“TALLY HO’s first voyage?” - and other questions (EP64) 

Some clarifications - I DO hope to make regular videos about sailing Tally Ho. I just won't have a public live-tracking beacon on the boat. Whichever way I go, the first major voyage back to the UK will involve many stops and explorations and adventures, and could take a year or more. I hope I will be able to regularly release videos throughout. GPS etc - I haven't made any decisions yet, just pondering. But remember, 40 years ago everyone was navigating traditionally - the ocean hasn't changed that much since then, and those guys weren't landing on rocks very often, either. My point is that there's a big difference between a trained navigator with good equipment and up-to-date charts, and the old vessels of yore that would get shipwrecked so (apparently) often.

"Who knows what might happen, and what might change" said in January 2020. You were far more right about that than anyone could have expected.

I am an old tradesman from a family of tradesman and I grew up listening to my Dad bemoan the loss of so many skills. In the 90's I also worried about what would happen to all that knowledge that was dying off as each generation passed. Then the internet and youtube happened. I think you cant through a spanner in any direction these days without hitting a budding blacksmith, carpenter or fitter and turner. So I am excited about the massive resurgence of skills being championed by Leo and the like. Thank You.

Well Leo, the barn is now built, minus a few finishing touches, Get those tender plans sent over and I’ll get cracking!! 😉

Please make some navigation videos when Tally Ho is finnished. I'm sure I'm not alone in wanting to see how that's done. This is honestly one of the best channels on RU-vid. Thank you for opening my eyes to a whole world of wooden boats that I never knew still existed.

I’ve been catching up with the videos about building the Tally Ho, this one has really made me appreciate what you, Leo, have accomplished, your work and your complete dedication and passion in everything you do and what you’re looking forward to doing in the future of this video that is coming to fruition in real time now!! Thank you for following your passion!

Thank you for taking the time to chat with us Leo.

Leo, you are a rare breed, one of centuries gone by, of stock rarely found in people these days. I fear our material wealth has made many of us soft and fragile. May your tribe increase and may you find a way to pass on your strength and grit.

At 19:12 Leo explains about the emotional delight he gets from being out on his own. I totally understand. I turned 20 in 1970. My wife and I spent the 70's hiking into the wilderness areas of the United States. Cell phones were not available then. Once we stepped-off at the trailhead, we were cut-off from civilization, and on-our-own. It was wonderful. One time we spent 14 days in the wilderness of Isle Royale, in the middle of Lake Superior. BTW most people do not realize that it is pushing the limit of what a person can carry to go 14 days without resupply. (Firs cell phones came on-line in USA in 1983.)

Many years ago i was skipper/mate on oilfield vessels in Australia's Bass Strait with fully integrated nav systems and a fishing charter boat that had the auto pilot and the GPS coordinated. In both these cases I enjoyed the leisure of watching the boat sail from departure to destination without work from me!!! But in earlier jobs I sailed east across the Great Australian Bight (in an 80yr old Broome Pearling Lugger of similar vintage to Tally Ho), the West Australian coast, Australia to India, Thailand to Gulf of Thailand oil installations using traditional methods and I must agree, the satisfaction of seeing the fairway beacon/buoy on the point of the bow after days at sea was much greater! If I was to go to sea again I would use a modern navigation system combined with the traditional sextant and bearings to keep my mind fresh and challenged! Cape Horn sounds challenging and NW Passage sounds cold! Great video Leo!

Leo is a genius ,creator and a philosopher all in one.

Exceptional.response - be alone on the water. One needs to be away from technology and prying eyes whenever possible. As a Canadian I vote for the Canadian route - via the Northwest Passage. Plus maybe I will get a chance to see you and Tally Ho here in SouthWest Nova Scotia

Guess I'll get the popcorn in and sit comfortably for next 5 years. Would be cool to see Tally, SV Seeker, Brupeg and Arabella all sailing together

I found this video to represent the best of human kind. This humble and delightful young man has helped me “ survive “ during this horrible pandemic. Leo, you are a treasure, humble to a fault but engaging beyond belief. I join the legends who follow you and wish you well. Keep the dialogue going as you follow your dream.Dudley Davis

Rewatching and I see where you have stayed with your plans and where they have changed. I hope that many of the altruistic dreams come to fruition.

