An Image in the Making – Breaking Down A Workflow Process

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Post Processing an Image. What’s in YOUR Workflow? Part 2.

In my last post, (Part 1), I reflected upon a lot of my thoughts and observations about Image Post-Processing and the use of the various methods that we as photographers have at our disposal to alter, shape and enhance our captures.

Purposely, I stopped short of naming some of the Apps and programs I use because I (partially) didn’t desire those applications to be the focus of that earlier post.

There are as many different photography software programs out there today as there are photographers. The reasons as to what programs/apps a photographer chooses to use are very personal and above my paygrade to count or quantify. This is a very subjective photography subject and this post in no way signifies or tries to convince that one application or program is better than the next. These are just the few that I use and have become the most comfortable with.

Call it Art, Techno Geek or an extension of Photographic Style, there are literally hundreds of very successful YouTube channels devoted to the “work” and many dozens of outstanding experts in the field. Some of which I have studied under personally and others with whom I’d like to. Photography itself has given rise to a whole other industry that is mind-boggling if you stop and think about it.

With this post, the second of two that I have published on the topic, I’ll expand on the methods and programs that I currently use and how some of those individual features were used in a sample photograph that I posted in a Facebook Image Post-Processing software group’s page.

The first post (Part 1) that I made on the subject is more of an excursion into the idea of Post-Processing and how there are some very strong opinions about the practice. If you’ve not read the first post, and would like to, you may find it here: Thinking Out Loud About the Photographic Image Process

This post will deal more with the technical part of the practice, specifically, my workflow on a certain image and is decidedly more technical. (and geeky)

To continue, the backstory is, is that I received a request in a Facebook Photo Group comment to see the original image as well as an inquiry about the workflow that I used to arrive at the finished photo.

That request gave me the idea for both postings and is a subject that I considered to be worth writing about.

I’ll refrain from discussing the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) (beyond the purpose of “masking”) today as it is certainly a big enough topic to merit it’s own post in the future. The improved masking features of all the new software makes image processing impossible to discuss without at least a mention of the role that AI now plays in everyday photography post-processing work.

AI has now become almost the industry standard especially when it comes to making precise selections of objects in our images that need or that we require for adjustment.

AI has been a huge game-changer particularly in the learning curve of sophisticated programs like Adobe Photoshop and the amount of time we spend painstakingly to create our art and adjust each photograph as a memory of the scene we think we initially observed through the viewfinder or display on the back of our chosen camera. The masking features that AI possesses go far beyond of what we had just a year ago. The ability to accurately isolate, adjust and manipulate certain and precise areas of our images are now within any photographer’s reach.

Indeed, we have now added yet another hat to our repertoire of what it takes to be a modern photographer. That being of what I refer to as a “Digital Image Photo Artist.”

More specifically, I believe that now, more than ever before and if we choose to do so, we have the opportunity to create art in our own way and with a vision that is entirely ours.

Can you fathom the idea that merely a few years ago, informing a photographer about the capability to regulate the ambiance of an environment beyond the camera lens and post-capture would have been met with skepticism? Moreover, being able to not only establish their desired mood in a photograph but also generate additional virtual images of it while experimenting with various other atmospheres at will? Unbelievable.

Without further comment, I’ll get to the purpose of this post and start dissecting a photo of mine so that you can witness my process first hand.

Please keep in mind that this was the process for this image only. Some parts of the process are always the same and always occur in a certain sequence. I have pointed these out in my explanation.

Getting to it…

Below, you will see two photographs. They are actually the same file (and the same photo) but the paragraphs below describe my post-processing workflow that was used to produce the final image. I have tried to keep the 2 files together in the post so as to make it easier for you to follow along and reference the changes.

Comparing Photo images when post processing photos
Original SOC Image
“Twilight Beacons” Final Result

Canon G12 Point & Shoot. Manual Mode, 1/250 @f2.8, 6.1 mm, ISO200

 Originally, the photo was captured using a Canon G12 Point and Shoot with a photo file type setting of “RAW”. Shown here on the left. My G12 is an old camera. It was purchased new in 2010 and only has a 10mp sensor, which is less than any 4 or 5 yr. old smartphone

From the G12’s SD Card, it was then transferred into Adobe LR Classic, my “go to” desktop application for most of my image basic processing.

A Few Words About Black & White

I will mention here that when capturing an image in Black & White and with my Sony A9 mirrorless DSLR, I have recently (and on the advice of a photo software guy that I follow on YouTube), started capturing images in the “Raw + Jpeg” mode. I’m doing this to provide me of a more accurate review process of the image while still in the camera. To do this, it is necessary to have a camera that will shoot in the Raw + Jpeg mode, essentially producing two files for each photograph. One in B & W (the jpeg) and the other in color (.ARW – this is Sony’s proprietary RAW file format) which is the format that the camera actually sees and records the image. It will “see” in Black & White using the .jpeg format if you direct the camera to do this in the menu. Using this method allows more latitude of light and shadows than just simply converting a color image to B & W in post-process. Most modern DSLR’s have this capability of shooting in a dual file format.

The Apple iPhone 13 Pro that I use as a smartphone does not have the capability to do this multiple file capture in one shot. It does have the capability of capturing in the “Apple ProRAW format that uses the .DNG (Digital Negative) file format ( which is “sort of” a universal file format for RAW captures). This provides additional flexibility when editing exposure and white balance. Obtaining in image in the B & W  mode is possible only because of the ability to de-saturate the image after you capture it in the .dng, .jpeg or HEIF formats. This is done in the “edit” menu in the native “Photos” app. The phone does not have a B & W option for either of these 3 formats. So, in reality, it’s not a true Black & White capture. Something to keep in mind is that the files are large, approximately 25 mb.  

I believe a better alternative if using a mobile device is to download the free version of the Lightroom Mobile Application and this is what my choice is.

From the Apple Play Store. The app is simply entitled “Lightroom Photo & Video Editor”. Operating your camera from inside this App gives you much more in the way of choices and this is where you will find the options to capture B & W images during their original captures. You are only offered 2 choices but at least you have the option.

“Swab”

Apple iPhone 13 Pro. 1/320 f/1.5, ISO200 August 2023

Using Lightroom Mobile App for capture in High Contrast Mode.

Enhanced with Lightroom’s DeNoise feature Only. No other adjustments.

If I feel that a Black & White or a Color image is a candidate for conversion to Black & White, I will normally always use the adjustment options and incredible presets that are offered for Black & White in On1’s 2023 Photo Raw. I convert many of my color captures into Black & White and started doing this when photographing in the dead of Winter when everything was just brown. Now, I look forward to photographing in Winter and refer to it as “Black & White Season”.

Thinking of it this way has opened up many possibilities.

You’ll have much more Device camera control over the capturing process using Lightroom for a mobile camera App. With this App, as I pointed out above, you’ll be able to capture in 2 different  B & W modes from the outset and there is no need of multiple files as there is in a DSLR. I mention this because the use of cellphone cameras is now very widespread. Plus it’s the camera most folks will always have along with them.

I have discovered an additional cutting-edge feature in the latest image processing software that allows for high-quality and functional imaging results with smartphones and point-and-shoot cameras utilizing smaller, more electronically turbulent chipsets. The ability to capture images in RAW format is essential for exploiting this capability, but it is undoubtedly a worthwhile investment. I will delve into further detail on this exciting development in subsequent paragraphs, so please continue reading.

While some photos never make it past the mobile app, the photos that I see potential for are then synced with Adobe LR Classic for further development on my desktop. The interface between Lightroom Mobile and LR Classic is seamless which makes it easy to get mobile camera images into your desktop, laptop or Tablet.

I felt that this backstory is relevant which is why I included it. It sets the stage for the sequence of adjustments used to arrive at the final result.

What follows is my workflow for this image only unless specified differently. I normally do follow a certain sequence but the post-process always starts first in my camera.

Next, what follows is the import (upload) process where lens, camera and other metadata information is automatically applied as a “preset”.

Afterwards and on my desktop, the workflow will frequently change according to the look or style I’m ultimately after. These different “looks” and styles have taken many years of practice to get to the level that they are today.

Through the years, attending workshops to study one-on-one with professional photographers whose work I’ve admired and constant study of other photographer’s work in magazines, exhibitions and online has gone a long way towards helping me to develop my own processing style.

 I should also mention that there is another advantage that I really love about the image processing tools we now have available to us. Those tools enable us to impart our very own visions of recalling a scene as we “saw” it in our minds. If you look at images online, everyone has a different idea of the way we individually think of how an image should be processed. As you can imagine, this has resulted in an unlimited storehouse of interpretations and visions spread across communities and in reality, the entire world.

The online version of Adobe Lightroom even offers a “Discover” feature that you can go into and choose to “remix” or process someone else’s photo in your own way!

It’s really fun to see what other accomplished digital artists can do with your photo and you with theirs.

Of course, it’s your choice to participate but it’s actually very interesting to see how others choose to treat an image.

As a sidenote to this, from many years ago, it seems like I remember studying a photographic process that taught the practice of “pre-visualizing” our desired results before recording an image. Perhaps this technique has become so ingrained in my image capturing process that I subconsciously refer to doing it each time I frame up an image. This is one way the post-process begins in my camera.

This acknowledgement can and does support my statement made above about recalling the images we “saw” in our minds.

The results of our image processing efforts are as individual as we are  And very interesting (at least to me) as studies into many photographic styles. It is amazing after a time, or years of image processing practice and experience, that we can look back and plainly “see” the styles we have developed as image takers and makers. Many questions arise and revealments (I made that word up)  come to light as one thinks more deeply about this. Indeed it would make an interesting topic for further posts and discussions.

Ok. So What About The Workflow for This Photograph?

 Capturing a photo in a camera’s proprietary RAW format enables the use of LR’s (Adobe Lightroom) Denoise Enhancement feature which in my experience,  helps greatly with small device captures. Especially in lower light/higher electronic “noise” situations. On1 offers their version of a noise reducing feature which goes by the name of “NoNoise AI”. You’ll have to do your own research here as to which algorithm works best for you because I’ve discovered that there are many individual factors that come into play on different proprietary file types using different algorithms, chipsets, Cameras, lenses and Computer equipment.

