More hands on deck | Bio

Description of our journey:

We travel the world by sailboat connecting with other cultures and nature promoting sailing as a viable means of travel while surfing and going on adventures in the amazing locations we encounter. We will document the entire voyage through photography, writing, and film.

We aim to inspire people, especially the technology dependent youth, to get outside and experience life as it exists in nature. Through this we hope to spread an awareness of the magnificent beauty of the earth and the life that exists within, and hope to instill a reverence of environmentalism in our followers and viewers. We hope our journey inspires you to get outside and explore our beautiful world.

Tyler’s Bio

I grew up in the small mountain town of Winthrop, Washington, where I really developed a true love for the outdoors. My parents taught me at a young age, you won’t succeed unless you love what you do and to enjoy the journey, not the result. So I took that and ran with it. Backed by their support, I tried as many different sports and activities to see what I really enjoyed while growing up. I was involved in: swim team, baseball, basketball, track, golf, tennis, skiing, and snowboarding. Beyond organized sports I grew up camping, fishing, hunting, hiking, and mountain biking. As a kid it was hard to keep me inside! I loved it all.

As I became an adult, I still had the mentality of trying anything to see if liked it. I have been a wild land firefighter, insurance agent, retail merchandiser, construction worker, bartender, and so on. I have been trying to nail down something I want to do for the rest of my life. The ups and downs of trying out different gigs aren’t easy. I just knew I wanted to help people and put a positive impact on the environment. This brought me to the realization that I love a challenge. What really intrigues me is starting something that is totally foreign to me and diving in head first. I like to change the conditions of my current situations and see if I can adapt and overcome something new.

This is why I am going on this journey. The challenges will never end! With sailing, the conditions will always be changing, and I will never stop learning. And to be doing this while being surrounded by different cultures and different ways of life, I will be able to acquire amazing skills and experiences that could not be possible if I didn’t take this trip. It won’t be easy, but it will be one hell of a ride. As the adrenaline junkie that I truly am, I feel that I have been put on this earth to explore, learn, and do something beyond myself for a better cause. I think that’s why Kevin and I mesh so well as friends, a team, and now a crew! Even though we are different in our own little ways, one of the many things we have in common is venturing into the unknown with knowing the outcome will be far greater than if we had stayed at home.

Kevin’s Bio

I grew up in the Rocky Mountains in Durango Colorado. At the age of 21, I took some time off from college and saved up money for an epic surf trip. Always wanting to surf but never living by the ocean, we took an old beat up van and cruised down the Baja Peninsula of Mexico. Finding a suitable beach with an excellent surf break, we camped out for three months living on potatoes and beans and surfing every day. This is where I fell in love with the ocean.

After returning home I finished out my Spanish and art degrees specializing in oil painting, figure drawing, and video production. I then became a wild fire fighter in Alaska on the North Star Fire Crew.  From there I went to the Craig Hotshots in Colorado before quitting my career in fire to move to Ventura, California, in order to pursue my longtime dream of learning to sail, along with the rest of the More Hands On Deck crew.

I have traveled extensively through Mexico, Cuba (with license from the U.S.), Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Belize, Guatemala, and Panama. I recently appeared on TNT’s reality adventure series 72 Hours, Episode 6 – The New Zealand Alps. I enjoy all forms of outdoor activities and play the guitar and mandolin.

This trip isn’t just some fun vacation. It’s going to be dangerous, uncomfortable, hot, and constant work. It’s a lifestyle choice. It’s a choice between living a life full of security and living a life of uncertainty. It is big risks for big gains.

This lifestyle is about truly living my life to its fullest potential. I can’t begin to describe the yearning in my heart to discover foreign lands, to live from the food of the earth and sea, to be free. To see what bonds us as people around the world. It would be a betrayal to myself not to take this voyage. I am very comfortable with my life on land. At one point in my life I began to see my future; I saw myself growing professionally, accumulating wealth, buying a house, getting married, having kids. I had it all laid out and planned.I took a hard look at myself in the mirror and realized I was ignoring some of my deepest and most adventurous dreams. Though I felt I was finally at a state of life in which I had security, and I was happy with the place I was in, I could not ignore the little voice inside me that told me to just sail away, and see what happens.