Riley's Solo Sail Series (exclusive playlist)

I recon patreons/fans shouldn't expect to be welcomed at anytime. Although there is a relationship between us and yourselves it's through your videos at a distance and as you guys come across (and probably are) very chilled friendly people I guess a sense of trust develops from the audience end and then an expectation of reciprocation, which I think is misguided - meeting or knowing people face to face is obviously completely different. Financial support from patrons is a trade for the content you make, If I bump into you thats cool if not thanks for the vids!! (not taking a dig at the swimming couple)

What song was that in the last 30 seconds of your video? Love that guitar!

🖖🏼

reading Catch-22?. Have you finished it yet?

Riley......Please invest in a harness and tie yourself to the boat duting future solo sails......you fall overobard and you are dead.

Excellent set of videos. Different vibe and information. Interesting to hear about the relationship with the Boat Builder.

Enjoyed binge watching them!!! Thanks for sharing your thoughts and journey:)

Enjoyed these episodes tremendously. Exciting to see some of the spots you visited ... and me saying "I've been their too". Thank you for sharing your journey.

Re your question about education my advice is: don't panic. You are both intelligent, capable, literate people who are curious about the world, and by taking Lenny to multiple countries, teaching him to sail, and to catch his own food, he will have an education like no other. One thing to be prepared for with the newer generations: they don't need literacy as early as we needed to. We needed literacy if we wanted further education (via books), but this generation are able to use voice recognition and access multiple media such as apps and YouTube. So don't panic if your kids don't become fluent until they're over the age of 8yo. They're still learning, just not the traditional way, and they will eventually learn to read as it becomes more relevant in their lives. (Finland doesn't start schooling, let alone reading, until age 7 and they have one of the best education systems in the world). For us, we chose unschooling when my first baby was 6mths old (he's 11 now). When I first heard that term my knee-jerk reaction was "nah, I don't want my kids to be dumb" - I laugh at that now! I kept an open mind, looked into it, and was absolutely sold on the philosophy. Travel is also central to our education and we just spent 18mths backpacking SEA and Europe and we're about to take off again. You've got this. - Linn

Well safety is important ofcourse but i think it depends on certain things how “strict” you should be. I guess first of all, in what country are you? If you’re in a “dangerous” country it would be better to be extra alert but i think if you’re in a place like the bahamas and a patron stops by or just a follower i dont see the problem of having them pass by, unless your having like some kind of family time i guess. on a side note.. I JUST GOT MY NEW La Vagabonde SHIRT 😬😬 love it! I Will proudly be showing it off 😬 take care guys!

SAFETY IS YOUR #1 PRIORITY !!!! First thing keep a spearfish gun handy! # 2: make them strip off their swimsuits before coming on your boat. Naked people are less likely try to boat jack you. ( and if it a girl as hot as this one send me copies of all cameras footage for inspection ( strictly for professional purposes) have the female handcuff her boyfriend before she comes aboard. As he is handcuffed and treading water search the female thoroughly ! Or better yet hire me to be your security officer. Yeah that’s the ticket.

We are new patreons from Perth and have set our alarm for 6.00am Friday morning to watch the live. Our family of six are all keen boaties and love watching your videos. We have always had motorboats and are learning so much about sailing from you guys. We have a catamaran photo on our vision board for a while now. We are loving being able to view the new videos early since becoming patreons.

I really enjoyed the single-handed videos! Although I would love to know more about tip/tricks/specifics of being on your own.... such as: 1) would you feel comfortable sleeping for more than just 15min; 2) how do you reef the main, upwind but just off the wind, or have you found a way to reef downwind? 3) you mentioned alarms, which do you set? wind speed? what B&G auto-pilot alarm tells you it is "overpowered"? radar? AIS?

From what I understand the boat is your house may not be bricks and mortar but a home none the less. I never just rock up to my mates house without a call first to check if it is ok to visit. You do have a radio so if a patreon does want to visit then they can call first to arrange a meet up. Personally if people don't I would be rather pissed off especially if they just jumped up on board. My mates and family know never to just walk into my house until I open the door and invite them. Safety aside it is about being polite.

