Our Favourite Sailing Destinations in New Zealand! Ep. 77 

Hey Riley! Great videos mate. As far as the marlin topic goes, what you did in this video was great. Unhooking them in the water, not taking them out for pictures, and reviving them boatside is the best way to go. Those fish will literally fight to the death so they are very tired when you land them. Bringing them aboard not only induces a lot of stress but there is also a layer of slime on those fish that acts as a protective layer and when it gets rubbed away by a boat's gelcoat, that fish is now much more susceptible to infection which leads to the animal eventually dying. People will have different opinions but as far as taste goes, I would not rate marlin very high at all. Boat the tuna, release the marlin. They're not endangered by any means but they're massive animals and thats a lot of meat to process on a sailboat. They're also just a magnificent animal and I personally find so much joy and gratitude watching it swim away strong to fight another day. Hope this helps! Keep up the good work mate!

With over a 1,000 comments I wouldn't be surprised if you don't make it to my humble two cents, but if you do thanks for reading, haha. At the end of the day regardless of anyone's sensibilities, If spearfishing/fishing in general is a part of your adventure I would thank you to include it in your videos. It's not that I get a thrill particularly out of the fishing aspects of it, but I want to see the adventure as it is and not the sugarcoated version. One of the reasons I watch your videos out of all the other sailing videos on youtube, is that you two aren't running from anything but instead are running to something. you portray a sense of wonderment for it's own sake by showing that joy is self evident and does not need to be compared to anything for meaning "so much better then....." or "I'm so glad I'm not....." it reminds me most importantly that chasing a dream is not the same as running from a nightmare. Anyway my point is that your videos teach by example if you edit out the somewhat controversial elements you risk losing that which makes your videos special. Keep up the good work your example has been a positive influence in my life. The time effort and care you put into your work shows. My opinions, I don't like sport fishing. Fishing for food is simply a way that we participate in the wonderful world of nature in which we live, and a means by which we remind ourselves that we are a part of this world and not somehow above it all. But I suppose that's a matter of perception. I try not to define myself by my diet.

Marlin is a game fish. Have fun, Tag and release. Just never take them out of the water. Also you guys have the character and personality to pull off 1 hour shows where others would fail miserably. I know many of your viewers have sat for hours catching up on your videos from the Med, thru Panama and into the south Pacific with no problem. So a 1 hour video is a real treat. Enjoy NZ and keep having fun.

I think it's amazing that you two show so much concern for the environment and for people's feelings. Unfortunately, it seems that someone will be offended no matter what. So, you do the best you can and live with a high moral code and always have integrity. Great vids. Thanks!

Solo sail again? Don't think so. Elayna is a once in a lifetime catch. Always have her by your side.

Hey Riley: Very glad you opened up the question regarding catch-and-release of the big game fish such as the marlin. As an avid fisherman myself, I was relieved when I saw you let that first big fish back, being careful to get it into gear before release. That said, seems like those fish are better left alone. My own catch-and-release experience is mixed. We go for spotted bass on our local lake for sport, and they seem pretty hearty; able to withstand the relatively short fight and hook removal, but every so often we hook one that swallows our lure too deep. The retreive in those cases is not pretty. In the ocean, I always prefer catch-and-eat, and for me, that means not getting after top predator fish, due to the excessive amounts of mercury their flesh contains. I also prefer to only catch what I can land by myself, which limits me to fish 40 lbs. or smaller. Now, these are just my own ways; I would not presume to advise anyone else. And if I was spending the kind of time at sea that you are, I'd be eating whatever I could catch. I also respect Elana's position re becoming a vegan, though I do think that will pose considerable challenges on longer voyages. It'll be interesting to see. Anyway, we just love watching your videos (as well as those of SV Delos, SV Prism, and SY Ran), and hope you find someone who is a great fit to help with the excellent videography and editing. THANKS! and Cheers! DC