The bottom line on this is that you’ll just have to experiment and use the version and adjustments that gives you the results you’re looking for or like the best. The results DO vary widely and you will find that this part of the workflow on EVERY image is gonna be different. A lot of my work is done using a Sony A9 and because of Sony’s excellent chip sets, I’ve never really felt a strong need to use any of the noise reduction features that often.

My philosophy about using as few adjustments as possible to get my desired results are similar to an early lesson I learned about composition and that is that less is always better.

When I stopped trying to include everything that appeared in the frame of my viewfinder, my work got substantially better. (I still have to consciously remind myself of the KISS method when composing an image).

 Because of years-ago technology (or the lack thereof) embedded in my In-camera workflow, I’m kinda “old school” when it comes to using as low an ISO as possible.

“Tack Sharp and No Grain” has always been the aim of my camera game.

 I suppose that mantra was driven home to me back when the image capturing process and equipment was much less technologically advanced (and affordable) than it is today.

 It has taken me a little while to start using the noise reduction feature simply because with the incredible resolution of the mirrorless Sony A9 and together with my habit of never using an elevated ISO, I didn’t feel as if it was really necessary.

It remains another story with mobile devices and the smaller chip cameras. Nevertheless, with some of the improvements in Smartphone Cameras and especially the latest Denoise features of new processing software, I find myself turning more and more toward my pocket for those quick and unplanned captures that catch my eye. Especially if I’m just out and about without my A9.

 Later, the out-of-camera process begins as I sit down and review what I’ve captured, I start out by filtering out unwanted or low potential images. For various reasons, I’m pretty brutal when it comes to culling out the “unwanteds” but I’m still surprised sometimes at the number that seem to make it to the “Post stage”.

After this exercise in “cleaning house”, I’ve disciplined myself to assign keywords and catalog every single image according to (top folder) date first, (Year, Month, Day) and sub-folders (event). I will additionally assign photos to individual “collections” (in LR) to group them according to what I intend to eventually use them for. I may have a collection for a specific wedding, photo shoot or calendar. These collections are many in number and can actually be for any reason that I dream up. Not every photo will make it’s way into a collection but overall, it is essential to have at least one way to recall any photograph at any time and is especially important when your catalog consists of over 50k images.

A New Solution for “Noisy” images that REALLY works!

At this juncture, it is worth noting that since their introduction, I am increasingly relying on the noise reduction functionalities mentioned above. I normally perform this Denoise procedure early in my development workflow and have found that they are a complete game-changer when it comes to the amount of usable images I am getting from my iPhone and very old but reliable Canon G12 Point & Shoot. The Denoise feature in LR and the “Noise AI” feature in On1 have become a major leap in turning the captures made with these smaller chip devices into “keepable” photo editing successes.

Electronic “noise” is a ugly byproduct of small chips in small devices such as cheap, Point & Shoot cameras or Smartphones. Especially in Low Light situations. Heat is also a source of digital noise and an enemy of a digital image. Cell phones are known for getting hot and trying to shut down. Finally, the very high ISO that these cameras are forced to operate at induce noise at a voluminous rate.

The DeNoise algorithms that are available now in the new software’s have greatly reduced the noise problem and provided a lot more image recovery.

I’m not a “pixel peeper”. But if you’ve ever seen an image on anything larger than a smartphone screen, you’ll know of what I speak of. When viewing these images, try zooming way in on any smartphone photo captured during low light or whose optics were”zoomed” to get the shot. It’s an ugly mess.

Next, some basic adjustments are made, primarily, slight cropping and very small adjustments of clarity and dehaze. In certain situations, Dehaze helps me to enhance colors in a more natural way than using vibrance or saturation. Used together with exposure, highlight and shadow adjustments, it seems to give me the results that I seek and helps me to avoid the “over-processed” look that I dislike.

A footnote here. Perhaps it is because I’ve been a LR user since the original Beta 3 version was made available for Windows back in 2006 that I find Adobe Camera Raw easier to get the basic developing results I want out of an image. I do enjoy using LR’s new masking features and sometimes this is where the process might end depending on the final result I’m after. But usually, and depending on final use of the image,  this is where the export process into On1 or Photoshop begins. I did not leave out the “Curves” adjustments here. I just did not use it for this image.

At this point, the real fun starts and the creative process takes a front seat.

Once into ON1, and for this photo, I started out by using a local adjustment. I made use of On1’s excellent AI masking features to “dodge” (lighten) the exposure on the surrounding structure of the boat’s cabin top and also in the background sunset light on the water.

Since a lot of my work is done with waterscapes, it’s become critical to me that water reflects the correct texture, tone and color in each of my photos. This is different for every image and is often dictated by the “mood” of the photograph.

Here’s an example of what I mean by “mood” that you can see from this image of New York Harbor.

Lower East Side Manhattan and the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. August 2020.

Canon G12 1/800 @f5.6, 61mm ISO100

Image processed in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic and On1 Photo Raw 2022

Continuing,

The luminance for the stern light was warmed by adjusting it’s color temperature and “rays” were added and adjusted using On1 Effects “Sunflare” > “Sunstar” and appropriate “texture”.

“Transform” and local adjustments were used here as well to move, “paint out” and “paint in” certain details of the sunstar to make it look more natural.

The same result can be accomplished in Photoshop by using some of the “special purpose” brushes.

Next in line was the sky, which was added from On1’s extensive sky replacement selection. After trying many of the available “Night Skies”, I eventually settled on Night Sky #4 for my replacement. This sky most closely matched the color and light of the existing sky and the upper clouds and moon were a nice bonus. The sunset and colors in the photo are all original and were what drew me to the shot in the first place so I wanted to preserve as much of that as I could.

After that, It was a simple matter to use the adjustments provided in the sky module to fade, adjust and manipulate the sky to just the right position that also incorporated elements of the existing sky’s lower portions. To finish off, color temps and feathering were used to “blend” the two skies more naturally at their intersection.

This is a special technique I have developed of using both the existing sky and a sky of choice that resides in my extensive “cloud and sky files”. Sometimes cloud files can make excellent texture files as well. One source of cloud and sky files that I have is a friend on Facebook who loves to take pictures of different clouds she sees in another part of the country. She is always posting them on her feed and with her permission, I’ve downloaded lots of her images and placed them in my cloud, sky or texture files for use at a later date. It is too true that I sometimes get some really weird looks from people when they see me just pointing my camera into the sky just to capture some of the clouds and skies that I see locally. Here are three of her “skies” I’ve used (and have) in my image files. Thank you, Jennifer H.!

It should go without saying that it is crucial to match the “right” kind of sky with the image I am working on. This takes a lot of practice to do successfully so that the photo doesn’t turn out really “weird” looking.

The process of replacing the sky and adjusting the “look” of the water were perhaps the biggest consumers of my time on this photograph.

Other adjustments like the stern lamp sunburst (rays) and highlighting the gentle light on the boat’s woodwork only took a few minutes.

All in, and for those of you who might be interested, I believe I probably had about 45 minutes (total) invested if you also count the time for the basic adjustments I did in Lightroom.

I”ve spent a lot of days and nights out on the water and at sea . And I have seen many spectacular Sunrises, Sunsets, Moons and Heavenly Astronomical scenes. This photo perfectly captures not what I was necessarily looking at but more accurately, what I “saw” in my mind that early evening.

In the end for me, it’s all about having fun and keeping my mind healthy and active with the creative possibilities that post-processing provides. This photo is but one example and there are thousands more.

I hope you’ve gotten something out of this article and encourage you to make comments or ask any question you might have in the space provided.

Take Care and we’ll see you “on the one”.

Steven

Thinking Out Loud About the Photographic Image Post-Processing Process

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What Path Defines Your Approach to an Image Processing Workflow?

This post actually started out as a response to a Facebook Subscriber’s request for some insight on an original photo that I posted on the On1 Software Group’s Facebook page. The subscriber’s request stemmed from a desire to learn something that he might could use as reference for the workflow I employed in Post-processing the photograph.

As I worked my way through the workflow in providing him an explanation, I realized that there was much more going on here than just how a finished image was created. I often think about my workflow and always try to keep the end results realistic, accurate, tasteful and believable. That’s just me and my style. Others have their own methods and that’s fine. What follows are the thoughts I considered as I stepped through the process.

If there is one thing that we can all agree on, it is that the new processing software that is constantly being developed has enabled and encouraged a huge proliferation of individual talent and ideas the likes that we have never seen before. The school of thought surrounding post-processing spans a large gamut of opinions amongst Photographers and its critics alike. Opinions range about processing from it being a completely unethical practice to a staunch defense of a “sky-is-the-limit” creative process. So I decided to “explore” the thought a little and make this the subject of this post entry.

I’ve posted the photos here that started the thought process and I’ll finish up with the detailed workflow in my next post.

Original SOC Image
Final Image- “Twilight Beacons” Corrotoman River, Virginia 2023





l’ll continue.





On a separate but pertinent side note, This entry will cover some thoughts of mine and a microcosm of the photography world’s opinions in general as it refers to the spectacle of the creation, manipulation and post-processing workflows that are taking place in the world of Photography these days. I’ll touch upon my “take” of a subject discussed at length within the photography world and oftentimes the subject of great debate even among the laymen public.





I’ll take this opportunity to say that even though this subject can be side-tracked into a technical issue it also involves just about all of the general public who have ever used a smartphone camera.





Editing images is not just for serious photographers anymore. Even the simple cropping and “vivid” color enhancements that are supplied in any Smartphone’s software suite must be included in our look at the trends in play . What people are doing with that software is more the topic of what I hope to cover here.





In many groups of people these days, there is much ongoing discussion (and for good reason) about exactly what is being reported and shown to us as “real” and what is not real. As we all know, the conversations extend even extend into all of the usual social circles as well about what is true and not true. Especially as to what passes these days as a “grassroots” American view. Unless you live under a rock, I’m pretty sure most of us are keenly aware of how little the Mainstream Media’s trash that (mostly) originates out of DC bears any resemblance to the real truth of what is currently going on in America. 