Fwiw re security, you naturally will be more protective when a baby is around. That’s cool. Everyone should understand its nor the same as before. But its all a question of degree and only you and your instincts will be able to say when is cool and when isn’t. I hope all patreons and followers would be able to respect those boundaries.

Well you asked Riley, so here is my perspective. Safety at sea - ever noticed how quickly you sail away from something? If you were to fall in, then La Vagabond would be out of sight in minutes, and you have the job of finding somewhere to swim to - if there is somewhere swimmable. And you have Elayna, and Lenny potentially losing you. At least a lifejacket with PIRB attached gives you a fighting chance. As to letting people on board - intentionally or not. I am thinking of the scene with you at night in the rain, inside with audio playing. If someone was to decide to board, you would not be aware of it until they were on board. At night, I would be locked up (hatches can still be open as long as they are not man-sized). No doubt where you are is safe, but is anywhere safe? Some years ago, a couple were asleep on their yacht in Sydney harbour and in the wee hours had a trespasser who knocked off a dinghy, rowed out and boarded them. He was somewhat drunk and once they were awake, they managed to fend him off, but …. If it can happen in Sydney Harbour, it can happen anywhere. In reference to people who you see coming towards you, then as you did this time, you suss them out, decide if they are friend or foe (you are well savy enough :), and take it from there, but I would always have defences tucked here and there, and plans just in case. As you guys did when you had that issue out in the middle of nowhere, and Elayna went into the pre-arranged hidey hole. In summary, Karen and I have a rule - when we are sailing, we put on our jackets. At night we clip on, and don't go onto the foredeck if the other is sleeping. The worst nightmare is the other waking and finding they are the only ones on board. Did it happen just then, did it happen half an hour ago - or longer? When we were crossing from Sardinia to North Africa, around 03:00 I went below to use the heads. That must have woken Karen. She got up, went into the cockpit and all I heard was my name being screamed out. I was nowhere to be seen of course. She was so relieved to see me come up from below, I can tell you !. So don't think of yourself, think of the family you may leave behind. Lecture over (and you did ask :).

Regarding your question about how to deal with patrons after the baby comes, here's the short answer: stay in the present moment, and always be kind if possible. It is always possible to be kind. Love you both so much and am so happy to be one of your patrons!

The playlist idea is awesome! You guys are the best :)

it would be good to still have an open format for the boat, an patreons, but I think I'd wait a few months, til Lenny is about 4 - 6 months, then socialize, I would be under the impression that the sailing community as a whole, and your patreons should be a very trustworthy bunch.

I Just binged watched them all last night! Great Stuff Riley and Elayna with the edits I'm sure. Yeah case by case basis with the instincts. but yeah penalty flag if life gets invasive would work for sure. Patreons=money given to you out of there pockets soooo. If it were I I would flip over backwards to have them onboard for atleast a friendly handshake. but yeah you know alllllll that and prove it all the time. Love the solo sails Riley. Now I gotta go back to the 7 eps and make sure I clicked the liked button :) cheers capn

Keep an open hatch concept, it makes you real. Obviously if you now them through your Patreon they should be legit. The sailing community is not large and you have enough common sense to know when somebody needs 'to go'.

do you ever go on deck at night without a life jacket - I have never seen one!

Finally got all the solo's in - fabulous! Never comes close but I'm sure wheb=n Alayna & Lenny got aboard, life will change & ur vids will be the most exciring ones while u sail on the sea! Can't wait. U were so close to Myrtle Beach while in Charleston. We drive down many times for lunch & to take in the history. Come back soon. Gr8 Patrons that drove just to get a glimpse & end up having a gr8 dinner. LOVE U ALL!! Luv' ya!

Finally got to finish watching ur vid & reading through the comments which I find adds to my joy of following u all in ur adventures. Love the sailing, sea, boat shots, sounds & views of the LaVagabonde & ocean! Keeps me smiling. Not sure about the random guests. For sure if u know them asking them in is fine just like inviting neighbors in for a chat & drink. Strangers, not so much but I guess it depends where u r & what u r doing at the time. Keep sailing, love the sights & sounds & also all the comments I can read. Luv 'ya!