Hey R&E Love the Drone footage in the last two Supersize SLV vids here just Ausome! Riley haha love the squint from your face when JP was launching the drone from back of the boat. as we all remember the episode where you said "and I launch a helicopter into my face" funny. Love your love for sailing you two! Elayna as its nice to hear nice things I thank you for the endless hours of editing. As a professional photography who spends endless sometimes thankless hours on the PC editing photo's, I really really appreciate your artists touch here on your channel. Top notch Video productions you two! Also appreciate a Great guitar player, love your skills on your guitars, Good on ya Riley for the new Taylor Guitar gift to Elay :)

Riley, I know nothing about the marlin fishing, but have such great respect for your willingness to ask these questions. This is clearly who you are. I totally identify and love that. I sometimes catch a lot of flack in the sailing community because I just tell people when I don't know something and ask for help. This is not the normal for ocean going people - especially men. I tip my hat to you being so vulnerable, open, and willing to learn in such a public way! Cheers! -Ben (@sailbainbridge)

We sure do like the hour long episodes. Who else likes the video before even watching it????

I stumbled upon your channel a week ago as I was laying in bed sick with a nasty cold from crazy Minnesota weather. I've finally caught up to the latest video. Elayna, your enthusiasm for life and the way you approach challenges has encouraged me to get out of my comfort zone. I struggle a bit with social anxiety, and I've found the way I view interactions with others is changing for the better. I'm so happy I found your channel, and I'm super excited for the next video! Your hard work is appreciated :)

Rileys laugh cracks me up... every time.

"I love being kept up all night...I love setting sail and wondering if you got too much out." I have been watching your journey from before you guys crossed the atlantic and it is so striking to see the sailor you've both become. Good on you, Riley. Great to see you singing again, Elayna. Cheers to you both.

Loved this, Poor Knights is a world renowned DIVE SITE high on our bucket list. Thank you for sharing and all the hard work you guys are putting into these episodes. Our episodes are 15 min and we put about 20 hours into that. I can't even imagine how much editing time you did for an hour Elayna LOVE IT!!!

Hi Both, from Denmark we salute you, since we started watching has become our weekly thing, my partner and I we die of jealousy just by observing your travels and amazing places visited, however is all positive jealousy and wish you the best in this incoming months and why not years. In regards to the solo adventure, we think you can do it, maybe not in the next couple of months, but definitely as a thing to cross out of the bucket list, i have seen some other people performing this sort of adventure, I will just do it my own way the way i feel it and find out it makes sense, without touching ground sounds like a great start, whatever you choose enjoy to the max, is something to tell your sons and grandsons. About the fishing, well catch and release is a good practice, you need to just know what are you doing so the fish don't suffer, if you feel like eating it go for it, but make sure nothing goes waste it. We can wait to see more of you guys aventures. Best Regards Line and Nando

This was a feature length film. Love the drone shots. You guys always look exhausted for good reason... so much to do. Your guests always have a good, relaxing time.

Im 2 years late, i know XD But i must say, that i Love these longer episodes :)

Riley, as long as it's not endangered or an over fished species, to me it's perfectly ok to catch and eat if not wasting any. Sustenance mate! I understand why sport fishing is fun... adrenaline rush, seeing the beauty of the fish, etc... but to me that feels over indulgent and unnecessarily causing stress to the creature, if only short-lived. Anyway, beautifully filmed and edited episode so cheers to you and (especially) Elayna! well done.

I loved the fact that you let them go as they were still healthy and other than being tired were fine. I would always keep anything that was injured or didnt look like it would recover. I was thrilled to watch that footage as an avid angler.

The Marlins are magnificent. I like that you tag them and let them go. They seem to have a look of intelligence about them which makes me more sympathetic to their being freed. These are great shows. We watch this stuff rather than TV shows - it's my little bit of fantasy life. My GF and I own a sailboat we named 'Elskede' (our beloved) and sometimes we are in tears at the beauty and adventure you guys share with us. Thanks a million for being in our dreams...

