Offshore Sailing and Cruising with Paul Trammell
Interviews with offshore sailors and those in the industry sharing exciting stories and useful information so we can better enjoy and better prepare for our own adventures.
Episodes
Matt Rutherford Circumnavigating the Arctic Solo, Nonstop, and Unassisted
Matt Rutherford set off from Aasiaat, Greenland June 25th in effort to circumnavigate the Arctic Ocean solo, nonstop, and unassisted in a Valiant 42 ketch. If he succeeds, he will be the first solo sailor to have done it in one season. Matt has been on the show twice before, and is still the only person to have circumnavigated the Americas solo and nonstop. We talk about Greenland and Assiat, th
Ollie Bergquist, The Beginning of a Circumnavigation on a Contessa 32
Ollie Bergquist recently sailed his Contessa 32 from California to Hawaii solo and plans to continue on around the world. We talk about Hawaii, arriving at a city after a long passage alone, learning to sail, preparing for the journey, learning on a Laser, YouTube favorites, books, the Contessa 32, the Dufour Arpege, the 1979 Fastnet, Fiji, California, sailing offshore for the first time, sailing
Antigua to Nassau on Galiana with the crew: Jillian Feberwee, Nick Tait, William Edelman, and Michael Youngling
Jillian Feberwee, Nick Tait, William Edelman, and Michael Youngling sailed with Tapio Lehtinen aboard Galiana, his 1972 Swan 55 yawl from Antigua to Nassau, The Bahamas. We talk about what everyone hoped to get out of the passage, Galiana and other sailboats, sailing with and learning from Tapio, highlights of the passage, fishing, hand steering, seasickness and getting over it, sailing downwind
Ertan Beskardes, GGR and MGR Competitor
Ertan Beskardes is a lifelong sailor entered in the 2026 Golden Gobe Race. He recently completed the Mini Globe Race, in which he circumnavigated in a 19' Class Globe 5.80 sailboat. He started both the 2018 and 2022 Golden Globe Races, but retired in each. His GGR boat is a Rustler 36, formerly Matmut, Jean Luc Van Den Heede's winning boat form the 2018 GGR. He also sails a Jenneau Sun Odyssey 33.
A Sea Vagabond's World
In this episode, I talk about Tapio Lehtinen's recent Bahamas trip and lessons we can take from it, using Google Maps to find coordinates of anchorages or dive spots and transfering them to Navionics, I read select passages from Bernard Moitessier's "A Sea Vagabond's World" and discuss them, including why it is advantageous to learn to sail in a dinghy, learning to sail offshore, anchoring, chain
Will Sofrin, USCGC Eagle: The Legacy of America's Tall Ship
Will Sofrin is a lifelong sailor and the author of the book "USCGC Eagle: The Legacy of America's Tall Ship." The book tells the story of a German naval training ship seized at the end of World War II and transformed into the U.S. Coast Guard's flagship, training generations of officers. Rather than a conventional history, it is told through firsthand accounts from those who sailed her, with each
Matt Steverson, The Duracell Project, Converting an Offshore Racer to a Fast Family Cruiser
Matt Steverson has been rebuilding an offshore racing sailboat and converting her into a fast family cruising liveaboard, and doing a fantastic job of it, which he and his wife Janneke document on their YouTube Channel . Duracell, the boat, was built and sailed by legendary American sailor, Mike Plant, who beat the American record for solo circumnavigation in the first Vendee Globe in 1989. We ta
Sail Trim with Carl Damm
Carl Damm is the owner or Damsel Marine, a yacht management, maitenance, and consulting company. He is also a sailing instructor with ASA and Nautic Ed. We talk about how to properly install and bed deck hardware, filling the bolt holes with epoxy, backing plates, sail trim, setting halyard tension, how to use a cunningham, setting proper leech tension, reading tell tales, moving jib cars, adjust
Sharks! Cristina Zenato, Professional Shark Diver
Cristina Zenato is a shark ecologist and behaviorist who grew up between the savannah and the rainforest of the Congo, where she developed a passion for the outdoors and an understanding and appreciation for the wilderness and our relationship to the environments around us. Today, she lives in The Bahamas and offers scuba-diving courses and shark dives. She is a PADI Course Director, NSS-CDS Adva
Colm Walker
