The Nateland Podcast – Episode 282: Boats (Dec 10, 2025)

Hosted by Dusty Slay (guest host), Aaron Weber, Connor Larson (guest), and Nick Kate Bargetze

Episode Overview

This week’s Nateland Podcast sails into the topic of Boats, and as is tradition, wanders across tales of parenting mishaps, stand-up road stories, and music debates, all delivered with the show’s signature blend of self-deprecation and observational humor. Connor Larson joins as special guest, bringing boat expertise and comic camaraderie. The group reflects on boating experiences—both tragic and hilarious—with plenty of diversions into comedy life, personal milestones, and why pontoon boats might be the ideal vessel for land-loving comics.

Notable Segments & Timestamps

1. Welcoming Guest Connor Larson & Recent Parenting Scare

• [00:46-05:15]
  Connor recounts his daughter’s fall out of a high chair and their first ER trip as parents. The other comics share similar parenting anxiety stories and swap tales of accidents and resilience.

  "She just leans forward like lunges out of the high chair, smacks on the kitchen tile floor. Loud noise. And doesn't scream right away. It was one of those, like, you're building up to a scream. So I grab her, blood all in her mouth... And then here's the scary thing. She just passes out."
  —Connor Larson [02:38]

  The crew discusses the universal panic parents feel when kids get hurt, with Aaron injecting a story about his own dad's priorities as a nervous parent:

  "Instead of getting me out of the pool, my dad got on one knee and goes, 'Now, Tom, you don't throw your brother.' And my mom's like, 'Get the kid.'"
  —Aaron Weber [07:13]

2. Banter & Comments from Listeners

• [08:43-32:53]
  Dusty reads audience comments spanning podcast nicknames, mowing lawns, and Dusty’s New York Times feature. There’s discussion of show memory, gig preferences, and minor-league hats. Dusty's recent media recognition is playfully roasted:

  "Big write up in the New York Times. This is not the Murfreesboro Quarterly. This is the New York Times. Huge write up about Dusty, about the Nashville comedy scene."
  —Connor Larson [15:11]

• Musical taste disputes and travel playlist debates spark comic tension:

  "I like more things than you. I think that's what the difference is."
  —Connor Larson [11:56]

  "I think you like worse things than me. That's what I think."
  —Dusty Slay [12:00]

3. Boat Stories, Living on a Boat, and Life as a Comic

Aaron’s Boat-Dwelling Days

• [35:25-47:11]
  Aaron shares in detail his time living on a 16-foot sailboat in Toronto to chase stand-up comedy:

  "I went to Toronto and then everybody had to tell me. They go, hey man, no one moves to Canada to do entertainment. We're all trying to get visas to go back."
  —Aaron Weber [36:17]

  The group presses for specifics—accommodations, no toilet, a box that “slides closed,” sleeping on a table-turned-mattress, and emptying “pee buckets.” Hilarity ensues as he recalls sinking the dinghy with too many passengers:

  "We maybe make it 10ft and a big boat's coming in. And, dude, I just swapped. Just swamped and the boat immediately. And, I mean, I just jumped off."
  —Aaron Weber [48:07]

Car & Road Comedy Anecdotes

• [51:14-52:12]
  Talk shifts to the etiquette of picking up comics in dirty cars and the importance of car cleanliness on tour.

4. Getting to the Boats: The Main Topic

Boat Comedy & Performing on Boards

• [54:51-86:43]
  The cast finally steers the conversation toward real boats (and, inevitably, boats in comedy):

  "The two best days of a boat owner's life is when they buy it and when they sell it."
  —Dusty Slay [85:38]

  Connor adds the classic:

  "You know what boat stands for? Bust out another thousand."
  —Connor Larson [85:49]

  Nick and Dusty champion the merits of pontoon boats—relaxed, social, safe. Yachts, houseboats, and kayaks are contrasted. Connor rates kayaks as his personal nightmare, recalling a harrowing story from Argentina involving a wetsuit and an uncomfortable fit.

Being the Host and the Comedy Scene

• [72:31-74:52]
  Famous “Boatman” intro story:

  "He just keeps doing it. And then he goes about the show. Nashville. Anybody watch Nashville? … Well, he wasn't on that. Where he lives."
  —Connor Larson [73:38]

  This becomes a running joke about poor show hosting and dubious road credits.

5. Boat Facts, History, and Musings

• [70:05-104:34]

  • Boat History:
    The group riffs on the invention of boats (hollowed logs > the wheel), Polynesian navigation by birds, and the ongoing Nile vs. Amazon 'longest river' debate.

    "Just measure it and let's just go ahead and figure that out."
    —Dusty Slay [70:48]

  • Mariners’ Wisdom & Safety:
    "95% of boating accidents are caused by human error. Not water."
    —Dusty Slay [91:32]

  • Music:
    Boat and sea shanty songs get surprisingly deep coverage. Connor sings “What Shall We Do With a Drunken Sailor,” diving into YouTube sea shanty trends.

  • Jet Ski and Kayak Joys & Woes:
    Jet skis bring universal joy—kayaks, less so.

  • Boat Terminology:

    "A boat technically becomes a ship when it can carry another boat."
    —Nick Kate Bargetze [98:36]

6. Closing Thoughts & Final Frivolities

• [108:07-end]
  The episode closes with shanty jokes, a brief philosophical inquiry (“Would you ever get in a submarine?”), and the recognition that when it comes to boats, most comics are happiest as the friend of the owner—not the owner themselves.

Memorable Quotes

• "You want one to really fall asleep to? I have a personal one where it's just me talking."
  —Dusty Slay [17:05]

• "I don't have a lot else going on. You know what I mean? My life is outside of it. It's pretty sparse. This is kind of... This kind of it."
  —Aaron Weber, on remembering clubs & gigs [23:05]

• "It is a lot—I mean, expensive, right? You know what they say? You know what boat stands for? Bust out another thousand."
  —Connor Larson [85:43]

• "I think boats are cool. I don't like being on them."
  —Dusty Slay [84:47]

Thematic Highlights

• Comedy and Risk: The perils of living life for the joke, whether it’s letting your kid fall or sleeping on a fold-down table in a Toronto marina.
• Boating as Metaphor: From parenting panic to comedy gigs gone wrong—being adrift, waves rough, and sometimes needing to ditch (sell) the boat.
• Comedic Camaraderie: Through music, road horror stories, and gentle ribbing, the group navigates the “waters” of creative friendship.

Listener Guide – Key Timestamps

• Parenting ER Story: [02:00-05:00]
• Listener Comment Highlights & Dusty’s NYT Mention: [14:47-16:38]
• Aaron’s Boat Life in Toronto: [35:35-47:11]
• Boatman & Comedy Hosting Tales: [72:31-74:40]
• Jet Ski vs. Kayak Debate: [88:25-97:30]
• Sea Shanty Music & Shanty Banter: [105:43-109:49]
• Boating Facts & Safety: [91:32-92:03]
• Final Boat Musings: [108:11-end]

Summary

Episode 282 of Nateland delivers exactly what long-time fans expect: off-topic hilarity, genuine storytelling, and an “anchor” topic (boats) woven in and out of conversation. Whether recalling ER trips or floating Canadian comedy ambitions, the hosts and guests channel the unpredictability and camaraderie of both boating and stand-up. The result is a relaxed, laugh-heavy episode that turns nautical trivia and misadventures into comedy gold.

“Anyway, give the sea shanties a try.”
—Connor Larson [109:42]