Hey Riley, I am a fisherman in Southern California and just wanted to say a few things about catch and release or Marlin. My personal belief on catch and release is: make sure the fish is fully recovered or almost fully recovered before letting the fish swim on its own. If the marlin doesn't recover after a long while, I would use my best judgement, and if i think the fish would not likely survive, I would eat them. If the marlin is especially large, I would most likely release it because the people that are doing it for "Sport", are trying to catch the biggest fish they can. Their are a lot of marlin in the sea, so it doesn't hurt to enjoy some fresh marlin steaks every once in a while. Hope you read this, I am a very big fan. Thanks for everything you do, Tate.

Catch and release is the way, let Marlin live another day. Eish, how to flatten your phone battery, watch one of the very interesting hour long videos from Riley and Elayna.... ha ha. Coolbeans, great video. Hey Riley, those were the carburettor jets you were cleaning, not the injectors.... ha ha. Good to see the drone footage, looking forward to seeing more when you get on Catalayna. When are you sailing out from Montpellier? Elayna, you must stop eating that rabbit food, get some steaks down the hatch.... Oh boy, that lighthouse was not as expected... If you loose the cork screw again, put the bottom of the wine bottle in a shoe, and bang it against the wall, the hydraulic action of the wine pushes the cork out. cheers Graham (sorry I didn't make it to the launch, work prevails)

Not only do I admire the lives you guys have created for yourselves on the sea but I really respect your work ethic. When it gets hard there is no where to run at sea!

This is the best bonus crew you had so far. It is really clear how good chemistry there is between all of you :)

watching in 2021. Wow, so different. Elayna such a doll, busting out in song and laughter at the drop of a hat- Riley with the dry wit, always a mischievous twinkle--you guys rocked it. I hope you go back and watch these old episodes yourselves sometimes. Great fun!

So cool.. just rewatching this one and realized the amazing progression. Good for you SLV! Best sailing channel on the Tube

Phenomenal video. Truly fully engaging. After binge watching from the early days, Elayna, your vid skills (capture, edits, screenplay, sound, music) have seriously improved. Considering the scope and intimacy that you cover, you are an "embedded journalist", and a darn good one at that. And Riley so much fun and knowledgeable about the entire adventure. I just live vicariously and dream. Oh, catch and release, tag if you got em. Great job guys.

I'm thinking JP would be a helpful & pleasant addition to your catamaran & his good with those drones!

In my experience this higher taste awakening you are experiencing is leading to more than you can begin to imagine. Never underestimate the benefits of innocence. For some of us fishing can be deeply ingrained, but the more respect we have for life the more united you become with these fascinating beings. They recognize when you just appreciate them for who they are. life sailing can be a very yogic experience for those with higher guidance. My 8 years on a wooden sailboat with no motor or electronics but with that calling for the sailing life revealed it can be profound unity.with Our Divine Source and that Divine essence in all of life.

Like the hour long format. I know it would be to much work every week. But had no problem sitting through it, the time flew by.

Thank you soooo much Riley and Elena for making your videos an hour long , I'm so excited,15min was way to short. Love you guys and precious Angel,Lenny!! Stay safe and happy as always, God Bless the three of you,Safe Passages!😃🙏👪💞👣

Fisherman here.. I would say let the marlin go. Prized sport fish like that are better catch and release compared to fillet and release! You saw how amped everyone was from catching one of those guys. Gotta give others the chance to experience that. Speaking of fishing, I think it'd be cool to see you do more fishing in some of these areas. Whether it's inshore or offshore. Best of luck to you on the new boat. Can't wait to see the adventures.

Riles, As for fishing ANY type of fish....do so for the enjoyment and uplifting of your spirits as well as obviously for sustaining the lives of your girl, your guests and yourself. That is all! (we all know that you're not the thoughtless and wasteful type of folks. In fact, just the opposite! Good on ya) Elay, Really enjoyed your singing while strumming. I know I'm not the only one who greatly misses your more frequent singing during the episodes. Absolutely love your voice and style of singing. Very talented, very blessed, but humble! Good on ya. Really enjoy both of you, and while I've got your attention....Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Birthday's and Happy Anniversary you two! Keep the Love. Jason & Amanda from California

I started watching your vlog about 2 months ago and I think im insane but im going to get a sailboat! You are so inspiring! Of course im going to start out small probably with a 24 foot sailboat but you really did inspire me!

