Salty Podcast: Sailing Stories

Salty Podcast #83 🚨 LIVE from FL KEYS! 🚨 Can a sailboat really be a tour bus? ⛵🎸

• Captain Tinsley | Captain Matt of SV Creola • Season 1 • Episode 83

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Salt air, guitar strings, and a catamaran that doubles as a tour bus—this conversation sails straight into the heart of Gulf Coast life. We sit down with Captain Matt, a charter captain turned songwriter who chose six knots over forty and found his voice again between sunrise watches and storm-tossed nights. From a generous offer on a 2002 Gemini 105MC to dockside concerts after Hurricane Helene upended plans, he shows how a boat can be both home and headline.

The journey is anything but tidy. A rogue gust shreds the mainsail like a zipper, buoys shift a hundred feet after a storm, and a night approach in Louisiana becomes a lesson in leadership under pressure. Matt talks candidly about keeping calm so your crew can, too, and how the slow cadence of sailing leaves room for writing—three to five songs on a good night—shaped by solitude, starlight, and the mental health valleys many listeners know well. We get two live originals, including Sail Away and a wink-filled ode sparked by a dinghy upgrade, and we explore the sound he’s carving: Gulf Coast Country, where Texas outlaw grit meets Florida sandbar ease and Louisiana rhythm.

We chart the next legs together: a Texas Gulf Coast run, the Freeport-to-Freeport plan from Texas to the Bahamas, and a bigger vision to make Galveston’s Strand a true music harbor, much like Key West once became for Trop Rock. Along the way are marinas that trade slips for songs, anchorages that become pop-up venues, and a community—his “boat crew”—that meets him at the pier like family. If a stage falls through, he’ll play the foredeck; if the weather turns, he trims for the ride and keeps the show on course.

If you love sailing stories, coastal country, and the grit it takes to turn a dream into a charted route, this one’s for you. Tap follow, share with a friend who needs a sea breeze and a chorus, and leave a review so more sailors and music lovers can find the show.

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SALTY ABANDON: Cap'n Tinsley, Orange Beach, AL:
Oct 2020 to Present - 1998 Island Packet 320;
Nov 2015-Oct 2020; 1988 Island Packet 27
Feb-Oct 2015 - 1982 Catalina 25

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Capn Tinsley:

Welcome back to the Salty Podcast, streaming to you live from the beautiful Florida Keys. My guest tonight is Captain Matt, a sailor who found his stride on the water and his voice through music, even turning his sailboat into a touring bus along the Gulf Coast. He built a solid career in family life, but music never really left. Then one TikTok live on the dare lit the spark and a community formed around his coastal inspired songs. Now he's all in, blending sailing and music with sailing vessel Criola as his tour bus. And we're even gonna hear a couple of his original songs that he's gonna sing live tonight that carry that coastal vibe. Before we toss the lines on this episode, please like, subscribe, and share this video so I can continue sharing these sailing stories. I even have a new way to support the podcast. It's by visiting my new Shopify store at saltypodcast.com. Uh I just launched it, and at this point I have Salty Podcast SPF shirts as well as some t-shirts for both men and women with more items to come. I have one of the 50 SPF shirts on, and I really love my design if I say so myself. And the word sailor is uh written down the sleeve, identifying you instantly as a sailor, not just a voter. I'm Captain Tinsley aboard Salty Abandon and Island Packet 320, currently in the Florida Keys, and this is episode 83. Please help me welcome Captain Matt. Welcome, Matt.

Captain Matt:

How are you doing?

Capn Tinsley:

How was that introduction? Did that kind of sum you up a little summary of you?

Captain Matt:

Absolutely. You did a fantastic job. Thank you so much.

Capn Tinsley:

Fabulous. So we I didn't know who you were, and I hadn't talked to you until just about five or ten minutes ago, but I met you in the Sailors uh Roundup on TikTok. I was invited to the group. You were a speaker, and you said something like, Hey, let's do a podcast. I was like, Okay, great. And so and you sent me to your your uh your your website and it and it's got all kinds of good information. You've got a great story. Um, and I do have some questions, but uh let's start since it is a sailing podcast. Um, I would like to know about your boat.

Captain Matt:

Everybody wants to know about my boat.

Capn Tinsley:

Sure. Tell us about it. What what is it, what brand, what year, how long is it, all that, what model, all that stuff.

Captain Matt:

So I sail, so I alright, so kind of little backstory. I originally chartered a Lagoon 46 and because I was thinking about buying it, and um, and I found out that it was way too big of a boat for me, uh, for what I was trying to do. And uh I ended up uh kind of saying I'm gonna I'm gonna go smaller, and uh because I wanted a solo sale. I didn't want to have a bunch of people going because I wanted to, you know, do individual type situations. So I ended up going a fan, a friend and supporter, uh reached out to me and said, I'm about to give you the biggest offer uh that you won't think is true. Uh, but I'm willing to sell you my Gemini, my 2002 Gemini Um 105 MC, and um, which is about a 35 foot uh by 14 catamaran. And um, and I think it's gonna be perfect for what you're trying to accomplish by going up and down the Gulf Coast. Uh, and I'll do it for about a tenth of the price of what it's worth. Wow. And I was like, Are you kidding me? And he's like, Yeah, and I said, Yes, it definitely sounds too good to be true. What's wrong with it? He goes, Nothing. I my wife and I, we we lived in Tampa area, and we're kind of reverse snowbirds that we want to move up to Tennessee, and we just don't have a place for it anymore. And I love your vision, I love what you're doing, and I want to contribute to it because Captain Matt needs a boat to sail around and sing on.

Capn Tinsley:

Uh and do you live on the boat full time?

Captain Matt:

No, I do not. So, I mean, I I I have a house in Houston, um, and then I use the sailboat. Like a matter of fact, the family and I are going as soon as this interview is over, family and I are going to the boat for the weekend and uh in and going hanging out at our lot that we own in Freeport, where I keep the boat, and then but I do live on it when I'm touring. Um, it's it's just like any musician who has a tour bus, that's their home when they're out on the road. Well, this is my home when I'm out performing.