I like Carolyn's comments. My concern would be illness. It's a fine line between letting him be exposed to germs so his immune system develops but with stangers I'd be very careful. You're often not close to good pediatric care. Having said all this you guys really have good heads on your shoulders and I don't think you can really have many hard and fast rules. Your best judgment ​at the moment will guide you. Just don't be so polite that you can't say no to people. Most will understand and those that don't aren't worth your time. I'm sorry if ​this isn't much help. I will say that your openness to asking for ideas is a real sign of how good you two will be as parents. Enjoy this time, they grow so fast you won't believe it.

Matthew B. Well summed up. Ditto.

When I was a new Mom, everyone thought that it was fine to put a note on the door ‘Baby Sleeping’. I found cuddle time SO rewarding that I would hate to see you lose that with ‘drop in guests’. Kinda decide on ‘open hours’. Scheduled visits are different, but no Patron would have a problem respecting a flag, or, at the very least, not before 10am and no guests after 4pm. Regardless, no strangers. Keep those meetings to a public place. Safety First!

Tough call on the safety and social part and would mostly have to rely on instincts. I don't think this has much to do with actual safety from sinister people (pirates) as they're going to do what they set out to do no matter how inviting or protective you are. It’s more a social and privacy concern that’s due to your popularity - when and where do you draw the line. Part of sailing is meeting interesting people from all over the world, which you've embraced and done in spades, so to keep the door closed would seem opposite that mindset. I think you did the right thing with that couple, even if it were you, Elayna, & Lenny in that circumstance, especially since it's a guy and a girl just swimming that identified themselves as Patreons you were familiar with. Honestly I'd be a little sad as a fan and Patreon to feel like an inconvenience or annoyance to say a quick hello in the incredibly unlikely circumstance I came across you guys in the wild like them. I would NOT however, expect to hang out for hours unless you expressly suggested it. Might just be the price you pay for the sort of celebrity and lifestyle you've created for yourselves via this mechanism. The flag seems like a great idea if your supporter base continues to grow and you find the random interruptions too frequent. I know I would certainly honor that as I'm sure most all your fans and supporters would as well. I would never, ever want to disturb you guys if you had the "do not disturb" flag waiving because you were busy or needed your private time (I’d want my company to be a pleasure, not a burden).

Hard question to answer, majority of people are good in this world, you have managed to get by so far using good judgement & falling in with the right like minded people..Ryley you are now most probably celebrity status by YouTube standards & known through social media, this puts you into perhaps a more vulnerable & envied position in life, you no longer have privacy in many ways, not just through binoculars or videos.. I personally would protect your space & invite only people you know right now. You have a mother of a child & a child to protect, especially with Lenny so young & you all need to get into a rhythm of a new life on board.. Most good hearted Patreon’s will agree, especially if their parents... Do some meet & greets off the boat in a safe environment, chats at chosen yacht clubs etc, I’d say keep the cat as your sanctuary & safe haven... one incident on board could change everything & most of all Elayna as a mother will need to feel safe & not violated where she would want to leave permanently.. hope I’ve helped, I wouldn’t even go down the flag route, anyone could just arrive, knowing this, your not a tour boat, just wave, smile as you’ve always done.. it doesn’t mean your arrogant, rude, your just protecting your loved ones & lively hood... sail safe... Kristen 🇦🇺🐨⛵️

Great edit ,i think as they were swimmers and it was not a bunch of blokes tearing up on you in a tender it was ok . If you did not want to be social you could of just said hi and thanks

Looks like you had another great solo experience. You covered some really cool topics. I noticed one thing. Are you sailing using your hand tiller more lately or...because I think it is a really cool option? Is it direct steering? I've heard with Cat's you don't really feel the helm. Do you feel more with the tiller? Thanks!

Re: schooling. I like the Rudy Steiner/PaloAlto/Sadhguru idea which loosely is: fun and games, arts and crafts, fine motor skills development until roughly 6-7, and then reading, writing, arithmetic, music and art, and bare minimum of screen time. Also, he will pick up sailing, charting, cooking, maintenance, fishing. All these things are waay more than a lot of kids in Western Society today get to learn. And he will be learning every day, not like taking sailing classes. Learning a few things, in depth, to the level he will naturally pick up from you both, and getting to be with you both everyday will be great for him, intellectually and emotionally. I think you would enjoy the Rudy Steiner books on education.