Riley, at the end of the video you asked if you were doing the right thing with the Marlin you caught. As a boater and fisherman I think you guys were spot on with the tagging, catch, and release. From my experience most folks I know don't care to eat Marlin. They just aren't one of the more sought after fish to eat (but can be eaten if you desire). Some of the more desirable Pelagic fish people eat are of course Tuna, whether it's Blue Fin, Yellow Fin, Big Eye, or Albacore. Those are the most popular tunas. You also have Wahoo, Dorado, Opah, and many others. Generally speaking, in my humble opinion, cruisers, and yachties are not causing much of a problem in the worlds various fisheries, it's the large scale commercial purse seiners flagged out of countries with little to no restrictions on commercial fishing that cause most of the damage. It really is quite sad that they don't care that they are over fishing and destroying some delicate fisheries. I love your videos, Cheers!!

Oh how I wish some man would come up to me and say "let's sail". There is so much out there to see!! And I want to see it damn it! Lol.

I loved the NZ episodes of course I have never been to any of these places up north seeing it on the boat is a whole different perspective Thanks 😃

Damn, I've been watching your videos for days on end here and only now realized I am still like 2 years behind... And now they're like n hour long, o my goodness, well Ill keep on watching till i've caught up

Love it the 1 hour long episodes:)) . Been watching you guys for over 2 years so I’m up to date and had to start watching you guys from beginning. Love you guys

Riley's brother looks a lot like the lead singer of Green Day :-p

I’m so happy for your family to be in my life I can’t wait for next video, it’s makes me so happy to watch every week and when you go missing I worry about you live my own kids. But I understand you have to have family time. I have watched you for so long I can’t even remember only that it’s been a lot of years. Love you you are the best

What an AWESOME edit AND content both of you 4..... aye Hugo et al.... much much enjoyed all of this vlog thank you for being YOU! Marlin fishing as a sport yes go for it, tag & release is it. BUT heck a good size steak to eat is awesome too init..... Fresh eating is great, so share around to the locals I say. Again thank you for ALL those hours & hours & hours editing..... it's why I watch you aye! Kiaora bro

Excellent vid! Not a boring moment. Elayna is a superb editor. As far as catch and release goes, catch and release. If you choose not to catch, you are choosing to not live the sea faring life as it should be. Don't catch and eat, unless you are going to eat it all.

I like how you guys are using the google earth map to show where your at and where your going now. Adds a nice touch for ppl like me who love maps and geography

It's like seeing the world through your eyes. Beautiful. Thank you.

I see nothing wrong with fishing for food. I'm not a vegan or vegetarian, I am an omnivore human that eats animals, vegetables and fishes. Seeing the fishing, killing, and preparing of the fish doesn't bother me in the least. However I hunt or fish just for food, not for the sport of it. If you hook a fish you're not going to eat, remove the hook as gently as you can and turn it loose. Great video, I can't wait to see the two of you on the cat. Joe

I'm a bit of a gypsy myself and after traveling Europe last summer and not wanting to come back to USA I totally get you. Enjoy and keep roaming. You bring us such gorgeous videos of places we may never visit but we can see them clearly through your eyes thank you sooo much!

A guitar string works well for cleaning the jets on a carburetor .

We spent the day to day at the Poor Knights on a snorkeling trip with the social club from work. I have sailed past these islands plenty of times, but Dad was never keen to stop in, a shame. What a fantastic place! I will definitely be going back when the boat hits the water. The caves in the bay you stayed in are mind blowingly amazing! The Rikoriko cave is so big that we watched with our jaws slack as a guy rode standing on a surfboard behind a 20 foot power boat into the cave and proceeded to turn inside the cave and just ride out like it was just something you would normally do!!! Around the corner is another cave/arch (Blue Maomao arch) that Jaques Cousteau called one of his top ten dives in the world! The visibility today was crystal clear with fish everywhere. You guys will have to have more of a look around when you get back down this neck of the woods.

