Always look forward to seeing what's been going on with Nahoa. This drone footage with the sound of the wind was amazing! Incredible journey Ben and Ashley and those two little ship mates are a joy. Thanks for taking us along.💯👍
It sure has been enjoyable watching your channel grow, especially your kids. You guys are living the life and work so well together. I grew up with my family working on a commercial salmon fishing boat up here in South central Alaska. Like what my dad told us kids in my family having grown up on a boat, "you don't know how good you kids are". Having grown up and now watching my kids do the same, I can say that your kids will almost take the better part of their life to learn and understand the same about your families cruising lifestyle. Assuming you say that same statement to them. Being enriched with travel makes one richer than all the millionaires of the world. Continued safe travels to family Nahoa. Much love, and thanks for sharing your life with all of us.
" Oh my goodness, we're PROs" ha ha ha...You guys surely are! Hands down most authentic and inspiring out there. Eagerly wait for our Sunday check in!! Keep strong for that swing around the Cape and wild sail up the Western Coast.
I’m so happy that you’re documenting and taking your platform on TH-cam to educate us regarding how poor these little villages are. My prayer now is that others will follow in your footsteps to help ALL these small villages. I pray that our God the creator of Heaven and Earth will continue to Bless your TH-cam channel and all that you do. PeaceAndLove Lori
I'm always blown away to see how calm you guys handle situations ... I told the port master over TH-cam after this conversation to change job, if he doesn't like dealing with people. 😂😂😂 I became driver after several years of teaching, managing, etc. to stay far from people as much as I can. Usually one loading one unloading per day, but sometimes it is still way too much for me ... Enjoy South Africa and stay safe!!!
Willa is growing so tall (over the rail height) and the waves are choppy, do you ever get concerned for going overboard? The kids are so comfortable on the boat even in waves, the motion doesn't bother them. Congrats on arriving in a safer place to do boat projects. Praying blessing on smooth and efficient repairs.
Yes when y’all are rockin the surf waves and having fun I sometimes wish those lil ones had their pfds on. I know you know I’m just saying. I just want everyone to be a floater if somehow y’all are thrown into the sea.
Glad others are also opining re the kids' safety. Mom & dad had inflatable life jackets on outside of the netting ... imho, if my kids I would have these on them anywhere on deck. Too precious to not do this. Do they make inflatables for small children?
It’s been an emotional roller coaster even for us all just watching you guys battling through so many tough trials over these past few years. So good to now see and hear you feeling that life’s giving you some positive vibes to surf. The harder you work the luckier you get. Huge hugs ❤
Oklahoma here again!! I love Your Precious family!! You’ve got the most beautiful giving hearts!! I believe You all will be blessed for all do for others!! You can see the joy on your faces when you get to give to these places who are not as blessed as we Americans!! Love how your teaching your children how to love.. give… care about others!! Keep on keepin on doing what makes your hearts smile!! Prayers of safety and blessings to you all!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Amazing drone footage. Photos and videos just don’t do it. I remember telling people of some of our seas hard to describe. But drones show it all. So many memories. Thank you
Very cool footage guys. We have a 410 also and never seen aerial video of them in large following sea. Always been to scared to drone it. Randomly we also have a phantom 3. Thing won’t die.
So happy to see that you’re safe. The drone footage was amazing. Great photography really gives you look at what you guys are sailing through ….amazing. See you next week
Omw! It brought tears to my eyes when I saw your first footage of our land! Welcome to South Africa!🎉🎉🎉 You look excausted! You always remain so calm. Don't worry about the accent. This guy was probably working night shift and also tired, but I feel he could be a bit friendlier.😏 Hope you will have a good rest. You will have an amazing time in our country. Looking forward to you being in Cape Town! Would still love to meet you and babysit if you feel like some day/s and night/s out on town.🤗There is sooo much to do and see in and around Cape Town!💞
Excellent, so glad you enjoyed supplying water and baby clothes to the grateful fishermen. That's truly paying it forward. Willa has the best binoculars 😂
I like many others, I would assume, watch boating channels as a way of escaping our humdrum lives, your videos, especially of late, have achieved that more than most, you seem more relaxed and content than I can remember, 10 more years of this content would be fine with me !