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah, so I when I heard you say that in uh the sailors roundup, that I was envisioning that you were going past I live in Orange Beach, Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Alabama. I'm in the Keys right now, but that's where I live.

Captain Matt:

I played Florabama. I love Oh really? It's it's a great, it's a great place to be, especially if you're a country musician.

Capn Tinsley:

Right, right. And uh and how far do you go down? What what areas do you tour?

Captain Matt:

Uh well, so when I first bought the boat, he was in Tampa. So I set up a tour to sail back to Texas, and um the crazy thing about that is I had I think we had 22 different stops that we're gonna stop, you know, because it takes a while to sell, you know. And and then I didn't want to sell a boat that I had not been on for a while across the Gulf. And so I said, okay, I'm gonna make one every day or or every two days, I'm gonna make a stop, and then I'm gonna find a place and I'm gonna perform. And I had a whole list of everything. And two days before we were going to launch the boat off a dry dock, Hurricane Helene came in. And and and we were so it's as a matter of fact, the the the marina said, Oh yeah, y'all can stay on the boat, we'll launch you as soon as the hurricane's over. Because none of us where was it?

Capn Tinsley:

What marina?

Captain Matt:

Oh, you had to ask me it.

Capn Tinsley:

What is the was it in St. Pete? Were you getting work done?

Captain Matt:

No, no, no, it was north. Um, it was north of Bradington. Um, what's that little small island there? And I cannot remember the name of the marina.

Capn Tinsley:

Was it safe harbor? Um, was it a safe harbor in Braidington or that may have been it?

Captain Matt:

Safe harbor, but but it was it was it wasn't in Bradington, it was on the other side of the yes, yes, yes.

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah, there's uh it used to be Jimmy Buffett's one particular harbor there. And um now it's uh I can't think I love that marina. Yeah, it's very nice. It has nice, does it have really nice floating docks and everything?

Captain Matt:

Uh this one, this one's a DIY because one of the reasons I wanted to have that DIY situation is because I've owned boats for pretty much my whole life. I had power boats, and I I'm probably the only boat owner that you would ever know that gets sad when he sells a boat, but I've always sold it for profit. And uh, because I'll buy I'll buy boats and then I'll upgrade them and fix them and then turn around and sell them. So I probably did like 20 or 30 boats like that in my lifetime. Um, but it and it did a lot of offshore fishing, charter. I mean, I really am a captain, charter captain, stuff like that, where you take people offshore, and um, and then I I honestly just got tired of the just constant boom, boom, going out and fishing. Uh, and I wanted to go from 40 knots to six knots, and that's that's why I started looking at sailing and loved it. I cannot believe I haven't done it sooner.

Capn Tinsley:

Oh, I'm glad to hear that. You need to get one of these shirts and identify as a sailor.

Captain Matt:

It is it is so much fun, and and then and then not only that, but you know, I that whole trip that I was telling you that we're coming back. So I got hit in Hurricane Helene, yeah, and and um and the water surge came up at the marina and nearly took us off the blocks. It was that high. Oh my gosh! And I'm so imagine being surrounded by much larger kill boats. So you and you're on a catamaran, which is you're obviously you know shorter to the ground. I knew I was gonna float first and I had nowhere I could go. I was literally gonna pay you know, pinball with all these other boats as we're moving around. And I was on the boat, so uh, so we we kind of made this whole spiderweb situation with line where we were tying to other boats and tying everything that was fixed just so we could keep it in the center, and we kept watching the water go up and up and up, and then all of a sudden, about midnight, the tide started going down, and it was licking literally, you could feel it licking the bottom of the boat. And um, so anyhow, that happened, and but we did launch a couple of days later, and we had to cancel about half of the tour because all the places were damaged, they were cold, yeah, and so it it we didn't really get to start performing until we got to carabel, and then once once we got to where'd you go in carabel? Uh the uh the I think it was called Carabel Marina. What is I can't remember? You're asking me. This is I can barely sorry.

Capn Tinsley:

I'm sorry. I remember yeah, I told you I'm not gonna ask you anything you don't know because you're it's about you. I'm sorry. I was like, I know all that area really well, that's why I'm asking.

Captain Matt:

I so imagine it's that marina. So if you go all the way to the very end of the inlet, it's that marina to the right.

Capn Tinsley:

They have the moorings, the moorings take care of them.

Captain Matt:

Yeah, the moorings.

Capn Tinsley:

That's what I like to say. Yeah, yeah.

Captain Matt:

So love, I love that place, and yeah, it was really funny because so I came there and they're like, Oh, yeah, he's like, tie-ups. She's like, Are you gonna do a concert first tonight? And I said, Absolutely. And so right you know, right there at that little shop, they set me up on the porch and had 20, 30 people there, and we had a nice little beautiful intimate concert.

Capn Tinsley:

Now, did they pay you or did you just do it for free?

Captain Matt:

We we had some exchanges and tie-ups, you know, overnight stays and stuff like that. So that that that was kind of their compensation to me as saying, hey, we're gonna let you stay, you know, for slip fee or something like that. So, because we we definitely wanted to do that, and and and I it wasn't an initially the intention, um, but there were so many marinas who are saying, absolutely, we would love for you to come entertain us because I don't I don't know if you would think this way, but imagine you probably see the exact same thing over and over and over again if you work at a marina, so you're always gonna want something new and fresh, and so they're really nice in there too, they're very welcoming. I love them to death. Uh matter of fact, I I should have worn the shirt tonight because I ended up getting one of their shirts, you know, where it talks about the crossing and everything because uh that was a forced crossing because I was planning on stopping, but we had to go non-stop for three days from Tampa all the way to Carapel.

Capn Tinsley:

And then you went um, then you went up the intercoastal as far as you can. What's your what's your uh your your height of your mast?

Captain Matt:

It is 38 foot.

Capn Tinsley:

Oh, you're good.