I thought the gift was a weeding ring lol.

2 takes and several beers on the second one... I was going to comment on the marlin fishing before you solicited thoughts. Not a pro fisherman, never have I done deep sea fishing, but I do love fishing (and will be going tomorrow morning)- catching marlins out there the way you did would be an adventure of a lifetime. I always think of the book 'Old Man & the sea' when I see deep sea fishing. Love the stuff! Keep on bringing it!

Catch and release fishing creates a lot of revenue with licensing and excise taxes on equipment and boats. These funds are generally used to finance the research and protections that are happening around the world. I say do it from time to time to support the fishery. But not just for pleasure. It is fine in conjunction with a tagging program. At least data is being collected.

Yip! A Taylor Guitar. I have one hand and really went wild be a Taylor. That was decades ago but I'm excited by Taylor guitars. Enjoy. I have watched all your video Riley and Elayna. Thank you for the cool kids.

One of the best episodes yet! Really enjoyed this one.

My favorite part is when Hugo says that Riley's boat is slow. I loved watching the fishing!!

I like the hour long episodes guys!

Love that you're asking for opinions from all kinds of different perspectives and that you encourage stimulating discussion. I don't understand at all why some people say that's overly political or "too PC" or whatever. Thank you for creating awesome content like this that doesn't stop at the end of the video :) Greetings from Berlin! (Longtime viewer, just have a bit of catching up to do since I've been quite busy this year)

I love these long episodes!! nice little escape from the everyday world :) btw I´m doing my sailing license this fall !! can´t wait

Awesome Marlin fishing there guys, these days we don't fight them to exhaustion, so the tag and release works really well. fish are still quite green when tagged and I believe the recovery rate is all but 100% when its done properly. terrific sport and a win for the sports fisherman as well as the Marlin.

Hi Guys, Catch and release I believe is the most sustainable way of fishing. However I know there is quite often a bit of stigma related to any type of fishing of Marlin. This stigma I believe comes down to simply the raw size and beauty of these fish rather than its actual abundance. Where there is still many cases of fish species that are threatened and or endangered that still don't receive as much criticism for its fishing as they are just not regarded to be as valuable as a fish like Marlin even though it may play just as an equal role in the ecology of our oceans. Just my opinion but thought id put it out there, Cheers & also i love you guys keep it up!!!.

I'm a lake fisherman from Missouri, also fish lakes many other states around, and Canada(Mainly fish for large and small mouth Bass), I catch and release most of the time, only keep a few when people ask for me to save them a couple... I clean and filet them for them to enjoy. I believe in releasing them for other people to enjoy the sport of fishing as much as, my fishing buddies and I do. I really enjoy watching you guys catching fish as you sail along, very cool indeed. You have the best videos I have seen on sailing, the drone shots you get are really amazing, as well as your lifestyle ..!! Good sailing wishes coming your way, from this avid fan..!!

Amazing vlog! JP is certainly the drone myster! As for the marlin, you are sailing around the world on a yacht. So, catching and eating a marlin is fine. Also, choosing to tag and release is fine as well, however I would have kept at least one for consumption. Is this the normal amount of cruisers punting around in NZ waters or is it the time of year?

Great job! Really enjoying the 3 part series. New Zealand is now on my bucket list! To me, Marlin and Sailfish are the "big game" of the sea. For a fisherman, your no longer "fishing", your hunting for a specific fish. It doesn't get any better or bigger. Catch and release is a must. it's an experience you want to preserve for the next generation.

