With the Winds

With the Winds is a sailing, film and research team founded by Henry Bell and Grant Bemis. A documentary film of the same name will be released in 2016.

Initial planning for the With the Winds project began in 2013, and in November of 2014 the Kickstarter crowdfounding project was launched. With the Winds raised over $24,000, and on December 2nd, Henry and Grant sailed off from Beaufort, NC and began their four-month expedition in the Caribbean.

With the Winds partnered with Adventurers & Scientists for Conservation, the Ocean Conservancy's Coastal Cleanup Program, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and SEA Semester to study toxic microplastics, ocean-borne refuse, and marine megafauna throughout seven Caribbean nations and their waters. The expedition was a resounding success, and in April 2015 Henry and Grant sailed back in to U.S. waters.

Henry and Grant soon began editing the feature documentary that will share the story of their adventure, spread awareness about the environmental issues that they were studying, and hopefully inspire others to turn their own ambitious ideas into dynamic initiatives with real impact.


In the interest of raising awareness about concerning environmental issues and promoting the interesting and excellent efforts to preserve and better understand the natural world, With the Winds has expanded into a platform for sharing all manner of environmental work being done by colleagues, friends, and other connections.