To carry this point over into the realm of photography is only natural, I suppose.  But because of the visual nature of The Craft, I believe there exists a definite “realm of understanding” (as far as images are concerned) where common sense, reality and one’s idea of what is “Art” are considered, accepted and laid down as yardsticks. I have noticed that this real or not real debate is one that is difficult to get any in-depth discussion about as it seems to be traditionally avoided by most YouTube and other Social Media Creators/producers whose livelihoods depend largely on Followers, Patreons or Ad revenue. I think we can all agree that normally, it’s just not that difficult to find opinions on most anything in any of the Social Media. As to why this observation might be true, it’s become my guess that it’s possible that most folks just don’t care or find the subject interesting. It is something however that most Photographers continually have on their mind as they go about their workflow in post-processing their own work. 





Regardless of all that, it is certain that nothing is standing in the way of the procession, proliferation and participation of the “Creators” and various software designers (Engineers) and marketing department campaigns as they are incorporated into the Mainstream Image processing world. Now, more than ever, the sky and the imagination is the only limit to what is possible in image processing and I am not so sure about the sky. Especially when it comes to Artificial Intelligence, (AI). In fact, there is even a great movement afoot that is 100% sure that AI will soon render a human graphic designer to be a relic of the past and they will inevitably just drive away in their internally combustion powered automobile never to be heard from again. 





This is but one observation and announcement coming out of the AI Camp. There are many, many more.





In case you’re really interested about where a lot of this AI stuff is going, Check out Tom Bilyeu  on YouTube. With the AI industry guests that he’s interviewed, you’ll be blown away at what is really on the doorstep and about to happen.





Even though my efforts here are not about Artificial Intelligence (AI) in general, AI does play a huge part in what this post IS about.





What exactly are we talking about here?





As an example. Common sense tells most of us that nowhere seen on Earth..  is the Moon realistically seen as the overwhelming prevalent subject that consumes a third or more of the night sky (or any sky) in an image. Yet, we all continue to see photographs that are obviously someone’s manipulated fantasy and that’s OK. Because we all understand (and know) that the moon is just not THAT BIG in our sky. Any good photographer knows this.












A “Real” Photograph.





But What was Added or Changed in it’s Creation?







Most of us also understand that that rendition of the moon is truly someone’s depiction of their “art” or “vision” and is in no way meant to purposefully deceive the viewing public. At least not most of the time. There are certainly different mindsets going on here in the brains of photographers but personally, I think the majority of these image makers respect their viewers and depend on the use of their viewer’s common sense to determine whether the image they are viewing is real or not. These Photographers love the creative process and do so entirely for the enjoyment of their viewers.





There also exists in photography circles a smaller group of shooters. A group whose post processing efforts are practiced for the intent purpose of deceiving the viewership and like a diagnosed Schizophrenic, actually believe in their own heads that everyone is going to believe everything that comes out of their camera or rather, out of their device. I don’t know about you, but this dystopian-like mindset scares me. I know this statement will probably piss off some folks but from what I’ve seen, an amateur subset of this group is many of the Millennial Facebook and Instagram (Meta) crowd . And LOTS (tons) of Online Daters (of all ages) that are practitioners of this form of tasteless deception. Photo filters are placed into the software of many Apps just for this purpose. With the way that some of these filters are being used, I just have to ask myself just “What are these people thinking”? 





Seeing these botched aberrations, it always brings to mind what a smart friend of mine used to always say, “There’s no accounting for taste”.





At this point, is where I mentally insert the WTF-SMH texting abbreviations. (More on this is discussed below)





Another example is the “carving” of portraits and bodies that goes on in the post-processing of images. You can find this in the images of almost every single Glamour shoot of Models and Hollywood Celebrities. I don’t know about you but the typical “Paparazzi” bikini shoots that I see posted in the tabloids in the grocery lane checkouts are nowhere even close to the same images of those same celebrities we see in the pages of Vogue and Cosmo. Another thought. I wonder if the “wants” of the Readership of these publications is what drives the Photo Editors or whether it’s the Photo Editors that are driving the “wants” of the Readership?





Along these lines, I’ll confess that I’ve always felt a small obligation to the Brides at the weddings I have been contracted to do and at the very least, I’ll admit to have taken the time to smooth some wrinkles here and there, trim a waistline, remove a stray hair or brighten some teeth. I don’t think of this as “manipulation” or being unethical. I just normally consider it as “cleaning up” a photo. But I always ask permission first before I do it and the final product is released. And I make sure both versions are made available to whomever is featured in the photo so that they can see the differences.





I consider that to be just good business.





I also do not insult my viewers or Clients by trying to make someone’s image into the latest “Barbie”. Every Bride (and Woman for that matter) I have ever photographed would be instantly offended if I tried this on any of their images. Most all of them have considered their wrinkles and slight flaws to be honored battle ribbons for their hard-fought years of life experiences.





I will add here however, in defense of many photographers, that it is not unheard of that there are many instances in which unreasonable edits ARE requested by Brides. Or their Mothers. It does happen.





No. I will NOT remove 20 lbs. from your hips or 10 years from your face.





I think most everybody, by now, is aware of the photo manipulation done mostly by Photoshop professionals and magazine “art” departments. It becomes readily apparent when you take the time to sit down and view these slick salon style publications with a critical eye. But the Photoshop Professionals are good. No, not good. Great in fact. So great you almost have to use your imagination to determine where and what changes were made. There is probably an entire world of women from my generation who wondered why they couldn’t look as skinny or young as the models that were featured in the latest Calvin Klein ad. On the other hand, I’d be lying if I said that I have not studied the lighting techniques used to help accentuate those looks in these ads.





What does really amaze me (and it takes a lot these days, believe me) is those absolutely stupid Facebook filters or add-ons that many people use to “smooth” their faces and and make themselves believe they can make themselves look younger in their photos. They end up looking worse than a Portfolio of Plastic Surgeon’s mistakes gone bad. The word “Pity” comes to mind here. Especially when I see an attractive Female misuse these filters. The end result sometimes reminds me of The Walking Dead.





You have to ask yourself, exactly how can otherwise intelligent people not have a clue? I’m not a therapist but it’s obvious to me that these are obviously people who don’t like what they see in the mirror each day or either have a severe self image problem. Questions and/or statements that arise in my mind. “Are they really being dishonest”? “Who are they trying to fool”? “Maybe they are just really are blind to their beauty”.  





It actually drives me crazy as a photographer. For Christ’s sake, if I see one more of these abortions, I’m going to break my rule concerning Facebook live and let live.





Very new on the photography public’s horizon is now the readily available use of AI (Artificial Intelligence) in photo post-processing software and tools. Only 6 months ago, you’d have to have some extensive training and experience in some very sophisticated software programs to do what anyone can do (or imagine) in just five minutes now. AI has hit the main stream photo and Graphic Art programs available for anyone’s use and It’s quite amazing. Why just last night, I saw a girl (using the new Adobe Photoshop Beta) on Tik-Tok place herself in a created field of beautiful flowers with a Cat peering on from the side. All done with the use of a text request. The flowers, field and cat were all “created” out of thin air by an intelligence that no one understands yet and probably never will.





But boy, did it look real! This is an innocent and creative use of AI. But a question arises in my mind of how many young kids are gonna be fooled as they come in contact with bad players that are online. Thanks to good law enforcement, we already know they are lurking out there and will use AI images and created voices to imitate familiar persons for nefarious reasons.





After 15 minutes or so of self-training, (Note: AI Chat Prompt) ANYONE can start producing all kinds of fantasies, manipulations and creations that are easily moved into a digital publishing pipeline that knows no end. It is good advice to keep this in mind in the future when viewing or enjoying any photograph.





Don’t like the background? Just tell AI to get rid of it. Don’t like all those boats hovering in front of the sunset, the color of the belt you’re wearing in your portrait or all those electrical wires overhead in a street photo? Just tell AI to “fix” it. These are very easy tasks for Artificial Intelligence to handle.





Maybe you’d rather create. Let’s change those earrings on that Bride or add a stormy sea and a nicely trimmed beard to your hubby out there sailing on his boat amidst the huge ocean waves. You get the idea.





I think it’s easy for all of us to agree that what is currently considered as “Art” is certainly more debatable now than ever before.





In my opinion, there are as many different interpretations of Art as there are photographers in photography. Was Ansel Adams, the great photographer, being untrue to his admirers when he performed his magic of dodging and burning on his photographs in the darkroom?  Maybe that’s different than adding a huge moon. But it is still an interpretation of what he saw. And in my opinion, that’s what makes it OK. Just because we can use a digital “brush” now to accomplish the same changes as we did with specially cut out pieces of paper or our hands blocking or shaping the enlarger’s down light does not change the results of what we were and are, trying to accomplish.





It’s all Art. Of some kind.





But mostly, I prefer to think of it as it’s what someone “sees” when they remember or recall the image in their mind. Even if it is their fantasy, how is it not true? Speaking in the sense that it is true or real to them at least. (I struggle with this on the aforementioned FB photos statement) The way I see it, all this new software and tools we now have at our disposal to capture and create what we “see” has expanded everyone’s horizon of photography. Even the viewers.





In general, I think it’s wonderful that we have the tools and can create from just an idea now. Today’s entire world of photography is just mind-blowing and the tools that are available to us allow us an intimate peek into who a photographer actually is. This curiosity could also be used back in the “old” days because if you looked long enough, a certain “style” would start to emerge in your mind whereby you could use that information to instantly recognize a photographer’s work.





For a weekend cultural exercise, check out the Photographic works of O. Winston Link, Richard Avedon or Robert Frank. All three of these photographic geniuses had their own style that is easily recognizable. If you’d be better interested in a more current Photographer, check out Matt Weber. He’s a NYC Street Photographer that is making his mark and has developed a distinct and refreshing style. He and his work can be found on Insta at @Matt.Weber.Photos or on his website at MattWeberphotos.com .