The 44 dislikes must be from New Plymouth Hahahahahaha . Great show guys 😍

Hi Guys Chris from Sydney here. Yeh it's a tough one about the Marlin. The thing everyone wants to believe is that they swim off ok. But they are extremely stressed. Many don't survive. Keep one for meat sure. Fish the heaviest line and gear you've got so it doesn't take too long. Might want to research some of the old rapid pump and wind techniques of the 70's they got fish in quick smart. Stay safe, ChrisB

That is some of the best drone footage I've seen. 👍 JP

I'm a semi-avid fisherman (and hunter) myself and I'll toss my two cents in. The fishing (and hunting) I do is primarily to supplement my diet. When I'm on a boat I'm rarely far away from a supermarket (Usually a max of 3-4 days). But if I buy my fish there it's still the same thing. You might argue it's worse after seeing how fish are handled on deck on massive trawlers. So I'll catch and eat my fish without any worry. When I'm backpacking through wilderness and pass by scandinavian mountain lakes I sometime pretty much need to catch fish. Carrying everything all the way adds a fair bit of weight to a packpack for 1-2 weeks soloing it far from civilization. In the autumn I also complement with hunting. I don't want to break my back carrying food either! Fishing and hunting (seasonal dependent) enables me to stay, be part of nature and extend my trips to remote locations massively. I reckon about 4 billion years of evolution has created me as an omnivore and hence I have my designated place in the food chain. Humans are created pretty opportunistic that way. Always able to adapt their diet to whatever is available and easiest at the time. That's pretty much the definition of our nature. If people feel uneasy about how nature have created them and choose a strictly vegan lifestyle for all or parts of their lifeI have no problems with that. Some tell tales of feeling way better after going vegan. There's hypothesis about that that's not so pleasant. One is that a marginal diet causes a form of mental "energy flare" as a biological life rescuing effort to be able to catch more food while you still can before starving to death or dying of malnutrition. It remains to be proven! But professional chess players amogst others has dabbled with diets based on such hypothesis and claim some success. My thinking is that being an omnivore is what nature has decided for me and I have an equal right to be a part of nature, the circle of life and all that just as a tuna or a bear or an eagle has. Not saying I don't love animals and are all for saving endangered spieces. (BTW : Save the Norwegian wolf! - there's only about 20 left after our government has slaughtered half of them becouse they were to many! Inbreading has been a massive problem for ages) But I don't value any species (including humans) over any other species ethically. Nature is neutral and don't pick sides in any etichal way. Nature just is. It doesn't care. At all. And yet it's magnificent just the way it is. After semi-circumnavgating the world I would guess you agree? A lesson for most of us humans with overpowered brains and insecurities I think. Unless a species is a direct threat to human existence I believe we should let the species survive and do their thing. But eating non-threatened species I have no problem with. That's just me being a part of nature. With regards to catch & release I feel a bit more uneasy and don't participate. I see little value in bothering, stressing or hurting (potentially fatally) fish I'm not going to eat anyway. I can certainly see the great fun and ego-boosting in tricking, overpowering and eventually cathing a massive animal. I also akowledge the curiosity of glancing with awe at such a massive force of nature up close while it's still living and not stuffed on some wall or in a picture. But if it has no dietary aspect for me I'm still reluctant to participate. It just feels wrong to me. Research and that kind of thing I have no problem with. If we are to know what's a threat to a species we need to know stuff about that species so we can make wise decissions. Spimple as that. It ultimately benefit the species from our fumbling blindly about in nature without having a clue. BTW: Bought the album. Patronage incoming after binge-watching 77 episodes in 2,5 days. (WTH happened? I was just googling some kayak-stuff.... :) Safe travels! You guys are truly inspirational!

Riley's brother looks like Marv (Daniel Stern) from Home Alone @4:10 .... Am I the only one who sees that shit?? lol

I love to go out and fish in the ocean. It's more about that feeling you get when you hear the lines running after hooking the fish. That's the jumpstart to the rush of excitement. If you break it down, were probably fishing to get that feeling of excitement. Then you get the fight on the way in. That's exciting also! If you can eat the fish and you can feed some people, then eat it. If it's a Marlin and you get to release it back into the ocean, then that is cool also. Either way the end result isn't what we are really after. It's more about the fight. I think the catch and release of the marlin would still make for a great experience. Nice going!