Captain Matt:

Yeah, so so I but I still was out in in the open water until I got to I guess uma, Louisiana. So I so we but we were stopping you have to, sure. Yeah, we were stopped we were we were stopping every other day. So we would you know we'd go 24 hours or you know, whatever and do a you know a full day sale, it do it do a night sale and then go to the next. So so like the next stop was Panama City, and then after Panama City, we went to Destin. And then after Destin, we went to Orange, you know, Orange Beach and or or Perdito Key is where we actually stop. And then after Perdito Key, we anchored just outside of Angel Island, and and so I so we we always had like you know these two-day trips where because I just didn't want to get out there, and that in the three-day trip from Tampa to Carabao, we had a just the craziest wind situation because Milton was behind us and they was pushing 20 to 30 foot waves, you had to get out of the way, and and we were trying to get out of it as fast as possible, and I had a gust of wind, I have no idea where it came from, because we were totally, you know, we were totally getting it off the three. That's where we were getting it, and then all of a sudden it came from the uh we came from the six or excuse me, from the nine. So my mast went oh like that. And as soon as it soon as it came back, you heard you heard my main cell go it sound like a zipper and just tore the whole thing off. And um, and so I literally, you know, I I had to use the jib to sell the rest of the or motor sale uh for about 75% of the trip because of what happened there. And you what a way to start this whole thing.

Capn Tinsley:

It was horrible, and uh you never know what you're gonna get up in that big bin.

Captain Matt:

Yeah, so and the the crazy, so and I love that it had a beautiful track, right? Uh on on it was like this uh, you know, I I don't I some sort of poly type track made it really easy to bring the mane up and everything else on it. It was an addition to the boat than what Jim Knight had. And but it would he had had it for so long, it kind of was starting to dry rot. And just that one, I mean, imagine you know how much torque is on a you know on a cell when it's when it's full, and um, and so and then for it to go from one side to the other like that. I mean, it it just knocked it all down. So I and then I had to order the track, and then or then to order the track, they custom make it, and so so it I couldn't just overnight go to Caribbean and had it there for me. So it took about you know three or four months to actually when you got back, when you got to Texas. Well, I I did stop in Louisiana for a little bit because I've I have in-laws there and had had it there about so okay.

Capn Tinsley:

Well, Mike uh Wack, who lives in Orange Beach, uh, he we're gonna talk about his music. He's even gonna play live, and uh well, I figure we'd do it at 30 minutes and then right at the end, we'll do two songs that he's he he has chosen. And Mike says, nice plug for Orange Beach, and Island Spirit says Annapolis made cat, Gemini cats are cool.

Captain Matt:

Yes, absolutely.

Capn Tinsley:

I think there's one next door to me right now.

Captain Matt:

You know, the owner um of of the one that made Gemini, he actually selled it across the Atlantic, and I can't I can't think of his name right off hand, right? But but he crashed it took it across the Atlantic and he said he would never do it again. But he but he's that capable, and trust me, I can guarantee you it is that capable because of the winds and the in this and the way I mean I was literally surfing 30-foot waves coming coming into uh pensacola that one time. It was just crazy.

Capn Tinsley:

Did you go on Pensacola Pass?

Captain Matt:

Went through went through the pass and then went through Perdito Key, and that's where we stopped right there in Perdido Key.

Capn Tinsley:

Uh Mike says, I'm watching this guy's interesting. Okay, so let's go back to the questions. Um what first pulled you towards sailing? We are gonna talk about music, but we this is a sailing podcast. So um what what first pulled you towards sailing? And you said you um how long have you sailed? Like you said you had sailed before. How long is that?

Captain Matt:

So it's we're probably going on three years now of being a sailing captain, and um I I I like I said I've I've been a maritime captain for a long time as a charter, so it was it was quite honestly. I I I'd hate to say this, but but it it's out is actually easy transition for you do all the door plotting and I mean exactly and so rules of the road and then and then not only that, but the other thing that was crazy is everything's so much slower, and so you have time to react when you're sailing. When you have something going wrong, when you're at 40 knots, you don't, you've got to react quickly. And uh, I knew I was just getting way too old to start reacting to that.

Capn Tinsley:

Well, it looks like everybody on speedboats going around Orange Beach, they're just their hair, nobody's talking, they're just going so fast, and and everybody's you know, but when you're on a sailboat, the journey is well, you're you're sailing is the journey.

Captain Matt:

I mean, that but and there's nothing wrong with that.

Capn Tinsley:

Whereas I can you always play it safe, don't you like to say a safe answer? I don't know how many power boaters are watching this. So um, how does uh okay, how does being on the water influence your mindset, whether you're thinking about writing or just being present? Um, what thinking, writing, or just being present or playing music, what does that do? What does being on the water do for you with your sound?

Captain Matt:

So I have this tendency um that when I'm out sailing, that I literally probably write three to five songs every night. And uh and and a lot of it has to do with the surroundings. The greatest feeling in the world, if you're watching this wherever you are right now, the greatest feeling in the world is to watch the sun come up or to watch the sunset when you're sailing. It's I I don't even I can't even explain the euphoria of what you feel, and and then and then you've got those dark nights when you're on that night watch, you know, making the crossings and everything else, and you're absolutely alone. And sometimes if the moon's not out and you can't see the stars, you can't even see your hand in front of your face. And and then it's just a it's a very, very isolated place, and you have a lot of thoughts and a lot of process. Um, so I you I I instead of using that in a negative way, I use that in a positive way to write songs that could help and affect people that maybe feel like that with a mental health ill issue or something like that, uh, to have the songs resonate to them as well.

Capn Tinsley:

Interesting. Yes. Um, so Island Spirit says, Amen. Sunrise at sea is the best.

Captain Matt:

With a sundowner, you gotta have a sundowner, or it's not it's not worth it.

Capn Tinsley:

Um, so uh Mike or or Hayden, can you tell me if I'm echoing out there? I hear just once in a while, I hear an echo. Um, okay, sailing to the gig. Was it right uh like arriving at the performance by boat instead of car or van? Does it change the energy of the show?

Captain Matt:

Oh, absolutely. I think that's probably the best part about it is you know, people can see me pull up and they're waiting. The boat, what I my fan base is called the boat crew, the boat crew's waiting for me to turn up. I love it, it's so much fun. It's it's it's much better than pulling up in a bus or you know, pulling up in a you know, going by plane somewhere because it's not a quick process, as you know, when you pull into marina, and uh that's the best part about the Gemini.