I just watched that other sailing family for the last time and unsubbed them. Thank you for all you do Nahoa and please keep spreading love and charity to those less fortunate. You have an awesome little family and I look forward to your videos each week.
We got the same duplo set oh and the same bathtub 😁. Funny to see them sailing around the world. For us it's definitely not a realistic prospect to take our Duplo's around the world, but it's amazing to see someone able to do it. You are truly inspiring.
For noob sailors I love that you showed the VHF conversation. Can you show how you put in the reef with all the details or any other special maneuver if you can add it in the footage. Don't leave the small steps out. Keep trying to show us your sailing experiences and workflow even if they are your own and outside regular teaching. Like I noticed you didn't know Ashley catching the actual drone but just after she caught it. I know it may be hard but stuff like that is what many of us look for how it is done practically in the given conditions. Or show us how you tied that knot in the boom preventer 😉. It may seem not important but as a noob sailor I look for these things in your videos in addition to your amazing adventures. We can all learn form each other. Been a long time viewer.
As a fellow cruiser, I have really enjoyed following you around much of the world. And with two wonderful babies!! Almost the Cape Town! Yaaaaay! Hopefully after Cape Town you will have a lot more great sailing like you just had.
I found your channel about 3-4 years ago and immediately felt connected to your dream sailing around the world and was hooked for your content for some time. When i saw you were about to have a child and was a bit scared that you would have to leave nahoa behind. But now i came back recently and i´m happy to see you with your kids still fulfilling your dream sailing around the world, together with them. They gonna grow up on the boat with you, learning how to sail it, repairing it again and seeing the world. Wish you all good luck for your following journeys. Grüße aus Deutschland :)
Awesome video. Love the educational points, love your sailor characters come alive but mostly, now, We Love Seeing the Kids become Sailors and are fully involved in this lifestyle. So glad to see Nahoa back in her grooooooooove. Love you guys.
I love that girl. I have been watching her grow up. She is wonderful. I only have boys, 4 of them. I make up girls and write wtories about them. If you ever see a girl in one of my books called Willa, you will know where the inspiration came from.
Pretty sure that is the first time I've seen anyone post a drone shot that wasn't just perfect, smooth sailing. I was clenched the whole time watching that! While it was only a short clip...it was definitely eye opening!!!! TY Nahoa for keepin it real!
I feel so proud right now, I just have to share. As a junior CAD draftsman I working for a consulting engineering compony in 2003 to 2007, and with my time there, I worked and draw the plans for the piles and raft system that the Hotel in the background 16:58 is built on. Welcome to my home.
That area was my first study of wind waves and oscillating systems. I was studying it when Delos was there. The wind waves against current are quite amazing and require that your up on the patterns. Bravo with that drone catch, even though we didn't see it. I'm sure it was amazing ! The knot had to come loose, dyneema doesn't snap !
Aww! Got me. I thought for sure y'all were going to lose the drone. Great footage of Nahoa surfing. Hello Willa right back at cha. Absolutely agree about the protected cockpit. That has been my biggest concern about cats. Yay! South Africa.
Man I love your videos.. so real, which makes the special moments that much better. I still enjoy La Vagabond, Atticus, etc but they feel more like entertainment. You guys feel like you're vlogging the most realistic content (minus the arguments we've all had plenty of) and I even enjoy the drama. You record the reality of your situation even when you're not happy, but you don't obsess about whatever BS is happening. Basically I'd love to live like you two, I'd love to sail with you & honestly I'd be thrilled to just have friends as chill & fun as you.
Very good filing this episode , my goodness those kids are doing well , they’re little deckhands born to it, you’re doing a great job as parents , nice work this video . Kids are getting taller fast. Your son is jumping around on the back deck there with no problems . Good sea legs .
Thank you Nahoa crew for another absolutely fantastic sailing vlog. I had to do a bit of catch up with your videos as I was away on holidays on a south pacific island.