If you’d really like a deep dive into an artist’s style, study the artist Salvador Dali, a Surrealist painter from the early 19th Century. The freedoms that this artist took with his work is very well known and has made an influence on most Americans whether they know it or not.






The Dali Museum. St Petersburg, Florida 2016




Although there are many who continue to rant and lament and wish to convince their own convictions upon us, we that thirst for this new knowledge in developing a style or technique are no longer bound by the “rules” that has traditionally restricted and constrained our own creativity. Just imagine what any of the above people might have come up with had they had the same tools available to them that we do today. What would they have created? Everyone of them was known to have broken many traditional rules and O. Winston Link even invented some techniques as he went along out of pure necessity to capture the images he was commissioned to do. 





There are still thousands of us who started in those back-of the-building darkrooms with their one enlarger, their mysterious chemicals and locked doors to prevent any stray or accidental light from entering. The creation of our work was a magic process for us then as it remains for us to this day. We adjust and expose our work now in a “digital” darkroom on the blue light screen of a computer. But as we go through the workflow, the old familiar thrill and anticipation of an in image “coming up” on a blank sheet of photo paper immersed in a tray of developer while we waited in the dim red glow of a darkroom light is still very fresh in our minds. The creative process is so much larger now. And we have so many more tools with which to create work that is as individual as any human. The only limit we are faced with is our own imagination.





Now that all of that is off my chest, I’ll move along to what really brought me here today. A photograph, of course!  I’ll include the photos that began these thoughts with this post so that you’ll have time to try and “see” and identify the changes that you think that have been made to them. Finding these changes and differences will be very much like those games we used to love to play as kids that were printed on the backs of our favorite cereal boxes. The games where we could challenge ourselves in finding all of the “different” items printed in a scene where their were many similarities. The photos are included above and entitled “Twilight Beacons” so that you don’t miss them.





I’ll give you a few days and then I’ll be back here, on The Pelagic Lens with a detailed explanation of my entire workflow and all of the changes and enhancements that went into making of the finished photograph. Sort of my version of a DIY image workflow. I promise it will be more technical and less “mental” than this post has been. Let’s see how many of the changes you can spot before I come back and give you the details.





As a closing note, I’d like to say that at this point, I am much more interested in your feelings about the discussion we’ve had above than I am about the technical details. How do you feel about the ethics of image manipulation on the Post-processing workflow? What do you think about how filters are being used in the everyday images you see?





Thanks for reading and if you have some time, leave a comment about the topics discussed above or any thoughts you might have on the subjects that were discussed. I would be VERY interested in hearing, reading or learning about your thoughts on the matter.





Take Care, ‘Till next time,





Steven



		
	
	

	


			
				
				


			

					
Confessions of a Closet YouTube Sailing Channel Addict
						

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















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

			The Pelagic Lens						4 Comments
								

			


		

		

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.






	

	


			
				
				


	

		

“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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A Case For Black & White
				

			The Pelagic Lens						1 Comment
								

	

	


			
				
				


	

		

Slip, Hook, Ball or Anchor.. It’s Your Choice





Cape Lookout, NC – May, 2020





Our discussion of Living and/or Cruising Aboard continues this week with a look at some of the various alternatives that are available to Cruising and Liveaboard  Boaters . 





This is only a general discussion as all of the variables are just too numerous to mention here.





Last post we discussed a lot of the questions and considerations that come up in the course of searching for a marina in which you would like to live aboard your boat.





This week, we’ll talk about some alternate options of Living/Cruising on the Hook and we’ll also cover  “Living on the Ball” as it is very similar in nature with but a few differences. 





As in Living in a marina, there are many advantages and a few disadvantages that most people allow to influence their decision to live at anchor versus living in a marina.





Back to Nature





SouthRiver, NC -2019





Herein lies one of the biggest advantages on living at anchor. Usually causing a second look when Marina Costs are a factor in designing the budget for your live aboard or Cruising lifestyle.





One must first look at the logic of considering this.





Firstly, living at anchor is usually (but not always) looked upon as a temporary alternative when traveling or cruising to different ports and or locations. You won’t be there very long so why decide to incur the extra costs of dockage, electricity and water for such a short stay? Living at anchor is free of charge (most of the time) and you can choose that beautiful, calm and serene cove that is well protected from weather.  It also might offer the best vantage points to experience the best sunsets or sunrises. No noise except the birds and the occasional crab pot guy who collects his catch sometime around sunrise. 





These fishermen are often friendly and very cognizant of the fact that you value your privacy. As long as you haven’t stirred around with his pots and respect his livelihood, I have found them to be friendly and especially helpful about local knowledge when asked. 





When cruising, living on the hook each night also offers some extreme advantages in viewing nature in it’s natural state. 





The sound a dolphin makes as it surfaces and “Blows” right next to your boat is an incredible if not surprising experience.  Especially after sunset.  At twilight, when the water is still and the light is fading. 





The sound of an Eagle’s call as they greet the morning or the high-pitched cry of the Osprey when you get too close to their nest.





Have you ever seen a Whale’s tail as it rises above the surface and then hear it slap the water upon reentry?





And the Gulls. Irritating to most… But folklore suggests that they possess the souls of Old Sailors. Here on the waters to live forever. I think that might be really true. They’re nasty, and cause trouble. They’re loud and boisterous. They eat garbage and crap everywhere. Just like some sailors I’ve known.





It is sometimes so quiet, even the smallest of sounds can be noticed and contemplated on. It’s no wonder that many Cruiser’s are into Yoga and Meditation. 





Sometimes the sounds can be alarming in that you have no idea what is making it. 





One such experience, during a delivery, occurred one night about 02:30.  There were 3 of us aboard that evening. It was the absolute dead of February and it was cold. Very cold. 





Having gotten the anchor set and squared away in one of many coves along the ICW (Intracoastal Waterway) South of the Pamlico River, we settled down to a great meal of broiled steak and all the fixings. After the meal (and a few rum drinks)and being very tired from sailing all day in the cold, we settled in for the night. With one last check about the boat and on the anchor’s holding integrity, we all turned in for a cool but very restful sleep.





About 2:30 am, there came such a loud cacophony of noise under the boat. Wave after wave of something crashing into the underside of the hull. It was very loud and sounded like we were getting thrashed by a thunderstorm from underneath. Being terrified, I arose straight up in my bunk, Upon doing so, I slammed my head into the low overhead and fell out of bed and down onto the deck. Ouch! (I’m not going to mention here what I really said)





The rest of the crew had similar reactions and in a matter of seconds we were all wide awake wondering What the  Hell was going on. The noise was coming from under the Boat!





In about 15 seconds the sound and vibrations thru the hull had subsided and things got quiet again. I don’t think any of us went back to sleep that night as we were up discussing aloud what the ruckus could have been and if it was going to come back.





 For years after that experience, we searched for answers and received many explanations. That was over 35 years ago and we still talk about that night whenever we get together and toss back a few. 





We now refer to that night as being “the attack of the killer shrimp”. 





We don’t know to this day exactly what it was that night that crashed into our hull under the cold dark water but one thing for sure now is that each time the story is told, hilarity ensues and we have a good laugh at ourselves.





It is experiences like this that stick in your minds and heart forever. It additionally causes strong ties and lasting memories for the individuals you are with.  





Anchors and Balls





The skill of learning how to anchor properly and having the right equipment is essential for any boat. 





 One never knows when you might be called upon to make use of an anchor and it’s certainly a stress reliever to know that you are comfortable with the procedure. I have even been known to anchor in the middle of a race to keep from being set back because of current and no wind.





I won’t get into the details of  proper ground tackle or procedures here as it is not the subject of this post. Nevertheless, It is mandatory that you know how to do it properly before you enter a harbor, cove or anchoring field for the duration of your stay.  Other boaters are depending on you to anchor properly and in the right place. 





Sometimes, you don’t have a say in where this might be especially if the anchoring field is owned by the marina or city in which case, you will have to go where directed.  This is very common when tying up to a buoy (or ball) as they are normally placed at the proper intervals for certain lengths of boats.





 When staying in Boot Key Harbor, a very popular, long-term ball anchorage in Marathon, Florida, this is what you’ll find. I think they had 226 Mooring Balls at last count. They do it right and know what Cruisers need.





 Mooring fields maintained by municipalities are generally kept in good repair enabling you to have piece-of-mind when leaving your boat or in a storm. Mooring Balls are usually anchored to the bottom using very heavy weight such as iron engine blocks or concrete. (It’s usually the condition of the mooring “pendant” that you need to be concerned about) That’s the line (rope or chain) that connects your boat to the immovable object far below. A certain amount of practice is required in “picking up” these lines which are normally designated by a large, White floating “ball”. 





Outside of mooring balls, directed anchoring is a rare instance. Most of the time it is left up to you and your responsibility as to where you drop anchor. 





One of the worst experiences you can have while anchoring is to not do it properly and do it in the wrong place. Anchoring “on top” of others is frowned upon as any “dragging” that might occur will leave the two of you (or more) tangled together in a huge mess. 





This most always happens during the worst possible times while weathering a squall or storm in the anchorage in the middle of the night. 





Usually afterwards, or the next morning, when tempers have calmed and the mess starts to get sorted out is when the Wannabe YouTubers come out with their cameras looking to capture the latest “click-bait” and headlines for their next episode. If it is your desire to be an infamous YouTube Star, you’ll most likely get your chance during these moments.





Transportation





Being at anchor while cruising or as a live aboard also requires that you have suitable transportation to the dock, marina or area in which you plan to stay. If you have pets, this fact is magnified somewhat unless you have spent time to train them to do their business aboard.





She Loves a dinghy ride. Beaufort, NC 2020





There are as many ways to get around and have fun on the water as there are fish in the sea. Dinghies fulfill this role nicely and come in all shapes and forms. 





Canoes, Kayaks, Standup Paddleboards (SUP’s), surfboards, nesting, fold up and inflatable and much more.





Rowing Dinghies, Sailing Dinghies and Homemade Dinghies





 A reliable “car” (dinghy) is a must. Whether it be the Cadillac version or something more humble. Which like a car, can resemble just a “Beater” that you run errands on and don’t mind the inevitable dents, scrapes and dings they all eventually get.





