Barry Perrins - From Turntables to Ocean Adventurer
Some of you may remember Barry Perrins from his time in Norway in the mid 80s where he worked mainly in the North, however it is his iconic sailing adventures around the world ‘Adventures of an Old Seadog’ that this story is about. The switch and defining moment came when “in my 40s I didn’t really connect to playing music to 20 year olds anymore and whilst many of my peers were still behind a microphone I felt I needed new challenges.”
If you are like me you might enjoy thrilling, gripping television series on Netflix etc like ‘Breaking Bad’, ‘Vikings’ and BBC’s ‘ The Capture’. Binge-watchable. Brilliant productions, great scripts and acting, cutting edge technology producing it - but, of course, you know it is not real.
Barry’s ‘Adventures of an Old Seadog’ has made it into You Tube’s top 100 Adventure series of all time quoting ‘This is as exciting as it gets. A cruising adventure web series that is gritty, down to earth with videos, sailing singlehanded across the globe. Showing the bad as well as the good, the heartaches and triumphs of one man’s quest to living is dream’
All this is real time, filming as it happened, no green screening, no clever photoshopping, - raw, brutal and at times frightening footage. Through his filming and witty commentary, he will take you through the fascinating procedure of a small boat going through the Panama canal. You will see the actual island where the ‘Mutiny on the Bounty’ took place and why it happened. The history of the ports that Drake and Columbus made famous. The perils and survival at sea and much more.
He talks to you about the problems and dangers on board in total honesty as if you are also there sharing the suspense, and tension wondering how he will resolve this one. With over 200 videos, you will frequently hear “I’m genuinely shit scared’ and ‘What can possibly go wrong ‘(when everything is idyllic).
So, here is an Interview with Barry Perrins with extracts from his published blogs on Facebook.
One of the things I wanted to ask you, obviously you have had a passion for the sea a very long time, when did you switch from being a broadcaster to an adventurer?
Yes, well I always wanted to do sailing in my life. When I started out I wanted to do what nowadays are called media, write songs, make films and play music, then I discovered DJ’ing. I started doing gigs in England in the 70’s and a lot of international work from the North of Norway, Italy and down to Israel (Voice of Peace - see photo top left) But in my 40s I didn’t really connect to playing music to 20 year olds and whilst many of my peers were still behind a microphone I felt I needed new challenges so I took up Scuba Diving and was a diving instructor for four years in the Red Sea around the mid 90s. Then my parents passed away and I inherited their house which I sold and realised I could now do anything that I really wanted to do. I could buy a very expensive car or buy a modest boat and sail around the world. That was in 2014. I’ve always travelled and I’ve always loved to travel. My grandfather was a sailor and built his own boats.
So, Barry, tell me about your boat, what type is it?
It’s 11 metre - 36’, Van Der Stadt a steel boat, halfway between a diver’s boat and a Seatramp.
Built in 2004, I bought it from one previous owner, an Englishman, in Portimao, Portugal in 2014.
The Hull is brought up to a height that gives standing room below deck without a long coach-roof. The compact form and large area both on and below deck appeals to many sailors. The high freeboard ensures that less water comes on deck. The roomy interior offers a completely separate aft cabin which is safely reached below deck.
How have you managed to fund yourself?
I have always had an interest in IT and publishing which has changed so much over the last 15 years. From my uploading videos and blogs on You Tube I now have more than 100,000 subscribers. This platform has allowed more interaction with the community which in turn created its own business opportunity, and so it helps a lot with expenses and that sort of thing.
And You Tube changed from community put-up-a-video sharing to a business model.
Also from my Patreon account, whose vital donations have allowed me to fund the very high recurring expense of maintaining and repairing the boat, replacing faulty navigation equipment, outrageous marina charges in some ports (one mooring bill in Portimao was very frightening ) and obtaining spare parts to keep White Shadow afloat on some remote islands which can be up to 300% of mainland prices.
I’ve just read your terrible experience a week or two ago (December 2022) when you were stranded outside Australia and you had to be rescued and you were worried about having to get a new engine or very expensive repairs. Was that your most scary moment on the high seas? Pretty hairy, wasn’t it?