Capn Tinsley:

And you're praying that nothing goes wrong so you can get there.

Captain Matt:

That's the best part about the Gemini, by the way, is is it's 14 foot wide, so I literally can go to any marina and pull into a regular slip and not have to wait for a cat slip. So uh, so that is so helpful uh to you know do the process and everything. But it's but it in the but they love it, they absolutely love it that they can be there to see me show up, and I love it too because that's what's different. This is that's what it's all about is community and bringing people together instead of just being some of this big country music stars. I don't ever want to be that, I want to be the guy. That it promotes the lifestyle, not promote me, if that makes sense.

Capn Tinsley:

Love it. Okay. Um, we kind of already said this, but how often do musical ideas hit you while you're sailing? And do you ever stop and capture them right there aboard Criola? So you just said that that you could write three songs in a night.

Captain Matt:

Three to five at least. And I mean, they may not be great songs, but and and then and sometimes those three or five may become one. You never know. I mean, it but I'm always constantly writing, and I'm it that's a lot of the reasons why I play ukulele instead of a guitar, because I want it right beside me, especially if I'm yeah, that is easier to have it in the cockpit.

Capn Tinsley:

So Connie Slade says, Hey Captain Matt. I don't know if you know, yeah, I sure do. Is she part of the boat crew?

Captain Matt:

Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely.

Capn Tinsley:

Cool. Hope your fans all come in. Um, all right. Okay, when you're moving between gigs or destinations, what does a typical day aboard Criola look like?

Captain Matt:

Uh, you know, it depends on who's with me.

Capn Tinsley:

Um, yeah, how many people go with you?

Captain Matt:

Well, it depends. Uh so usually I have at least one because I'm gonna need some sleep time, especially after performance. Um, and so there's at least one. But some I mean, I love my band, but not all of them are you know boaters, and and they can't they can't deal with the what what it takes to uh to to deal with the the rocking that we all know, which is soothing to us, but it's not for them. So they'll actually take a bus and they'll meet me at location or something like that wherever we're going.

Capn Tinsley:

And it's also too slow for some people.

Captain Matt:

Yeah, yeah, and it is definitely without a doubt, it is definitely too slow uh for them. And uh so I tip and the Gemini is not huge. I mean, we have three state rooms, uh, but one of them is really a locker, you know, just to keep our music equipment and everything else in it. And then the it's so you've got two, and then you can make the parlor into another bedroom. So two, three maxed uh is what I typically travel with.

Capn Tinsley:

So we're getting close to you singing a song. We got about eight minutes, but uh let's see. Um what what's a challenging moment at sea that taught you something about sailing or even about yourself? That's a deep question. I I I let me let me say this too. Let me add this. Was there a moment when you realized sailing and music weren't two separate paths anymore, but one lifestyle? That's a good question.

Captain Matt:

Yeah, definitely, definitely it was it it was coming into Louisiana um in for for pretty much the final leg before I was gonna take a break for a couple of months, um and and not sell the rest to until later to Texas. But that one, that moment, that situation that I had, um they had had a hurricane about three or four months before, and every one of the buoys was not in the channel at all. I mean, talking a hundred foot over.

Capn Tinsley:

Where is this in Caribbean?

Captain Matt:

No, no, in Louisiana.

Capn Tinsley:

Oh, in Louisiana, that's right, you did say that.

Captain Matt:

And so, and so it was and so when you're looking for all of those buoys, all the navigational buoys, and they're not there, but you know you're in the channel, you know for a fact you're in a channel, and um I learned a lot from working with the guy that was with me because I asked him, I said, Look, these buoys are not where they are. We're supposed to be. I know I'm in the channel, so please just look for the buoys. And as soon as and we were coming in at dark too, and it's just that's that's where all those those uh rigs are. Yes, yes.

Capn Tinsley:

I've heard about that, and they're not all lit.

Captain Matt:

No, not all of them are lit. And so I said, I need you to as soon as you see a buoy, you need to spotlight it. Boom, spotlight it so that way I know it where it is, and I can either you know make a deviation or something like that, just so I don't hit those buoy, and they had just been tossed around and they were just they had moved, dude. They had moved, I mean, every one of them just not in the place they were supposed to be, and they hadn't reset them yet. So, so and I remember I had a just conniption fit because there was three that literally maybe a foot away from the boat, you know, that's how close we came to him, and not one time did he say anything, and I went off on him. I really, really did, and I learned, you know what, that's not a good captain. A good captain needs to educate, needs to understand, and and and and try to try to be as patient as possible because they're just as stressed out as you are, and and there is a huge and and then that was the other thing that really really mattered to me is I said, man, the worst thing is when you show your emotion and you show your stress, you're not gonna help your crew because now they're gonna see it. So I learned a lot uh from that particular passage the most. Um, and and then, but I also felt like man, I can't. I've already had my main sail that they tore down. I now and and I was like, I don't know, I you know, I don't know if I want any other hard lessons. I want to easy, ease my way in back into Texas.

Capn Tinsley:

I get it. Yeah, I mean I can't make it from Orange Beach to here without repairs, it just it just goes along with it. Yeah, just bring the credit card. Um, all right. Um so you I like that you blended two two of your passions. Um where do you see your sailing and music journey heading next?

Captain Matt:

Well, so we have spent a lot of time over the past two or three months recording a new album, and that new album will be coming out around the same time everybody wants to get on the water in the spring. So we want to be the soundtrack of summer uh with that album. And with that being said, that means we're gonna start doing some more touring. So we're gonna do a Texas Gulf Coast tour uh up and down. And and then once once we do that, uh they're the next biggest one is what we call the Freeport to Freeport tour. And the reason why it's Freeport to Freeport is because where my boat is is in Freeport, Texas. That's where I keep it. And um, we are gonna we're gonna do festivals and everything else along the way from Freeport, Texas, and go all the way around the horn and get and end in Freeport, Bahamas. So there's that's it's gonna be a a really, really cool situation a couple of years from now, obviously not this year, but uh we're really, really excited about that. It's gonna be a lot of fun. And um and it it we'll go inland, we're gonna bring the Gulf to you guys too. Um that way we'll do some concert, and that's a lot of the what why we're doing is we're we're stopping, say, in Louisiana, and then we'll go up to Jackson. We'll go up to we'll we'll go up to Shreeport, we'll do shows there, and then come back to the boat, and then go to the next location.

