Martin's Boat - A Film By Pete McBride

OARS presents Martin's Boat - a 23-minute film by Pete McBride honoring the late Martin Litton - www.martinsboat.com
Preeminent conservationist David Brower called him his conscience: in the 1950’s when the Bureau of Reclamation proposed two dams in the Grand Canyon-one at Marble Canyon and the other at Bridge Canyon-the late Martin Litton made sure the Sierra Club didn't acquiesce. Martin believed the best way for people to understand how important it was to preserve the Grand Canyon was to have them experience this secret world from the river, but not in just any boat. Martin pioneered whitewater dories on the Colorado River in the 1960’s and started a proud tradition of naming the boats after wild places that had been lost or compromised by the hand of man. Now, some 50 years later, America’s open-air cathedral faces continued threats from development and mining and it’s up to all of us to ensure the crown jewel of our National Park system is protected now and for future generations. Martin’s Boat is a film that honors the legacy of Martin Litton and follows the newest boat in the Grand Canyon Dories fleet, the Marble Canyon, on its maiden voyage down the legendary Colorado River through the grandest canyon on Earth.
Directed by PETE McBRIDE | Cinematography by PETE McBRIDE | Second Camera BLAKE McCORD | Edited by JIM AIKMAN | Assistant Producer MICHELLE SMITH | Boat Construction Footage BLAKE McCORD | Martin Litton Interview Footage LEW STEIGER | Additional Editing SCOTT McELROY | Motion Graphics MATT SCHULTZ | Audio Mix JASON McDANIEL | Boat Construction DUFFY DALE, SEAN BOTHMAN, BLAKE McCORD | Historic Footage/ STILLS JOHN BLAUSTEIN, RUDI PETSCHEK, MARTIN LITTON, The LITTON FAMILY, DON BRIGGS, U.S. BUREAU OF RECLAMATION | Additional Footage AERIAL FILMWORKS, JUSTIN CLIFTON, JEFFE ARONSON, MONTE TILLINGHAST, SKIP ARMSTRONG | O.A.R.S. River Guides ANDRE POTOCHNIK, DUFFY DALE, MARK “MOQUI” JOHNSON, RIO HIBARGER | Film Boat JEAN PHILIPPE CLARK, BLAKE McCORD | Baggage Crew BEN SEUL, MARIAH HIBARGER , HAYDEN BRIAN | Music ABEL OKUGAWA, JOSH GARRELS, CONTINENT DRIFT, GOLDEN YOUTH, SUNBEAM, EULOGY, TAYLOR BUONO, IAN McCLOUD | Special Thanks ESTHER LITTON, DONALD LITTON, KEVIN FEDARKO, BRAD DIMOCK, JOHN BLAUSTEIN, GEORGE WENDT, TYLER WENDT, STEVE MARKLE, REGAN & OTE DALE, KERSTIN DALE, MONTE TILLINGHAST, DENICE NAPOLETANO, JOY PARADES, LEW STEIGER, JOE DE FRANCESCO, MARK DUBOIS, GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK
Supported By: Sierra Club
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[@TerlinguaTalkeetna]

Martin, Ed Abbey and several others from the WWII generation left a high water mark for stating what few others of their generation dared say. There is something greater in the world besides comfort and money. Wilderness is essential.

[@TadFoster-cg5ir]

Reading the Emerald Mile by Kevin Fearco and this film significantly helps to appreciate the book. A great story in book and film. Thank you Pete and all others behind this film!!

[@AlanasExperience]

My father took my brother and I on a Grand Canyon trip with Oars back in 2003 and Duffy was one of the guides on our trip. It was a trip of a lifetime and changed me for the better. We we're down there for a month and I never saw one cloud, had the best Thanksgiving meal ever, and was the first boat on our trip through Lava Falls! I'll never forget that trip. I see video and pictures from inside the canyon and I know where they are, I know the rocks, the beaches, and the canyons. They will be a part of me forever, I crave to be with them again, and fear I never will. The boat after ours through Lava Falls flipped and one of the passengers got stuck under the boat. She was rescued and had a huge gash on her forehead (you could see her skull). The guide lead used a satellite phone to call for a air evac. A helicopter landed inside the canyon, the "very concerned" husband of the injured lady ran right to the pilot and asked "Did the Cubbies make the series!?" The injured lady was in Vegas later that night playing slots. Other than that and running out of beer in the second week it was a trip of a lifetime! Thank you Dad, thank you Oars, and thank you Mr. Litton.