Hi Riley, I am fresh from listening to a sad story about a mother who will not allow her children out of the back yard, home school, the whole lot. I grew up taking risks, and have lived a fuller life for doing so. It is so easy to turn your face against the world, but so rewarding to not do so. Just two weeks ago I trusted a cab driver in St. Vincent with a fare in advance. He could have just not pitched, but I trusted him, and he found me, right on time. Dave

1 mile swim - nicely done Steve! Hope you guys had fun on your cruise! Awesome that you guys had a wicked afternoon & I'm sure most of us would have wanted to come say hi as well. I like what Jesse said above... making spontaneous friends is what it's all about! To your point Riley... now that you're in and out of Florida & you have Lenny I don't think it's at all unreasonable for you guys to have some sort of policy! It can't be easy now that you guys get recognized... you probably would feel bad to tell people to bugger off when they love your show and want to meet you and say hi, but then again being forced to be polite when maybe they've caught you while you're trying to have family time could be an awkward situation... Even just - "if you see us/are in the area and want to stop by, shoot us a message!" The flag thing could also be a good idea... a "welcome" flag of some sort... either way I know we'd all understand!

Enjoying this series immensely - well done Riley!

Well done! I'm hoping for more sing-alongs, air drums and air guitar in the future!

There must be some 'best practice' strategies for boat security, plus you guy's are very focus, so your intuition should steer you in the right direction, it's probably a balance of extremes. Liked your first phone conversation, so is it true, 'absence makes the heart grow fonder'? Enjoyed being a virtual passenger with you Riley, it definitely shows the experience/skills you've acquired, and were the saying, 'it's not just smooth sailing' comes from, cheers dude, thanks mate! :-)

I’m just another Vaga-binger! Great job filming, Riley. Excellent editing, Elayna!

Also to continue the above comment, it wasn't a blatant sprint to the boat. The cove we were in was beautiful, we had the beach to ourselves and we were snorkeling as well. The circumstance was all by chance, the direction we swam was intention, and the outcome was really awesome! Thanks again!! Now to actually answer your question Riley, YES, I think a flag would be a very polite way to let people know it is okay to come say hi. I would have never swam out there knowing you Elayna and Lenny were onboard. I'm sure a good bit of patreons and supporters would be more than thrilled to recognize a flag that welcomes people to come say hi!

Respect the uggs riley

Sorry, keep pressing the return button in error! ...... in the UK. But I am compelled to respond when considering matters of personal safety of you and your very precious loved ones. A far too serious matter to rely purely on instincts and fanciful ideas that Everyone you meet will treat you with love and kindness. There are evil people out there that will take every opportunity to take advantage of you. I don’t wish to dramatise but Riley, you must appreciate your vulnerability when sailing off shore in the Caribbean. Modern day pirates are a real threat and I have personal knowledge of horrendous criminal gangs that have operated in pirating privately owned yachts. This is not the place to go into details but I could point you in the direction of police reports from the DEA that would allow you to make an informed judgement. Be careful out there, we love what you are doing and want you to continue this amazing adventure but please stay safe.

Wow,!,,! Talk about putting the cat amongst the pigeons, as we say in that UU

Wow,

Just loved this playlist and couldn’t help but watch all videos in one day! Makes me want to go for a solo sail myself soon again!! Keep on the great work, you guys make great videos and they still get better and better! Beautiful slow motion shots in these videos, showing the movement of the ocean..an image every sailor loves and it never gets old!

PS I would love to see a Sailing La Vagabonde penant or full sized flag flying off the back of your vessel.

Like Andrew Jester, I Vaga-binged this series. Awesome. Riley, you specifically asked about having people aboard. First of all, there is absolutely nothing wrong with making new friends as a matter of fact that is probably one of the most important things you can do in your life, never stop doing it! Friends will support you, defend you and laugh with you. Your patrons definitely support you, I think most would defend you in a heartbeat and we all laugh with you. The more friends you make as you travel around the better off you will be! Don' t ever be hesitant to make friends. Of course there are those that will be evilly intended. Spot them and keep them at a distance but understand them and have love for them nonetheless.

Thats why I think that some cannot distinguish between public and privat parts of your life. I think it's not ok to just swim up and expect to be able to enter your private world. But honestly I do not know how to tell that to a fan without hurting feelings...

