Who we are

If you’re here, you’ve probably seen the giant black Great Dane taking up most of the frame. That’s Lilli. She’s my co-pilot, my compass, and a rescue who got a second lease on life.

But she isn’t the only rescue on this journey.

A while back, I was given a second chance of my own: a heart transplant. The heart beating in my chest belonged to a donor named Max. I didn’t want to just survive. I wanted every day to be a thank you to Max: profound, unhindered living, and an understanding of what it means to live well and the concept of dying well. Maybe you can’t do either without the other.

So we went looking for the good life. First it was a 1972 houseboat on Tellico Lake, a boat we named Max. Slow mornings, glass-calm water, Lilli asleep on her dock bed while the sun came up. We loved that boat, and we’re grateful for every sunrise it gave us. Then it was time to let her go.

Now the days are on the beach in Ormond Beach, Florida. Early walks, salt air, and Lilli making friends with every dog at the water’s edge. The lake and the shore taught us the same thing: boats and places change. The point is to be here for it.

That’s what Nauti Danes is: our way of inviting you aboard, wherever we are. Every shirt, hoodie or piece of gear you pick up from our store helps fuel the camera gear, the travel and the production of our docuseries, To the Max.

Welcome to the crew. Let’s make every mile count.