Nike Steiger quits her desk job and embarks on a 4,000 mile sail in the Caribbean.
If you’re not already one of the 52,000 people following White Spot Pirates on YouTube, then, it goes without saying that this is one vlogger you definitely need to check out! For the last five years, Berenike (Nike) Steiger has been documenting her life, fixing up and solo sailing her 30+ foot aluminum boat Karl around the world. Her videos are wonderfully real and she deftly depicts both the amazing highs and cyclonic lows of the sailing life.
Now, White Spot Pirates is hitting the big screens (and the medium and small screens – because, in the true vlogging spirit, you can watch it on your phone!).
Untie The Lines (see trailer below) was released on February 16th, 2018 and is directed by Patrice Lange. The film begins with Nike’s decision to leave her job as a marketing manager and go sailing. The first half chronicles the many trials and tribulations of fixing up Karl (including hull damage, and engine failure galore!). She openly share her fears in the movie and on her website, “I started to doubt my own abilities and began to wonder if I made a big mistake in buying such a work-intensive boat. But I did not give up and finally… – I untied the lines.” The film goes on to show Nike’s sail through the Western Caribbean, an experience which she describes as a, “Roller coaster ride through tears and utter bliss.” She faces the inevitable bad weather, boat problems, and pushing past her comfort zone.
What struck me most about Untie the Lines was Nike’s openness and vulnerability. She accurately describes the huge learning curve of coming to terms with a project boat and cruising. By showing both the successes, and the failures, she gives viewers a real slice of the sailing life. She also strikes a good balance between inspiring people to go cruising while demonstrating that it’s important to not take unnecessary risks (in one scene she decides to abort a passage, because she doesn’t feel ready).
On the whole, Untie the Lines is a 4,000 mile journey of preparation, perspiration, and occasionally palpitations, all in the pursuit of the cruising dream. A great movie for anyone who’s fantasized about ditching the desk job and sailing into the sunset.
You can watch Untie the Line here.
I you LOVE vlogs like White Spot Pirates, check out our BIG list of sailing vlogs and Top 10 sailing vlogs.
Untie the Lines – Trailer
Fiona McGlynn is an award-winning boating writer who created Waterborne as a place to learn about living aboard and traveling the world by sailboat. She has written for boating magazines including BoatUS, SAIL, Cruising World, and Good Old Boat. She’s also a contributing editor at Good Old Boat and BoatUS Magazine. In 2017, Fiona and her husband completed a 3-year, 13,000-mile voyage from Vancouver to Mexico to Australia on their 35-foot sailboat.