Capn Tinsley:

Is this the one um that we're talking about? Or is this a path? Okay, yeah, there's all these cities in Texas, the Texas Gulf Coast tour, and you're gonna go into Louisiana too.

Captain Matt:

Yes, yeah. So the Freeport to Freeport Tour will be after that. So we're gonna go down there and back, as or we're starting in in South Padre, and then we'll work in our way back. Uh, and then once we come back, we'll do we'll do the uh Boathouse Music Festival in Galveston, which is around Labor Day, and then go back in to the to the recording studio, and that's when we'll start the Freeport to Freeport tour.

Capn Tinsley:

And you can see on uh if you go to his website, captainmatmusic.com, uh, he's got all the songs here. Sail away, uh live from Perdito Key. Look at that. My new lover live from Perdito Key. And uh there's a sand on our boots. I'll sail my ship alone, so you can actually buy individual songs here on his website.

Captain Matt:

Now, or you can if you look at the top right there, uh go, I don't know if you can see it from your angle, but uh there there is a link to uh my Spotify YouTube music um in in Apple Tunes. I think it's to the right. You can't really see it from there. I don't know, but uh but that that way you can get that and um in and talk about where you can buy them right here. No, at the very, very top of the the screen, you should I don't I don't see it on your I see home about booking shows news tip jar. It should be to the right of contact. Uh it should show you all of the links right there. I don't know why it's not showing that. That's weird.

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah. But anyway, you can check out his website. And all right. Well, are you ready to sing a song?

Captain Matt:

I yeah, I guess I definitely can. So I so I'll tell you, you know, you were talking about what made you want to get to that situation where you wanted to sell. Well, I actually kind of put that in writing uh to a song, and this was uh during the primary, um I guess two years ago, and um where they were trying to elect who was going to run for president, and uh and I was just sitting there watching TV. I'm like, I am so sick of seeing politics on TV. Can you just show me a baseball game or just show me a basketball game or something like that? And then it kind of inspired me to sing this song or to write the song called Sail away. So that's what I'm gonna write right now.

Capn Tinsley:

Let me let me ask you one question. Mike says, I'm in cell range, I do Pandora, usually Jimmy Buffett. Does he have a Pandora channel?

Captain Matt:

Yes. If you if you search Captain Matt and the boat crew, Captain Matt and the Boat Crew, you will find all of my location. I'm on every music streaming site that's out there.

Capn Tinsley:

Okay, so maybe not Pandora, huh? Or really? Okay. All right.

Captain Matt:

Yeah. All right. All right, here we go. This is called Sail Away, so I hope you guys enjoy it. Cycle repetition of work days. And leave a word. He started screaming political feet. I let it Lily had a touch with the night. So I vote for that night. It's a public show and it's very there's probably younger people, so I'm not gonna say that. It's time to sail away to another day. It's time to sail away and leave my words behind my bread to live on time. So let's relax as time goes by Little Slamp. Close to being empty time to sail away. I hear I need capping, I need you to clap to another place. Let's talk to me and feel when I'm not a face. It's time to send away my words beyond the green time to live on the town. It's time to sell the word.

Capn Tinsley:

Woo woo woo woo woo woo Connie says he's she's clapping, she's giving emojis. Uh uh Island Spirits do we say all the way every year? Great song, hashtag Island Spirit. So I just pulled up your your um let me pull it up. Your TikTok. So tell us that story. What happened? You said it was a dare. You should so someone saw a guitar in the back behind you uh on TikTok and dared you to play.

Captain Matt:

So the crazy thing about so I I'm an engineer. That's that's what I I yeah, an engineering firm. And um, I was kind of in a down point in my life uh after the pandemic and everything else. Hey boat crew. Oops, sorry. I got an interview tonight.

Capn Tinsley:

I just want to bring that up because it has my salty podcast on it on Salt.

Captain Matt:

It's called the Salty Podcast, and it's for S slash V Salty Abanion. So if you it's fine that it's called the Salty Podcast, search for it on YouTube. So, anyhow, um so I uh my mom passed away in 2020, and and I I kind of felt like this um adult like orphan, if that makes sense. I didn't have my parents anymore. I mean, I I obviously I had my wife and children and everything, but I was kind of in this point of like, I'm the matriarch now, it's crazy, it's weird, and um and or or patriarch, I guess uh not matriarch, but uh but but either way, I just I I it was a hard transition for me, and um I was kind of like at the point of my career where I was I was really enjoying what I did for a living, and and and I I had been a previous musician when I was in my 20s, but I fell in love and that didn't that it at the time it wasn't paying very well, so I had to find a real job, real career to raise kids. Um, so somebody said, Hey man, why don't you go on TikTok just to kind of build yourself up and have some fun and talk to strangers? I'm like, Okay, maybe talk to strangers, I'll give it a and so so that's what I ended up going live on TikTok because I had enough people. That was when you had to have a thousand people to go live on TikTok, and so I but I had enough people, and I was in the middle of cleaning out my closet, and one of my guitars was kind of sitting in the background in the case, and somebody on the live saw it and they said, Oh, you play. And I'm like, No, I hadn't played in like 20 years, as you know. This you know, we we were talking about this between with you. I was like, No, I haven't I don't haven't played this in 20 years. So I and I said, and they and they as always, TikTok can get you in trouble because they kept trying to push me over the edge. By I was like, all right, here's the deal. If I get a hundred heart me's then I'll do it. Well, I did, and they were like, Are you serious? And so I had to do it, and ended up right singing a I think it was a Garth Brooks song or something like that. Um and they went crazy over it. I'm like, what? This is really and um and then I said, Okay, y'all want me to sing more? And they of course they wanted me to sing more, and and um, and so I started just that became my stick on, you know, and um and and just like any other songwriter out there, if you walk away from it, and then all of a sudden you put a uh an instrument back in their hands, they're gonna start writing songs again eventually. And it's exactly what started happening to me is that songwriter mode went into full force 11. And uh, and then I started writing songs, and I think I've written at least 150 since 2000 uh uh 2023.