Taking the time to acquaint yourself with proper “dinghy etiquette” is well worth the time it takes to avoid an embarrassing moment.  





 Broadcasting yourself as a selfish, inconsiderate dolt among your fellow boaters is not difficult to do. Blasting through a crowded mooring field or anchorage, leaving your outboard motor in the “up” position at the dinghy dock, operating at night without lights and using a short “painter” (dock line) at the dock all qualify for this judgement. 





Often, especially in Sailboats, water depths play a big part in the use and ease of using dinghys. In general, the closer you are to shore, the shorter your dinghy ride will be. This will result in less gasoline used, drier clothing and groceries you’ll inevitably have to schlep to get back aboard to re-provision. 





Keep in mind that sometimes, water depths or reefs will prohibit close in anchoring. This is when an abundance of horsepower is needed to make short work of long and time consuming dinghy rides.





As you can see, the dinghy plays an important role in the quality of an on-the-water lifestyle. There are lots of styles to choose from and there is no “one size fits all”. Choose yours carefully.





Usually, dinghy docks are present at most localities, some with a small charge, most of which are free. 





A “Three Car Garage” for the evening. SouthRiver, Lukens, NC, 2018





Near Rockland Harbor, Maine. August, 2010





Off the Grid





Many boats out there today utilize watermakers, wind, solar power and/or generators to minimize the number of times they have to visit Marinas. Equipping your boat so that you can “live off the grid” will give you much freedom and minimize your costs in the long run. 





These additions come at a cost but they are well worth it and mandatory in some parts of the world. Solar and /or wind-power have consistently proven to be the most cost-effective means of going “off the grid” on boats. Technological and Electronic advances have taken this to a high level of ingenuity.  There is an entire Industry dedicated toward doing this on a boat and is something you would probably need to consider if you plan to cruise at all.





One word about generators, don’t be “that guy” that runs his old generator all night just to keep his reluctant partner and himself comfortable. The noise and fumes are really looked down upon in a crowded or a quiet anchorage. 





That being said, Generator technology has come a long way toward easing the aforementioned pain. for everyone. Honda makes some excellent products that excel in fuel efficiency, portability and low noise operation.





Shown Here: Solar Panel Arch serving double duty as a dinghy hoist.





Runs to shore in your dinghy is a commonplace occurrence. The fact that the ride into shore will not always be pleasant must be considered when choosing a spot to anchor.





Lot’s of boaters even make use of folding bicycles to make this job easier. But even folding bicycles take up precious room aboard and can be a real challenge in a dinghy unless you can store them securely ashore.





I have saved for last one of the biggest reasons (for most) to anchor instead of going to a marina for dockage





There be Land!                                                      ….and the costs that come with it!





With the rising costs of operating marinas and the subsequent passing on of those costs to boaters, it makes sense that if you value your privacy, are on a limited budget, love nature and solitude or wish to leave a smaller footprint on the environment, then choosing an anchorage or Mooring field might be more to your liking. 





Not surprisingly, there is an increasing trend that implies that there are those who might be thinking that living aboard at a marina will be much cheaper than living in a house, I ask you to look again at what you could be  responsible for paying for.





It is a known fact that renting a slip in a marina is not an inexpensive proposition.





With slip rents approaching $10-$12 a foot, (here in Eastern NC and much higher elsewhere) a modest live aboard boat can be very expensive to tie up. Add to that:





The cost of Utilities – It is not much cheaper to have electrical service onboard your boat than at your home. In fact, it can and is much more in a lot of cases. Homes built on dirt the past 20 years have reasonable insulation and efficient heating and air conditioning units. Lower than 50 degree water temperature will result in very inefficient use of a boat’s onboard heating system and will undoubtedly need to be supplemented by an additional source. Trying to stay warm using this method will result in long run times for the unit and usually provide only lukewarm comfort. 





On the other hand, the same units, (which carry the term “reverse-cycle”) don’t really provide good A/C cooling when water temps go over 80 degrees. And in Marinas, the raw water intakes on these units clog up. (a lot) 





These extremes are a fact of life even here in NC where in the Winter, Water temps can reach down to 35 degrees (and I have seen lower) and those same Summertime temps will regularly hover over 90 degrees. It is normal to have water temps reach 83 degrees in the Southeast Summer. Add in the factor that the boat is floating in this water and that fiberglass is a great conductor of heat and cold.  





For a 38 foot boat with 3 cabins, utilities can average out to be about $100/ month where the cost of kilowatt hours is currently above $0.12 per kwh. Plus, most marinas charge a “Pedestal Fee” of $15-$20/Month. That is here in this part of North Carolina. This usage figure is an average for all 12 months of the year even though there are some months I do not even have the unit activated. I have also improved the insulation in the hull and refrigeration unit. Shading properties of the hull and cabintop can make as much of a difference as 10-12 degrees Fahrenheit inside the cabin in the Summer.





If you’re reading this and are located elsewhere I know what you’re thinking. 





You are probably amazed at how cheap it is here in Eastern North Carolina. And you are mostly correct. But not in most cases. It takes diligent research and time to find the “hidden jewels” of economic utilities out there.                                               Even here.





 There are alternate sources of heat which involve electric cabin heaters, Fans (both 120vac and 12vdc) and fossil fuel fired bulkhead mounted heaters which can stand alone as a heat source or supplement your boat’s main unit. While not as expensive as operating the boat’s built in environmental system, there still remains a cost to be realized. 





Having your boat in a more temperate climate helps a lot during any season but temperate climates cost more in the marinas where they are located (Florida and Maine for example)





St Petersburg Municipal Marina in the distance – Florida. July, 2017





The following is a short list of things to consider about Marinas and is in no way indigenous to any area.





  • Property Taxes (in a Marina) Yes.. if you liveaboard at a Marina in some places, the local Government wants it’s pound of flesh as well. Just like a house.
  • Going out for or accessibility to restaurants, entertainment and/or drinks – As you make friends around you in Marinas, you will no doubt make use of nearby shore restaurants, bars and entertainment facilities.
  • Fees. Pedestal Fees, “Convenience” Fees, “Envionmental” Fees, Membership Fees, Parking Fees, Trash Fees, Liveaboard Fees, Historical District Fees (No kidding) and more. Seriously.
  • Internet and cable. These are sometimes offered as “perks” in a Marina but guess what.. You are paying for them anyway (In your slip or transit rent) and oftentimes they don’t even work, requiring you to contract with a local cable provider. Talk to current marina dwellers.
  • Ground transportation – Especially if you and/or your spouse/partner still work. It’s tough to find nearby work at most Marinas. 
  • Regular and in/consistent rate hikes. These can be significant. In rebuttal, What’s the difference in going up on rates $0.50/ft/year and going up $2.00/ft/every 4 years? Personally, I prefer the first option, if they must.
  • And the latest thing…“Discreet” Slip Charges. For long-term (over 1 month) renters.                                                                                           (Marinas have a plethora of excuses ready to combat the “designed to confuse” argument on this)                                                                             Don’t get me started.





Face It. The “Upscale”, City-centric, or “Resort” type places practice some (if not all) of the above business models. 





Huge, “conglomerate” type marinas are fast becoming the norm and are the worst culprits in my experience for the obvious reasons of cost, impersonal business relationships, inexperienced, underpaid and burned out overworked staff. And last but not least, greedy property owners, so called real-estate tycoons and shareholders all see opportunities here.





 It reminds me of exactly what happened to truckstops in a life far away and long ago. 





My advice (if you want to stay in a Marina), is to find that “Mom and Pop” type place that sits in those beautiful, out-of-the-way quiet areas where the living is much easier and respect/kindness from experienced and caring staff is a two-way street.  Disclaimer: This JUST my advice. And it’s Free. So let that be your guiding light on this matter.





Many of these smaller (and more remote) places still hold to the notion that every single convenience and necessity doesn’t have to be charged for, but yet, they are still in business and know what it takes to be run profitably.





 I know a few that come to mind, but be aware, they are sometimes closely guarded secrets because they don’t do a lot of Marketing hype and the residents don’t like a lot of publicity. Do your research.





Sure, you may have to put up with bicycles on the dock, being another mile or two from your favorite ice-cream bar or laundry hung out to dry on lifelines. There might even be a few derelict boats waiting for their owners to return. But you won’t go broke Jones’in with the crowd and very often, these places have much cleaner facilities, better quality water you float in and a small, but hard working staff on hand. 





Rest assured. You’ll also run into all of the “different” people that populate all marinas. Sometimes that’s the best part!





So, the argument for anchoring or ballin’ out (as the case may be) seems to be a much less costly decision to make. Do Your homework and realistically assess your needs and likes.





But it doesn’t come without it’s own considerations. 





As pointed out before, anchoring out is generally free. Some municipalities have jumped on the bandwagon and are now charging for an anchorage on their waterfront albeit for a much more reasonable cost than tying up to a dock. 





A fine line is present here in the fact that most Boaters bring much needed commerce into many remote coastal areas in the forms of Fuel and Maintenance purchases. 





Small Business, Professional Services, local grocery and other shopping venues also benefit. Incredibly, Many towns/cities don’t seem to care about this.





As more and more people take to the water and these areas become more crowded, expect the inevitable ordinances to follow. Behaving as good citizens in these areas will go a long way towards the welcome you’ll get when going ashore to explore, shop or provision. 





Loud, late night parties, trashy vessel appearances, disregard for local laws and pumping waste overboard into No Discharge Zones by only an irresponsible few can totally ruin it for the rest of us. By and large, It has always been my observation that the long-term cruiser or liveaboard are very good environmental stewards. We can’t believe it when we find out reasonable sized municipalities have no provision for recycling.





Beside being highly illegal to do so, would you want someone to dump their oil, trash or human waste in your front yard? 





Thankfully, more and more shore-side businesses and towns are seeing the logic in investing in equipment that is made available to all boaters for a reasonable fee.