Another great contribution - Thanks for sharing!.I guess being famous has it downsides too. We see what you share but we do not see what you keep private.

Alistai McRae

Alistair McRae

Hi Riley, always love the single handed sailing videos. I have a Farrier 31 tri which I quite often cruise single handed around Tasmanian waters, l love the sense of achievement I feel being on the water out in the environment with someone I love my boat Bubbalui. The people stuff is tricky, you want be approachable but you also want to safe. Hopefully because of the way you guys have presented the whole La Vagabonde project with openess and honesty people will show the same respect and approach you and your family

You did the right thing in this case. You trusted your intuition. And folks that swim more than a mile to get to your boat are very likely to be harmless IMHO...

Hey Riley,

for a sailor who has never sailed "blue water" I love every off shore video. Thanks for keeping them coming.

Just Vaga-binged the playlist. So much appreciation for what you guys do.

Hi Riley. Great videos and love what you guys are doing. Truly awesome! But you must be cautious about inviting ‘casual’ unscheduled guests on board. I am sure all your patrons will understand the reasons for this. To be brutally honest it is totally inappropriate to swim out to a boat expecting to be invited on board. It puts you in a very awkward position and could be incredibly embarrassing. As your popularity increases it is important that patrons respect your private space. Many are in awe of what you are doing as am I, but that doesn’t give me the right to make assumptions about your right of privacy. It just comes down to very old fashioned courtesy, which perhaps is not fashionable in today’s media mad world.

Hi Riley. Love your videos. Awesome job filming your single-handed adventures by the way. As far as kid(s) go, my mother told me that "everything will change, and yet nothing will". I didn't quite understand what she meant but having raised two boys now and having been actively engaged in big adventures as they grew up, I now know what she was trying to tell me. You can only protect them so much. I think it is better to your kid(s) be free of fear and trepidation in meeting new people rather than to burden them with fear and anxiety. YOU however will be go crazy worrying on Lenny's behalf. My biggest advice is to "take it as it comes and enjoy enjoy enjoy the ride ... they grow up so fast"!

I'm watching them in small bites; delayed gratification - the mark of a sailor? As for visitors: Sailboat cruising provides: immersion into nature far beyond your control, self sufficiency, trial and reward, and membership to the community that shares those values. Yours is a special case in that people don't generally swim a mile to get to the back of my boat and with celebrity comes this problem, in some respects it is a good problem. I don't see it so much as a danger as an intrusion. You are not providing a live feed and most of the time the cameras are off. Solitude is another cruising benefit. Your challenge, which may change from day to day, will be finding the middle ground between blowing someone off and giving them a tour of the boat. Meeting you at the transom for a brief conversation is probably a minimum ‘good enough’ as opposed to a red no visitors flag or a welcome mat. Understand that meeting you in person is a big deal but, a patron wants you to meet them and know a bit of their story as well to complete the community.

Well, given that you both (now three) have come this far, made good to excellent decisions along the way and are now single sailing a twin hull, you will be able to make the best decision about what to do regarding visits as well as with the little fella. Enjoying the solo series as well.

Awesome videos, love the change of pace. I feel privileged to be brought into your journey once a week or so. A set of videos like this is a real treat. I feel like you have to decide on your work/life balance. That being said, I feel like that flag may be a bad idea. You guys are so kind that if you had the welcome flag out and someone showed up you would probably feel obligated to invite them onboard even if it didn’t feel right. No one should ever feel entitled to a tour of your home and if they do it’s probably a good sign to keep them off of your boat. If I saw you, I would want to say hi because I know what a great family you have but I would understand if you had other things you on that day or you just didn’t feel like having company that day. In the end it’s your call and you have to make decisions on a case by case basis.

I must get off to my parttime job but I am having a gr8 time watching & being with u in spirit! Luv 'ya!

Riles, we ran a charter boat ding day charters on Sydney Harbour for 9 years, with people on board understand that unless they actually own a boat they will have no appreciation of how much effort goes into maintaining your "home" hence they do not have the same level of respect for your boat as you do. The same can be said for your family, particularly with an infant, their schedule will be your schedule, so in the interests of keeping your sleep bank somewhere near low credit I suggest that until your small man is out of the "every 4 hours I'm hungry" phase that you minimise socialising. It all depends on your little guy, the slowest crew member sets the pace. My kids didn't mind noise at all and would sleep anywhere but not all kids are like that. In terms of security for your fam, your intuition is best, same for Elay. A few times we had bad actors on board, typical for day charters, they were warned a few times then put ashore at their cost.