Colm Walker is entered in the 2026 Golden Globe Race. He was in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico when we talked, on the way from San Diego to France via the Panama Canal. He is a dual citizen of the United States and Ireland, an Airborne Ranger and combat veteran of the 82nd Airborne Division, and a lifelong waterman. His boat, Mo Chuisle ("My Pulse" in Irish), is a Tayana 37 cutter. He sails in support o
Kevin Wasbauer, Shearwater Sailing
Kevin Wasbauer runs Shearwater Sailing out of Monterey Bay, California. He sails a Farr 53, sometimes with clients, sometimes solo. He is currently offereing berths on a sail from Monterey Bay to Hawaii, and from Hawaii back to Monterey Bay. We talk about sailing in Monterey Bay, whales, marine protected zones, gaining experience before buying a boat, his boat Atalanta - a Farr 53, adjusting the
Dan Turner, Circumnavigating in a 19' Boat
Dan Turner recently took second place in the Mini Globe Race, in which he circumnavigated in a home-built Globe 6.50. We talk about completing a circumnavigation, Antigua, stopping in 17 different countries, Cape Town to St. Helena, St. Helena to Recife, Recife to Antigua, squalls, the strength and construction of the boat, collisions, the state of the boat after the race, doubters, how much of t
Christian Lobel, Circumnavigating Newfoundland
Christian Lobel is an RYA Yachtmaster Instructor and captain of Saga, a Swan 47 on which he sails offshore, often with paying crew. I met Chris in Newfoundland in a fjord on the south coast in 2022. Last year, he returned circumnavigated Newfoundland. We talk about sailing to Cuba, Tierra del Fuego, Port Antonio Jamaica, Newfoundland, Greenland, cruising Ireland, the Azores, sailing upwind, using
Alison Gieschen, Circumnavigating on a Taswell 43
Alison Gieschen wasin Nuku HIva when I spoke to her, sailing a Taswell 43 on a circumnavigation with her husband. She is also the author of 7 books, including Riding the Waves of Reality I and II. We talk about dealing with an engine problem and a leaking fuel tank, various other problems, Nuku Hiva, selling everything on land to sail around the world, the transition, sailing in cold places, a hea
Guy deBoer, GGR Tactics
Guy deBoer is preparing for the Golden Globe Race, which starts in September, and will try to be the first American to win a solo nonstop circumnavigation race. He was in the 2022 GGR, but went aground on a reef on Fuerteventura. He has since repaired the boat, Spirit, a Tashiba 36 and is entered in the race again. We talk about the preparations he has been making to his boat, his two different wi
Mara Lovenskiold Kveseth, GGR 2026 Entrant
Mara is a Norwegian sailor entered in the 2026 Golden Globe Race. She was doing her 4000nm qualifier for the GGR, sailing from Morocco to St Martin in the Caribbean in her 2001 Saltram Saga 36. We talk about the journey she was on, her boat, the refit, roller furlers, staysails, solo sailing, livestreaming, sleeping while underway alone, spinnakers, how sailing changes us, her routine, exercise,
Dudley Dix, Designing Sailboats Since the 1970's
Dudley Dix has been designing sailboats - monohulls, catamarans, and trimarans - since the 1970's and is still at it. His designs incorporate wood, fiberglass, steel, or aluminum, and he is the developer of the radius-chine plywood method. His latest design is the Didi 120 GSC, a 40' monohull designed specifically for the Global Solo Challenge. We talk about his sailing history, sailing in South
Africa! Tim Good and Emmie van Biervliet, Sailing in Senegal and The Gambia
Tim and Emmie sail a 1996 Seastream 43 and are at the beginning of a circumnavigation starting in England. They were in Cape Verde when I interviewed them and had recently been to Senegal and The Gambia. We talk about a rough introduction to offshore sailing, sailing to Norway, Mindello Cape Verde, carnival, Dakar, Senegal, dodging fishing nets in Africa, the Saloum Delta National Park in Senegal,
Amy and MJ of Motherload Sailing, moving onto a Catamaran
Amy Cobb and MJ Sizemore of Motherload Sailing are back in Bocas del Toro after sailing their Bavaria 50 back to Florida to sell. They replaced her with a Lagoon 410 catamaran, on which they live with their 5 sons. We talk about their new catamaran and compare her to their monohull - both living aboard and sailing, upgrades, lithium batteries, sailing from Florida to The Bahamas, clearing in at G
Cruising with Gretchen and Tim of GnT Sailing
Gretchen and Tim were in the same anchorage as me when I met them, and John Kretschmer recommended them as guests. They sail a Catalina 42 with an added staysail and have a YouTube channel called GnT Sailing. We talk about meeting while racing Rhodes 19's, learning to sail offshore, sailing with John Kretschmer, a heavy-weather passage with JK, sailing downwind with just a staysail in strong wind,