I really love you guys so much ! Grateful for your channel an that you share real life! It's been beautiful to watch you both become parents, an then honored to watch your family grow! The fact that you guys were cracking up surfing down waves... Was a complete blast !! Thanks for sharing your lives with us!! Grateful for Nahoa✌🏼💗😊⛵
What a great video! Thank you for taking me (us all) with you.. I been with you for a long time and I feel like I really know you all... Stay safe and enjoy it all! Peace Rolfie
Totally congratulations on a safe well managed passage. I am looking forward to learning more about life and culture in S. Africa from your perspective. Can’t wait. Thanks
So nice arriving at Rbay hey . We had the same blasting wind on our arrival and the port made us wait til a few ships had entered which was really tough to stay upwind of the harbour mouth. He then told us to flow a ship and stay close to its stern which was another challenge with reefed main and Genoa and 2 engines. It’s a lovely sociable club and I got stuck there for 5 months during covid before convincing them to let me sail back up to Mozambique. Nice place to work on the hard. Just need a car to get around but we had a friend there that lend us his truck for our time the which was a blessing
Thank you for taking us along on this journey. Please be careful because desperate people do desperate acts. There’s so much crazy stuff going on. Luv from the North North Georgia Mountains.
Haven’t watched, I thought for a little while. But you had just had your first, and now you’ve got two ! I’ve got some catching up to do. Still doing it beautifully guys !
I'm watching all of yalls videos from when I hadn't watched since covid and here I am a month out haha its been amazing whatcha yalls progress and adventures. So glad yall are back at it! AS for your drone, list those symptoms, alot of us are drone hobbiests and might be able to help out!
Missy and I just spent 11 days on Zingaro with James and Anna for our 27th anniversary and after that amazing experience it makes us appreciate you sharing your life with us. Thank you so much and we think your wonderful parents and amazing people thanks again for enhancing our lives with your adventures
Love you guys so much. You do an outstanding job on the videos. I just made my first map video. 45 seconds took 4 hours lol. No one can really appreciate the work. You do to make these videos as good as they are. Anyways, I’m cruising through the Bahamas and I’m hoping to be able to meet up with you guys when you make it back to the East Coast of the states. Looking forward to your next video.
![[กูเพิ่งซื้อมึงปิดหนี] 20 นาที ผมรีวิวเกมที่แย่ที่สุดในโลก CONCORD](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/XhC-3q3Ii7I/mqdefault.jpg)
![POLYCAT - ข้อความรูปยิ้ม [Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/lBhIgPGCgbI/mqdefault.jpg)
No Sunday is complete without the Nahoa video, great stuff guys.
This!☝🏻
Totally, the last thing I do before going to bed.
Yes!!!
You’re going to love South Africa. And when you get to Cape Town, it’s magical.
Always look forward to seeing what's been going on with Nahoa. This drone footage with the sound of the wind was amazing! Incredible journey Ben and Ashley and those two little ship mates are a joy. Thanks for taking us along.💯👍
It sure has been enjoyable watching your channel grow, especially your kids. You guys are living the life and work so well together. I grew up with my family working on a commercial salmon fishing boat up here in South central Alaska. Like what my dad told us kids in my family having grown up on a boat, "you don't know how good you kids are". Having grown up and now watching my kids do the same, I can say that your kids will almost take the better part of their life to learn and understand the same about your families cruising lifestyle. Assuming you say that same statement to them. Being enriched with travel makes one richer than all the millionaires of the world. Continued safe travels to family Nahoa. Much love, and thanks for sharing your life with all of us.
" Oh my goodness, we're PROs" ha ha ha...You guys surely are! Hands down most authentic and inspiring out there. Eagerly wait for our Sunday check in!! Keep strong for that swing around the Cape and wild sail up the Western Coast.
I’m so happy that you’re documenting and taking your platform on TH-cam to educate us regarding how poor these little villages are.
My prayer now is that others will follow in your footsteps to help ALL these small villages. I pray that our God the creator of Heaven and Earth will continue to Bless your TH-cam channel and all that you do.
PeaceAndLove
Lori
I'm always blown away to see how calm you guys handle situations ... I told the port master over TH-cam after this conversation to change job, if he doesn't like dealing with people. 😂😂😂 I became driver after several years of teaching, managing, etc. to stay far from people as much as I can. Usually one loading one unloading per day, but sometimes it is still way too much for me ... Enjoy South Africa and stay safe!!!
Willa is growing so tall (over the rail height) and the waves are choppy, do you ever get concerned for going overboard? The kids are so comfortable on the boat even in waves, the motion doesn't bother them. Congrats on arriving in a safer place to do boat projects. Praying blessing on smooth and efficient repairs.