Capn Tinsley:

That's when this this event happened was 2023. Yeah, and had you played that guitar in the 20 years or so you did it cold, you just went live and did it.

Captain Matt:

Yeah, I just I and I I I was like respect, respect, respect. But the crazy thing is, Cap, is um my voice was totally different than it was when I was in my twenties.

Capn Tinsley:

You're older, it's probably deeper, right?

Captain Matt:

Yeah, it was deeper and it it seemed to resonate more with the audience. And you know, I a lot of people say it's like they well, my favorite quote is from a radio DJ who said, It's like if Jimmy Buffett and Wayland Jennings had a love child, it's yeah.

Capn Tinsley:

That makes sense. Yeah. Well, that's perfect for country and for Gulf Coast vibe country, or what do they call it? They call it drop drop rock or trop rock, but I'll be honest with you.

Captain Matt:

I'm trying to coin a different phrase. And it I'm trying to call it Gulf Coast Country because I feel like Gulf Coast Country has a blend of a lot of things. If you go from Texas to Louisiana to Alabama to Florida, yeah, Panhandle, Florida, you're gonna hear different styles of music, but it's all reflective. They're singing about the place that they live.

Capn Tinsley:

I have let me say this. The guy who did um I'm sorry, I'm blanking out. What's that group? They kind of did country rap.

Captain Matt:

What was oh what was it?

Capn Tinsley:

And then and Brian.

Captain Matt:

Are you talking about big and rich?

Capn Tinsley:

No God, what help me out here, y'all. Um they were they were huge, they were part of the Bro Country thing that happened. They were huge for 10 years. What is their name? It was it was yes, Georgia, Florida Line. So I never I thought, okay, it's kind of like eating fast food. You mean you have one or two songs, and then you're like, ah, I can't listen to that anymore. But Brian Kelly, who was kind of a he played second banana in that group, he came out with an album.

Captain Matt:

Yeah, I remember that.

Capn Tinsley:

Oh my god, I still love it. And it and I found it on YouTube. I was just kind of looking for what you're talking about. I was trying to because every town has like a Jimmy Buffett, you know, like uh ours is uh Brett Burns and Gulf Shores. And he always says, I I sing, I play, I sing about the the life Jimmy Buffett. I I live this the life that Jimmy Buffett sings about. He has a song like that. And um, if it's snowbird season, why can't we shoot him? You know, so but um Brian Kelly, oh my gosh, he's part of that. And I I guess you I forgot the name of the album, but it was great. So I think that's what you're talking about.

Captain Matt:

Well, and I for me, I like we're trying to coin it. I mean, just like Jimmy Buffett pretty much made Trop Rock, you know, Capital in Key West, we're trying to develop the same thing uh here in Texas and Galveston, um, where we want to have people be come to destination and hear the music that influences them and bring people from all over the Gulf Coast to come and perform. That's why we're doing that's when we're doing the festival in a few years, um, and and and really just kind of make it the home of the Nashville of the South, per se. Recording studios, all that's a great place to do it. Yeah, and it is. And it in the the cities behind it, we're we're really excited about that. And and it and it is, if you've never been to Galveston, and I don't get paid for them saying this, I'm literally saying it because I believe it. If you've never been to Galveston to get on a cruise or anything like that, and you haven't been to the Strand, that's what Nashville used to be like. It where you see you literally go from one room to another and you're hearing different artists that are phenomenal, and they're performing rock, classic rock, concentrate. You're talking about on music row, all the different yeah, music it's just you know, but we call it they call it the strand in Galveston. And so and and so it it was it's that it's their music row, and it's so phenomenal. You have to go book a cruise.

Capn Tinsley:

Hopefully, they'll I don't I don't I don't do cruises.

Captain Matt:

Well, I'm just I'm just saying everybody if you're watching and you okay, okay, go cruise, go hang out the strand. You'll probably see me there because I'll probably be performing when I'm not on tour. Um, and in and just enjoy it. But that's what we want Galveston to be. And I heavily inspired inspired by Jimmy Buffett, and and I see I saw what he did for Key West, and that's kind of my mission to do the same thing for the people, not for me, for the people, because I would much rather it outlive me because I only got maybe a couple 20 years left on this world. Who knows?

Capn Tinsley:

Oh well. Um, all right, are you ready to do another song?

Captain Matt:

Uh yeah, so um I gotta I gotta introduce this one because uh in the and you have to I'm gonna shamelessly plug this, okay? So so we we're okay.

Capn Tinsley:

That's what we're here for.

Captain Matt:

We are eventually going to uh we're about to open up the merchandise store on our website, uh, where you can get your own. I I don't know if you can see the the there's a shirt behind me right there. There's that's that's yeah, that's a pretty cool logo, and then you got the hat here, and uh so it's actually a CM and then crew, which represents Captain Matt and the boat crew.

Capn Tinsley:

Um, and we've got you're in the studio right now, right?

Captain Matt:

In the studio, yeah, right now. So yeah, so and then uh and we've got all different merchandise. I mean, absolutely everything. A cap, you know, you could probably wear this bikini, I think it would be fantastic. You've got you know, all kinds of things that uh that we're doing that.

Capn Tinsley:

And now I'm working on that too, yeah.

Captain Matt:

It it matters a lot. You know this better than anybody. This is the greatest way you can support your creators out there. If they've got merchandise, buy it because they can make money to do what they want to do in love that you're inspired by.

Capn Tinsley:

And I always put mine up there too, right there. That's my Shopify.

Captain Matt:

So definitely, definitely support her and what she's doing. Thank you.

Capn Tinsley:

I'm I I take I'm in the red with this podcast. I I spend money that I earn in real estate on this podcast.