Closing the Loop on a Circumnavigation, Brian Hathaway
Brian Hathaway was in Panama when I interviewed him, near to completeing his circumnavigation. While sailing, he has been filming a documentary "The Healing Power of the Ocean." Brian is five years sober. He also directed a short documentary "Adrift." Brian sails a 2004 Hunter 44DS. We talk about fixing leaking portlights, fixing the cone clutch on his transmission, sailing from St Helena to Recif
Sailing the Sea of Cortez, Hawaii, and Alaska, Mike Kalil and Stephanie Propp
Mike and Stephanie were in the Sea of Cortez when I interviewed them, aboard their Saga 43, Stella Blue. They bought her in British Columbia and sailed her south to California and Mexico, then to Hawaii, Alaska, down the west coast, and returned to the Sea of Cortez. We talk about Mexico and the Sea of Cortez, wildlife, their boat, the solent rig, electronics, radar, anchor lights, how they select
Sailing in Heavy Weather with Ryan Rayfield, Sailing Libra
Ryan Rayfield recently sailed with novice crew from Block Island to Bermuda in November and faced some heavy weather, which he dealt with effectively in his 60' ketch, Libra. Ryan learned to sail on Lake Martin in Alabama, and now runs Sail Libra, an offshore charter operation in the North Atlantic Ocean. He is a USCG-licensed captain, father, and lifelong mariner. We talk about learning to sail
Sailing from the POV of a Former Commercial Fisherman, Joe Drago
Joe Drago used to be a commercial fisherman in New England and now sails a Cape Dory 45 ketch based in New York and runs Sailing Resolution, a sailing adventure charter business. We talk about how he got involved in commercial fishing, lessons about seamanship learned from commercial fishing, fishing in foul weather, being washed overboard while longlining in the Gulf Stream, his rescue, safety g
Sailing to Japan with Robin Toozs-Hobson
Robin Toozs-Hobson is a long-time sailor and delivery skipper based in St. Lucia. He and I have sailed together a few times and had some great adventures. He recently did a delivery of an Excess catamaran from St. Lucia to Japan. We talk about living in St. Lucia, living abroad and dealing with the passport and banking and mail, monohull sailing vs catamaran sailing, favorite boats, Excess catama
Repairing an Aluminum Hull at KM Yachtbuilders, Hylke Boersma
Hylke Boersma is a project manager for refits at KM Yachtbuilders. He is currently working on the repair of a Boreal 52 that suffered hull damage after being struck by another boat while on a mooring. We talk about using a 3D-scanner to asses damage, repairing an aluminum hull, repairing aluminum vs steel, care and maintenance of aluminum hulls, painting aluminum hulls, advantages of building in
Sailing Solo to Seven Continents, Harry Anderson
Harry Anderson is the only person to have both flown solo and sailed solo to all seven continents. He is also the author of "Sailing 7 Continents Solo." We talk about his route, his boats (a Bavaria 37 and an Alures 40.9), sailing with a centerboard, heaving-to, HF radio, VHF with wireless remote handset, anchoring, shore lines, generating electricity, Deception Island, getting permits to go to An
Willem Nieland, Globemaster Yachts, Designing Aluminum Sailboats
Willem Nieland has been designing yachts for 35 years. He designs Globemaster yachts, as well as custom aluminum expedition sailboats, motor yachts, and residential yachts. His designs are know for efficent and ergonomic use of space, comfort, and excellent offshore sailing characteristics. We talk about design elements he likes in a boat, his boat, sailing around The Netherlands, designing boats,
Onboard Galiana with Tapio and Crew
Tapio Lehtinen and his crew were sailing in the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers from the Canary Islands to St. Lucia when we talked. The interview was conducted in the cockpit of Galiana, a 1972 Swan 55 yawl, while underway. I spoke with each of the crew, most of whom were paying customers. Tapio is taking paying crew on ocean training passages and various offshore races this year, as well as the 2027
Viivi Moisio, Sailing in the Ocean Globe Race on Galiana
Viivi was part of Tapio Lehtinen's crew onboard Galiana for the 2023 Ocean Globe Race. This race was the subject of Tapio's book "Pole Star and Albatross." Viivi is now building a Class Globe 5.80 to sail in the 2026 Mini Globe Transat. We talk about learning to sail, training for the Ocean Globe Race (OGR), the sinking of Asteria, favorite moments in the OGR, rounding Cape Horn, fear, difficult
