I am a Photographer, a Writer and a Sailor. I have lived aboard our boats for 22 of the past 23 years and I still believe it’s the best way for me to live on this planet.
The things I believe in are: anarchism, atheism, ovo-pescetarianism and the fact that all technology fails, everything else is existential moment to moment.
Sailing is the one way that I’ve found to travel and remain within the boundaries of my own familiarity. Although all things in life are transient and ownership is impossible I have discovered that it’s important to maintain a certain level of intimacy with a few objects in life, such as books, my music and whatever boat I’m on at the time. The four boats that we’ve had (Dena and I) have been the perfect place to keep those few things that make wherever we go our hearth. And of course the one person in my life that makes all the places I roam my home is my partner and co-captain, Dena Hankins
So here it is, the last 23 years of my life, one shot per year underway. All of the below images were shot by Dena Hankins with the exception of the selfies in 2018, 2019 and 2021.
1999- the Puget Sound from Seattle to Vancouver Island and all points in between…
Pictured above with El-Gato, Fritz.
2000- Winter in Blaine, Washington, lost in a boson’s locker and rowing to work every day…
2001- The sailor in The Straight of Juan De Fuca heading to San Fransisco…
(Pictured above in 14 ft following seas kicking our asses back to Port Angeles in a fog-soup with a dead engine)
2002- The San Fransisco Bay just East of Alcatraz….
(On S/V Sapien, our second sailing adventure on that boat)
2003- Marina Bay, California…
(We fell in love with sailing together on S/V Sapien in and around the S.F. Bay).
2004 The last picture of me aboard S/V S.N. right before we sold her.
2005- The Oakland Estuary
2006- 1000 miles West of the Golden Gate Bridge.
(Damn, that was really good rum!).
2007- Radio Bay, Hilo, Hawaii…
(Yes, we sailed to Hawaii! It took 20 days, it was incredible!).
2008- Trivandrum, Kerrala, India…
2009- Heading North from Hampton, Virginia to Baltimore, Maryland…
(Our first big adventure aboard S/V S.N. Intrepid, Itinerant-Nomad).
2010- Looking good in the Baltimore Inner Harbor and Middle River…
2011- Mid Chesapeake Bay off the Eastern Shore of Maryland…
2012 Finally, full beard, full sail, broad reaching off the Jersey Shore in the Atlantic Ocean! Damn good looking beard.
2013 Hook down in 3Mile Harbor, NY. the first time we sailed into that place.
2014 Bikeman- I do what I can. Wessagussett, Ma.
2015 The Lighthouse Keeper of Seguin Island, Me.
(Our first year as cruising editors for the Northern Waterway Guide).
2016 Sailing to Baltimore and back to Eastport on a race to find a winter home for the boat before going back to India to rebuild my mouth.
2017 with a new grill in Mahabalipurm, Tamil Nadu, Hindustand.
2018 went from Charleston, SC to Robinhood Cove, Me aboard one boat but returned to Portland that year aboard a new boat, S/V S.N Cetacea.
2019 Started off buried in snow in Portland. Maine and ended back in Kerala, India with a wage slave sentence and a bunch of awesome sailing in the middle.
Underway in isolation, 2020
It was a hell of a year.
You’re still a good looking dude. I think Carefree took ten years off your life but you can’t tell by the pics! I see you sail naked and you do shave. Keep on keepin on Jimmy Crack Corn. You always have a friend in me. Have a fine nautical day.
D
I think you’re a nut, but I thought that before you lived on boats.
This is what I thought it’d be, you naked, freezing and wearing a helmet.
Dave, Ron and Ben…
I shouldve known that it would be you three that came-a-call’n! Im not crazy, Really Im NOT!
What happened to the pix of the gifantic fuckin egg on your head ,mister?
Please…. Show me some Ass , next time EH?
James! Nice site! Our website is http://www.clearandpresentplastics.com Shoot me the details on the plastic items you need and I will start working on them.
Good on ya.
Nice life you & Dena have created!
Found you on CL Maine at your boat for sale ad.
Which country you going to?
OK, Here we go. I need more info , on you.
1. Who is the best guitarist ?
2.Is it true ,you have saltwater in your veins?
3. Do you have an addiction, to peeing in the ocean?
4. Are Mermaids real or fictitious ?
5. Would you bang one ,if they were real?
6. What was the best day in your life?
7. Who shot Kennedy?
8. Do you have a superpower?
9. Where is Jimmy Hoffa?
10. If you had a chance for space travel , would you go ?
That’s enough for now. Have a great day. Aloha Brah…
Tom,
Richard Thompson,
yes,
yes,
real,
I do everyday,
the day I met my mermaid,
I did,
yes,
who?,
YES!…
Well, I should have guessed. It is true ,that I know you better than I have let on . But this is no surprise to you. The mermaid question was a giveaway. Thanks for playing, the Salty dog Questionnaire.
Happy Days for you MY Friend . A Great man once said. Fuck it, lets do it…
NO Reply ????
I think that man was you, Tom!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! I like to watch you guys play.
Mermaid love, awww sweet.
It’s a true “Man crush”. I’m jealous of his life
Aloha my Friend,
It was lite for a while.
But again, I’m feeling your pain. I think that you are a great thinker.
Your passion will never die. However, try get some free FM, in this market….
Our newly ?… Discovered media MASS has been cooking us for years now.
Yes, Global warming is something , many generations will have to face.
But , will our generation be able to change it ?
We have many things that will face us in life.
I prefer to keep it simple. Can I get through this without “pandemic” or some other crazy fuckers mindset?
We”ll see .My word for you is “Keep on Truckin”
Joe Cocker still is….
Aloha Brah,
Tom
Aloha Tom,
I don’t think that “many” generations will have to deal with global climate change at all, not human generations anyway…
Don’t get me wrong I’m not that heavy and never have been, I will never procreate so I really could give a fuck about any other generation other than the one I’m in. I just know that this is the time in our history where as a species we have the resources, the talent and the technology to heal rather than continue to destroy… That’s all.
Aloha My Friend,
I’ve been checking in on you guy’s from time to time . I hope your “New” adventure’s are going well. Summer is at it’s close and soon ,too soon, you will be back to layered clothing. I just wanted to let you know that “We” (Kate,I & your followers) are hoping your safe and Happy. Drop a note , when you have time.
Aloha as always,
Tom
Hello James: Time of year WM lets me go. Just wanted to let you know,WM store is being rebuilt. Hope you both are O.K. Have not heard from you for some time.The summer
seams to have gotten longer.Good for you two.
Drop a line sometime.
Heinz
Writing to ask permission to use one of your photos in a website.
When you have a moment, if you don’t mind, please contact me.
Thank you for your time. Love your photos.
Dan
Sure thing Dan…
let me know which one you want to use and split any money you make off it 50/50 with me…
I saw your cool website please post what you do with it when you can!
Looking good kid!
yo, how you holding up there Popeye
All’s well Mr.Swope!!!
James, not sure how else to reach you so here goes….you knew me as Heidi, or possibly ‘that baldchik.’ Ran into Devon at Filastine’s show in Oakland last month. Bob (Jensen) and I helped Grey and Nova pack up after the show. It was all a tiny mini reunion of sorts. If you haven’t met Nova, she’s amazing!
In any case, glad you and Dena are developing a (healthy) addiction for India. I myself am already long addicted and have visited already 5 times and plan to return again when the time is right. Contact me! Would love to sync up somewheres and share stories about the decades passed. Of course, if you make it back to the Bay Area, look me up!