Fine video, Love catching up. Yes Catch and release these exceptional animals. Caught and released in Florida, But yes they do suffer stress, but they survive it and grow stronger and wiser. Like you two do everyday. Excited to be watching you two live, or kinda almost. Excited to watch what your future holds, good luck and fair weather..

Made it through the vid in one go. Yes a couple of beers. You guys make me smile through the whole thing. Like JP, looks like the good sort. My opinion on the marlin is let the people who regulate licenses for taking of marlin for food or even trophies decide how many can be taken. As for catch and release, though the color is dark and likely a sign of stress, not a lot of external damage is noticeable. The re-vibe technique seems good and they seem to swim away well. I don't see an issue.

Hi team, for future reference, Just push the cork into the bottle! Great wee Trick!. have just discovered you guys since Lenny has arrived. Now going back through your first episodes! lots of love, El. :)

Generally we here in Texas practice catch and release. Every once in a while, though, we harvest one. They are delicious smoked. My daughter, who hates fish, says nothing when we put a large piece of smoked marlin in front of her. The only time she looks up is when she is looking for more. I love it when the kids eat so well!

Such a good video xxxx

Hey guys, I'm late to your VLOG and channel, just catching up and enjoying the heck out of your videos whilst I sit here in Afghanistan! As an avid fisherman, I've fished quite a few places around the world. When I'm in a disadvantaged part of the world fishing, I'm always happy to give up our catch to the locals or the crew. They usually invite us to eat with them, and we gain great cultural experiences that way. Big game fishing and subsequent catch and release and tournaments that catch and release along with tagging all bring greater awareness to the over fishing issues and incidental kill with netting operations. I'm not a fan of harvesting or taking any animal and not using it for food. So catch and release for big game fish is great! Keep up the good work!

Hey Elayna random question, what's your makeup/skincare routine like? And do you get your eyebrows microbladed or are they just naturally that gorgeous? X

Alena, your new Taylor guitar is amazing. My late Father was an amateur luthier (and a professional mechanical engineer), so guitars for me have their own spirit. There is a part of the maker infused in every hand made guitar. A wonderful gift from Riley. Patrick RJ Brown

*rewinds forecast "BANG" *rewinds again "bang!" I was dying. haha

All good with fishing for sport mate, the key is to get it to the boat as fast as you can to get a tag in and release. We might only take one marlin every couple of years, it gets smoked and put in the freezer to enjoy for a long time. No need to take every one you catch. We love our fishing here in NZ.

Keep fishing. The age of being PC paranoid has caused to many shows to become " bait for the extremes in all aspects of life" i.e. press, magazines, news media and the like. You have a good mind Riley. What you do is usually the right thing. Don't change to fit the fans. The fans like you as you are. That's why we watch. If you start playing the PC game, the sponsors will dictate to you to be what they want you to be. Not what we currently see. You'll become established. Opposite of who you are today. Stay Free.

The eski floating away is probably worse than catching marlin. Great job on the tagging!

Wu Tang all day Riley! Love from Texas.

Thanks for sharing your cruising adventures. Didn't realise such perfect cruising conditions existed in the Bay of Islands although I had read about this in one of Eric Hiscock's books. As you may already know he and wife Susan settled in NZ at the end of their cruising lives. I have a number of his books including two signed by him personally! Unfortunately our South African coastline doesn't lend itself to safe cruising for yachts but I have had some experience when I crewed on a 32' sloop from Cape St Francis to Seychelles and back for 5 months in 1973. We fished a lot off the yacht but only for food for the trip. We caught all sorts including dorado, king fish, red snapper, bonito and dogtooth tuna to name a few, but never landed a marlin. I reckon it must have been an exciting event for you but not very practical from the stern of a sailing boat! I wish you both all the best and will be watching for your next instalment. Regards Peter.