It was, but out of that frightening experience which I uploaded I raised a lot of donations from the community so that made me feel very good. Its was not the best moment in my life calling for help. It’s all about having a way out, a plan b or c, having options. My options had all run out and I needed that help. After a long hard battle in the worst weather that I’d ever experienced and with engine failure and with only 5 miles to go, I was spent.
Here is the full account Barry uploaded to his Facebook page
RESCUED AT SEA
This is the story…
All of us have things we regret or would rather forget. Mistakes bad choices or just bad luck.
Last week I was ending my long 3 week passage to Australia. I knew it would be slow as the weather had been patchy with 3 sets of doldrums and unsettled conditions. I didn’t mind and had good spirts as I neared Bundaberg. It wasn’t until I got close to land a huge storm front got picked up by my satellite system. It was blowing hard from the south and would push me off course if I didn’t get into port quickly. Nothing happens on my boat quickly so I had to have a plan. The front was huge and spread over hundreds of miles. My first plan was to escape by turning back the way I’d come to escape its path. Having done that and having re done my sums, it became obvious that I couldn’t avoid what was coming. I turned back on course to land. My weather prediction showed that there would be a lull enough for me to get into port. This turned out not to be true . . and thats when it went wrong.
Heading Southwest beating into the wind conditions got worse and became a full gale. At least 47 knots and swell off 4 metre plus,( I think it was more 5 metre plus where I was). I got in touch via radio (Pan pan) to the emergency services just to let them know that I was there and could they watch me. I fought my way close to land and prepared to start the engine to cover the final 5 miles as it would be dead into wind.
The engine wouldn’t start, the wind came up again, the seas got humongous. I got thrown across the cabin and hurt my arm. I struggled to keep control of the boat. I had 3 reefs in the mainsail but now I had to get it down as even that was too much. A frightening 20 mins later it was done but I still could not control the boat as she kept wanting to head for the reefs close to land. Had I been far out to sea I could have hung on, but that wasn’t the case. A passing fishing boat diverted to rescue me. We had a merry dance in wild weather trying in vain to get a tow rope across. The Skipper broke his arm and had to give up. Wishing me well he departed and was soon out of sight in the maelstrom. I had not slept for two days and after fighting the situation for a further . . I don’t know how long . . I was physically and mentally spent . . decided to call for help.
The Volunteer Marine Rescue service is similar to the British Offshore lifeboat service that I worked for. (RNLI in Plymouth for ten years prior to my dream of sailing around the world) They are both crewed by volunteers who in this case left the safety of dry land one a long passage though hell to reach me. I felt for them as they came 20 miles to get me. I’d drifted that far down range and there was nothing I could do.
After several hours I saw their lights approach. It was like the hand of an angel about to pull me from the jaws of hell, I then knew for the first time that I wasn’t going to die that night.
After breaking two tow ropes we managed to secure a third made from an anchor rope. I think this was now about 9 or 10 at night. Water was being forced into the boat under pressure, from waves made more powerful by being towed into them, everything was wet. Cold and tired I managed to rest a little wedged under the cockpit cover.
9 o’clock in the morning we docked. The nightmare was over.
I swore that I’d do something for those brave people who came out in the worst weather that I have ever seen to safe my life. I never ask but I’m asking you now. As ‘Volunteer rescue Bundaberg’ are not funded by the government, it relies on donations to do the lifesaving work it does. I want to say thank you to them by raising a little money.
I'd like to thank the skipper and his wife of the fishing boat that came to assist and the risks that they took to do so. I will catch up with them after the weekend to thank them face to face. But most of all a HUGE thank you to the crew and personnel at Bundaburg volunteer rescue for their outstanding work in saving my pommy arse. Went to see them today but just missed them. Hope to see them later. Meantime dropped off some refreshments at the boathouse.
I’m still a bit banged up with a sore arm after being thrown across the cabin. A few cuts and stiff joints but mostly exhausted.
Met some viewers of the channel who have helped me out today and finally got my internet connections sorted.
(Diary account back then…)
Monday I'll start thinking of my next plan and how or ‘if’ to fix the engine.
Thank you to all for your concern.
Big thank you to Dave Milford (Plymouth RNLI) for being my Eyes on shore and watching my back. Thanks to Cuz Malcolm for also being on the team with his sailing knowledge put into the mix. Sorry to Tina (sister) for putting her though a worrying and stressful time.