I giggle when people compare Leo to the other youtubers doing "similar" things. I dont think any of the other "Ship Builders" on youtube could even carry Leo's briefcase. He is a true craftsman and they are just construction workers building a boat. I am not dogging them..... I just want newcomers to realize how lucky we are that a guy with these kind of skills and knowledge is willing to share with us mere humans.

Oh to be young again... I wish you and Tally Ho great adventures.

I am coming up to 70yrs young and I have been trying to articulate to my family about the joy I have in sailing. They cant see it but Leo,s answer to Fruits of your trade puts it very well, I am pressured to sell my boat recently but I am resisting a lot, some say I am just a cranky old bastard. Well I will be showing this section to them hoping for a bit of understanding as I have not been able to articulate as good as you have. Leo I follow you all the time and have introduced you to a lot of my friends who now follow you. You have a great deal of knowledge and it shows, The Boys from Acorn to Arrabella are great to but your experience comes through again and again, and that not putting down the AtoA guys they are learning along the way, as the Australian general said "good work those men"

I can totally see how building wooden a boat is rewarding. I like dabble at all sorts of small projects making things like rustic furniture, carvings and just about anything needing only limited skills. The pleasure of having made something with your own hands is just simply very satisfying. I have always admired skilled craftsmen and their ability to turn raw materials into useful objects. That stuff just fascinates me in the most intense way. What your are doing is extremely glorious. Firstly because of your skill set but especially because of how you have chosen to use it in respecting tradition. You have , so far, given us a glimpse into the history of boat building. Thanks for all of that.

I pretty much agree with all your answers. I feel you have taken the time to arrive at a good understanding of where you want to take Tally Ho. You have earned the right to make those decisions and you should do what makes you feel the best about where your are going with her. All the best with your project.

Yes! Northwest passage!!! Great choice

such a joy watching Leo and co bring Tally ho back to life. I suspect Albert Strange would be thrilled at his legacy

Just to add my two cents, I would be extremely interested in your future videos on navigation. Those would be incredible.

I have followed the entire series of videos. My hat goes off to you in terms of your tenacity, your work ethic, and your skill. Bravo! What I am most impressed with is your clear idea of what you would like the finished Tally Ho to look like, and what lengths you are going to in order to be true to the original design and construction. Again, Bravo! Here's hoping all your dreams come true.

Leo isn't just rebuilding taly ho but he's building his home.

Only 2 more years. Thanks so much for sharing!

I live out my alter ego as I admire and follow your work and adventures Leo. Stay well dear sailor, and look after Annee. I live on Vancouver Island and have gun-holed the Strait of Georgia for many decades. Don't miss introducing Tally Ho to the many of Capt. Vancouver's gorgeous bays, channels, and coves we treasure.

Leo, have you considered making port calls as you head back to England? Sure would give many of your followers a chance to visit and get to experience all you have accomplished. I know I would travel up or down the East Coast just to shake your hand and of course step aboard your finished product.

Good on you. Well done. Thank you for having shared this.

Im SO ready for Fastnet 27 prep on tally ho. So much to do after she is launched

“Worth the effort...” Hell yes!! Thanks, Leo, for sharing all of this effort with us.