[@SequoiaForestkeeper]

The environmental movement lost a true champion when Martin died. But we soldier on. The irony of the current climate crisis is that champions like Martin and Sequoia ForestKeeper, have always seen the folly of man chasing dollars instead of protecting the very things that make profit possible. Thank you to OARS for continuing Martin's mission on the rivers.

[@wampusadventures2585]

One of my all time favorite films ever made period!

[@OarsRafting]

Wow - we're super honored to hear you say that! Thank you!

[@jacttackle57]

As a drift boat oarsman this film speaks to me in a spiritual dimension I’ve watched it more times than I can count and it always reveals something new I come from Oregon the home of the McKenzie river drift boat this film is haunting it calls to me guru out

[@iiloveshane1]

This is beautiful; what a legend. Thank you, Martin.

[@OarsRafting]

Thank you Sherry!

[@davidcarr6329]

I worked as a guide on the Middle Fork of the Salmon in the 70s. Martin and his OARS team ran the Middle Fork then as well as the Grand Canyon. Our paths would regularly cross as their regular start dates were the day before ours. The OARS dories were the only ones on the river.

[@azcojpg]

So glad people like Martin did so much to preserve this Canyon.

[@OarBoard-SUPRower]

Martin, you are an inspiration to us all!

[@mattdelcomyn8012]

Beautiful story. Made me cry. Thanks for this fine film.

[@dmac5x1]

Great story !! Thank God for people like Martin.

[@SolaceEasy]

Please allow me to relate a magical day that I had this June. Because of the covid-19 pandemic the Grand Canyon had no River traffic and no overnight hiking allowed. I walked to both ends of the horseshoe of Horseshoe Mesa and saw no one but three people I had seen walking earlier in the morning on the trail. I had the whole place to myself it seemed. Magical.

[@dawgface898]

Thank you. COVID was a rough time for us with OARS, but it’s cool to hear that someone enjoyed the place

[@pyrusrex2882]

Martin and his dories are every bit the equivalent of Stradivarius and his violins, or Michaelangelo and the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. If we had 10 more men like him, we could literally change the world.

[@michelleanderson4290]

wrong

[@lwilson4432]

I'm in tears..wishing I had gotten the privilege to have met Martin.

[@marianfrances4959]

I am glad he was loved and honored.😉🇨🇦

[@daveahlers]

I've been waiting to win a Grand Canyon permit lottery for 20 years now, but this film will make the trip when I do win even more special. Thank you Martin for all you did - your legacy lives on.

[@peteryeung111]

Age 87, and still running. That is beyond legendary. RIP Martin!

[@patdoyle3686]

Lovely story about Martin Litton and Grand Canyon 🛶🛶🛶🛶pat in Ireland 🇮🇪

[@ZgNavigator]

Nice movie, beautiful story, fantastic nature

[@johndliu2284]

This is simply wonderful.

[@othercharr]

Naming dories after places lost or compromised is a touching tribute to the

[@maryoutten4915]

Thank you for this beautiful tribute. Makes me so thankful for the time I have spent in those places. Nothing is more exhilarating than being on the river!

[@mm.takeum]

Extraordinary, thank you very much.

[@ARPS2009]

A beautiful and fair tribute to a man who fights for nature. Congratulations to the creators.

[@EarthREALTOR]

Stunning boat! Wow! The Grand Canyon is beautiful! Great film!

[@clifffawcett]

Peter McBride is an absolutely amazing artist. This film is a beautiful piece of art. An appropriate tribute to a good man and an amazing legacy.

[@michaelhill56]

RIP Martin... Thank you for your fight to preserve the Grand. May the sun shine on your face and the wind be at your back. SYOTR...

[@terryhanson3644]

Thank you Martin!!

[@CaptainRScott]

Wow! Thank you for sharing about Mr. Litton. A true Mover+ Shaker!

[@jonfisher9214]

I remember flying over the Grand Canyon and being mesmerised by the size and beauty of it. Wish I'd had the chance to go down it in one of these Dories!

[@frankjacoby9460]

Thank you Martin, for fighting to preserve “OUR GRAND CANYON “!

[@jamesjohnston6765]

Beautiful story and wonderful man. I grew up in Arizona and although I live in New York state, I still have a dream of floating down the Mighty Colorado.

[@mikebillets9671]

Thanks for posting, Mitch and I enjoyed watching it!

[@Sahdev_rana-]

Hatts Off to all river legend's thanks for giving us a lovely platforms our rafting industry and we can travel through the Rivers and explore the whole country 🙏🙏🙏

[@Tmorans]

So glad I watched this. I had never heard of Martin before. Now I want to experience this with my son. What an amazing story. I will do this.

