Eric Levi
Season 1 & Season 3, Pacific Ocean
I met Eric through Ben at Sail Bainbridge. Eric lived aboard his beautiful Westsail 32 named Velella. "Velella" is a boneless pelagic critter also known by its more romantic name, "by the wind sailor." Ben, sharing a love of sailing and music with Eric, introduced me. I shot his tinyboatsession on Bainbridge Island in his dingy named 'Barnicle.' For the last ten years, he had been living on boats and working on boats in order to prepare to sail across the sea. Many months after this, he would do it, sailing his boat with his friend Willy on the way to Hawaii. I was honored enough to be invited on the leg back. Because of this he would also become a big part of season 3. I asked all of tinyboatsession season one for some thoughts in March 2020 to mark the time. Below are his thoughts.
Eric’s on Tinyboatsession Season 1: I’m Eric Levi. I live on my sailboat with my dog, am a compulsive project person, and would generally prefer to be outdoors (unless there’s a cozy fire aboard). While COVID-19 scares me from a societal perspective, I find myself thinking about how we would manage something more severe. It’s also turned my thoughts inward. It’s made me really introspective, re-evaluating what I find most important in life and whether or not I’m doing everything I can to achieve that. For some reprieve from the gloomy chaos, I’ve turned to tackle a bunch of boat projects, an effective means of productive quarantining. -Eric, March 2020.
Eric on Tinyboatsession Season 3: “I know Eric through Tinyboatsession Season 1. Our mutual friend Ben at Bainbridge sailing introduced us. As the pandemic shut down work opportunities, it seemed like it might put Eric in place to accomplish one of his life goals--sail his boat across the sea. I was thrilled he decided to take that opportunity and was honored that he invited me to help him sail his boat back. I flew to Hawaii, quarantined, and in late August, we began the sail back. Eric lives on his boat. It's his home. Naturally, his guitar was on it. He would often pull it off the wall and play. His boat is a Westsail 32, and I suppose all boats are tinyboats at sea. This, combined with John Ruskey's songs he'd sent me from the Mississippi River the day before we sailed, and my new harmonica got me excited for the prospect of where Tinyboatsession Season 3 might lead me.” -Jordan & Clarabelle