I think my friend Audrey Peter moved back to South Africa if you are looking for a wonderful hostess.
Yes when y’all are rockin the surf waves and having fun I sometimes wish those lil ones had their pfds on. I know you know I’m just saying. I just want everyone to be a floater if somehow y’all are thrown into the sea.
Glad others are also opining re the kids' safety.
Mom & dad had inflatable life jackets on outside of the netting ... imho, if my kids I would have these on them anywhere on deck.
Too precious to not do this.
Do they make inflatables for small children?
I was just thinking this, that netting looks very low
It’s been an emotional roller coaster even for us all just watching you guys battling through so many tough trials over these past few years. So good to now see and hear you feeling that life’s giving you some positive vibes to surf. The harder you work the luckier you get. Huge hugs ❤
I look forward to your videos, safe travels and happy sailing from Port Elizabeth. Thank you.
Oklahoma here again!! I love Your Precious family!! You’ve got the most beautiful giving hearts!! I believe You all will be blessed for all do for others!! You can see the joy on your faces when you get to give to these places who are not as blessed as we Americans!! Love how your teaching your children how to love.. give… care about others!! Keep on keepin on doing what makes your hearts smile!! Prayers of safety and blessings to you all!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I don’t know how to use that silly telegram thingy!
Amazing drone footage. Photos and videos just don’t do it. I remember telling people of some of our seas hard to describe. But drones show it all. So many memories. Thank you
Very cool footage guys. We have a 410 also and never seen aerial video of them in large following sea. Always been to scared to drone it. Randomly we also have a phantom 3. Thing won’t die.
So happy to see that you’re safe. The drone footage was amazing. Great photography really gives you look at what you guys are sailing through ….amazing. See you next week
Omw! It brought tears to my eyes when I saw your first footage of our land! Welcome to South Africa!🎉🎉🎉 You look excausted! You always remain so calm. Don't worry about the accent. This guy was probably working night shift and also tired, but I feel he could be a bit friendlier.😏 Hope you will have a good rest. You will have an amazing time in our country. Looking forward to you being in Cape Town! Would still love to meet you and babysit if you feel like some day/s and night/s out on town.🤗There is sooo much to do and see in and around Cape Town!💞
I listened again, I struggled to understand his accent and I am a born and bread South African!😬
How cute are the kids pointing out the land.💞
What an epic experience for your little people! You might need to do it again, they will be a little older and will remember more.
Epic. I think this is one of your best episodes ever.
What lucky kids!!
Welcome to South Africa...hope you enjoy your stay and be safe....
Excellent, so glad you enjoyed supplying water and baby clothes to the grateful fishermen. That's truly paying it forward.
Willa has the best binoculars 😂
❤ Much love Nahoa!
Your beautiful family makes me proud to be a Vancouver Islander! I love the way you're teaching your kids to "roll with" life ❤️
Welcome to our country....Hope you have an awsome visit here. And dont feel bad. I also heard land and not length 😂....safe travels.
Welcome to South Africa 💚
watching from cape town south africa enjoying your content
This episode is the content I have been waiting for. Thank you.
I was so happy to hear the excitement in your voices when surfing down waves or coming into port. Brought back good memories of my time offshore!
I like many others, I would assume, watch boating channels as a way of escaping our humdrum lives, your videos, especially of late, have achieved that more than most, you seem more relaxed and content than I can remember, 10 more years of this content would be fine with me !
I just watched that other sailing family for the last time and unsubbed them. Thank you for all you do Nahoa and please keep spreading love and charity to those less fortunate. You have an awesome little family and I look forward to your videos each week.
Welcome to South Africa. Hope you enjoy your stay here.
We got the same duplo set oh and the same bathtub 😁. Funny to see them sailing around the world. For us it's definitely not a realistic prospect to take our Duplo's around the world, but it's amazing to see someone able to do it. You are truly inspiring.
For noob sailors I love that you showed the VHF conversation. Can you show how you put in the reef with all the details or any other special maneuver if you can add it in the footage. Don't leave the small steps out. Keep trying to show us your sailing experiences and workflow even if they are your own and outside regular teaching. Like I noticed you didn't know Ashley catching the actual drone but just after she caught it. I know it may be hard but stuff like that is what many of us look for how it is done practically in the given conditions. Or show us how you tied that knot in the boom preventer 😉. It may seem not important but as a noob sailor I look for these things in your videos in addition to your amazing adventures. We can all learn form each other. Been a long time viewer.