Wed 8th dec.22 The river I’m on is fast flowing and brown. It also has Bull Sharks in it. I had a lot of rope trapped under the boat in the form of broken tow lines. Sent camera on a stick down to see the situation but the viz was nil. Eventually I had to dive it. By touch alone I freed the rope.
But the big thing is . . . I FIXED THE ENGINE. Turned out to be a broken fuel line. What a relief, instead of a new engine and or a cost of thousands of Pounds, that I’d been expecting, the price was about £60!
Ha ha Bull Sharks 0
Gods of Mayhem and Destruction 0
That is some of the flavour, raw emotion, impossible challenges Barry faced as a lone sailor on hostile seas in appalling conditions. Now, more on the perils and thrills of the yachting life, here is an interview with a fellow sailor adventurer, Magnus, (whose boat is ‘Life on a Nutshell’)
We are on White Shadow in Nuka Hiva in the Marquesas (a string of atolls in Polynesia), having coffee with Barry, the old salty SeaDog himself.
I am a bit salty and a bit old, that’s true.
Drinking coffee, incidentally, not even laced with any rum! Having a bit of a chat about his lone voyage which was truly epic.
We went out last night for a pizza I said to Barry, I'd love to chat to you about crossing because those of you out there that don't know Barry would not be aware he had a bit of an eventful trip from Panama over to Marquesas. We knew he had left Panama and no one had heard from him. So tell us about your trip.
What happened? Actually, I set off with good intentions from Panama, and, we were at the Pearl Islands, Easy Mike (Fellow sailor and Olympic Champion Snowboarder in the 90s - his Yacht called ‘Easy’) and I, him on his boat, me on mine. He shot up to Colombia I think it was with some friends and set off across the Pacific. The wind went down, weather forecast was OK, and, as you know, you can only really tell for about six days. I estimated the crossing should take around 57 days. Then the weather just turned bad on me, the winds would not let me go towards Galapagos.
The plan was never to go to the Galapagos.
So you were heading north or south?
North because the lack of wind, I looked at the currents and that said - and a lot of people agreed with me - if you sort of snake around and follow the current they’ll whip you around the top of Galapagos and down to the Trades.That was the plan and it didn’t happen. It took me 19 days just to get to Galapagos. I crossed the equator Christmas Day as it were and that was a biggie for me. First time I’ve crossed the equator. Then things started to go wrong. The weather was up the wind was down. The sea had prominence over the wind, and the boat was at the behest of the waves. The weather was coming from behind. I have hydravane which is brilliant but no wind vane system will work with wind from behind the boat. So, I had to manually steer at night. And, of course, I had the boat and had to eat too. That was pretty much the whole trip.
Nothing went wrong with the rigging? You weren’t actually in danger?
No, nothing terrible happened, the worst thing that did happen was I noticed the pin that holds the foresail up which holds the mast up. That was coming loose, it was within half an inch of coming out of its fittings., so I was that close to losing the mast. That would have changed the situation from being hunker-down-bear it to a question of survival. Food and water wise, I stocked up for weeks in advance to continue on past where we are now in the Marquesas. So I was safe and sound, and this boat is a great boat, solid and heavy. Great in rough weather but she sails like a bus with wobbly wheels. No wind! There was also growth on the bottom of the boat, four inches of it.
Must have been like a botanical garden down there. You had a whole micro system down there that you carried across from the northern hemisphere to the south. that really must have slowed you down a lot. Halved your speed, I reckon.
Whatever I did, I couldn’t get the boat to move. I tried everything. Sails been up and down more often that a bad girl’s underwear. You can only sail when the wind is in the right direction. When they did come they were in the wrong direction. There was huge swell for about four or five weeks. Just constant rolling swell. Three to five metres I reckon from directly behind me, and a two knot current coming past me. I averaged 2.5 knots in 71 days. I did 4800 miles. I could have swum it faster. I will next time.
Wow, an epic journey. Now I have forgotten what I was going to say.
Magnus is an old friend. It’s not that I have known him a long time. He is a friend and he is old.
Now I know, what’s this about an aeroplane that came out and spotted you?