Andrew Evans, Singlehanded Sailing Two Points West of Sanity
Andrew Evans is best known for his book "Singlehanded Sailing, Thoughts Tips Techniques and Tactics." His most recent book is "Singlehanded Sailing, Two Points West of Sanity." The book is mostly about his ill-fated passage attempting to sail from Victoria, Canada, to the start of the Transpac in San Francisco. During the journey, he experienced falling overboard, taking on water, total loss of hi
Introducing the Worldstar with RWYC Vice Commodore Chris Arscott
The Royal Western Yacht Club was founded in 1827 to encourage yacht racing. Chris Arscott is the Vice Commodore and organizes the OSTAR and the Round Britain & Ireland Race, and now the Worldstar, a new nonstop round-the-world race for 35'-60' monohulls without specific requirements and raced singlehanded or doublehanded,. We talk about the Worldstar, Starlink, communication, sponsorship, making
Guido Cantini, 2026 Golden Globe Race Entrant
Guido Cantini is an Italian entrant in the 2026 Golden Globe Race. His boat is a Vancouver 34, and he has been preparing for the race for six years. We talk about sailing arounf the Tuscan Archipelago, the differences between being a mariner and a racer, the Golden Globe Race, his boat and how he chose it, work he has done to the boat, cruising in Panama, the effects of moving weight inside the b
Cruising the Greek Islands, Sailing with a Baby, Eddie and Kelli of The Vanabond Tales
Eddie and Kelli were in Corfu, Greece, when I spoke to them. They were sailing a 1986 Beneteau First 29, had just sold it, and were buying a Moody 422. We talk about sailing with a new baby, kids on boats, their Beneteau First 29 and how they chose it, buying a boat remotely, in-mast furling, the Moody 422, sailing in Croatia, buying a boat in Croatia, registering a boat in Poland, staying in the
Emergency Steering in the South Pacific, Red Seas 2
Iain and Brioni are two Scottish sailors casually circumnavigating on a Leopard 47 Catamaran. As we spoke, they were in the South Pacific. We talk about dealing with a broken steering cable, using an emergency tiller, repairing the steel cable with dyneema, their route across the South Pacific, hurricanes, staying warm, whales, cameras and drones and the logistics of making a YouTube channel, INa
Sailing the Solomon Islands, Brett and Tess from The Seafaring Project
Brett and Tess were in the Solomon Islands when I spoke to them. They sail a Corbin 39, surf, spearfish, explore, and interact with the local cultures. We talk all about the Solomon Islands, their boat, colliding with a floating tree and dealing with a damaged skeg and a pernicious leak, hauling out and and fixing the skeg, living on a boat vs living in a house, crocodiles, crocodile safety, cigua
Jazz Turner, Project Fear, Circumnavigating Britain and Ireland
Jaz races in the Hanse 303 and RS Venture Connect SCS classes, and sails an Albin Vega 27, in which she recently became the first wheelchair user to sail solo and unassisted around Great Britain and Ireland, and doing so confronted and overcame great difficulties. She lives with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which means her connective tissue does not function properly, and this also effects her int
Tapio Lehtinen, Sailing his 1972 Swan 55 Yawl, Galiana
Tapio Lehtinen sailed his boat Galiana, a 1972 Swan 55 yawl, in the 2023 Ocean Globe Race. He is now taking paying crew on ocean training passages and offshore races. If interested, send an email to paulwtrammell@hotmail.com and put "Sailing" in the subject line. In this episode, we talk about sailing in the Finnish Archipelago, Galiana and her latest refit, electric winches, autopilots, raising t
Adam Desrosiers, Sailing a Cape George 36 in Alaska
Adam Desrosiers lives in the Alaska panhandle and sails a Cape George 36. We talk about sailing in the Alaska panhandle (the south), fjords and inlets, weather, currents, storms, dealing with the cold, katabatic winds, Patagonia, anchoring in Alaska, 25' tides, using two anchors, his boat, making the boat more cruiser-friendly, bears on the beach, black bears vs brown bears, bear safety, benefits
Sailing the Viking Route, Brian Russell