As a fellow cruiser, I have really enjoyed following you around much of the world. And with two wonderful babies!! Almost the Cape Town! Yaaaaay! Hopefully after Cape Town you will have a lot more great sailing like you just had.
I found your channel about 3-4 years ago and immediately felt connected to your dream sailing around the world and was hooked for your content for some time. When i saw you were about to have a child and was a bit scared that you would have to leave nahoa behind. But now i came back recently and i´m happy to see you with your kids still fulfilling your dream sailing around the world, together with them. They gonna grow up on the boat with you, learning how to sail it, repairing it again and seeing the world. Wish you all good luck for your following journeys. Grüße aus Deutschland :)
Awesome video. Love the educational points, love your sailor characters come alive but mostly, now, We Love Seeing the Kids become Sailors and are fully involved in this lifestyle. So glad to see Nahoa back in her grooooooooove. Love you guys.
Welcome to South Africa. I have a childhood friend who lives in Richards Bay, I am in Cape Town
❤ love following you guys!
keep sailling safe nice to see the world im came from phillippines thanks for viseting
Great to see you guys out there living your journey. Thanks for bringing us along! 🤗💞
Where are you? We're worried. Hope you're all ok.
Love you all. Keep on keeping on.
Always! No stopping anytime soon. There's a few more laps in our tanks.
Welcome to South Africa. Look forward to seeing you in Cape Town!
I love that girl. I have been watching her grow up. She is wonderful. I only have boys, 4 of them. I make up girls and write wtories about them. If you ever see a girl in one of my books called Willa, you will know where the inspiration came from.
i love watching your videos. feels like im one of the passenger.
Enjoy following your adventures every Sunday! Welcome to South Africa. You are going to love Cape Town!!
Absolutely awesome 👏 ❤😎
You all are always a pleasure to follow. Can’t wait for Western Africa and the Atlantic. Be safe.
Welcome and enjoy.
Love from South Africa ❤
Was not sure if you guys were still afloat! NICE TO SEE YOU ARE STILL AROUND.
Welcome to South Africa ❤️✌️
Where are you guys ?? Please post soon 🙏 💕
Great video, you two seem to be really happy again, great to see. :)
Pretty sure that is the first time I've seen anyone post a drone shot that wasn't just perfect, smooth sailing. I was clenched the whole time watching that! While it was only a short clip...it was definitely eye opening!!!! TY Nahoa for keepin it real!
I feel so proud right now, I just have to share. As a junior CAD draftsman I working for a consulting engineering compony in 2003 to 2007, and with my time there, I worked and draw the plans for the piles and raft system that the Hotel in the background 16:58 is built on. Welcome to my home.
That area was my first study of wind waves and oscillating systems. I was studying it when Delos was there. The wind waves against current are quite amazing and require that your up on the patterns. Bravo with that drone catch, even though we didn't see it. I'm sure it was amazing ! The knot had to come loose, dyneema doesn't snap !
Hey Ben, Ash and Kids! Thanks for bringing me along to South Africa via Video😊😊👍👍🇵🇭
Great Vid everyone. Thanks
Well done guts, glad you made it safe.
See yous when you start the maintainance.
Aww! Got me. I thought for sure y'all were going to lose the drone. Great footage of Nahoa surfing. Hello Willa right back at cha. Absolutely agree about the protected cockpit. That has been my biggest concern about cats. Yay! South Africa.
Listening to the Richards Bay Official on the radio is so typical of the new South African attitude.
Spectacular run, and glad Nahoa and crew are safe.
Truly one of the best channels on youtube.
Man I love your videos.. so real, which makes the special moments that much better. I still enjoy La Vagabond, Atticus, etc but they feel more like entertainment. You guys feel like you're vlogging the most realistic content (minus the arguments we've all had plenty of) and I even enjoy the drama. You record the reality of your situation even when you're not happy, but you don't obsess about whatever BS is happening. Basically I'd love to live like you two, I'd love to sail with you & honestly I'd be thrilled to just have friends as chill & fun as you.
what a life you have created!
