Feature: Uncle Moe

We should call these features "alternative lifestyles of people who will make you want to travel more... oh and they use Caframo products."

All joking aside, Noah, proud owner of Uncle Moe, a gorgeous Hallberg Rassy 55, has created a lifestyle worthy of envy. Oh and he has eleven(!) SEEKR by Caframo Bora fans onboard.

His vessel isn't just a pleasure craft, it's home. But we'll let Noah tell you more about why these two ideas don't need to be mutually exclusive whatsoever, and why there are so many reasons, especially now, to craft a pleasurable life.

Where are you right now, where were you before and where are you going next? 

I’m currently anchored in the Bay of Cannes, France where coincidently the film festival is happening. I’ve been here in the South of France as a “Covid Refugee” for 5 months now. However, I’m about to break-free and sail to Corsica in a few days and finally start the sailing season of 2021.

Tell us about yourself. Why’d you choose your lifestyle? How long have you been at it? Any plans for the near future? Distant future? 

I’m originally Canadian but I moved to Asia when I was 23 years old. I’ve been living in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand for 25 years working as a film and TV producer. I speak Chinese now.

I discovered the sailing lifestyle from a friend who owned a sailboat in the Mediterranean. I was hooked immediately. My intention was to buy a boat when I was older and would have more time to use it, but then I had two friends die the same year, both young and I realized that the future is not guaranteed so bought a boat NOW and forced myself to MAKE TIME; I bought my first one in 2013 and my second boat in 2019. Because of Covid I’ve been living on the boat for a year now and I love it. I plan to start my circumnavigation in 2022 and take 10 years or more to do. The world is HUGE so I’m not going to rush, there is so much to see and it’s not a race.

Tell us about your boat. How long have you had it, how much distance have you put on it, where have you taken it? 

My current sailboat is a Hallberg Rassy 55. I’ve owned her for 2 years now. She is a magnificently well-built boat and I feel grateful to have her…even though I named “her” Uncle Moe…which is really a “he”. I launched Uncle Moe near Trieste, Italy and sailed her to Greece where I did two summer seasons. This season, my 3^rd with Moe, I will sail to the Netherlands so that I will be well positioned to sail the short Scandinavian summer next year.

What product(s) of ours do you have onboard? How’s it working out for you? 

I have eleven Bora fans on Uncle Moe. That’s right ELEVEN! They are everywhere and I run them all the time without fail. At night they keep me cool while I sleep and also create a very soothing white noise which helps drown out the little annoying boat noises that are unavoidable. They are amazing little powerhouses – they just keep spinning day in and day out.

We found you through an online community you’re part of and seem to be actively involved with. What’s the vibe like these days? Are you finding more people are starting to live the way you are? 

I think because of Covid the world has woken up to new possibilities and have realized that the old ways – working in unhealthy florescent-lite cubicles – is an oppressive by-product of an economic system that has forgot the human soul and our vital need for a connection to nature and community. I have been working remotely for 10 years and just produced three film shoots in Asia for Marvel Studios from my boat in France. Location doesn’t matter anymore – as long as you can deliver quality work the clients don’t care where you are or what you are wearing!

It’s a weird time for the world. How have you been affected personally or how has your lifestyle changed recently? 

This time has been a blessing for me – and for many people. The year before covid I was on 70 flights. This year I have been on ZERO flights. It’s been great to have the time to go slow and be still. I don‘t plan to return to the pre-covid madness; I want to turn down the dial and enjoy the simple things. My new mantra is “less is more”. I have spent hours trying to simplify everything: throwing away clothes I never wear, objects that don’t serve me in any meaningful way and even distancing myself from people who have the wrong energy for me. I don’t want to get off my boat. I want to keep going. Almost everything I need and want is here, floating with me. All I need now is a free-spirited woman with endless wanderlust to join me on this adventure…anyone interested?

You can follow along with Noah and Uncle Moe's adventures via their website sailingunclemoe.com