Your safety is paramount. Keep up the excellent work Leo 🇬🇧

Hi, I have been following your build adventures with Tally Ho with great interest. As a boy from about 10 years old, I had the occasional chance to go to work with my Grandad, in those days, late 1950s, things like that were allowed. He was a shipwright in HM Dockyard, Portsmouth and for most of his career after apprenticeship he worked on the restoration of HMS Victory. He was a great teacher & I was beginning to think about becoming a shipwright too. Unfortunately, my Grandad became ill and died before I was old enough to become an apprentice. Watching you at work has brought back many memories of being around wooden ships with my Grandad and helping him, probably hindering more than helping, but he never complained. If I was not a half world away and not allowed to fly, I would certainly try to visit & volunteer. Keep up the great work (and videos )

TALLY HO was nearly destroyed running on a reef in Rarotonga. Untold numbers of sailors have died from not knowing they were standing into danger. I understand and fully support your desire to rely primarily on traditional celestial and coastal navigation, but especially in northern Europe, the North Atlantic and the subarctic you can go days without seeing the Sun, Moon or enough stars to get a fix, while currents and tides are making hash of your dead reckoning. I would strongly recommend having GPS capability in reserve, hoping you never need to use it. I would think of it as a backup safety system that reduces the chances that you will ever need your EPIRB.

A great way to make new friends in the sailing world - look for any local yacht or boat clubs and find out if they have weekly regatta - show up and offer to be deck meat (ballast!) You'll find yourself a seat on a boat, learn a few things, learn a few things NOT to do (like my skipper who crash jibbed a Melges 32' in 40kt winds because he didn't want to run storm sheets!) and make fast friends. This got me a job on a boat, which led to 15 years working in a boat yard, and gigs helping ferry larger craft between harbors.

In this episode you very nearly said 'We are all descended from explorers'. Stellar thought. Say it, own it. Sampson slogan?

Leo congrats young man, you have a pure delivery of words and dont waste them, always thoughtful and love the way you share the recognition of Tally Ho's ongoing restoration with the skilled and volunteer helpers. There is a 5th route back to England mate, with a friendly beer guaranteed, via Geelong!

Leo, the world needs more people like you. You are a true inspiration to all young and old. I really like that you are living your life, by your rules.

Leo, I enjoyed the question about the coin for the mast step. Is there any reason two coins could not be placed, one British one American? Were that possible might I suggest getting hold of two coins minted in the year Tally Ho was originally built. Just a thought.

Leo; always terrific to catch up. Your perseverance inspires

Your closing comments were spot on...👌

Thank you for once again sharing your experiences and knowledge. Really appreciate it! Cheers.

Offering to help was how I was able to get into blue water fishing. It was a lot of hard work scrapping the bottom of a sport fishing boat, grinding and filling in pin holes, and redoing the bottom paint and anti-fouling. It got me in the door and with a reputation for hard work and meticulous results, I found myself being invited whenever someone needed an extra hand.

What if you could make a sort of reverse diving suit for the dolphin so it could operate the forklift out of water?

Absolutely with your views on GPS. I mightn't be any good at it but traditional navigation is extremely rewarding. And I go along with your decision regarding the coin for the mast step :)

I remember the first day I came across your chanel, then started watching, after a few days of watching, I had to tell my cousin, because I KNOW he was going to in joy your chanel, as he was in the royal merains many years, we have watch your chanel, on our own, and together, I have only just got off the phone to my cousin, because he, like myself, have not been able to sleep, not joking, we wont to see the end rezult of Tally ho, he Christepher Turely was going to take a look on line a few days ago, but he got cought up with house work ect, so I had to type in, and find out was is going on, iv just sent him your new youtube up date, that am watching, anyways we wish you all the best with this project, we are both from the uk, and cannot wait for that big day! :}

At 11:28 Leo mentions a "leather strop." My father was born in 1901, and always used a straight razor. Every day as I grew up I watched him strop his razor. Before safety-razors every woodworker had a razor strop in their house, so of course they used it on the blades in their tools. I have done this the entire 50 years I have done woodworking. Other woodworker are always amazed at how sharp my blades are. Once they use a strop they never go back.

I was a sailing instructor at a US summer camp in your area, the San Juans . They subsidize inner-city kids to get into sailing, hiking etc and the camp has a magical vibe , I think you would be a good match. Four Winds Westward Ho, Friday Harbour, Orcas Island. The camp had a magnificent schooner the "Martha" sadly lost in a slipping accident.

Thank you for a great video answering questions. Looking forward to another "answers to questions" video. Blessings.