Very good filing this episode , my goodness those kids are doing well , they’re little deckhands born to it, you’re doing a great job as parents , nice work this video . Kids are getting taller fast. Your son is jumping around on the back deck there with no problems . Good sea legs .
So glad you are finding inspiration again and enjoying cruising with your family x
Welcome to South Africa 😍 Watching from Cape Town. May you enjoy our beautiful country. 🥰
Thankyou 👍
Thank you Nahoa crew for another absolutely fantastic sailing vlog. I had to do a bit of catch up with your videos as I was away on holidays on a south pacific island.
Surfing down those waves it looks like it turns up.
I really love you guys so much ! Grateful for your channel an that you share real life! It's been beautiful to watch you both become parents, an then honored to watch your family grow!
The fact that you guys were cracking up surfing down waves... Was a complete blast !!
Thanks for sharing your lives with us!! Grateful for Nahoa✌🏼💗😊⛵
I remember those days, sailing on Hudson Bay.
Welcome to South Africa 🇿🇦 . I'm sure you'll have a wonderful stay.
Welcome to SA , enjoy and be safe .
Just had notification that they have left Richards Bay sail safe guys
What a great video! Thank you for taking me (us all) with you.. I been with you for a long time and I feel like I really know you all... Stay safe and enjoy it all! Peace Rolfie
Little Willa, has her sea legs!
Much Love, calm seas and safe travels!🤙🏼💖
Cheers...
Eine lustige Szene: die kleine Tochter aus dem "Stauraum" zu holen...😀
Totally congratulations on a safe well managed passage. I am looking forward to learning more about life and culture in S. Africa from your perspective. Can’t wait. Thanks
Stay safe God bless.
So nice arriving at Rbay hey . We had the same blasting wind on our arrival and the port made us wait til a few ships had entered which was really tough to stay upwind of the harbour mouth. He then told us to flow a ship and stay close to its stern which was another challenge with reefed main and Genoa and 2 engines. It’s a lovely sociable club and I got stuck there for 5 months during covid before convincing them to let me sail back up to Mozambique. Nice place to work on the hard. Just need a car to get around but we had a friend there that lend us his truck for our time the which was a blessing
Thank you for taking us along on this journey.
Please be careful because desperate people do desperate acts.
There’s so much crazy stuff going on.
Luv from the North North Georgia Mountains.
Haven’t watched, I thought for a little while. But you had just had your first, and now you’ve got two ! I’ve got some catching up to do. Still doing it beautifully guys !
I'm watching all of yalls videos from when I hadn't watched since covid and here I am a month out haha its been amazing whatcha yalls progress and adventures. So glad yall are back at it!
AS for your drone, list those symptoms, alot of us are drone hobbiests and might be able to help out!
Yes!
Missy and I just spent 11 days on Zingaro with James and Anna for our 27th anniversary and after that amazing experience it makes us appreciate you sharing your life with us. Thank you so much and we think your wonderful parents and amazing people thanks again for enhancing our lives with your adventures
Welcome to South Africa!!!!😊
At least your old drone still flies while the controller beeps. Mine just beeps. Time for an upgrade I guess. Another great videos you two. Thanks!!
Thoroughly enjoyed this video. The drone footage was awesome!! Glad you made it safely!!
Thanks!
Love you guys so much. You do an outstanding job on the videos. I just made my first map video. 45 seconds took 4 hours lol. No one can really appreciate the work. You do to make these videos as good as they are. Anyways, I’m cruising through the Bahamas and I’m hoping to be able to meet up with you guys when you make it back to the East Coast of the states. Looking forward to your next video.
Just returned from an 8 hour boat ride from Punta Gorda to Lake Okeechobee. I’m not a seasoned boater so can’t imagine your voyage…very impressive
Enjoy South Africa! Wish You could visit Bloemfontein, but we have no sea. Stay Safe from me in Bloemfontein South Africa.
Thank you Nahoa
That drone footage was stellar! Nahoa looked like a toy in a bathtub. Well, a bathtub being churned by an enthusiastic toddler!
Welcome to South Africa!
Very good video. Great to see the kids growing into the lifestyle.
Love the videos guys 😀. Safe travels come back to NZ sometime !
Great footage of the Old Girl hanging her tail out ..congrats on another safe crossing
get another phantom, it may be bigger than some, but those handles make launching & retrieval much easier. worth it!