Brian and Helen Russell sail an aluminum Dudley Dix 43 that Brian built. This past summer, they sailed the Viking Route from London to Halifax, Nova Scotia via the Scilly Isles, Scotland, The Faroes, Iceland, Greenland, Labrador, and Newfoundland. We talk about all the places they visited, the pasages in between, the wildlife, difficult situations, sea ice, icebergs, radar, broaching, autopilots,
Norbert Sedlecek Koch, Ant Arctic Lab
Norbert Sedlecek Koch is the founder of Innovation Yachts. In July 2026, he will attempt to sail nonstop unassisted solo around the world passing through all the world's oceans, and becoming the first person to do so. He has already circumnavigated in a boat he built and in the Vendee Globe, and he has circumnavigated Antarctica. Innovation Yachts designs and builds custom yachts with attention to
Etienne Messikommer, Golden Globe 2026 Entrant
Etienne Messikommer is an entrant in the 2026 Golden Globe Race. He also won the 2021 Globe 5.80 Transtat. We talk about his first boat (which was steel), selecting his GGR boat (a Tradewinds 35), refitting and preparing the boat for the GGR, converting from wheel to tiller, reefing and furling, reinforcing the chainplates, antifouling, getting advice from previous GGR competitors, books, the rul
Captain Coconut aka Mark Sinclair, Following the Mini Globe Race
Mark Sinclair is following the Mini Globe Race in his Lello 34, Coconut (the boat he raced in the 2018 GGR). He was in Antigua last time we spoke (in February 2024) and he was in Darwin, Australia when we spoke this time. We talk about the Mini Globe Race, Darwin Australia, his sail from Antigua to Australia, sailing every other leg with his girlfriend, provisioning, transiting the Panama Canal, A
Gunnar Christensen, Offshore Racing vs Offshore Cruising
Gunnar Christensen is an entrant in the 2026 Golden Globe Race. He owns a Hans Christen 34 and is also a professional sailor and skipper of racing sailboats. We talk about his Baltic 42, a Southerly 42, The Bahamas, the value of a swing-keel, RORC races Gunnar has been competing in, racing a Farr 60, how seamanship differs between racers and cruisers, how racing boats are less forgiving than cruis
Kevin Le Poidevin, Sailing an Open 40
Kevin Le Poidevin sails an Open 40, Roaring 40 and a Sigma 36 Rogue Wave. He sailed in the 2014 and 2018 Solo Trans Tasman Challenge New Plymouth to Southport, the 2021 and 2024 Sydney Hobart, the 2023 Global Solo Challenge, and the 2025 Melbourne to Osaka Race. He has also solo sailed around Australia and Malaysia, as well as from Osaka back to Australia. He supports the Brain Tumor Alliance Aus
Guy DeBoer, Offshore Racing, GGR 2026?
Guy deBoer is a professional sailor active in offshore racing. He was in the 2022 Golden Globe Race, but went aground in the Canary Islands and had to retire from the race. He eventually saved and rebuilt the boat, Spirit, a Tashiba 36. We talk about his new (to him) Cheoy Lee and how old full-keel boats are sometimes free or nearly free, racing in the Two Star in a Jenneau 45, dealing with the co
Tom Cunliffe, Sailing and Writing and his new novel Hurricane Force
Tom Cunliffe is a living legend among offshore sailors. He has lived his life at sea, mostly sailing traditional boats. He learned to sail on a 22 ft gaff sloop when a teenager on the Norfolk Broads. He studied law in university, but then ran off to sea. He has worked as mate on a coasting merchant vessel and skippered private yachts as well as having been a delivery and charter skipper. He was a
Jolly Holly, Show Me Your Dinghy
Jolly Holly sails a 72' carbon fiber trimaran now, and has a history of restoring old boats and solo sailing. She is also the owner of ShowMeYourDinghy dinghy navigation lights, which I use and approve of. We talk about sailing in the Caribbean, getting knocked down, sailing solo vs with crew, observing fishing regulations, Sunfish, Tritium - her 71' carbon fiber catamaran, backlash from skeptics
Daniel Turner 2, Mini Globe Race, Fiji
Daniel Turner is currently in second place in the Mini Globe Race, another Don McIntyre circumnavigation race. He was in Fiji when I interviewed him, right befrore the start of Leg three, Fiji to Cape Town. We talk about sailing from Antigua to Panama, dealing with a roller-furler malfunction, sailing to Fiji, a storm in the Tuomotus, using a drogue, helmets, preventers, response to the skeptics,
Ask an Electrician, Owen Murphy, Part 2
This is part two of my conversation with marine electrical engineer Owen Murphy. We talk about meeting John Kretschmer, the influence of electrical systems and electronics on sailboat value, wiring diagrams, the risks of modern high-output systems, fuses, what electricity is, amps, electrical fields, panconsciousness, sailing in the South Pacific, sailing into an atoll, a tiger-shark story, grey s