Well l did enjoy that Riles it just filled in the afternoon while l was waiting on happy hour at the local (Boolarra).the all in one series was great, and sailing by yourself maybe give you too much time to think but it's all good you are a young man l've just turned 60 and you will never stop asking these question it's good for the soul to speak them out loud. and education for lenny you will do the right thing don't worry to much now.And l do live on the boat vicariously, l had to stop working in march of 2008 Giant cell tumor of the sacrum which has left me partially paralyzed from the waist down so once a very active person and now l enjoy your vids because l loved swimming and diving in the ocean and its your excitment makes me smile when l'm down a bit. So l decided to become a patron to say thank you. lots of love to pants & lenny

Great series. Thanks for capturing that solo sail so well for us. Headed down to Saint Petersburg next week for a catamaran course to prepare for some two hulled adventures. I love sailing but my wife gets seasick so hopefully this will make it easier for her. Have enjoyed learning about cats along with you the last 2 years!

Always love the videos! As far as your question on how to manage your safety with regards to your family and entertaining strangers onboard, I think as someone else said that you need to trust your instincts. You would have not enjoyed the life that you presently have anywhere near as much if you were hyper cautious about who you meet and allow close. I’m sure you can think of many opportunities that you would have regretted had you not taken the risk to meet someone. I don’t say risk as implying danger but its like love . If you don’t take the risk of falling in love you will never know love. Granted there are times that you will not know love but if you don’t put in your chips you can’t win. Get what I’m meaning ? Unfortunately there are some misguided and evil seeking people in this world and they make it hard for us to be completely free to enjoy living a life where we all get to meet each other in complete trust and freedom, but I believe that the majority of the people in the world all desire the same good things out of life. I think as a good Dad you need to share with Lenny your ability to meet and interact with other humans in a way that endears them to you and fills you with all that is good in life, whilst simultaneously teaching him to trust his instincts. I have no doubt in the ability of Lennys parents to protect him and respond to the first sign of trouble in whatever way is necessary but he is already a special lucky boy in that he is growing up in such an awesome environment with such awesome parents that will teach him to have such a happy and unique perspective on the world around him. My two cents.

Great vid! As a fan of the Vaga, you gotta protect your family!! Make sure to create boundaries. The Vaga is now a home where youll be raising Lenny! It's important to teach privacy and have that personal time. A Welcome Flag sounds like a great idea!

Hey guys, this was awesome format. Lot of sailing people put out longer videos every week than just 12-15 min. I watched all this in one shot and really enjoyed it. It's like telling the whole story in one take but broken down if you don't have time. It does get old after a while if you have to wait a week or more for 15 min update. I think you could do the same updates once a week as usual but also take additional content you have and make short film (30 -40 min or less) or series like this one about particular sailing destination, journey there, history, decision why to go there, meeting new people along the way, family update with Lenny, new every day challenges on the boat with Lenny, how things have changed, throw in old clips from old Vaga, compare old life/clips with new ones 4 years later, try new food, new things to do, places to go, etc. Just play with it all, to do something like Riley did on this solo in series and publish it once a month or so. I think one story a month or so can be doable. What do you think?

I’m a Patreon so I can see how y’all react to situations. I wouldn’t want you reacting as I would. lol

i wouldn't expect you to invite me on board. But it won't stop me from swimming out to say hello and trouble thank you for sharing your life .

Thanks for another excellent video. Never feel obligated to invite people on board, it's your home. That said, you were lonely and karma delivered to you just what you needed. I've swum out to other boats simply to tell the owners how much I liked their boat, or to ask what kind it was. Sometimes I bring cruisers the food I have leftover after a weeks charter. I've never expected an invite aboard, and even as a patreon

Really appreciated your thoughts on crowd funding. It's such a great way for people to show their appreciation for your content. I've been watching for 3-4 years now and I have to say the improvement in the quality of your videos has really been extraordinary, particularly for creators who as you acknowledge are not professional documentar film makers. Keep up the great work and congratulations on Lenny!

