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Who Is Sailing Doodles?
Sailing vlogs are all the rage these days, but back in the day when YouTube was relatively new, there were very few channels that catered to the sailing crowd, and Sailing Doodles was one of the very first of them.
According to its creator, the idea for starting a channel specifically on sailing began when Bobby White, aka Sailing Doodles, had to make a sudden and inevitable career change from being a successful corporate jet pilot. But White wasn't going to let an illness and career change keep him down, and Sailing Doodles was born.
Since its inception, Sailing Doodles has been sailing the world and taking his millions of followers along for the ride. Bobby's vlogs are extremely informative, especially for young sailors or those who are just getting started out and are learning the ropes.
Why "Sailing Doodles?"
As a pilot, Bobby was living the corporate dream. He had traversed the world by plane in his thirties and made a lot of money in the process. Before his stroke, he was a private pilot for an affluent family in Texas. Bobby experienced a hemorrhagic stroke, which rendered him unable to fly. Following a stroke, the first few weeks of rehabilitation are critical, and Bobby had to relearn how to read.
Bobby attempted a variety of jobs once piloting was no longer a possibility, but nothing stuck. Vlogs were highly popular at the time, so Bobby decided to try his hand at vlogging. He sold all he possessed and began filming. Maverick and Goose, his two labradoodle dogs, inspired him to name his series Sailing Doodles.
Sailing Doodles Post-Pandemic
On YouTube, there are six seasons of Sailing Doodles. Every week, they upload a new video on their YouTube channel. They're on season 7, and by the looks of it, there are many more exotic locations to come. They've been chartering boats around the Caribbean since the devastating fire on Nauti Dog.
Despite the epidemic, Sailing Doodles continues to tour the world while remaining socially isolated. Sailing, thankfully, is a socially isolated pastime, to begin with. Sailing Doodles is an excellent illustration of how to cope with unforeseen events and always make the most of any scenario, despite the fact that a sailor's life can be chaotic at times.
Sailing Doodles' Boats
Of course, a sailing vlog would be incomplete without a sailboat. As a result, Bobby purchased a 1984 37' C&C. Like any other vintage boat, it required some TLC. However, Ruff Seas was ready to sail after $4,000 in upgrades. Bobby and his companion Megan began their journey in Houston, Texas, and followed the coast all the way to the Florida Keys.
They concluded Ruff Seas wasn't the greatest boat for sailing the Caribbean when they traveled to the Bahamas. It couldn't contain enough water or fuel for longer journeys, and its steep draught made it difficult to navigate shallow seas. On the other hand, Rough Seas was never meant to be permanent. Bobby intended to sail her for a year before selling her to take a job on a larger boat.
Sailing Doodles was eager to go back to the sea after returning home. Bobby bought a new yacht, which he called Nauti Dogs. This brand-new yacht was a CT 56', and it was just magnificent. The CT 56 was acquired by Sailing Doodles in 2019 and sailed to the Bahamas for the sailing season. Then, a year later, another calamity struck. Nauti Dog's transmission broke out on a solo sail, triggering a fire on board.
Bobby had to phone the Coast Guard and be rescued after attempting to put it out. Nauti Dog was badly damaged by the fire, having been burned and sunk. Following an assessment, they discovered that the boat had been damaged to the tune of $100,000. The repairs were not covered by insurance.
White Squall had a substantial overhaul and was now ready for a lengthy ocean voyage. Laura, Bobby's then-girlfriend, chose to accompany him on the trip for two months. She worked as a traveling nurse and was hoping to get employment as a nurse in Florida.
So Bobby flew from Vancouver to Washington to pick up his girlfriend and begin their journey south along the west coast. In that way, Laura's plan of just two months quickly morphed into a lengthier stay with Sailing Doodles. She'd fallen head over heels in love with the life of a sailor.
Sailing Doodles Fame
Sailing Doodles' YouTube account brought in some money, but funding a 50-foot sailing cruise and producing enough footage for a YouTube series requires more than you may think. As a result, they, like many other YouTube channels, invited their fans to join them. On White Squall, they rented out cottages for people to stay for a week or a weekend. Meals were provided as well. All they had to do was help with daily tasks and night watch duties.
This additional cash was used to pay for marina fees, gasoline, and maintenance. When they arrived in Mexico, they saw that interest in their channel had increased. They were not only renting cottages on White Squall to their subscribers, but they were also planning meet-and-greets along the route.
They did, however, have a deadline to meet. By August 2018, they needed to get to Thailand and give back the boat. Gulf Charters was quite helpful in this regard. Gulf Charters' Ron Patson assisted them in plotting their path to ensure they arrived on time and saw all of the sights. With little time to spare, they sailed White Squall into port and returned to the United States a few days later.
Where Are They Now?
What made the vlog so special was the valuable insights that White shared on a regular basis and its crew. So, Bobby White is now 39 years old and lives in Dallas, Texas, and still makes vlogs for Sailing Doodles.
Taylor Francis is now 27 years old and has previously been on Doodles and most recently on SV Delos. She just purchased her own boat, the Mary M, a 1994 Catalina Morgan 38, with intentions to sail to Mexico, so she is unlikely to return. Bobby and Taylor were never a couple in Sailing Doodles. Though they may have had an off-camera connection, they stayed friends solely.
Laura (LaLa Libra) was Bobby's companion at the time, but she departed after the separation and later married. She is now a mother of two daughters, and her full name is Laura Peters, although, on Sailing Doodles, she went by the moniker Laura Libra.
Megan Finley and Amanda Wojtas were among the ex-crew members whose complete identities I was able to locate. Although they were all featured in previous episodes, none of them were married to Bobby and have since gone on. Stephanie, Tess, and Geraldine are the most recent girls to join the boat in Asia, and they have received a lot of positive feedback from their admirers. Unfortunately, Maverick died of cancer in early February 2020.
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