Ask an Electrician, Owen Murphy of Meridian Marine Electrical, Part 1
Owen Murphy is an ABYC certified marine electrical engineer and technician who offers both onsite and remote electrical system consulting, maintenance and installation. He sails a Pacific Seacraft 34 and is currently in Fiji. Owen answers questions from Patrons about their electrical systems. These include charging an AGM starter battery with LiFePo4 house batteries, saving weight on race yachts
Deborah Hammett, Young Salt at Sixty
Deborah Hammett began sailing later in life and is the author of the book "Young Salt at Sixty." She sails a Jenneau Sun Odyssey 36 out of Martha's Vineyard, Mass. We talk about Martha's Vineyard, seeing your hometown from the water, scaling down, what inspired her to become a sailor, The Bahamas, riding out a storm in Georgetown at anchor, anchors, the Dominican Republic, her boat, unexpected dif
Sailing with Six
Chris and Shona have been sailing around the world on a Leopard 46 catamaran with their four children. They started in Australia on a monohull and sailed up to the islands in the South Pacific. They then bought a catamaran in Mexico, went through the Panama Canal, up to Nova Scotia, and around the Caribbean, back through the canal, across the Pacific, through SE Asia, and to the Seychelles, where
Niels Nielson, Saare Yachts, also Bahamas Fee Increases, Unrest in Panama
Saare Yachts is a German company that builds quality, semi-custom yachts which are made in Estonia in the yard that formerly built Finngulf Yachts. In the intro, I discuss the new 5X-more expensive Bahamas cruising permits and new fees, as well as the strikes in Bocas del Toro, Panama. Niels and I talk about sailing in the Baltic Sea, sailing angles, history of the boatyard, building the hulls, v
Filip Kotodziej, Isla de los Estados, Patagonia, and Antarctica
Filip Kotodziej is the skipper of SV Selma of SailCamp Expeditions, running high-latitued charters. He recently visited Isla de los Estados - an island off the souther tip of Argentina few people have visited. We talk about isla de los Estados, anchoring and anchorages, katabatic winds, currents and tides, charts and navigating, the boat Selma - a custom steel ketch, features of the boat that mak
Cruising the Med and Sailing Naturally with Richard and Jude of Sailing Helios
Richard and Jude sold everything and bought a Jenneau Sun Odyssey 410 in 2022. Unable to get the boat delivered to Australia in a timely manner, they decided to take the boat in France and start their sailing lives by cruising the Mediterranean. We talk about crusing the Mediterranean, the boat, dual helms, anchoring, lights and a collision while at anchor, favorite places, cultures, food, making
Matt Woodside, Golden Globe Race 2026 Entrant
Matt Woodside is entered in the 2026 Golden Globe Race (GGR). His boat is a Cape George 36 and he lives in Portland, Oregon. We talk about getting into sailing, the Sea of Cortez, Mexico, the GGR, simplifying the boat, refitting her, replacing the mast, reefing, heavy-weather strategies, heaving-to, towing drogues, using a storm trysail, his unique jury rig, abandoning ship, books, serving as a F
Diana Vega, First Mate in the Clipper Round the World Race
Diana Vega grew up on the Isle of Wight sailing in the Solent. She will be the First Mate with Guy Waites on Team Unicef UK in the 2025-2026 Clipper Round the World Race. We talk about crew dynamics, a transatlantic on an Outremer catamaran, refitting a steel boat, installing a synthetic teak deck, heaving-to in the Bay of Biscay, the Clipper Race, the role of the first mate, training for the Clip
Circumnavigating with Barry Perrins
Barry Perrins recently crossed his wake completing a 9-year circumnavigation aboard steel Van de Stadt. We talk about his boat, the pros and cons of steel boats, his route, New Zealand, crocodiles in Australia, friendly people, Vanuatu, whale sharks, dancing with manta rays, anchors, lessons learned, nature, profound revelations, and more. Links and photos are on the shownotes page Support the s
All About Sails, Mike Price, Hyde Sails Hawaii
Mike Price sails and races in Hawaii and owns Hyde Sails Hawaii. We talk about sailing in Hawaii, sailmaking, things sailors need to know about sails, when you need new sails, how to choose between different cruising and racing sails, triradial vs cross-cut sails, different materials, spinnakers, asym. vs. sym., top-down furlers, sail trim, interpreting telltales, maintaining sail shape when rolle
