As part of our SAILfeed get-to-know-the-bloggers series, I decided to chat next with “The Mariner.” SAILfeed.com is our blogging site made up of some of the industry’s most interesting sailors. They regularly contribute their thoughts and opinions on all things sailing, including news, their adventures at sea and boat repair.
Meet The Mariner, and follow him on SAILfeed!
SAIL: You blog as The “Mysterious” Mariner, so we have to ask: why so mysterious?
Mariner: Well, I have found that nothing but trouble can come of having people know who you are and what you are up to. And there is the small matter of outstanding warrants…
Do you want to give your readers any hints about your identity?
Play “I Am The Walrus” backwards, and it will be revealed…
I would also like to point out that the photo of you on Sailfeed.com looks suspiciously like a movie still. You’re bare-chested, wielding a spear. Is this photoshopped?
Of course not; I have worked very hard to look like Kevin Costner, and you never know when you might need a spear. It is a highly underrated piece of gear.
Your posts run the gamut from racing news stories—like your updates on the Volvo Ocean Race—to general sailing interest stories and fun videos. There’s always something exciting about the stories you follow. How do you decide what to post?
It’s more like how do I decide what NOT to post. Sailing is an incredible sport that constantly produces great stories and media. There is always something surprising and interesting going on, and the oceans are endlessly fascinating—at least to me. So I pretty much post whatever grabs my attention and hope the readers agree.
Who are your most trusted sailing news sources online or in print?
I scan all the usual suspects—SAIL, Sailing World, Sailing Anarchy, The Daily Sail, among others. But the best source of great sailing stories is the wealth of personal websites that so many sailors maintain. I scoop them up by the dozen in my Google Reader, and that allows me to follow more than 100 websites and blogs that are devoted to sailing and the oceans.
What type of sailing do you personally enjoy?
I love all kinds of sailing, and have done everything from race dinghies to sail across the Atlantic on a big cat. Each type of sailing has its own rewards, but for sheer mental and emotional thrills I think racing in a one-design fleet cannot be beat.
What kind of reader would most enjoy your blog?
Any reader who is slightly ADD and loves to see links, video and photos from any corner of the sport of sailing. I do not try to interpret the material I post too much for readers, or write long posts. Instead, I like to publish lots of different stories as a way of giving readers a constantly updated snapshot of all the cool and interesting things that might be going on in the sport at any given moment. And if I can surprise readers, or find something that really thrills or fascinates them, at least once a day, then I will be happy.
