TotalBoat's 2023 Boating Ambassadors Recap

Ahoy, fellow sea enthusiasts! As the sun has set on another remarkable year, we find ourselves eagerly reflecting on the incredible journeys and boat transformations shared by our dedicated community of TotalBoat ambassadors. 2023 was a year of adventure, innovation, and inspiration, so today we’re going on a voyage through the highlights of our boating ambassadors' escapades.

At TotalBoat, we understand that the heart of any great adventure lies in the stories we tell and the experiences we share. Our community of boating ambassadors, many of whom have made YouTube their sea-worthy platform, have not only become the storytellers of the maritime world but also the masters of boat refitting, turning dreams into realities.

From restoring classic vessels to pushing the boundaries of marine craftsmanship, these boaters have taken us on numerous journeys, all while showcasing the transformative power of TotalBoat products.

So let’s hoist the anchor and embark on a virtual voyage through the waves of 2023, celebrating the dedication, creativity, and sheer love for the open sea that define our incredible boating ambassador community.

Top 2023 Highlight: Acorn to Arabella Launches After Seven Years of Construction

By now you all know what a fan we are of Acorn to Arabella. We’ve followed their journey of the infamous wooden boat that was built mostly from lumber salvaged from Steve’s family farm. After much anticipation, last year on June 17th, Acorn to Arabella finally launched! We were there to celebrate with the team and everyone else who had been following along. It was an epic day to round up a story we’ll never forget.

The Art of Boat Building: Bob Emser Builds Arabella’s Tender, Victoria

We can’t talk of Acorn to Arabella without mentioning Bob Emser of The Art of Boat Building. Bob was featured in our blog multiple times for the tremendous amount of (beautiful) work he did on the tender for Arabella. In our last feature before the big launch, Bob transformed Victoria with a removable sole.

New Boating Ambassadors Join the TotalBoat community!

One thing we’ve noticed in the YouTube world is that there is endless inspiration floating around. So when a new boat enthusiast decides to take on a refit of their own and share their journey, we can’t help but get excited to help them out! Last year we welcomed three new boat refitting channels to our community:

Restoring Rosalind

Restoring Rosalind is a channel that features extensive restoration, as well as tips on woodworking, carpentry, toolmaking, and boatbuilding - all the stuff we love! We introduced them to the blog when we featured Episode 21: Status of This Wooden Boat Restoration. Rosalind’s transformation is a work of art in progress and encapsulates the dedication and skill required to breathe life into an old boat.

Sail Life

Mads and Ava from Sail Life's journey began in 2014 with Mads in Denmark when he started documenting his process on Youtube while refitting a 1973 30 ft Albin Ballad sailboat. Since then, he purchased a bigger boat, a 1987 Warrior 38, named Athena. Last year he began helping his family fix up their boat, a 44 ft Fountaine Pajot Catamaran. For him, making videos started off as an after-work hobby and a way to meet new people while sailing. We introduced them to the blog when we featured their YouTube video, Rebuilding the Keel of a 44ft Catamaran where Mads got to try TotalBoat products for the first time!

Slow Boat Fast Home

Our newest boating community members are that of Slow Boat Fast Home, featured in the last blog of 2023! Danielle and Tommy have been producing a ton of amazing content over on their YouTube and Instagram, and their latest YouTube demonstrated the use of our Polyester Resin products so well.

TotalBoat Attends the Newport International Boat Show

If you’re familiar with the Newport International Boat Show, you know it’s all the rage and one of the ‘coolest’ places of the year to be at. Over the past couple of years, TotalBoat has set up a YouTuber booth where we create the opportunity to meet these incredible YouTubers in person, shake their hands, and share a moment with them. It's a fantastic opportunity to connect with fellow Patrons and boating enthusiasts from across New England and beyond.

Check out last year’s recap here!

Sailing Magic Carpet: Progress Plus Trials and Tribulations

Aladino and Maya of Sailing Magic Carpet had quite the year last year. They made huge progress on Magic Carpet II, a Cape George 36 built in Port Townsend, WA in 1982. Near the end of the year their Visa was set to expire, so they prepared to relocate themselves plus Magic Carpet II to Canada. They ended the year with a shocking (and emotional) announcement of selling the original Magic Carpet.

Honorable mentions include MJ Sailing, with their amazing catamaran build progress, the rather stressful refit done by Calico Skies, The Duracell project with lots of progress turning the legendary racing boat, Duracell, into a live aboard cruising home, and the stellar boat work done by Beau and Brandy Sailing.

We can’t forget one of our favorite moments of last year, the inaugural Boat Building Make-Off Challenge, where we invited a group of experienced boat builders mixed with woodworkers and makers, to test their skills as they were challenged to build a boat in a weekend!

As we cozy up in winter's embrace, we enjoyed looking back at some of the amazing work that was done amongst the boating community last year. The passion, dedication, and craftsmanship exhibited by our boating ambassadors have truly made 2023 an unforgettable journey!

Now we eagerly await the arrival of the 2024 boating season, and the anticipation to dive back into the water is palpable. The stories and boat transformations from our ambassadors have fueled our excitement for the adventures that lie ahead.

But before we set sail into the future, we'd love to hear from you! Share with us your favorite moments or videos from the past year—what stories resonated with you, and which boat refitting projects left you inspired? We can't wait to embark on another year of shared passion and seafaring tales. Until then, fair winds and following seas!