trawler channel that has any form of sponsorship or viable business model associated with it that amounts to more than lunch money, if that. It's just too small of a market. YouTube is structured to work as a business only if you are able to have 100's of thousands of subscribers and video's that get more than 1M views. On Sea Venture, it's been a lot of fun to get to meet people both virtually and at anchorages and marinas everywhere we go as a result of the videos. Plus it keeps Rosy's 87 year old dad in the loop.

So at least the next time you see me sipping a Corona onboard Sea Venture, you will know that we were not paid by them to slip that scene it. Plus, our tender is 18 years old. . . . and I just thought everyone was out spending their money on Highfield tenders.

Cheers, and Happy Thanksgiving
Jim

 

[twistedtree]

Jim, where are your cruising videos relative to the bulb installation? Has the trip to Sitka been with the new bulb? Or are teh videos still pre-bulb? I'm real interested to hear how it works.


BTW, have you found Ludwigs in Sitka?

 

[Cruising Sea Venture]

Still working on the bulb video. It will probably be a few more weeks. Sea Trials are going well and it's performing so far as expected. When we were in Sitka Ludwig's was closed for the season due to Covid. Everything in Alaska had started to open up but it's all pretty much shut down again with a surge in cases in Anchorage and other more populated areas. If it's open when we are there, we will not miss Ludwigs.
Thanks,
Jim
M/V Sea Venture

 

[Cruising Sea Venture]

For those interested, we have posted a new YT video. In this video we travel up the rarely visited Bradfield Canal in SE Alaska in October. It's a 12 mile deep fjord with no really good anchorages. It does not disappoint.

We live aboard and cruise full time without any permanent moorage.

This winter in Alaska - next summer we will head to Mexico.

You can find our channel by searching Cruising Sea Venture on YouTube.

 

[murofrelwart]

Awesome video. Thank you for taking the time to publish it.

 

[timb]

those whale shots are the best yet. I guess the no good anchorages was why you left and didn't stay overnight.

 

[Cruising Sea Venture]

those whale shots are the best yet. I guess the no good anchorages was why you left and didn't stay overnight.

In part, yes. We decided to make this a one day trip. We did find an area about 100' deep we could anchor in. We plan to go back this winter for a couple of nights. We will wait until it's snowing and there is lots of snow on the ground, but hopefully not too much ice. We would like to explore up the river by tender. I think the winter wonderland could be a lot of fun to explore in.

Thanks,
Jim

 

[marcoh]

I tried Mermaid Monster and also found the woman obnoxious and the kids a bit bratty as well. It's a shame since it has good potential. SVDelos is certainly not as fun as it was before the baby but I still drop in from time to time. Same goes for Ran Sailing which I very much enjoyed, especially when they were up in Alaska. They are doing ok with the baby onboard but are limited now to where they go. I have been following Sailing La Vagabond for years since they are usually in exciting places and I think they are both pretty charming and do a good job on their videos and I like the free-diving and spear fishing portions. It was also fun to watch them learn to sail from novices to now being pretty competent.

i have been following RAN Sailing too, they did just buy a new yacht and been doing various mods and I think they are off next year, so should become more interesting. Kids can be hard work, not sure how i would go on a small yacht with a baby!

 

[marcoh]

i always wonder how people find the time to generate the number of videos that they post, think of interesting topics, time to film, edit, post etc.

According to www.socialblade.com SV Delos makes $11K - $175.9K per year (big range!); Mermaid Monster $406 - $6.5K; Tula's Endless Summer $1.7K - $27.9K; Cruising Sea Venture $103 - $1.7K per year.

Since some people are professional bloggers, boats are never cheap, can Youtube/Patreon etc be finally viable or is it just pockets money?

 

[marcoh]

Anyway trawler channels i am subscribed to on Youtube include:

Aboard Mermaid Monster
Cassidy's Sailing Trawler
Cruising Sea Venture
Dangar Marine
Dashew Offshore (think they may retired from boating now)
Diesel Duck
Fleming Yachts
Lady Dew Build
MV Ammomite
Motorsailing for old dudes
MV Freedom
N62 Infinity
Nordhavn Yachts
Professional Boat Care
Project Brupeg
Richard on Dauntless
The Big Boat Project by Go Diving

Didn't realise there were that many don't have time to watch a third of what is posted!

 

[jbinbi]

For those interested, we have posted a new YT video. In this video we travel up the rarely visited Bradfield Canal in SE Alaska in October. It's a 12 mile deep fjord with no really good anchorages. It does not disappoint.

We live aboard and cruise full time without any permanent moorage.

This winter in Alaska - next summer we will head to Mexico.

You can find our channel by searching Cruising Sea Venture on YouTube.

Winter in AK, summer in MX, ISNT THAT BACKWARDS? ;-)

 

[GoneDiving]

i always wonder how people find the time to generate the number of videos that they post, think of interesting topics, time to film, edit, post etc.

According to www.socialblade.com SV Delos makes $11K - $175.9K per year (big range!); Mermaid Monster $406 - $6.5K; Tula's Endless Summer $1.7K - $27.9K; Cruising Sea Venture $103 - $1.7K per year.