 In our area, The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality maintains a helpful list of facility locations for sewage pump-outs and their related charges. Many facilities do this free of charge because they see the advantage in doing so. It’s always a good idea to “tip” the personnel that get handed this job. Being there and a willingness to help (if needed) is also a “good neighbor” thing to do.





 In this Author’s opinion, costs incurred from operating these facilities should be kept at an affordable level for Everyone. To do otherwise and use it as a profit center only encourages disregard for surrounding waters in weaker individuals. 





I am certainly no advocate for big government but if need be, City and County governments should be pressed to be involved in the procurement, operation and pricing structure of using such facilities. I’ve seen pump-out prices range from Free to upwards of $40 per tank (most cruising boats have two) locally. 





A great example of good stewardship on the part of a municipality to encourage conservation and clean water nearby is one of which is located at the Washington Town Docks in Washington, NC.  





The following statement outlines how Federal, State and Local Governments cooperate to offer these services.










“The NC Division of Coastal Management (DCM) believes boaters should be able to get a sewage pumpout for your boat as easily as they can get other common boating services, such as fuel. So DCM is working to make pumpout and dump stations readily available through the Marine Sewage Pumpout and Dump Station Grant Program.





Using funding from the US Fish & Wildlife Service, DCM has made grants of up to $15,000 available on a yearly basis to private and commercial marinas, gas/service docks, fish houses/seafood dealers and other boat docking facilities in the 20 coastal counties. Beginning Oct. 1, 2013, the grant amount has increased to $20,000. A 25 percent match is required of the marinas. A 25 percent match also is required of local governments installing pumpouts at public docks.”





The program, established as a result of the federal Clean Vessel Act of 1992, provides financial assistance to marinas and other boat-docking facilities for the installation and renovation of pumpout and dump stations in North Carolina.





“Pump-out boats” will normally be in presence at many marinas. Making rounds to offer their services in the Mooring field. Quite often, there is no charge for the service.





Mooring Field at Bristol Yacht Club, Bristol R.I. October, 2017





Comfort on the Hook





You still have to stay warm in Winter and Cool in Summer. At anchor or on a Ball, Staying comfortable is possible especially if you are using one of the many types of fuel heating devices. Staying cool is a different story. Most folks just get used to it but in some cases, you might find yourself moored close to “that guy” again who will crank up his generator to run his A/C.    All night. 





These are some of the reasons that many boaters migrate to Florida each Winter Season. Especially North Florida. It’s costly to keep a boat there for the average boater and the opportunities are dwindling (especially for anchoring) fast. But the climate is certainly more bearable in the winter and the costs are not as high as in points further South. Remember, Wintertime in Florida is the “High” Season. Likewise in the more Northern climes in the Summer.





 Recent advances in battery technology and more efficient solar panels are finally making it possible to stay cool from just the energy that the Sun provides.





 As the population gets older and the influx of new boaters get more accustomed and concerned about their comfort, marinas offer the “necessary” amenities that most people now cannot or will not live without.





Everything gets to be more of a challenge while at anchor. Laundry, (unless you do your own) provisioning, access to land because of the needs of a pet. Access to water for drinking and washing and electricity. If you don’t make your own, sooner or later you have to go in and don’t forget trash disposal. Dinghy rides into shore can be a cold, wet and miserable proposition.





What about Mail?





Getting mail while living “on the hook” and cruising is entirely doable. very easy in fact thanks to traveler’s mail services like St. Brendan’s Isle, Dockside Mail or Earth Class Mail. In a nutshell, the services provided include scanning, forwarding and shredding. In some cases, certain ones will help you to establish a bonafide land-based address (In a tax free state to preserve income or help you keep your Driver’s License).  It is important to note here that the restrictions on having a residential address placed by financial institutions are getting tighter as a result of The Patriot Act passed some years ago. Information about the individual services and rates vary quite a bit and bears a small amount of time to research what is best for you.





More on Traveling and Cruising





 Sometimes during the peak seasons of transit on the ICW, anchoring out might be the only option due to limited space at marinas. After all, Peace and Solitude while anchoring allows the perfect environment for us to really understand and comprehend our place in the world. Being close to Mother Nature helps us to gain insight and knowledge about the world around us that we would never get a chance to experience otherwise. And the views can’t be beat. 





While cruising, anchoring out or tying up to a mooring ball is the natural choice for a lot of people.





Keep in mind that during violent weather, most cruisers will head for the perceived safety and convenience of a marina. Again, there are different schools of thought on this. Remaining aboard during Hurricanes is asking for trouble. Having the proper ground tackle, equipment and training will go a long way towards helping you to feel confident about your anchoring skills.





If you find that social companionship with having close-by neighbors is more to your liking or the convenience of accessibility to land for all that it offers and the cost is a secondary issue, then a marina may be just what you need. Only you can answer that question. 





If, on the other hand, it is the tranquility, the solitude of early morning in the cockpit with your coffee and an expanded sense of freedom you desire, then an anchor or a ball might be your best option.





In closing, research and more research will go a long way toward your ultimate happiness. Ask around too. Most boaters will be blatantly honest about discussing their individual likes and dislikes. Make sure you ask experienced cruisers and marina dwellers to get the down low. 





Word of mouth travels fast and deep in the cruising and boating community. It won’t be difficult to find out who/what/when and where best fits your budget and lifestyle. 





Of great help, are Mobile Applications such as Active Captain, Navionics and Aquamaps. These are primarily navigational programs but they also employ complete listings in the shape of Icons that offer all the information you need to find just the right Marina, Mooring field or Anchorage. They offer applications for Android, Ios and various popular chartplotters.





Navionics Boating.  Sample – Marinas and Anchorages Circled





Waterway Guide is offered both as a stand alone print version as well as a “plug-in” for various programs such as iNavX, Apple’s outstanding proprietary mobile navigational application that uses US Government NOAA charts.





 Beware of Cruising and Boating Forums on the Internet. There is some great advice there but it takes diligence to separate the chaff from the good stuff.





Somewhere in the Gulf of Maine – August 2020





Hold Fast and we’ll see you out there…

	

	

					
Cruising and Living On The Water
				

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An Eye Opening
						

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A tug pushing a tow on the ICW





Knowledge is something no one can ever take from you.
Long Ago Wisdom from My Dad





Recently, I had the opportunity to experience the US Coast Guard Captain’s Licensing Course at Carteret Community College’s OUPV Program in Morehead City, NC.





OUPV is the Coast Guard’s acronym for Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels. It is also widely known as a “6 Pack” license among boaters and Mariners. It is the most popular Coast Guard License. This License allows qualified individuals to operate a commercial vessel with up to six paying passengers and crew. 





The necessity of a Captain’s License to legally operate your boat is unrelated to the size of your boat. However, some insurance companies require a captain’s license for moving yachts over a certain size. This was for me, a particular reason for obtaining my license.





There are many details involving the securement of the licensing procedure and I will touch on but a few of them here. The rest, and much more detail can be found at The Coast Guard’s National Maritime Center website. The entire process is lengthy, detailed and expensive. Thanks to Carteret’s excellent program, it becomes a much more affordable affair as it is a State Supported School and the cost of the course is much lower than local private instruction schools.





 Lastly, with that last statement in mind and all things considered, it is doubtful that one could find better quality instruction, more experience and knowledge or a better venue that is brought to bear by Carteret to get this course out to the public.





The OUPV License comes in three different forms and carries many upgrades as endorsements. The three forms are: 










The Inland Captain’s License– Allows the holder to operate commercially on bays, sounds rivers and lakes.





The Great Lakes & Inland License– Allows you to operate on both the Great Lakes and inland waterways





The Near Coastal Captain’s License– Permits you to operate on both inland waterways as well as Near Coastal waters (out to 100 miles offshore)





The basic minimum requirements, the boating experience for each version of the private boat captain’s license vary slightly.. but to be brief, some of the basic requirements are listed below.





  • Be at least 18 yrs. old
  • Have a minimum of 360 days boating experience. Ninety of these days must have occurred in the last three years.
  • Be a US citizen or be able to show lawful admittance to the US for permanent residence if not a citizen
  • Pass a physical exam and drug test.
  • Hold a valid CPR and Basic First Aid Card
  • Obtain a Transportation Workers Identification Credential (TWIC Card) which includes a background check done by Homeland Security.
  • Pass a USCG approved OUPV/Six Pack course like the one offered at Carteret Community College.





You can use an online course to study for your OUPV license but are required to attend a proctored exam in person to complete your license. Testing Centers are widespread and not that difficult to find.





Some Tools of the Skills. A Compass, Chart, Dividers and Clock.










The “Eye Opener”





Personally, I can legally document  more than 43 years experience on the water which includes much more than the required offshore experience I needed to obtain my license. I keep my hours current with the many deliveries I have done in the past three years both alone and under the license of my good friend of 42 years, Captain Joe Sizemore.





When Capt. Joe first encouraged me to get my own license, I was truthfully, not all that interested. I had a “lot going on” as most of us do and our deliveries together, which started out as just two sailors enjoying the water, fit rather nicely into my busy schedule. More responsibility at that time in my life was not needed nor required. I was just happy being a Deck Hand, and the occasional First Mate on longer passages.





If there is anything you know about me, then you know how much I crave knowledge, and understanding about the things I get interested in. 





So…during all these years as a Boat Owner (I think I’m working on having owned 10 or 11 boats right now), Delivery Skipper, Yacht Racer, Fleet Captain and Commodore of The Pamlico Sailing Club, Yard Manager, and Dock Manager,  I studied. 





I studied everything I could get my hands on. I bought a lot of books and spent dozens if not hundreds of hours online. Studying  Navigation, Pilotage, Boat Repair, Seamanship and Boathandling Skills, Rules of the Road and even cooking at sea! (I’ve got some great recipes in my logbook).





When I retired and found more time to spend on other things other than where and when somebody wanted me to be someplace I didn’t want to be, I finally made my decision. Capt. Joe never gave up on encouraging me to get my license and recently, I pulled the trigger (so to speak) on making my interest official. 