Back home, in Plymouth, I have friend of mine who is coxswain, skipper of a lifeboat back in England who is my eyes on shore and tracks my progress. I told him 50 days and, of course, by sixty something days, he and my family were worried, and contacted the emergency services in England, Falmouth - which is like an International Rescue Centre - and they contacted the French Authorities here which then sent out a LEAR jet. So, I’m sitting below feeling sorrow for myself and I heard the massive roar overhead. I heard this voice over the radio basically asking if I was OK.
And that was your first contact?
No, I talked to two helicopters that flew over Galapagos and also one fishing boat captain.
But the Lear jet pilot was the first contact in over 50 days. It was tremendously emotional.
But it was comforting to know that everyone was thinking about you.
And I didn’t feel alone anymore. You may have a schedule but the weather is the weather. You can’t do anything about it. You sail to the weather and not as scheduled. If I am running several days late and I am in the middle of an ocean with no communication or internet I get very stressed and worried not for myself but for the people monitoring me being lost at sea.
The main thing was that ‘rescue mission’ relieved every one back home. I used to work for the RNLI emergency services for many years, so I knew what I had to tell the crew of the Lear Jet whose task was to locate me. I told the guys I was fine but I was embarrassed that I caused all this kerfuffle, but glad of it. I was concerned about the expense. It costs a fortune to fly someone out.
I am thinking are they going to send me the fuel bill? Flying two hundred miles out and two hundred miles back.
It probably only took them about three minutes! Maybe just a little Sunday exercise.
That’s a wonderful story. Of course, what we heard was that you were lost at sea and that came from our own viewers and they were concerned. You hadn’t shown up. But all that changed when you made contact on radio and via the Cruiser Network which is like the grapevine of the world. If someone farts in the Falklands you hear about it in New Guinea within seconds.
Is that the title of your book when you retire - Fart in the Falklands? (All fall about laughing.)
Back to the interview: Barry, on those long voyages when you don’t see anyone for weeks, do you get lonely? What keeps you going?
‘I count myself as a fairly well balanced person anyway.
I have to be very disciplined, keep my mind on track. I have always spent my life by myself, I never got married, so I am used to being by myself. The music that I write and the videos that I do, it’s about keeping busy. On the boat there is an endless list of tasks to do, maintenance, repair work and cleaning.’
Then there is this eerie feeling of being totally cut off with dead slow internet if any at all, no undersea cable, no radio contact, no communications whatsoever in the middle of the oceans. - but not totally isolated. His eyes on the shore, David Milford back in Plymouth, tracks his course and when there was a panic - Lost at Sea - he sent out that Lear jet to check up on him. At that point he has sailed 4000 nautical miles in 71 days at sea - a good 20 days more than plotted. His concern then was for everyone else who getting stressed out and worried for him just because he was running three weeks late.
His fellow yachties who share the same risks, thrills and life at sea, look out for him, and mention their concerns on their own You tube channel ‘White Shadow lost at sea?’ so thousands of armchair sailors back home also get worried for his safety. Out at sea, the internet is sketchy at best and uploading new videos can only be done with a good connection. At sea, Barry maintains his social life with daily updates on social media with two way messaging with his family, friends and patreons without whom financing the adventures could barely continue.
On Shaddy, Barry talks about inanimate objects and personifies them. He sees a squall looming up on the horizon and refers to it as that nasty fellow over there. Trying to undo something that won’t budge he’ll say ‘this fella is giving me a hard time’. Or, ‘that little guy over there needs attention’. And, for good company there is Wilson (see picture) who listens attentively and never answers back (distant relative from Tom Hank’s Castaway film).
If Sailing and Music are Barry’s two greatest loves, then Beer and Pizza are the runners up. He’s not alone with that preference. In most of the videos onshore or in anchorage. It’s down to crates of beer, pizzas, impromptu playing and singing with fellow musicians, and somehow most of these older mariners eventually manage to look the same.
The sailing community the world over is very close. With so many common challenges and adventures it is bound to be, sharing beers in local bars, catching up with new friends and old is the lifestyle but Barry warns, with a twinkle in his eye, the less said about boat parties the better.
There is one amusing instance of that fellowship when in late 22 Barry was struck down with COVID. Worse than the illness was the enforced isolation of NO BEER. Ingeniously, faster than sending a message in a bottle, he attached an urgent pleading message onto his drone which he guided towards his fellow yachties in the bar who sorted him out in no time.