The captions at 53:58 are hilarious

Budding Aussie Marine Scientist here! In terms of Marlin fishing (also i'm fully aware this is about 4 years late), but one of the reasons marlin are such a 'great' sport fish is because their obvious size, weight, beauty but also because they put up a good fight! They're very energetic creatures but what may come with the fight (hours of reeling in) is the amount of stress built up within the fish. Fish are able to become stressed but for such long periods of time the recovery may not be as easy as possible. Catch and release is pretty iffy, there are many many ways to do it wrong (especially if you're holstering the fish out of the water, probably where most mortality is unfortunately). But as Marine Scientists tagging and releasing is something that needs to be done for data & understanding of these creatures and the overall health of the ecosystems. Again, lots of pros and cons. But something that the fishing community and sporting fishing community can be educated on and continue to educate others on is IF you are catching and releasing, do some serious research on the impacts as well and if you're still keen, how to handle them in the right way to reduce their mortality! Cheers! Love what you guys are up to!

That was neat seeing New Zealand, and your old Vagabonde videos. I would let Mr Marlin go.

The hour long episode was great! Keep up the good work.

"Let's have some smoko then" "something smells fishy" "It's definetely fish....."

I could watch this all day.

It is okay to eat the fish as long as it has it's purpose of feeding the hungry and little goes to waist.

I love your 1 hour video, but I do have to admit is is not often I have time for that type of thing. I think that catch and release is the best way to catch a fish and ensure that there is plenty of fish in the future for the future fisherman. Thank you for sharing your life with me, I really enjoy your videos.

Riley, marry that girl!!!

Normal person's opinion: I was relieved when you let them go. They are beautiful! Love the videos guys!

Update: There are no Marlins in Arizona. Carry on.

We installed a salt water pump and hose up forward so that we can clean our anchor as it comes up.

I don't have a problem with catch and release-if you're tagging them, all the better. As for fishing to eat, you're pretty much getting the best of sustainable, local, "organic" food. I know there are some people on here who disagree, but I REALLY hope you don't start cutting out the shots of you fishing, etc. I hope your other viewers have the self-governance and are practical enough that if it doesn't interest you, or it offends you, then please just skip forward a bit. As for the stress part-I grew up on a primarily agriculture farm, though we raised animals from time to time. Animals feel stress, but anyone who's spent any time around animals not raised by hand (and even then) knows that they're spooked from pretty much anything. They go through life "on alert." It can be from humans, or it can just as easily be from a rock. I understand not wanting to stress them unduly, especially if you aren't eating them, but the reality of fish life isn't finding nemo. I think as long as you're being respectful, then keep doing what you're doing.

Great video guys, well done. I operate a fishing boat off the east coast of South Africa, where we do a fair amount of bill fishing amongst other outings for Tuna, Dorado, Wahoo and various other pelagics. We support and practice catch and release on any bill fish caught. On a few occasions we have had the misfortune to have fish die on us, if the fight has been too long and stressful for the fish, but gladly this is very much in the minority and we have had great success with our releases. I agree that marlin and sailfish are not on any endangered list, but they are such majestic animals that we would rather see them returned to fight another day. In addition, we feel that they too often go to waste in someone's freezer, so stick to the rule, if you can't eat it all, release it. We have the same rule for pelagics when it comes to large amounts of fish caught. I hope this makes sense. Keep up the good work guys.

As far as catch and release, personally I wouldn't catch the fish for any reason but especially not as a game. But that being said I have nothing to gain from this, I don't enjoy this and haven't been in the same situations as you guys have. It gives me a strange distressed feeling in my stomach seeing an animal suffer, emotionally or physically. Call that 'weak' if you like, it's just how I feel. I know little of the culture of fishing, or what happens to a fish after it has been caught on a lure then released.. All that said, I think there are far worse things in the world than catching then releasing a fish. I admire you asking these questions :)

Drone footage is amazing, especially the shots there by the cave bit. Re fishing. It's good to release the fish, and keep one every now and them for food. I don't see myself catching and releasing fish just for the thrill of it, but each to his own. My kids sort of forced me to start trolling on our yacht, and we've caught some bonito and shad in the last two short trips in St. Francis Bay.

i prefer a long video. dont see why anyone would complain.

Randomly woke up to this playing, forgot how long I have been watching you two, and y'all got two kiddos now🙅‍♂