Feeling that this program would be a “walk-in-the-park” for me, I did my customary research after which I called Captain Scott Leahy (who happened to be the Marine Program Director) at Carteret Community College. 





Scott was prompt in answering my emails, calls and texts and was very easy to talk to. Upon signing up for the two week, full time course, I was encouraged even more. Let’s get this done!





Was I in for a big surprise!





In a nutshell, I was humbled. The approved USCG course presented by Scott himself, for me, an experienced skipper and Boater, was more like trying to walk on water rather than a stroll in the park.





I thought I knew a lot. (and I did). But that didn’t help much. Commitment, constant attention, copious notes and nightly study were the order of every day. Exams.. there were five.. were HARD! I learned skills that I never even knew I would need as a Licensed Captain. 





Captain Leahy’s credentials and experience are impeccable. Both as a modern instructor and knowledge of subject matter. But he didn’t pull any punches. No exam was “open book” and he takes his responsibilities very seriously. You are expected to “hold-up” your end of things with promptness, nightly study and attention in class. 





I was not alone in my thinking. There were 7 other classmates who all breathed a sigh of relief each time their exams were graded. They consisted of experienced marine fishing business owners, Hopeful charter boat operators and Engineering students still in school. Even a young, family brewery operator and a 30 yr. experienced and successful Financial Advisor were included in the diverse mix. I think it’s fair to say that we were all challenged.





You Don’t Know What You Don’t know





Chart Plotter On “Brilliant Cut”





I’ll admit. Using modern day electronic Navigation equipment runs the risk of making one lazy. Why would I ever need to know how to compute a compass’ deviation, a chart’s variation or Speed/Distance/Time in Nautical miles instead of just regular (statute) miles? The chartplotter does all that for me. Jeez.. I haven’t used basic algebra in years…





Why did I have to learn the many parts of the term “Tide”? I know the difference between high and low tide and how to find out the time/difference information, wasn’t that “enough”? Did I ever know the numerous forces at work that influenced the tide where I happened to be at the time? 





A Local Tide Table used aboard “Brilliant Cut”+





The answer to these and many more questions was a big “NO” But thanks to Capt. Leahy’s Patience, Knowledge and Experience, I do now. 





I cannot recommend the OUPV and Marine related courses at Carteret Community College highly enough. And as it turned out, it was really convenient when it came to obtaining some other credentials that are needed for the license. You can get a TWIC card right around the corner from the school and there is a FastMed close by to get the needed Physical. An approved First Aid Course is also included at the end of the course.





 In fact, I plan to return as time progresses. I kinda have an interest in Boat Building (an old but thriving Coastal NC tradition) and strangely, Big Outboard Motor Repair. (Go figure)





  I have personally instructed at 2 Community Colleges in my past. Both of which were in different states, and I can attest to the Thought and Quality that has gone into establishing the program here in Beaufort. Captain Scott Leahy is to be commended for his efforts and care. I am especially glad I stopped by their booth at the Annapolis Boat Show, 2 years ago, where I first learned of Carteret’s OUPV Program. If you’re interested in gaining your OUPV or would like to gain more endorsements on an existing license, I encourage you to check it out 










In thinking about all of this, and being a US Navy veteran, I think I better understand an interesting observation. And that made it alright with me. The US Navy, The Merchant Marine, and The US Coast Guard all thrive upon tradition. A tradition of being on the Sea.  A proud tradition that originally attracted me back in ’72 and continues to run deep to this day. Yes. sometimes it becomes a PITA. But as a tradition, it remains. Unlike so many temporary things that continually surround us these days. 










The Ocean has it's silent caves,
Deep, quiet and alone;
Though there be fury on the waves,
Beneath them there is none.

The awful spirits of the deep
Hold their communions there;
And there are those for whom we weep,
The young, the bright, the fair.

Calmly the wearied seamen rest
Beneath their own blue sea.
The ocean solitudes are blest,
For there is purity.

The earth has guilt, the earth has care,
Unquiet are it's graves;
But peaceful sleep is ever there,
Beneath the dark blue waves.

Nathaniel Hawthorne





Early One Morning at Sea










Being a Mariner is something I am proud of. The Ocean, both wild and calm, dangerous and beautiful is made up of many contradictions and mystery. It is both intimately personal and vastly universal.





The knowledge gained by obtaining my OUPV license continues in that proud tradition for me. 





I have many people to thank now, and during all the years of my “Nautical Education”. Many more than I have room to list here. To all those Schools/Authors/Friends/Instructors/Captains/Business Owners and Mentors, I thank You. I will always do my best to not ever let you down





UNDERWAY IS THE ONLY WAY
An old Navy adage, repeated aboard US Navy Attack Destroyer, USS Blandy DD-943.    Somewhere along the Gunline,         Quang Tri, N.Vietnam, 1972











	

	


			
				
				


			

		
					
	

		

					
Sunrises or Sunsets?
						

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SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER ABOUT NATURAL LIGHT





October Sunrise – Somewhere at Sea





Nowhere better but at Sea can the difference between photographing a Sunrise and a Sunset be realized. Especially in my case because a boat makes for a poor platform to rest a tripod…a necessity when using slower shutter speeds. Using a higher shutter speed, while recommended for a longer lens (or “zoom”) for cell phone cameras, often results in excessive “noise” in photos which in turn lowers the quality somewhat.





(Note: Electronic “Noise” is much more prevalent in the dark, or shadow areas of the photograph and is mitagated to an extent in colder weather or climes in digital cameras.) Visualizing this is normally not a concern when posting to Social Media or The Web because poor resolution is normally unseeable in small image file sizes and pixel counts. Keep this in mind if you ever plan to reproduce an image into any kind of Print Media.





Here (below) is another Sunrise, captured very close to the same time of day (my Metadata tells me the upper and lower photos are about 15 minutes apart, taking into consideration seasonal time change). In this image, my “platform” was the hood of my 4-Runner. I was able to steady the camera on the hood surface, allowing a much slower shutter speed which also resulted in much less noise in the dark areas. If you are looking at this on a cell phone, it will require you to “Zoom In” tightly on the dark areas to discern any difference. Even though the Sun was a few degrees higher than in the first image, the presence of a morning cloud cover kept the light in the Foreground low. This is further evidenced by the shadow from a street light, on Captain Harm’s Tartan 33, “Harm’s Way”, in the foreground. Using the hood as a tripod, I was able to come up with an acceptable photograph. The clouds doubled as a “diffuser” against harsh Sunlight and also added interest to the image.





Sunrise Over The Neuse River. 
New Bern, NC





While the “Twilight Period” is much the same between the two times of day, (Dusk and Dawn) the time period you have of catching the “perfect light” is much shorter during Sunrise.





It was explained to me years ago by a well known Professional with 2 simple phrases.





“Think of the time you have…During Sunrise, the “Perfect Light” comes toward you very quickly, (like a speeding car on a collision course)





During Sunset, the light is moving away at a gradual, albeit steady pace…giving you much more time to choose your moment”





There is a couple of other factors to consider about differences in The Light.





The Morning Light, while not as colorful in most instances, is more on the “cooler” side (visually) of the Kelvin Scale and is a much softer light and a more subtle light. “White Balance” comes into play here as a camera setting and will be discussed in another post. This softer Light is favored mostly by Wildlife, a few Landscape and some “Urban” photographers because the animals are more active, Landscape features more pronounced and most city people are not yet out in force.





The Late Afternoon Light, gives us an abundance of what is popularily called “Golden Light” and is a major choice for Wedding, Portrait, Engagement and Event Photographers for a couple of reasons.





  1. It’s warming effect on skin tones and foliage.
  2. They have more time to shoot, with the Light slowly fading away.
  3. And Yes.. there is one more… Most People won’t get out of bed early enough to get prepared and then move fast enough to get photographed in a quickly arriving light.





Port Call at Sunset
New Bern, NC





For Me..I still like photographing Sunrises the best. Especially when I have that 0400-0800 Morning Watch and I am already in place (with my coffee) to witness and greet the birth of another day in Paradise.

	

	


			
				
				


			

		
					
	

		

					
So, You’d Like to Live Aboard? Here’s Help on Choosing the Right Marina For You.
						

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New Bern Grand Marina





Now having discovered that the idea of living aboard a boat might be a possible dream or desire for you, let’s explore a few ways that can be accomplished.





The subject of living aboard continues this week with some points on living in a Marina versus being a liveaboard cruiser.





Many people who go into the joy and challenge of living aboard wrestle with the decision to either live at a marina, live aboard while cruising or live “on the hook”, aka being “anchored out”.





There are many reasons why people choose to do either or both and both styles of living aboard have their respective advantages and drawbacks.  





If the decision is made to cruise and see the world while living aboard, living on the hook (or “the ball”) is a definite thing you might consider but which is also something that is not mandatory in any sense of the word. Cruising as well as living at a marina sometimes go hand-in-hand. Mostly, it just depends on your own comfort level, finances, family’s needs and last but not least, Your Dream. 





Currently, there are thousands of people around the world , and especially here in the Southeastern U.S. who practice these varied lifestyles as they travel or go about their daily activities.





Today, we will talk a little about living in a marina, be it short-term or long-term. Planning to liveaboard in a Marina has many advantages and in this post today we’ll discuss some of the things you might face or need to know before “Plugging In”





Socially Speaking..





If you are new to the lifestyle, Living in a Marina is a great way to”ease” you into the boating community as it is not that much different than living in a neighborhood or apartment/townhouse environment. The equipment required and knowledge needed of how to live off the grid are not especially depended upon and this will also give you the time to consider such options and how they might affect your future cruising plans. Plus, as a side benefit and if you’re careful in choosing, you will start out inside a safer haven from extreme weather and it’s consequences.





You will still have neighbors, (plus or minus),  you still can get your mail at a central location (normally) and you get to keep your car (or bike) for the inevitable trips to the grocery, restaurants or to see land-locked family and friends. 





Friends Enjoying An Afternoon “Stroll” in the Marina’s Fairway.