Brent Remley, Story of Stargazer, Bringing an Endurance 35 Back From the Dead
Brent bought Stargazer, an Endurance 35 six years ago in Vancouver and has since been restoring and rebuilding her. She has been almost completely rebuilt and now looks like a work of art. She can be seen on Instagram @storyofstargazer. We talk about the restoration process and get into the details of wood, joints, fiberglass, sanding, varnish, paint, woodworking, the decision to buy an old boat t
Melanie Sunshine Neale, Conversation with a Yacht Broker, Selecting the Right Boat
Melanie Neale grew up on sailboats and has always lived the sailing and cruising life. She's been a yachtbroker for ten years and now owns Sunshine Cruising Yachts based in St. Augustine, Florida. I met Melanie years ago when I was looking for my first boat, and we've stayed in touch. We talk about boats Melanie likes, the Caliber 40 LRC, Island Packets, the Nicholson 31, the right size boat to si
Istvan Kopar, Westbound Solo Around the World
Istvan Kopar took 4th place in the 2018 Golden Globe Race - and was one of only five finishers. Next year on the 250th anniversary of the United States of America, he will be attempting to be the first person to sail from the USA solo nonstop westbound around the world via the three great capes and he will be doing it at the same time as the GGR 2026 boats will be going the other way around the wo
Mark Synnott, Into the Ice, Sailing the NW Passage
Mark Synnott is a New York Times bestselling author, a pioneering big wall first ascensionist and one of the most prolific exploratory climbers of his generation. Always seeking new adventures, in 2022 he sailed through the Northwest Passage while searching for the grave of and attempting to solve the mystery of what happened to legendary nineteenth-century explorer Sir John Franklin and his ships
Selling it All and Circumnavigating, Ulrika Katja Sjoback
Ulrika retired, sold her house, and bought a 1995 Island Packet 40. She has just started what she plans to be a long and casual circumnavigation. She was in Guyamas Mexico when I interviewed her. We talk about her boat, sailing from BC to Mexico, The Sea of Cortez, sailing singlehanded and with crew, Mexico, water, how the Island Packet performs, whisker poles, her previous boat - an Atkins Ingrid
The Last Voyage of Asteria
The Last Voyage of Asteria is Tapio Lehtinen's latest book, co-written by Paul Trammell, and documents Tapio's 2022 Golden Globe Race, during which his boat, Asteria, sank while 460 nm SE of South Africa. In this episode, I read from the book, including the beginning and also the chapter titled "Lessons Learned," which disusses what Tapio learned from the sinking and from entering the life raft, a
Ronnie Simpson, Class 40 Sailing and the 2027 Global Solo Challenge
Ronnie Simpson is a 40-year-old professional racing sailor from the United States of America who aims to sail in the 2027 Global Solo Challenge race. Recently, Ronnie was the skipper of the Open 50 Shipyard Brewing which competed in the first-ever Global Solo Challenge in 2023-24. Sailing in a strong third place for most of the race, Ronnie unfortunately dismasted off of Argentina in February 2024
Robert Perry, Old Sailboats, New Sailboats, and How to Choose Them
Robert Perry is one of the most prolific, sucessful, and iconic sailboat designers of the modern age. He is known for designing the Valiant 40, Tayana 37, Tashiba 36, Baba 35, and many many more. His knowledge of sailboats is extensive to the point of making him a national treasure. We talk about older crusing boats ideal for beginning cruisiers, ie: good boats for beginning offshore sailors, CCA
Fraser Flight, Preparing for the Global Solo Challenge
Fraser Flight was born and raised in Zimbabwe, where he up on a tobacco farm. He started sailing as a young boy on a lake alongside giraffes and rhinos. He progressed to competetive internationl dinghy racing as a child and offshore racing as an adult. He earned a Master of Yachts license, has logged over 80,000 miles on sailing and motor yachts, and has crossed the Atlantic 15 times. He is now en
Brian Hathaway, St Helena to Brazil
Brian Hathaway has been sailing around the world, mostly solo, on his Hunter 44. He recently sailed from St Helena to Recife, Brazil. We talk about Recife, Brazil, St Helena, sailing downwind with twin headsails, customs, anchoring, singlehanding, pirates, self defense, crime, diving on a shipwreck in St Helena, and much more. Shownotes are here Support the show thought Patreon