Trust your instincts . . . they've carried the three of you this far.

I’ve been waiting for this release! Great job! Couldn’t help myself - binged out on the whole playlist. I’m not going to reiterate the same comments as above on privacy and visits aboard. I think you’ve already gotten some pretty sound advice from your tribe. As always, thanks for sharing your adventures! Cheers.

To answer your question regarding safety on board, you're spot on mate. If someone came to my front door at home, I'd do as most everybody else does, gauge whether it's safe to let them in, or whether they even need to come inside at all.

I def just binge watched the entire playlist 😂

Comment 1) You are responsible for everybody who comes aboard. I hope you continue to allow others to visit. Any rule or mechanism is going to stop the people you most likely want to talk to. 2) My sons were home schooled, public school actually made them do worse on tests. Focus and discipline are the things that make it work or not. 3)) You have come a long way in your discussion of new and used boats. 4) Apparently catamarans move around in a sea state :) 5) What iOS or other app do you suggest for doing free dive tables? 6) I too arrived at Charleston as a single handler. My trip was a lot shorter. We stayed on the mega dock for 5 days and headed south to Ft Lauderdale. Enjoyed.

I have a daughter and although I agree with most people that you have to trust your instincts in the moment. Your initial feelings could change after they are aboard. Yes we live vicariously through you two now three and you make your living on your “fame” and lifestyle; but that's doesn't mean you have to sacrifice your privacy. You don’t owe it to every viewer or Patreon access to your home any time. I don’t think any rational person would hold it against you if decided to pre arrange boat tours. I know it’s been hard for me with a newborn to find balance between being reasonable and safe or living in a prison of fear. I think it takes time to find the balance between being overly cautious and allowing your child to learn my making their own mistakes.

Your boat is your home. And whether on land or sea a home is your personal space to invite visitors or not. This becomes more sensitive with a baby at home. Say hi at the "door" even chat a bit but limit tours into the family space. I know that's what I'd expect if I rang your door bell. Now, with that said, thx for the great vids and for sharing your home with us.

I saw this recently “ Happiness is amazing, it’s so amazing it doesn’t matter if it’s yours or not“ your encounter brought it to mind. So I can’t give advice on what to do, other than how cool to be a sort of spontaneous generator of happiness!

That guy was really putting himself out there by swimming over. A little bold. I guess he didn't have a boat and a radio, so it was his only option... I can't imagine anyone who recognizes you guys is actually going to do you harm, though, Riley. If you'd rather have privacy you can just tell people that.

As far as trying to control who/how people come on board... Nefarious individuals or people wanting to cause you harm are not likely to be polite about it. I think you are special people and karma or whatever you want to call it; are watching over you guys. I say follow you 'gut'; you'll know

You're really getting into the discussion of how should famous people handle being out in public, in your own specific case. Your fame is what provides your lifestyle, but it also may slightly restrict your freedom. You're right to be thinking about how to create a good relationship with these sorts of things; because at this point they're inevitable and will only get more frequent in occurrence. If it were me, I'd just engage it case-by-case. If you're in the mood, great. If you aren't in the mood, surely your follower will respect that.

To answer your question: Remember, maritime etiquette, "people don't ever board without asking permission to come aboard and you can by all rights say no with no guilt. With that said, people who know that rule are probably cool and part of the sailing community already. And people who bother you on the dock you can take the opportunity to educate them and gauge it by that conversation i guess.

Riles; you did the exact right thing. You can't have a "standard protocol" that applies in all cases. You recognized his name; so what the Heck, come on board! If you didn't, ask a question or two and you'll get your answer. 9 times out of 10 when "a couple" swims a mile to engage with you, you're gonna' be OK. Trust your instincts. Good on ya' mate...

Grouper is my favorite fish, when fresh and if it's not over cooked.

I think a no visitors flag is a great idea...if I can ignore it. :) Everyone needs their privacy at times.

Sounds like a great idea!

Yeah!.... for the first one, you should not let random people on the boat except for me :)

Hehe, Vagabinge, GOLD !!!!

Woooooo

Thanks guys. I needed a little Vagabinge.

Wooohooo, hooray for binging SLV!