...just figured it out. Leo is the Thich Nhat Hanh of boat building. Thank you Leo for the life lessons as well as the lessons in craftsmanship. Cheers

I vote for Cape Horn. Always dreamed about exploring the coastal waters of Chile and Argentina. Enjoy the channel.

Thanks for sharing Leo!

Option 4 for sure, come to Cape Town via New Zealand :)

Leo, you impress over and over again by your skills and endeavour, and in this one your personality is really taking an impressive stand. Thnx m8, for sharing your thoughts and thinking! 🙏 The world need more of this.

Thanks Leo, really enjoying the project.

Thanks for being an inspiration for me, since you started I finally committed and started building a sailing dinghy (a GIS). Now it sits finished in the garage, waiting for the summer! I will most definitely keep my eyes fixed on this channel no matter where you take it.

Beautiful and inspiring story Leo. Trust I’ll be around to see you finish Tally Ho and launch her.

I enjoyed your tea break so much, I decided to join in. It's -45c outside so a blanket, a cuppa, and a Leo video are just about perfect right now. Mmmm a hot mug of Earl Grey... cheers!

Talking about racing Tally Ho. May I mention the Sydney to Hobart. Is that possibly on the cards?

To sail on a boat that's entirely analogue would be a dream come true

You are a good soul, Leo. Thanks for sharing.

Great job Leo on answering the most popular questions. Not really surprised at any of the answers. Well, maybe the one about the dolphin and forklift. :-) I think you have a great plan for once you get sailing. Lots of great topics that can be explored and taught. I like your thoughts on traditional navigation vs GPS. I must say one of the things I enjoy most about coastal and island cruising is putting a plan together for the next day after consulting weather forecasts, tides, currents, etc. Departure time, courses to steer, distances, buoys and landmarks (old school waypoints). Sounds like you are similar. It's been very windy and snowy, even for January here in the areas adjacent to the Strait. You picked a good time to be gone.

Chapeau, Leo. Honestly one of your best. We all dearly love following the build, but I learned a TON of new things from this, and I think you've really expressed what makes you tick (sail/build) and your vision for the boat. thank you.

Really interesting Leo. Yes, I think you should do another one

As a former navigator, I found myself nodding in agreement when you said that you wanted to navigate 'Tally Ho' the traditional way (rather than GPS). I used celestial navigation during my RAF nav training and you're absolutely right about the feeling of satisfaction it can give (when it all works out!). Good on you!

Fantastic Q&A Leo. Thank you so much. Have a wonderful time back home and looking forward to seeing you back here in the Northwest. Once Tally-ho is complete and at sea it would be great to see videos about how you navigate, maintenance tasks and how you perform them, etc. Basically what it takes to sail and maintain a boat as you go. Take care, smooth seas and fair winds to you.

Excellent. Thank you for sharing in this way. It is wonderful to connect with you a bit like this, as being able to pop over and make sawdust with you is not really on deck at this time for me. I am sure you are an inspiration to MANY that are shy of the experiences you tackle, because you do share your experiences like this. I have been blessed with adventure and extreme living for much of my life, especially during my growing up years (5>50), but recently much more 'normal' in daily existence. Please do make more of these types of vids in addition to the building ones. Looking forward to continued content!

I’ve wanted a Tormak forever! Fantastic machines.

thank you for keeping up with Tally Ho videos been watching for over a year with my 4 boys. too really enjoy you taking time to do FAQ's. safe and happy times to you

Thank you Leo. Wonderful insights on what drives you. I , personally, find that boat building is rewarding in that it is a series of challenges and learning. For me, in any kind of construction really, there is a sense of creation. I love to be able, at the end of a day, be able to look back and see the progress made. This is my biggest kick.