[@wcms34]

This was beautiful and inspiring. It deserves millions of views.

[@teresahannon1356]

This is a beautiful tribute to Martin...thanks for sharing!

[@sb1806]

The McKenzie River dory was the first in the forties and fifties right here by my home in Eugene Oregon.

[@Steamboatsmyhome]

THANK YOU for keeping the spirit alive. Beautiful and well told story. I'm ready.

[@sloanshoemaker2617]

NIcely done, Pedro. Thank you.

[@jeffolsen4983]

Beautiful. Thanks!

[@phoenixrising011]

Very few things can come close to illustrating the magical pull of the Canyon. This film does a tremendous job of that. There are places in that Canyon that are so beautiful that it cannot be put into words. Or even photos. You FEEL the beauty in its presence. Absolutely humbling experience. I really think it changes you for the better. Been from top to bottom with OARS. My dad took me, and now I am waiting for my son to be old enough. Trip of a lifetime.

[@mike4ur1]

Martin Litton was a true champion. Our beautiful Rivers deserve all the protection we can give them.

[@michaelhill56]

We need more people like Martin today to fight Trump's damage to our previous resources...

[@hntrains2]

How amazing, to have someone make a film about you!

[@jeremyboone1071]

Absolutely brilliant! Amazing bit of story telling and insight into the river life.

[@TheMichelleMermaid]

Bravo Pete! Just saw this for the first time

[@southernlifeforever6180]

Beautiful piece!

[@sharonfroom759]

A great tribute, I appreciated this because I just read the book, The Emerald Mile.

[@jonreimer440]

I can’t believe one single person would not like this video. Must still be some people pissed about not getting their grand reservoir. I absolutely loved the tribute!! I just finished reading The Emerald Mile and I highly recommend it. I’ve also been online checking out Jeff Spira’s Dory plans……. And lastly, an old high school friend of mine and I are planning a guided dory trip in the GC. Thank you!!!!!

[@davidkaplan2745]

I, too, met Martin at the beginning of a 21 day Grand Canyon Dory trip in 1984 (head boatman Bego). Still one of the highlights of my life.

[@christopherworth1]

I love the love that this man inspired in others.

[@brunokrisgeorgeton4482]

The Emerald Mile by Kevin Fedarko is a must read . And, it is on my bucket list to someday float that river... in a Dory.

[@marthamoran3640]

worth watching when you get the Grand Canyon conservation itch. Martin Litton is the best thanks Pete!

[@bakkersprincess]

Thank you so much. I cried with joy and then sadness. Martin's smile reminded me of my Dad and that was a first.

[@johndoherty8198]

This story made my day Thank you 🙏

[@oot-n-aboot]

Wonderful! A voice of beauty and power for a place and river of the same. Thank you for the beautiful film.

[@briankajmowicz3439]

As a young man I felt like it was a religious experience to go down that river and when you look back and see those things years later it’s amazing rush of emotions thank you for what you do!

[@weirdbeard1980]

I'm in the middle of the emerald mile right now. Absolutely riveting story!

[@thesampsota]

Love that book! Incredible story.

[@michaelhill56]

Another great read is "Breaking into the Current" by Louise Teal. It deals with the history and struggles of boat-women gaining acceptance in the Grand Canyon. Mighty fine reading!

[@Partywithtoms]

That book is , kinda, about my father.

[@phillipdunlop4488]

inspiring, thank you!

[@katnip198]

A beautiful tribute. Thank you.

[@dennislillis4021]

A beautiful thoughtful homage to the man, the river, and life as we should like to experience it.

[@SilhouetteOutdoors]

That was excellent! An outstanding memoir to a great man.

[@waynewilliams3380]

Great story.A giant amongst men.

[@44musher]

Very special man, thank you.

[@brianhaggard2280]

Amazing !!! Thank you there really aren't words :)

[@martinforrester8249]

I have hiked the canyon from both sides several times. Always wanted to go down the full length of the river. I've watched them loading up at Lee's Ferry with great envy lots of times. I'm an Englishman who has found the cost outside of my reach, but really enjoyed going down with you in your dory by video, so thankyou.

[@larrylamb9357]

Amazing film. I am a huge fan of Pete McBrides work.