He says ‘Yes, that’s important, vital to socialise, I need the company. When I get to shore I crave people’s company. You won’t find me on these lonely, lovely beaches. It’s all about interacting with different people, different countries, experiencing all that - that’s what I like.’
It’s not all plain sailing…
You find an attractive anchorage by a tropical island. Lush greenery, white sands and what looks like a ramshackle bar that would have that soothing, ice-cold beer you are craving. You drag your dinghy up the shore and stroll across to the bar which is open and you are in paradise. You do a recce and eventually wander back to your dinghy - which isn’t there!. That almost happened to Barry but he caught the would be thieves just in time. Reality check - this happens.
A You Tube viewer posted the following warning about Martinique. As with many islands, there is a double whammy with dinghy theft. If it is stolen you need a Police report in order to claim on the insurance. When the Police ask for the valuation many people inflate it for insurance sake. After which the Police/Customs will charge you ‘import tax’ of around 40% based on that valuation because you brought it into the country and left without it. Nasty.
When sailing from one country to another, you must hoist the yellow Q Flag (Q for Quarantine) until you have fully registered with the harbour authorities. And pay attention to ports of entry, passport & visa requirements, boat ownership, cruising permits, and custom and quarantine regulations. In some cases, if you don’t report within 48 hours you could land in prison.
Look up Flag Etiquette on Sailing boats today. It’s a fascinating subject.
Reefs. Boats and reefs don’t go together. Many of the sea lanes, smaller atolls and islands are unchartered, or inaccurate. This is terrifying and stressful because you don’t know where they are.
And, if you run aground you have a strong risk of losing your boat. Many reefs are littered with broken hulls, and wrecks of once beautiful sailing vessels. Another hidden danger are lobster pots.
If your vessel gets too close to them, their lines can wrap round your propeller causing no end of damage and delay. As Barry goes on to say ‘This is my home. Everything I have is on this boat. Without a crew I can’t take risks in shallow water with reefs in unchartered maps.’
One anchorage you don’t want to sail to is the island of Toboga just two miles out of Panama City. It is known for its pineapples, mangoes and, in particular one of the oldest churches in the Western Hemisphere but also known for its riotous day trippers.
You will find it the loudest bay in the world with a bunch of party hard boaters. Barry explains it was a nightmare. He couldn’t sail out of the harbour because there was no wind. So he had to wait.
‘Yesterday’, he said, ‘was just a cacophony of music. Everyone was playing their own music so, so so loud. As if to out compete each other with ear splitting sounds. It just destroys the atmosphere of being in such a beautiful bay. For us out in the anchorage it was just this awful, mixed up nasty sound. Now, I’m sounding like a whinging old bastard because this is such a pretty place’. You have been warned!
Something else you won’t know about on your cruise ship is a little island off Panama that Barry called ‘Bird Poo Island’. It’s a naturally beautiful place, buzzing with nature, ideal for me, he says, no sound, no music, no engines just the birds circling (and pelicans) as long as they don’t shit on my boat!. Your noisy motorboat boys or day trippers out of Panama City would not come to see it because it’s covered in white shit. (guano). However, guano - the accumulated excrement of seabirds or bats used to be a valuable resource. Barry films the derelict buildings and rusty, disused cranes that used to mine it. Why? Because as a manure it is a lightly effective fertiliser due to high content of nitrogen, phosphate and potassium. All the key elements of plant growth.
At all times you have to watch your health. For example, sailing into New Zealand and Australia - the end of the world - there is a big hole in the ozone layer. Lots of people have bandages over their ears and nose from getting skin cancer. Very dangerous. And, don’t even think about sailing into New Zealand with that dirty bottom (on the boat that is).
Be careful what delicious looking fruit you eat on some islands that entice you. There is a death tree in Spanish called ‘manzanilla de la muerte’, "little apple of death". This refers to the fact that manchineel is one of the most toxic trees in the world: the tree has milky-white sap which contains numerous toxins and can cause blistering. Eating it can kill you. Whatever you do, don’t walk under it when it’s raining.
