A Short Film About Webb Chiles, With a Few Corrections

It was a thrill to hear from Webb Chiles a few weeks ago, with some exciting news to share:

I am writing immodestly to tell you of a short film about me. Safe Harbor, which now owns the Skull Creek Marina where I dock Gannet, is creating a series of short films under the title Storytellers, about people who keep their boats in one of their marinas.

They decided to begin the series with me.

I did not seek this and was not aware of it until Safe Harbor emailed asking if I would be willing to participate. I agreed in the hope that some who see the film will be interested enough to explore further and read more of my words who otherwise would not have.

That is also why I am writing to bring it to your attention.

The film is nine minutes long. Naturally there are omissions in reducing 81 years, six circumnavigations, seven books, six marriages, another million or so words, and some other relationships, to nine minutes. However I like the film and do not believe that I could be portrayed better in that length of time.

There are a few errors in the film. I did not have the opportunity to fact-check it. Only one of the errors is of much significance and that is where in the opening title sequence it is written of me: “Six- time solo circumnavigator.” While I have circumnavigated six times, only three of those voyages were completely solo — the first, fifth, and sixth. I have always tried to avoid exaggeration or hyperbole, believing that if you do it right, the plain truth is enough. So if someone comments that Webb Chiles has not made six solo circumnavigations, tell them Webb Chiles agrees.

The minor errors occur when a photo of The Hawke of Tuonela is said to be Resurgam, and Resurgam is spelled Resergam.

I hope you will view the film, and if you find it worthwhile, share the link with your readers.

Readers, here’s the video, and here’s a link to Webb Chiles’ A Single Wave: Stories of Storms and Survival at the Latitude 38 online book store.