Since some people are professional bloggers, boats are never cheap, can Youtube/Patreon etc be finally viable or is it just pockets money?

Often there are two separate business models involved.

Some channels use Patreon et al to fund the cost of production. I can see many channels raising enough funds to cover the costs of a few crashes drones and the odd editing program. These are often the channels that also cover technical areas or niche markets as Jim mentioned above.

Others are popular enough to fund the whole lifestyle with minimal reliance on savings or work. This would take many many more viewers and donors. Often these will include aspirational lifestyles, bikini clad girl friends and very high production quality.

I guess you could also include inkind support in these too. Especially amongst those channels without deep pockets, I've noticed that many supporters donate parts, qualified technical advice and/or skilled labour to the cause.

 

[GoneDiving]

i always wonder how people find the time to generate the number of videos that they post, think of interesting topics, time to film, edit, post etc.

Time and skills. Some of the sites have production levels equal to or better than full commercial studios.

Sure technology is becoming cheaper and easier but the quality can be surprising.

 

[Cruising Sea Venture]

Winter in AK, summer in MX, ISNT THAT BACKWARDS? ;-)

I suppose it did sound that way!

We are wintering in Alaska because we could not go to Mexico this winter due to Covid.

Next summer we will start to work our way south, so that by fall of next year, we will be in San Diego and then in November or so, once hurricane season has passed, go on to Mexico for the winter months. After that we will head further south for the following year.

Before we head south next year we plan to sneak a trip in north to Prince William Sound and Kodiak Island as well.

Thanks,
Jim

 

[Cruising Sea Venture]

Often there are two separate business models involved.

Some channels use Patreon et al to fund the cost of production. I can see many channels raising enough funds to cover the costs of a few crashes drones and the odd editing program. These are often the channels that also cover technical areas or niche markets as Jim mentioned above.

Others are popular enough to fund the whole lifestyle with minimal reliance on savings or work. This would take many many more viewers and donors. Often these will include aspirational lifestyles, bikini clad girl friends and very high production quality.

I guess you could also include inkind support in these too. Especially amongst those channels without deep pockets, I've noticed that many supporters donate parts, qualified technical advice and/or skilled labour to the cause.

Great points. For us, t's just an out of control hobby. What we get out of it is the chance to connect, both virtually and at anchorages and marinas with fellow cruisers. It also gives us our own record of where we have been.

From the financial end, I do not think there is any viable business model for the trawler market that would ever get close to covering the cost of cruising - it's way too small. The scale required is very large. For us, we have invested about $8,000 in camera equipment, about 20-25 hours per week, and $75 per month (needed subscriptions) into the channel. Our return - Whoo Hoo! Party time - we just recently got our first ever payment from YouTube for the last year - $158.00.

No Patreon, buy us a beer, etc. - not going to happen on Cruising Sea Venture.

We just enjoy sharing. Also, we spent our working lives in offices doing boring stuff. While I never though of myself as having any type of creative skills, it's mentally stimulating to try to be creative - you know, like Steven Spielberg and Jacques Cousteau combined!

 

[SalishSeaCHB]

We are posting videos of our trawler cruising - Cruising Sea Venture, if you are interested.

We have posted our travels from Washington to Alaska, along with refit videos, electrical upgrades videos, etc.

The original plan was to cruise down to Mexico this fall, but Covid killed those plans. Not wanting to just hang around, we were, with permission from Canadian Customs, allowed to transit to Alaska this summer where we cruised - mostly by ourselves.

We are currently in Wrangell Alaska having a bulbous bow added to Sea Venture, then we will try something I have not found anyone else doing, and certainly not on YouTube doing - cruising in Alaska throughout the winter.

I've added a link to our latest video below.

Any suggestions on how to improve the videos, what we should include, etc., is always greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Jim and Rosy

Hi Jim and Rosy, I love your videos! keep on cruising and posting.

 

[SalishSeaCHB]

If you want something a bit different, watch this bloke fix up an old 14ft rib and drive it around England with zero boating knowledge
https://youtu.be/E8ECm7k1jzY

 

[Cruising Sea Venture]

If interested, here is a link to our latest video while cruising SE Alaska, where we catch Alaskan King Crab!

 

[75Driver]

If interested, here is a link to our latest video while cruising SE Alaska, where we catch Alaskan King Crab!

Another excellent video. You’re tucked away nicely as the wind further out looks to be HOWLING. Cheers...

 

[75Driver]

Others are popular enough to fund the whole lifestyle with minimal reliance on savings or work. This would take many many more viewers and donors. Often these will include aspirational lifestyles, bikini clad girl friends and very high production quality.

These channels get one view from me then get put on the “don’t suggest this channel” list. I find them the most annoying panhandlers funding their lifestyle of your backs vis clicks, patreon and subscribers. No thanks.