[@richardalanspencer6846]

Such an inspiration, a true pioneer. Putting mother nature first. What a gentleman 👏🌍😊💙❤️

[@chasingwaves11]

Great Documentary !! really enjoyed it RIP Martin 🙏🏽

[@wriggler6983]

Beautifully shot!!!

[@AbhayRajKapoor]

Superb!!! We ran the canyon in rafts, I think in 2011 ... doing it again in dories sounds superb!!!

[@camino786]

Chapeau and muchas gracias , Mr. Martin Litton.!(Luis, from Peru). Great life, great film.

[@cq7415]

Very nice. Shows canyon, river, very big rapids with dories. Thanks for sharing.

[@BikingVikingHH]

I cried

[@ralphmalph6100]

Extraordinary film.

[@nickcanzone]

Was fortunate to go down the river in May of 2019 with Duffy as our boatman. Absolutly a life changing experience. Thank God for Martin Litton!

[@mmrtactical7764]

Just EPIC!

[@UnclePG]

something added to things to do before i leave simply wonderful

[@learrus]

Absolutely fantastic film; very inspiring; that looks like a lot of fun too.

[@jefflouwman6159]

thank-you for this beautiful tribute .. I did a Diamond rafting adventure July 2007 and was inspired by the beauty and purity of the dories that we saw traversing the river. Your video gives an extraordinary insight into the passion for the wooden boats combined with the love of a truly most special place on Earth. I would love to come back and do a complete river trip aboard one of these ..

[@jamesfarnham1976]

Wow what a beautiful piece of film! I met Martin Litton in 1981 at the end of the canyon 18 day trip. Regan Dale was our trip leader and Ote saw us off at Lees Ferry...am I remembering a baby just being born at that time to Regan and Ote...would that have been Duffy? Like father like son so glad he's following in his Dads footsteps. What a "Grand" trip that was and what memories I have from then. Have so much respect for all who ventured us through the canyon and I'm wondering now where all my "slides" I took are right now. I need to get them put on digital format to enjoy once again. Thanks again, my best to all of you! Jim Farnham

[@LeeTaylorVaughan]

Amazing!

[@FSEVENMAN]

Yeah that was really cool thanks for posting well done

[@evejahnke3574]

beautiful! I wish that all american people would feel and keep this spirit alive, especially n o w.....and in front of this election in nov.20! thanks for this touching, inspiring movie🦋🦎

[@micahhardman3183]

Awesome... I grew up in Bakersfield California and had access to the Killer ' Kern River...me and my buddy Jon Hash and Bryan Hanners would Fill the ice Chest with Beer and set out on the River!! So much Fun!!!!🌊🌊🌊

[@DavidMatine]

Okay I'm already planning my trip to the Grand Canyon.

[@dawgface898]

The earth was crying for the loss of Martin.

[@bishopmachineshop3216]

Awesome video. Beautiful boats. From what I understand Martin named his dories after lost or compromised national treasures, for that reason I would have named the new dory Martin Litton. He save some incredible places for all to enjoy.

[@robdude1969]

Sign me up! What an amazing adventure. Thank you Martin for your dream!

[@lancedaniels9697]

Thanks for posting and sharing. Very encouraging.

[@bernardausterberry9795]

Thank You. I was captivated.

[@ripme6616]

Incredible

[@joweger4852]

wow great tribute and story of such a pioneer of a revolution we need to save the natural treasures... going to write a song about Martin...

[@timgorton7353]

Gorgeous, thanks fir the ride

[@jacqueline7118]

Incredible man, incredible place, thank heavens he fought for such a beautiful landscape. I must say travelling the Grand Canyon in a dory is now on my bucket list! I come from a fishing village and my ancestors used dories for fishing in rough seas, only stands to reason they would be awesome on white water rapids! Thanks for sharing this wonderful documentary.

[@graysencasey301]

Sorry to be so offtopic but does someone know a method to get back into an instagram account..? I was dumb forgot the login password. I would appreciate any tips you can offer me.

[@joewalter3963]

@Graysen Casey Instablaster ;)

[@graysencasey301]

@Joe Walter I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site thru google and I'm in the hacking process atm. Takes a while so I will get back to you later when my account password hopefully is recovered.

[@graysencasey301]

@Joe Walter it worked and I finally got access to my account again. Im so happy! Thank you so much you saved my ass!

[@joewalter3963]

@Graysen Casey you are welcome =)

[@glennpayne704]

Magnificent boats

[@madmanmadman9042]

Awesome documentary thanks for sharing like to have me one of those dories

[@davidalbrecht6507]

Great video - many thanks!

[@samzimmerman3366]

Beautiful