Also be careful what you pick up on the seashore. You may find a pretty looking cone shell but if the resident is at home, the extremely venomous snail can kill you within nine minutes. Found lurking in shallow waters near coral reefs. On the other hand, in the tropics islanders eat cockle shells for many are rich in protein, low in fat, and contain minerals such as zinc, copper, and magnesium. They are also said to contain Omega-3 fatty acids. However, seashells can cause allergic reactions in certain people. Every nook, cranny and ridge of the shell can hold bacteria, algae and more. After collecting shells it is most important to clean them straightaway before they begin to smell.
Finally, swimming under a waterfall sounds fun but don’t do it. Reason you sink under a waterfall is not because of the weight of the water on your head but because of the increased air bubbles which make the water less supportive and you sink more easily. Beware of weirs and waterfalls - you can’t swim in air.
Paradise
Cruise ships can never compete with small island adventures like this.
Nearly all the islanders are very friendly and you couldn’t wish to meet nicer people. Many islanders can’t get anything else except fish so they recycle everything like some old rope that Barry gave them. And, he also donated a state of the Art fishing tackle which he told them he was never going to use anyway. (I don’t get that at all. If you are broken down and drifting in the doldrums, rations having run out why wouldn’t you use it?)
Why no Fishing? He explains " I’m often asked why I don’t fish off the back of my boat while I’m at sea. In the open sea and in deep water the wild life tends to be BIG! They use the word 'Pelagic' this is in fact another word for big, as in big fish, big whales, big sharks. In my opinion slimy big things with teeth need to stay in the sea and not on my boat. On a serious note, I don’t have a freezer. I think its irresponsible to catch a large animal, kill it, chop a little bit off to eat and then throw most of it away. Also fighting an animal the size of a dog and killing it in my small cockpit with all that blood and guts does not appeal to me. Opening a can of tuna does.”
Sadly, not every idyllic setting in Paradise is a place you never want to leave. Many beaches and coves on the pacific side of Panama are littered with plastic waste, and mountains of rubbish which no one seems to care enough about. On another island beach further across the Pacific ocean, Barry sighs ‘Over the last few years living on a boat I have become aware of the environmental disaster of plastic floating around in our seas and I thought I’d have to do something in a very small way - just to make a point’. So, with a friend, whose own sailing channel focusses on environmental issues, they cleaned up a large section of a tourist trashed beach filling two enormous black garbage sacks and then relaxed in the traditional mariner’s way sitting on a large rock with cans of beer gazing at the sunset.
However, there was a lovely touch moored in Tahiti, (being French) fresh croissants and patisserie would be brought out to the Yachts each morning. A wonderful treat, indeed.
And, what can be more satisfying than sailing on course to your next destination, on a beautiful day, freshly brewed coffee in hand watching dolphins racing ahead and alongside of you.?
Life on board the White Shadow of Poole (official name), or Shaddy (Affection) or Shadmeister (Respect).
Barry’s daily commentary on social media is not only informative, but also very witty, amusing and brutally graphic. He talks about the arse end of the ship. He’ll be the first to admit always being focussed on the job at hand, the yacht is never tidy as ideally it should be.
Innovative cooking skills. On one clip he decided he wanted a Welsh Rarebit - OK, a cheesy toastie. You can’t load the toaster with the grated cheese on top of the bread vertically, so he lays it on its side until it pings out when ready. Job done - no mess. When in port there is the supermarket run. Life on board means tins of everything. Once back on the boat, he marks the contents of each can with indelible ink, washes the cans and peals off the paper. Why? Because cockroaches love the glue live in the packaging and you don’t want them crawling around.
Oh and how does an old sea dog eat his food? Well, out of a dog’s bowl of course. It doesn’t flip over.
One thing that does puzzle me. Barry doesn’t appear to catch fish to eat. I mean, he can be almost out of rations, nothing fresh to live on but he doesn’t throw a line. Flying fish on the other hand, often have leapt on the boat like a broad hint. Yet, he loves fish and chips (particularly in port with a beer or at his favourite fish restaurant back in Plymouth)
When things go wrong and they do, and no one within miles to help you, you turn to innovation. Like a leaky tap needed a washer, so he used a condom over the connection (‘What in the hell would I have use of one of those out here’, he quips). Another good tip: A book gets wet and waterlogged. So, zip the book and a diaper into a plastic, food storage bag and the diaper will end up absorbing the moisture. Likewise diapers can stop leaks in the bilge. So, next time, you are invited over to Shaddy, don’t comment on the condoms and diapers you see lying around.
