I have to both chuckle and cringe when I look at this video. The history of it all is that back in the early 90's when we really began to appreciate how well the Melonseed sailed, we were announcing our enthusiasm to the world in magazine ads, magazine interviews and our literature. Our claims of performance were pretty enthusiastic to say the least, and I often wondered if folks believed me or thought I was just over the edge a bit! My response was therefore to get some video footage of the Melonseed under sail, and once and for all visually document this terrific performance.

 

Now back in the early years of the Melonseed, we were a little "fiscally challenged" to keep the project afloat and the cost to have a professional video produced was astounding to me. My response was to just have a whack at it ourselves. Heck, why not I thought, what's so hard about making your own video? We had a sailor with a video camera, we had plenty of wind, plenty of over enthusiastic Melonheads who would like to star in a movie, AND we had beautiful boats. How hard could this be? I very often describe this video as visual evidence of "what some great people, wonderful boats, a borrowed video camera and a case of beer can generate!"

 

We shot the footage. Lots of it. I remember all of us running back ashore to plug the camera into a monitor after the first day, and hooting, hollering and laughing ourselves near silly at both the fabulous footage and the absurdly comedic ones. (This is where the case of beer comes in!). Now,... how to edit it? No problem. We set up two copulating VCR's on the living room floor, two remote switches, and had a go at it. We even added some funny homespun touches in the beginning and ending. Well, I have to report that it wasn't all that simple after all, but with great determination, we did it. I even made up a sound track of "new age" music (now that really dates the video!) I unashamedly used without permission.

 

TA DAH! "Melonseed, The Movie" was premiered at our Boat Shop Christmas party in '92 to fabulous reviews! Why not, we had provided more beer, and half the audience was starring in the movie. While if was pretty obvious that we would never win awards at any eclectic international film festivals, and Hollywood never did call on me, the video surely proved without question that the Melonseed Skiff is all we claimed her to be.

 

Bringing us back to the present, I do often remark that "We need a new video!! This one is so amateurish". But you know, I doubt we would get any sailing footage any better than the first time. I couldn't have any more fun than the first time, and most of all everyone keeps telling me NOT to change it because it's funky, fun, realistic, and a pleasant contrast to the over produced visual stuff we are always bombarded with these days. This is just darned good footage of a wonderful boat sailing in some lovely locations. Besides that we loan it to you free of charge so who can complain? I guess for the time being (slight cringe here) we will just keep hoping YOU enjoy this little piece of Melonseed Magic.

 

To experience the real thing yourself, mix one Melonseed with liberal amounts of H2O.

 

Thanks for watching, and I hope you enjoy the video.

 

Roger Crawford

 

PS The video below is bonus footage taken on a breezy day!