Building a Wooden Boat, Mike Smith
Mike Smith is a South African living in Australia and is building a wooden Suhali replica (the boat Robin Knox-Johnston sailed in the 1968 Golden Globe Race), in order to compete in the 2026 GGR. We talk about his sailing history, growing up and sailing on the coast of South Africa, his boat-building history, creating the CNC plan for the boat, building the boat, watertight crash boxes, the cost
Daniel Turner, Mini Globe Race
Daniel Turner is entered in the Mini Globe Race, sailing Immortal Game, his mini 5.80, which he built. He started racing small boats in Australia when he was six years old. He moved from Holdfast trainers to the 125 and Pacer classes, and raced on his father's Farr 30 and grandfather's Adams 12. Daniel spent four years in the Australian Army as a Combat Engineer and Combat Fitness Trainer and repr
The Bay Islands of Honduras with Bill and JoAnne Harris of SV Ultra
Bill and JoAnne Harris are the Ocean Cruising Club Port Officers for the Bay Islands of Honduras (Roatan, Guanaja, Utila, Cayos Cochinos, and the Swan Islands. They sail SV Ultra, a trimaran, often spending hurricane season in Rio Dulce, Guatemala, and the rest of the year in the Bay Islands. We talk about Rio Dulce, crossing the bar on the way in, being an OCC Port Officer, the Bay Islands, spear
Mark Sinclair aka Captain Coconut, Long Passages and Solo Sailing
Captain Mark Sinclair was born in Manchester, UK, and emigrated to Australia in 1960. He served 20 years in the Royal Australian Navy up to the rank of Commander. During his extensive sea time he served in a tanker, icebreaker, minesweeper, destroyers and numerous hydrographic ships and aircraft. He navigated 4 ships and commanded 3 ships. He has sailed extensively all his life, and in 2018 partic
Panama to Florida, Motherload Sailing
MJ and Amy Sizemore from Motherload Sailing sailed in November from Linton Bay, Panama, to Ft. Pierce, Florida, through the Windward Passage, and without stopping. They sail a Bavaria 50 with their five boys, but have sold it and are buying a Lagoon 410 catamaran. We talk about clearing out of Panama, the Ngäbe indigenous people, their nonstop passage, weather routing, foul weather in the Windwar
Helga Marie Lovenskiold Kveseth, 2026 GGR
Helga Marie Lovenskiold Kveseth, aka Mara, is a Norwegian entered in the 2026 Golden Globe Race, an around-the-world, solo, and nonstop race using only technology from 1968 or before. She holds a Captain's License and has over 25,000 nm sailing experience. She once trained for the olympics in fencing, was a rower competing on the world stage, and even a bobsleder. We talk about preparing for the G
Lin Pardey, Passages: Cape Horn and Beyond
Lin Pardey is a living legend best known for sailing long offshore passages in small traditional boats witout engines or electronics. Lin and her late husband Larry have sailed over 200,000nm, have circumnavigated in both directions, and have sailed around all the great capes east to west (contrary to prevailing wind). She is the author of 14 sailing nonfiction books, including her latest "Passage
Bert Terhart, Bluewater Sailing
Bert Terhart is a Canadian adventurer who has cicumnavigated solo, nonstop, navigating only with a sextant. He also crossed Canada from west coast to east coast in a canoe in one season, which we talk about on my other podcast "Dream Chasers and Eccentrics." In this episode, we talk about his circumnavigation and why he did it, sharks, preparing for worst-case scenarios, Captain Cook, broaching a
Dealtry Pickford, Preparing for the Global Solo Challenge in a Class 40
Dealtry Pickford is a South African sailor entered in the 2027 Global Solo Challenge, an around-the-world nonstop solo race. HIs background is dinghy racing, and his boat is a class 40. We talk about sailing a class 40, speed, different points of sail, difficult situations, sailing around South Africa, training for the Global Solo Challenge, the desire to do the race, the Southern Ocean, being al
Pat Lawless in the Canary Islands
Pat Lawless is an entrant in the 2026 Golden Globe Race. He also sailed in the 2022 GGR, but had a failure of his windvane and retired in Cape Town, South Africa. We talk about the Canary Islands, his passage from Ireland, his Saltram Saga 36, sextant navigation, AIS, lightning, lessons learned in the 2022 GGR, finishing teak, waterproofing deck hardware, making to-do lists, using teak oil, meeti
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