Captain Matt:

Yeah, yeah, I I get it, I completely understand. Um, and and with that being said, I I'm gonna give you a special announcement that I haven't told anybody else.

Capn Tinsley:

Okay, let's hear it.

Captain Matt:

Okay, so you know, the older things get, they don't work right, they don't do what they're supposed to do. And that's the same problem with my dinghy. And well, hold on, let me just whip it out and show you. So that's the way it looks. It's horrible. And uh that's my dinghy pick. All right, y'all don't screen capture it and spread it all over, but that's my dinghy pick. It's deflated and doesn't it's not as firm as it used to be. And uh, but but this is a metaphor. But I will tell you, there is a savior out there for me, and we just had a partnership with them, and it's any sailor that's out there as you probably are using their products, it's called Manis Marine, and they make anchors and bridles and everything else. Well, now they're making rigid dinghies for all of the sailors out there, and they came to my say they came to save me from my deflated dinghy, and so I will have a much firmer dinghy with that everybody can write on as soon as I get a chance to get it.

Capn Tinsley:

This sounds like a song.

Captain Matt:

So, so anyhow, like deflated dinghy.

Capn Tinsley:

I mean, there's a song in there. Make it a metaphor, make it funny. So, okay.

Captain Matt:

How about this?

Capn Tinsley:

You did write one.

Captain Matt:

Well, I got a little thing I must show. It can take you anywhere you want to go when the sun's shining in the sky, so blue. Just hop right on. Let's change our view on this day floating on the sea. Come right with the breeze in this boat with me. It's nothing fancy with this little thing. We can be free and both. Your little engine we can butter in home. Spring it over here and let the good times come. We've all been with switching and there is a moment. The world's a little better when you're on for a ride. Floating on say come ride with grease in this boat with me. It's nothing fancy how much dog with this little day we can be free and vote. I not go file, who really cares? Just you mean salt yet, couple drinks, peach tunes, and so on this boat. So we're used to feel warm on this day floating on the sea. Come right with the breeze in this boat. It's nothing fancy or mustard with this little thing. We can be free and both. So here's two sample, easy to free on this little thing where you need to be you by my side, no need for plans, just drifting through life handing.

Capn Tinsley:

Woo! I really didn't know you were gonna sing that song, even though I did I do now remember seeing it in the song list back there. So Connie's over here putting uh she says fire.

Captain Matt:

That's everybody likes likes to talk about my duty, new duty. I'm excited about it. So I'm very proud of your dinghy. I am I'm very proud of it. I mean, Mis Mana Serene, thank you so much for doing that. You're amazing. Uh definitely go check out their products um if you're a sailor. And I'm sure you probably have some manice stuff on your on your boat as well. It's it they're they're they're Texas based and American made. And they're they're they're they're they're amazing, they're amazing products, and I am so glad that they're partnering with us on this adventure.

Capn Tinsley:

We definitely like to support our American company, so definitely. All right, um, so let's see if I have any more questions. I'm down to rapid fire here. Um okay, here's uh a few questions. Rapid fire. Marina or Anchorage?

Captain Matt:

Anchorage.

Capn Tinsley:

Okay, I like it. Uh favorite port of call.

Captain Matt:

I you know what? I can't I can't I can't choose one. There I love every one of them I've been to. They're all unique. I so so I can't say that I have my favorite port of call.

Capn Tinsley:

I like I love Anchorages, but I also love marinas. There's just something about them.

Captain Matt:

I know obviously we pull in a lot to perform, but I love to be out at anchor and and uh just all you hear is the licking of the boat, you know, at night, and you hear nothing else.

Capn Tinsley:

You could do some good songwriting, huh?

Captain Matt:

Absolutely.

Capn Tinsley:

Okay, your go-to anchorage.

Captain Matt:

In Texas, we don't have a lot of anchorages, unfortunately. Um there are some that are on the just outside of Kima, but I'll tell you my favorite anchorage was um an island that was just off the coast of Alabama, and I want to say it was Angel Island, if I'm not mistaken. And um, and we pulled into the Anchorage and there was a live band performing at the country club, very, very close. So we kind of felt like we had a free concert that night at Anchorage. It was really, really awesome. I think that's the one that stands out the most for me.

Capn Tinsley:

Do you think it's off the coast of Mississippi?

Captain Matt:

Yeah, you're probably right. I mean, it's there it's right there on the edge. It's right there on the edge. And I'm trying to remember what it is.

Capn Tinsley:

Dauphin Island?

Captain Matt:

Yes, that's what it is. Dolphin Island.

Capn Tinsley:

Okay, all right. That is off the coast of Alabama. I'm sorry, I'm having a little coughing fit. So why don't you sing another song while I cough? Okay, you really want to sing another song? Yeah, all right.

Captain Matt:

So I tell you what, I will sing this song here. Um, and then she was asking a little bit earlier about some of the songs. All right, I wrote this specific song um when I was coming in and not sure I was gonna live. It was such a crazy trip. And uh, all I could think about was getting home to see my wife, and I didn't want to just hug her, if you know what I mean. So that's why I ended up writing this song. It's called uh Rock the Boat Been sailing so long, lose track of days with high over the oceans waves. Hurricanes try to swallow the oil for the next last show every for face as the ocean only dark place with lights burn right, but I'm dreaming of the way for me to night she was my dress that drives me in time that's not showing still when I find the breed school She's fine, classical gay way to tie up to this dog and rock the boat. There you go, there's a little tease in it.

Capn Tinsley:

Awesome. I heard it. I heard what you wanted to do. Okay, I got I got a couple more rapid fires. Okay. What what's the first song you play when you settle in at the helm? Settle in it could be it could be like your playlist or so so well so um I do a little grateful dead. Ah, really?

Captain Matt:

Yeah, I definitely do a little grateful dead. Um and then um but usually it like I'll we'll play my song Sail Away. That will be the that's like the departure song.

Capn Tinsley:

Yeah, it sets the mood, sets the vibe, it sets the mood.

Captain Matt:

And then and then um, you know, I I I dig deep into the the Texas Outlaws type stuff, the Wayland Jennings, the Willie Nelsons, you know, um, you know, the the fat the the four horsemen type situations. So I listen to a lot of that. Um but I think the most important is is is is probably Sailor.