Another tip: Always have a back up compass when you sail. Barry was sailing back to Plymouth from Portugal when fluid got into his compass. He couldn’t repair it on the spot but amusingly enough he had a toy compass (like something out of a Christmas cracker) that actually worked and held his course.
Sailing alone, you can counter many terrifying experiences like off the coast of Africa with the known danger of Somali pirates - then the stark horror of a boat that actually approached him fast refusing to identify itself causing Barry to hide his ship’s data, and most valuable items. Or, engine failure and helplessly drifting towards the reefs with no wind for the sails. Or a violent storm that sinks the boat and no signal on his phone from his dinghy that he managed to scramble onto. Such is the sailor’s life. And, Barry says fear makes him hungry! - but in those situations it’s not safe or calm enough to make a meal. When negotiating dangerous reefs or attempting to follow a course through a storm with adverse winds hijacking your route, there is no opportunity for sleep and little chance of cooking. There have been days and nights in atrocious conditions with very little sleep. Sleep deprivation is actually a form of torture, but for sailors an everyday things. You’ve got to know when to quit but then you don’t actually want to.
One thing Barry shows you in one of his first videos is a grab bag. A waterproof zipped bag, that contains your passport, insurance papers, boat ownership documents, cruising licences and so on. Don’t forget your medical kit, radio, telephone and everything to sustain life in order to survive as a castaway. As you are sinking and about to abandon ship, you will need all these documents once they rescue you.
The Dream
‘For me, it was important to achieve something before I die and I am over 60 now. The fact that I’ve sailed by myself halfway round the world was that goal. That’s written in stone. No one can take that away from me’.
‘About the videos, you can only film when it’s safe to do so. One hand on the camera, the other trying to save the boat from running aground isn’t a good idea. So, usually, you see me calm, relaxed, very laid back, with a coffee or a beer in hand. What you don’t see is the sheer terror, dilemmas, frightening prospects of what could go wrong, or what did and the consequences.’
‘I can’t film the rolling of the boat in terrifying waves or the idiot boat that’s coming far too close to me.
Producing one video update can take days of editing, researching and talking over. then I have to find sufficient internet signal to upload, sometimes this takes ages. I can’t always play the music you want, or that fits the images because of copyright. And then there is the lag between the footage you see and the time passed since its original shooting’.
Now that you’ve done all these blogs on Facebook, You Tube etc, is that all from voyages? Are you going to write the book?
‘Perhaps later on, based on the last eight years - The Adventures of an Old Seadog! I love real life adventure and everything in real time. I love history, the beauty of natural surroundings, unspoiled coastlines, at one with the elements whatever they throw at me. I hate noisy crowds and those that ruin our environment, the rat race and commercialism. Just give me an idyllic anchorage and funds to maintain Shaddy and just maybe I will rework the footage one day ……but not for a long time yet, I am still only halfway round the world’.
‘Yes, I’d like to do a book one day, but I think it’s very hard work. I’ve already started writing a lot of stuff , however, maybe one day I’ll sift through all the material and memories and make sense of it all. I never seem to stop working anyway’.
Barry recent announced on Facebook
Wow we've gone viral on this one, 'Alone and broken on the reefs' has now over 100k views in less than a week! It seems you don’t need breasts and bikinis but just an old man getting in the shit to get the views!!’
Barry, that’s a great story. I don’t think you will ever retire and fade away. Pipe and slippers doesn’t suit you. And, don’t forget to complete that album you started 30 years ago.
Some viewers comments on his videos
‘yours is the most entertaining, frightening and honest Youtube channel I watch’
‘You are the best! authentic and honest, you wear your heart on your sleeve. And hilarious! A true original. We love you!
‘You are open, real and genuine - we appreciate your honesty. Not everyone has the guts to be vulnerable on camera.’
Latest update March 25
If you follow Barry on You Tube then you will know he has rounded the Cape of Good hope, South Africa and recently uploaded a video from St Helena. He is eventually heading home to Plymouth, and after being feted and interviewed for the hero he is, I would imagine he will start on his book - or series of books from his hundreds of hours of footage and commentary.