A vote for rounding Cape Horn. A. its likely the way your boat got to the PNW and B. my mother -n law actually did that route when she was 65 on a 42' powerboat. We've since been down there on a trip to retrace her voyage and I was stunned by the absolute Beauty of the region. Reason enough to go south. Also I just finished reading Darwins exploits on the Beagle and his discriptions are still spot on. Keep in mind, that now your passage will likely go through the Beagle Channel and visit Punta Areanas and Usuaia and then Tierra Del Fuego. While the NWP will be an adventure, I think the southern route will offer many, many time more excitement and adventure. Bon Voyage. --Telos

Thanks for your time !

An excellent insight into your mindset. Thank you.

Go the Captain Cook Pacific route! So many beautiful islands to visit.

I just recently discovered this incredible channel and instantly became hooked. Love it !

Good questions and good answers. I know a lot more now than I did.

Well done. Being on tbe bridge or deck of a ship at sea is life changing. I've sailed on tbe USCG Cutter Eagle , super tankers, and smaller vessels and the piece, tranquility, and feeling of being alive is transformative. Thank you Leo. Looking forward to the continuation of your journey.

Hope you had a great Christmas Leo Poncho and gorgeous crew, and of course a really great New Year. Also, would you please consider entering the Sydney to Hobart yacht race, it's a great event and your presence would add tremendously. All the best from Australia.

I am late to the party but have been enjoying watching your adventure. I wanted to encourage you too reconsider the notion that transiting through the Panama Canal would be boring...it is an engineering marvel and in my humble opinion it deserves to be an entry in Tally Ho's proud resume. If you have never transited the PC I am sure you will not find it boring! (I am a Marine Engineer and Coast Guard veteran and have done it 5 times).

Thank you very much!

Not exactly sure why but you "mission" inspires me tremendously. The meticulous way in which work along with the thoughtful process of what comes next has been of great benefit. Wishing you continued success!

Hooray for the choice of tiller.

One of your best episodes! Thank you.

I'm with you on the Nw passage. That is a trip on my bucket list and I would love to see TH make that passage!

Yes Canada’s NWP. And the look at 13:50 priceless

Love to hear some stories of folk who helped etc. Thanks for taking us along on the voyage Leo....DA.

You do know that you have the makings of someone who will be sought after for life's wisdom? And, I do love your Capt. Cook method of navigation... (What satellite's?) ... Also, thanks for giving us seniors some hope for the future... We are proud of ya! (Hope that didn't sound too condescending?)

Leo, you are an inspiration. Thanks for a great episode.

I do solo bike tours. Nothing approaching sailing solo across the Atlantic. But your statements on facing your vulnerabilities and your mortality resonated with me. It is exactly why i ride solo. It recharges my soul and my dream is to do it full time.

The Pacific is very big, and very empty. Having sailed it from China to San Francisco (Clipper Race, there must be thousands of others like me out there) I would say that you would not be missing anything particularly interesting by choosing a different route. You have already got the ear-ring, so no need to do Cape Horn. So that leaves the NorthWest Passage, I reckon.

Watching this video 2 years down the road for the first time. I have often wondered which way you would sail back to England, I was also very curious to know as to how you could work an auto pilot with a tiller. I know from related videos about you that your sailing skills match your ship building skills. I watched a video recently about a young man who cast a bronze sovereign to go under the mast, very shortly we should find out if an American coin goes with it. Great video as always.

Excellent video. I would encourage you to do this from time to time.

Interesting update, thanks for answering the questions.

Great to learn these things and hear you talk them out. Well done!

I did enjoyed this episode answering questions. Please do it again.

The East side of Devon (U.K.) has relatively mild weather. We have boatbuilders in Teignmouth and on the Dart. Well worth checking out. Cornwall and North Devon have more challenging seas.

Leo, very much enjoy the Q&A, please consider doing another soon

Thoroughly enjoyable and thoughtful, thank you.

I think your love of life and work is fantastic and certainly shows through in the video clip,also l think to know you is a privilege through them and generous of you to open up your personal life to us. I hope we have many clips to come and look forward to them. Cheers ,Chris Gear from Western Australia.

As always, Leo, your insightful thoughts are always entertaining and inspirational. Hope you're having a wonderful and well deserved break over in your native land.