 

[Cruzer]

As this YouTube discussion was transpiring we were putting the final touches on our latest video that we thought might be of interest to some here. During a pre-pandemic stay in Key West we ventured off to the Marquesas, a relatively short distance but a world away from civilization. As we were planning for the trip we found precious little out there that gave us a true sense of what to expect so hopefully this will provide a bit of valuable info along with some boating entertainment along the way. Plus you’ll get to see us drop our 120 lb Rocna Vulcan for the very first time - we know there are those here who love a good anchor drop and scope decision! Enjoy...

 

[GoneDiving]

These channels get one view from me then get put on the “don’t suggest this channel” list. I find them the most annoying panhandlers funding their lifestyle of your backs vis clicks, patreon and subscribers. No thanks.

I think it depends on the source of channels' fame. There is no doubting the amount of effort and skill that goes into some of the very high quality productions and in many ways these should be funded and rewarded. However, I'd agree when the bikini shots become gratuitous or the sponsorships become saturated.

In my own twisted mind i do find it mildly satisfying that Leo and the Tally Ho have a larger Patreon following than La Vagabond

 

[skyhawk]

I was asking myself this same question as the original post here...glad I searched and re-found this thread.

A few more I need to check out.

As a dreamer, just exploring this idea of retiring to cruising lifestyle yet TBD, I've found myself watching several of the sailing channels mentioned here + a few others that I enjoy. In fact it was a link over from an aviation video I was watching that visited Lavagabond that sorta sparked my interest. I find myself drawn in some ways to their off grid exploring lifestyle living in part off the reef. I love the idea of sailing at the whim of the wind on no particular overarching schedule and no depending on spending $$ for fuel...

but for some reason I've always been drawn more to something like a trawler. Wish I could find a few more channels to watch for my research in exploring this whole idea....

I stumbled onto MV freedom and have been watching them a while now. Really enjoy watching them...nice mix of story, exploring, boating, enjoyable production, etc... but I'm finding that I'm getting bored a bit since they have been locked in the same area.... just more of the same....
Also, I'm more interested in the short term anyway, in places I can get to reasonably from the East coast US....including the islands and Europe....
Mermaid Monster...ditto other comments
Dirona....I've only watched a bit so far. I really want more from them! Most of the videos I've seen are just narrations over their fixed mount monitors with no real lifestyle or personal interest. I bounced over to their web site just yesterday and found their very extensive travel log. Tons of data and really nice info. Impressed. Seems they focus their energy in to documenting their adventure in a different way...that's unfortunately not as easy to digest as an entertaining video...

Cassidy.... I stumbled on that channel a while back when i was exploring motorsailors. Seems he did a couple videos and just stopped cold. I was really hoping for more on that MS

 

[HeadedToTexas]

I find myself consuming this new(er) type of reality TV in place of the garbage Hollywood and the networks are putting out. As Jim and Rosy pointed out, the enormous amount of work and cost of equipment for the pittance YouTube pays mean these worthwhile channels are produced for the sheer love of what they do.

 

[skyhawk]

I was just watching a bit of mermaid monster....
For me, it's nothing so critical.....I think it's that I just don't get a feel for who they are or what their situation is. Of course maybe if I'd watched from the beginning, etc.... but just watching a few scattered episodes I haven't gotten it. They seem to always have a captain operating the boat, but he's not introduced or explained, and generally it juts feels like random stuff, no story, nothing 'personal'. I don't know...other channels folks do normal stuff so it's like reality tv where you "get to know them"...just haven't gotten that feeling. I suppose more importantly I'm not getting the sense of vicarious travel and adventure....can't connect or relate like I do with some others....

 

[localboy]

Not a trawler channel...but one I follow. A couple who are sailing “on a budget”. Some of the things they do make me cringe, but they obviously are not “wealthy” and seem somewhat inexperienced. But they are young and driven and seem happy in their adventures. To be young again!

She is cute as hell and he is sarcastically funny. They are both very self-deprecating and humble. I laugh, I cringe...I enjoy it.

https://youtube.com/c/SailingGoodBadandUgly

 

[localboy]

I find myself consuming this new(er) type of reality TV in place of the garbage Hollywood and the networks are putting out. As Jim and Rosy pointed out, the enormous amount of work and cost of equipment for the pittance YouTube pays mean these worthwhile channels are produced for the sheer love of what they do.

Amen! My son & DIL do it. It takes quite a bit of time & commitment. I have no idea what they “make” doing it, but they are happy and can support themselves and their 4 kiddos.

 

[skyhawk]

If interested, here is a link to our latest video while cruising SE Alaska, where we catch Alaskan King Crab!

just found your channel for the 1st time because of this thread watched the cliffhanger part one of the shrimping trip..... not your normal I'm sure but I liked it. Subscribed...

I have no idea if things have changed, but that sure is a different rig than they used to trawl for shrimp in the carolinas! My roomate in college back in the 1980's came from a shrimping family out of Varnamtown, NC so I heard lots of stories!

 

[H2O_Doc]

My wife and I have been watching a lot of the Fleming Yachts videos lately. Very nicely produced with Fleming's superb narration.

I'd like to see more of the boat, but his music, videography, and narration is really something.