Are Vloggers inspiring new sailors?

by George Day, Cruising Compass
The answer to that question may seem obvious. With literally millions of people around the world subscribing to YouTube channels posted by people on their boats who are living the cruising dream, there has to be some effect. We’ve heard stories but not seen any data.

Two years ago, I was visiting with French cat builder Outremer, who built a 45-foot cat for Sailing La Vagabonde and was told that after one of the weekly episodes, they got a phone call from a young woman in Florida who wanted to buy a new Outremer just like the one Riley and Elayna live on.

She didn’t want to see the boat and didn’t want to visit the factory, she just wanted to know where to wire the full price and when it could be delivered. She was ready to spend close to a million dollars on a boat sight unseen after watching a cruising lifestyle video.

And during the pandemic lockdowns, when a lot of folks were working from home and presumably watching cruising videos as part of their at home routines, we heard similar anecdotes from our dealer and broker friends. New sailors, informed by vloggers, were buying boats hand over fist without any previous sailing experience. Yikes. We’re wondering if this is the new normal or is this a bubble that will burst in time.

Let us know what you think about the influence of vlogging cruisers on the real world of boat ownership and the often challenging cruising lifestyle. E-mail us at george@bwsailing.com.

Editor’s note: It is not the sailors that worry us so much as the pandemic-induced power boat purchases. This “life is short” urge can become too true with inexperience on the water.