Capn Tinsley:

That's the one that always will now do you play it or do you play the the core?

Captain Matt:

Oh no no I push play paying attention to everything the guitar in my hand.

Capn Tinsley:

You're not good leaving the marina while you're playing.

Captain Matt:

No, no, no, we just I just I I mean I have the uh the Garmin that that's connected to my you know stereo, and I just push play on that and boom, there you go.

Capn Tinsley:

Cool. Okay, so um what is the next place, like a dream destination you want to sail to, and then play music there too?

Captain Matt:

Where do you want to is this the Caribbean or I that the so the Freeport to Freeport tour is my next goal as I I want to be able to to sail back and get to the Bahamas, and there's so many places if you've never been to the Bahamas to just I'm on my way there, and and and I will tell you like for me, the draft on my boat when my kills are swung up is 18 inches. Wow, I can get to places that no one else can get to in the Bahamas, and those are the really hidden gems, and so I want to do that and then keep working my way down to as far as Grenada um in performing at every island stop that I can possibly stop at.

Capn Tinsley:

Wow, when's this gonna happen?

Captain Matt:

You know, it depends on Boak Crew, and if Vokru can support me and get these recording outs, then it it'll go faster than than uh than later, you know. I mean, that's that's the whole situation.

Capn Tinsley:

So, where do they have to go to do that? So they they need to go to your website and start there, and then okay.

Captain Matt:

Okay, so we we are so right we're I just I don't want to get caught up in the whole Christmas thing, but in the first of the year, we're gonna launch the merchandise, we're gonna launch the crowdfunding for the album, and then we're gonna launch our memberships, uh, which are gonna be really, really awesome. So you can support me uh on a subscription base monthly, um, which helps sustain us. And the most important one is uh if you if you do like a certain level, we give you a passport, and that passport is your VIP to any concert that you come to, gives you a front row seat and the potential of going backstage when available. So uh, so we're definitely gonna do stuff like that uh for those supporters because that means a lot to me, and uh that monthly income from them, you know it's coming, they that kind of helps you that's nice better for sure.

Capn Tinsley:

So you're gonna be able to slide up into Georgetown and and just start playing.

Captain Matt:

Yeah, absolutely.

Capn Tinsley:

Are you gonna pet play at the chat and chill or you're gonna just play in the anchorage?

Captain Matt:

You know what? We did the booking agent will find places that want us to play, and that's exactly what we do. And if we can't find a place, then I'll just literally play on the front deck of my boat and let all the other boats pull up to me so when we can sing and perform and hang out and have fun and drink as many margaritas as we possibly can.

Capn Tinsley:

That sounds awesome. Okay, let's see. We have a comment. Um Bahamas follow salty abandon there.

Captain Matt:

There you go.

Capn Tinsley:

We gotta do that Texas tour first, yeah.

Captain Matt:

Yeah, so but and that's the but you know, here's the best part, and you know this cat. The best part about this is we like we met through the Sailors Roundtable on TikTok, and I love it that we're all over the world, we may not be in the same place. I love it that we can connect like this and be able to have the relationship and and help each other out and give each other tips and tricks, but when we do actually show up in the same spot. It's like family, and we're so excited to hang out with each other because we've known each other for so long. And it just it's a family. It really is. And that's exactly what my boat career is to me is no matter where I go, I always feel like I got family that's waiting for me to arrive.

Capn Tinsley:

That's very cool. And I um, you know, like I I told you I'm on my way to the Bahamas, and there are people that I've interviewed on this podcast because I've had been doing this for two years. The podcast, I've had the sailing channel for 10 years, but the podcast, and I'm looking forward to actually meeting them in person.

Captain Matt:

Oh, yeah. I mean, that's that's the I feel like I know them. Yeah, and and so helpful. I mean, everybody who's in the sailing community is so helpful to help they're willing to lend a hand, they will drop everything just to more up your boat when you pull in. I mean, that's my favorite part of the whole situation.

Capn Tinsley:

But do you think it's different than the powerboat community?

Captain Matt:

Oh, by far.

Capn Tinsley:

Tell me about that. I want to hear about that.

Captain Matt:

Well, I mean, you know, you're you're very individual, right? As a power boater, you don't have to depend on the wind or anything like that, you know. So so whereas when you're going six, you have a lot more chance to look at everything and be aware of everything, and and um, and so you also have more time to get to know other sailors, and and we all have stories, right? We all have those crazy, amazing stories that of how everything was perfect that day, and I had full cells, and nothing went wrong. Wait a minute, I don't think I've ever had that day, but but but so you all can go around and y'all can hang out and and you know talk about salty sailor tales um of how it made you who you are today.

Capn Tinsley:

Yes, yes. Well, that's a good place to end right there. So I want to do this again, I want to catch up with you later. Yeah, um, in the meantime, everybody that's watching, please like, subscribe, and and share. Um there's no excuse, please. Right now, here, ask them to do it. Will you ask them to do it, Matt?

Captain Matt:

Hey, if you like this, if you like the salty podcast and you're just sitting on your butt right now, you can do a few things just by liking, sharing, and actually commenting on this podcast and saying, Hey, you know what? It's free. It's just like just like we want you to do. We want to entertain you, but we need your support. So please like, share, and and comment on the thank you.

Capn Tinsley:

And please go to TikTok at Captain Matt Music on Facebook, TikTok, you're on YouTube, you're on all those. Yeah, just like I am. Uh Instagram, uh I I tagged you all those places. Uh, please support Matt and uh please support the Salty Podcast. And I guess that's that's it. Thank you. This has been a pleasure.

Captain Matt:

Oh, thank you so much for having me. I am so excited to be a part of this, and I can't wait to come back and and tell you all the new news of what's happening.

Capn Tinsley:

Yes, yes. I like I like having people on and getting caught up again, so you know, caught on what whatever's going on. So thank you very much. A pleasure, and uh thank you for singing. And with that, I'll end this by saying salt to your band.

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Captain Tinsley

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Captain Matt & the Boat Crew

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