Finding YouTube sailing channels
When we first decided to cash in all our chips to sail the world, we googled sailing schools. Then for some unknown reason, we googled sailing on youtube. We couldn’t believe it when we found there were people sailing around the world already… AND they were documenting their adventure! What!?
This was when Delos was bigger than La Vagabond, Chase the Story was breaking out, and the Wynns just got their boat. A lot has changed since then…
So we started planning and building what we thought was going to be our new project. Made a kickass logo, got some trademarks and got the equipment. We were all in.
Well…
Fast forward three years, Sea Odyssey sets sail. In that time, we saw countless new sailing channels appear and some disappear.
Fast forward two more years, Sea Odyssey sails 2 years. Still more sailing channels appeared and disappeared.
So here we are. Five years ago, we had a dream and
haven’t.
done.
a.
thing.
Why have we waited so long?
The biggest hurdle was ~ it didn’t feel right.
After seeing so many other sailboats doing the same, what could we offer?
Plus, this isn’t a vacation but it is supposed to be a simpler life. Not a life free from work, but a simpler life. One that doesn’t require a 40-hour work week in front of a computer. That was one of the things we wanted to change in our lives! Turns out it takes damn near 40 hours to put a YouTube channel together. UGH!
IDK, had we just started it, it wouldn’t have been fun, it wouldn’t have been authentic. It just didn’t feel right.
So what changed?
We did.
It wasn’t until Turkey that we found true value. We were looking around and wishing everyone could see this and experience this.
All a sudden, literally bam!, it finally hit home…
Some people, actually I bet a lot of people, will never see Turkey and meet its great people… and they should! They are beauty-full! We wanted to bring the Turkish people to all the people. That’s when Matt and I realized we are having a ‘unique’ experience and it is one to be shared.
In fact, there were many things we could offer if someone was curious. This is a journey around the world for the purpose to experience it, not for the miles. Think of all the things we will do and people we will meet. How interesting! We should share it!! Duhhh!!
So we began to see the value in videos.
It can’t be about the $$$
At the end of the day, this isn’t a great get rich scheme, although there are some big winners. With all the work hours involved to produce videos, it is something you just have to enjoy. If we don’t enjoy it, it isn’t worth it.
That’s why it took so long to get started. Effort versus reward. The effort far exceeded the reward. Finding the value for us has made all the difference. Now that it feels right, that reward isn’t the motivation.
About YouTube monetization, how it works
In order to begin to get paid by YouTube, each channel must have at least a 1000 subscribers and 4000 hours of watch time within a year. Once that is achieved, YouTube pays the creators, $.01 to $.03 per ad view. You know that annoying advert box everybody hurries to close in order to see the video or that skip ad button after the minimum of seconds, yeah that.
Factors that affect payout are total number of views, number of clicks on ads, adblockers, and video length.
Of the amount earned and after YouTube takes its cut, the creator takes home about 68%. Then taxes of course. It ain’t great, but it is something.
But if it ain’t great, why do it?
The real reward, of course!
It’s an adventure… one that can inspire someone, somewhere to give an alternative lifestyle a try.  When we watched the videos of other people living and sailing full time, we were so happy to hear it was even possible. It’s already been done! We weren’t crazy! We could do this… you can do this.
We really feel lucky. We think of our ill loved ones or any person with illness who will never be able to experience such an adventure. We think of the people who can’t go due to circumstance or willingness.
We can bring a unique story into homes that anyone curious can join and enjoy, kinda like a movie, but more personable. YouTube has a great platform for viewer discussion with the creators through the Community tab, check it out, or just with comments really. We are able to create a community around what we are doing. How awesome for people to have the chance to ask questions or become virtual friends. It’s really great.
In the meantime, we can build a lasting chronicle of our whole adventure to look back on. Umm, yes! This is our lives we are living, nonfiction guys! Totally cool. Besides, who wouldn’t want a soundtrack in the background of the coolest parts of their life?! Come on!
The cherry to all of this is maybe a little cha-ching in our pockets, not even a production company’s pocket. What we have learned on how to make ends meet while underway is you have to pull a little from a few different pots. Hopefully, then you will have enough to make it all work. This will only help.
The way we see it, it’s a win all the way around. Catch our drift? yep, stuck it in there ;o)
How you can help
Watch the whole video is big. Liking, commenting, and sharing help videos get higher up in viewer circulation. Also big. The more people view and comment, the more YouTube feels the video was enjoyed. The more the video was enjoyed, the more it will be recommended to other viewers with the same interests.
From there, if you watch the adverts, that would be an awesome way to help. If you should happen to see an ad that interests you, dude, click on it! Don’t be shy. That’s a huge help.
There are other ways you can, what I call, passively donate.
If you are wondering what is the deal with
affiliate links, promos, & sponsorships ~
What our channel will be about
Matt and I are called “cruisers.” We cruise. Speed is not our primary goal but efficiency is, although not to the point of interfering with comfort and joy to a great extent. When things are perfect, we take our time moving from one place to the next via our sailboat and enjoy a lovely sail to our next lovely destination.
Things are never perfect tho are they… and so the adventure begins. There are so many factors to consider. A quick, fun read on the reality of sailing → here, and that is only managing the basics. You can’t even imagine how different life is… because how can you imagine everything from the smallest detail being different? AND THEN, you have to learn it all over again in the next country!  It’s pretty intense.  Not a life for everyone but one for us.
I guess the main focus is going to be about that life.
The full picture ~
It will be about the sailing it took to get ‘there’ and all the boat life and maintenance it takes to make it all work. It will be about exploring the history, the streets, lands and waters, and how we make our way around. It will be about experiencing the people and how they live, the people we meet and their lives, the foods and what they are listening to, what they are doing, and whatever else I am missing atm. Just everything.
The goal is to bring all this to you, so you can see what’s going on in the world, albeit just a small part of it, but the world as we happen to go through it.
…the journey through our life.
Sounds pretty epic now that I think about it, omg… where’s the music! Hopefully, we can pull it off, lol!
Catch our Drift?
Don’t forget to show your support ~ like, comment, and share!
It’s a thing.
~ TIP We recommend you hit the bell to receive notifications when we post a video because we won’t be on a regular schedule… and I’m sure you wouldn’t want to miss anything. Hmmm?
Here is what we are using in our YouTube videos. We love and obviously would definitely recommend…