In my experience, you will also find plenty of help and advice from those more accustomed to the challenge and more knowledgeable about everything having to do with sailing and living on the water. This help is really important when just starting out as there are many choices that must be considered. For example,





What are, and how do you determine, the best Marina’s for you to practice being a liveaboard in the geographical area you choose to live? 





That Depends..





Which of those Marinas allow liveaboards? (Many do not)





 If you have kids, or if you really like to socialize, and who doesn’t….(Sailors are a Partying bunch), are there any organized activities? Many marinas have Playgrounds, Dog Parks, Yoga Classes, Sailing Clubs, Lending libraries, office facilities, Pot-luck or catered gatherings. Some have classes in seamanship, weather safety and boat handling. In some places, the list is endless. Indeed, this would be a great topic for another post sometime in the future.





Financial Matters…





How is the slip rent (or dockage) handled and what will be the cost of your little 15’ X 40’ piece of it? Normally, there is a set charge per foot of boat. There is sometimes a discount if you belong to certain boating organizations. BoatUS is popular for this reason. Does the Marina charge by the actual length of the boat or do they charge according to the slip length that you will go into?. (This is a favorite way for Marinas to maximize their collections from you and the method is gaining in popularity) In this case, Instead of charging by the actual length of the boat, slips will be presented in pre-determined sizes. A 30 ft. Slip, A 40 ft. Slip, A 45 ft. Slip etc. etc.





 So in my case, A 38 foot boat would require a 40 ft. or larger slip and I am  charged accordingly. (40 ft. slip X $rate per foot). Are there any “hidden” fees? Such as “Environmental” fees, Electric Pedestal rentals or “pump out” fees just for slip renters? 





 Dockage or cost is heavily weighted according to location. You have all heard the Real-estate Agent’s mantra about location and value. Also, there is the “Jones” factor. Yes.. Even “keeping up with the Jones’s”  is a factor for some in choosing a marina.. Do you have to have a Golf Course?, Tennis Club or a Club House that serves only top shelf liquors and craft beer?. Will you need a 5 star restaurant or Olympic pool to entertain your guests? Don’t laugh. That is certainly a part of the scene even right here in ‘good ole” NC and many other places. Sometimes, and often, these amenities will even trump location in costs to be considered. I can think of one marina that comes to mind locally. It’s one of the most expensive marinas to stay at in Eastern NC but it’s 30 miles from nowhere geographically. If you need anything more than a quart of milk, be prepared for an hour’s drive or go without.





 How accessible to great sailing is the Marina? Will you have to motor-sail 10 miles to deeper water or a wider inland area before you can stretch your boat’s sailing legs? Motoring on a sailboat is usually something  sailors don’t like to do. It’s generally noisy, It costs money, It takes more time and leaves a bigger carbon footprint.  Seasonally dominant wind direction plays a part here as well. Especially if you own a sailboat.  In general, the closer you are to the Ocean or inlets along the East Coast of the U.S., the more you will pay for dockage.





 If you are located near a city, are there any city or local taxes that must be paid? Example. New Bern’s Grand Marina is located downtown in it’s Historical District. If you live here, You will be assessed a “Historical District Fee” along with the property taxes on your vehicle and your vessel. 





 What about Utilities, (Water and Electric), Internet, WiFi  and Cable? Are these metered or are they just a “set” cost? If you are still working and lucky enough to telecommute for your source of income, this becomes an important aspect of amenities that might be offered. 





 Will your choice of marinas be satisfactory to your insurance company? This is a “biggie” if you plan to call a marina “home.” Does it have. “Safe Harbor” designation? Does the Marina have a mandatory evacuation policy in the event of Tropical Storms or Hurricanes? 





Unprotected Marinas and Boats can take a beating during Hurricanes and Bad Weather
Trent River Marina and Boat Yard
One Aftermath of Hurricane Florence, September 2018





Are the docks normally protected by a security guard, cameras or a locked and coded gate? Will your boat insurance even allow you to live on board? Here again, many insurance companys do not. (Go figure) Even though it is illegal in the Real Estate market to discriminate, there are a lot of cities and towns that do just that when it comes to judging liveaboards and where they are allowed to stay. But it should be noted here that all boaters should practice responsible behavior and obey the laws of the surrounding community. to prevent such instances. In Florida and Charleston for example, the abandonment of boats has become a real problem. And one that has not gone unnoticed by the public and their elected representatives.





 What other amenities are offered in exchange for your hard-earned dollars? Are there reciprocal privileges or discounts available with other nearby businesses associated with your slip rent? Will you be provided assistance (if needed) in getting docked safely after a long day of sailing? Is fuel and/or gasoline available dockside? How about Propane for cooking? Is there a boatyard or haul out facility nearby?





“On the Hard”
The Sailing Superyacht “Whisper”
Canon G-12, Newport Shipyard, 2017





and then, just the “Normal” stuff…





 Is a laundry available on-site? If not, where and how far away is the nearest laundromat?, grocery store? major highways? One thing that has made quite a big difference is the growing use of technology to help provide these provincial needs. Here in New Bern and at many places elsewhere, online grocery shopping and delivery are popular with the boating crowd as is pick up and delivery laundry services. The use of Uber and other ridesharing options has almost circumvented the reason to even have a car if your marina is close to where you want to go. 





Does the marina provide garbage collection? How often is it picked up?





Are dock carts available when you must get 7 bags of groceries down a 500 ft. pier to your boat? 





How do You get your mail? ( there are a variety of ways to do this which I’ll cover in a later post)





 Are shore side bath facilities available? Are they kept clean? (You might need this if you expect friends or family onboard for a visit) 





Do they have an ice machine? This is important if you have a smaller boat with limited refrigeration capacity and all your friends are coming over (with beer) for a day of sailing.





 What is the procedure and who do you call when help with any of the above is needed? 





As you can see.. there are many questions to be asked and things to ponder about living aboard at a Marina. I’ve only scratched the surface here.





From my experience in the past, I did not enter into this process clueless. But I will readily admit that there were many questions I just didn’t know to ask.





You don’t know what you don’t know.





How to know for sure…or at least get a good idea





The absolute best way to get many of these questions answered is to pay a visit to the Marina that you have in mind. Walk around and spend some time getting a “feel” for the place. Don’t forget to stop by the dock manager’s office and ask permission for access. They will greatly appreciate that gesture and it might save you some embarrassment. Note the time of year you are there and notice from what direction the wind and current is from. Is is the wind Northeast or Southwest? Is the current at the edge of a river or is it as a result of tide movement? Imagine yourself trying to dock your vessel in that breeze with an adverse tide or current running. Sailboats are notorious for poor backing maneuverability. Municipal type marinas are often built wherever they could find cheap land or on a town or city’s waterfront where current, wakes and crime sometimes exist. 





Speaking of tides.. What is the water depth in the approach to the marina and at dockside? I had to plow through a foot of mud almost every time I went out and came back when “Brilliant Cut” was stored in her first marina. 





What about bridges that stand in the way of going out? Are they Swing, Bascule or Fixed? Fixed bridges can be especially problematic if your mast height is 65 feet and the MLW (Mean Low Water) bridge clearance is only 45 feet. “Movable” bridges have opening schedules. The State and some local towns and Counties can get very creative with these schedules so that you will constantly stay confused about when they might be opened.





Alfred Cunningham Bridge
Trent and Neuse River Confluence at New Bern Grand Marina





At the marina, notice the condition of the docks and other resident’s boats. Are they clean, and in good repair? Is junk allowed to accumulate on the boats or on the docks? Look at how the boats are secured. Do they have lines of adequate length and condition? Are the docks “floating” or fixed? Floating docks are especially important in areas of astronomical or wind-driven tide. It will make a huge difference in how you board, disembark and the amount of time and attention you have to give to how the boat is tied up.





Neighbors.. Gotta Love ’em.





Do not be fooled into thinking that someone’s net worth is in any way related to how nice or terrible their boat looks to the eye. One mark of a neighbor’s habits is how clean, tidy and “squared away” their boat is. Remember. You’ll be living only about 10 feet away.  Going down on a visit to your prospective marina for a weekend, during boating season is best. Maybe your neighbor throws parties well into the evening, ignoring the “quiet-time” hours and has the most annoyingly loud cackle of a laugh that you can imagine. They might like their music to be played at such a high volume that EVERYONE IN THE MARINA can enjoy it. Believe me, this has nothing to do with age, either. It is rare that live aboards are a source of this. Rather, it most likely will originate from “Weekenders” that come down and need to just “blow-off” a little stress from their past work week.










Talking to Marina residents will often shed a lot of light on these and other things you haven’t even thought of. Then later, stop by and talk to the Marina Management (if you can find them). They might be out on the dock, pounding nails or emptying someone’s holding tank so grab a beer or a coffee and wait. Find out who the marina owner is and where they are located. (Many large marinas these days are owned and operated by investment groups located far, far away.) After these conversations, you will no doubt come away with knowledge about the level of professionalism you can expect,  how the Marina is managed and how approachable the staff is. Ask for a brochure or application that outlines the marina’s policies and rates on living there. Many Marinas maintain a website where you may find a lot of information.  Some marinas have online or Facebook “Groups” that are helpful in determining the overall “happiness factor” of the residents you are about to call neighbors. It’s unavoidable that you will most likely find a “Grumpy-Gus” here and there. Take it for what it is. Some people just feel more comfortable courting drama wherever it is that they go.





Don’t just rely on “scuttlebutt” (gossip) to get your answers. Every sailor has an opinion on most everything and that kind of advice is worth exactly what it costs. 





I hope I’ve covered a few things that might help. As you can see, some of the considerations are not that much different than living “on the dirt”.





 Of course, there is much more to this and the correct answers for you are as varied as there are different kinds of boats and the people who live on them. But don’t allow yourself to be intimidated by what you don’t know. We were all there once upon a time.





One last thing to remember. If you change your mind, make a mistake or don’t like something after you’ve been there a little while,  You can always unplug, just “sail away” and move!  Quite easily in fact.





Coquina Harbor During a Rainstorm
Little River, SC
May, 2019





Hold Fast. And Stay tuned… Next.. Living on the “Hook”





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Getting Aboard
						

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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.