On The Wind Sailing

#252: Haakon Vatle has, as far as we can tell, the world's ONLY master's degree in sea shanties. He's the founder and leader of the Storm Weather Shanty Choir, who fans of the show will know as the group of Norwegian musicians who have mastered the art of the modern sea shanty. And Haakon is a REAL sailor - he's heavily involved with Norway's tallship Statsraad Lehmkul and has sailed her trans-Atlantic 4 times, practicing his shanties in real life aboard the ship. I traveled to Bergen to meet Haakon for this interview and to see the Shanty Choir live. -- On the Wind is presented by Rutgerson Marine. And also supported by Offshore Passage Opportunities and Sun Powered Yachts.

#251. Rachel Slade is the acclaimed author of 'Into the Raging Sea,' the heartbreaking account of the sinking of the American merchant ship 'El Faro.' With a degree in political science from Barnard College and a Master of Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania, Rachel began her journalism career as the design editor at Boston magazine and moved up the masthead to executive editor. After a decade on staff, she became a full-time freelance writer in 2016. Incredibly, 'Into the Raging Sea' is her first book. Rachel & I discussed her background growing up on the water, her interest in merchant shipping and her own thoughts on the tragic sinking of El Faro. This one's an all-timer, so pay attention! -- On the Wind is presented by Rutgerson Marine. And also supported by Offshore Passage Opportunities, and SunPowered Yachts.

#250: Matt Rutherford and Randall Reeves are both veterans of the podcast and extremely accomplished single-handed ocean sailors. In today's special episode, Matt guest-hosts the show to talk to Randall about his latest attempt at the 'Figure 8' voyage, his plan to sail solo and nonstop around the America's AND Antarctica. Randall was on the show with me just before his first attempt, which failed when he suffered a serious knockdown, blowing out the windows in his boat's wheelhouse. At the time of this recording with Matt, Randall was set to depart San Francisco on his second attempt the very next day; just this week, Randall rounded Cape Horn. This episode first appeared on Matt's own show "Single Handed Sailing," available on iTunes and wherever else you get your podcasts. Matt's a world-class story-teller - his podcast is great! -- On the Wind is presented by Rutgerson Marin. And also supported by Offshore Passage Opportunities.

#249. Herb McCormick has made a career of writing about sailing, but it wasn't entirely on purpose. A fifth-generation Newport, Rhode Island native, Herb didn't even know that sailing was a thing at all until a chance meeting in his 20's. After vagabonding around for a while, he wound up with a low-level job at Cruising World during the heyday of sailing magazines, and slowly started working his way up, of course eventually becoming Editor. Herb has seen it all in sailing, from the racing and cruising scene to an epic 13-month Around the America's expedition on the 64-foot steel cutter OCEAN WATCH. I talked to Herb about what inspired him to follow his passion on the water. -- On the Wind is presented by Rutgerson Marine. And also supported by Offshore Passage Opportunities.

#248. Bryan Rolfe is a grass-roots 30-something cruiser with big dreams and a small budget. He's been documenting his adventures aboard his 27-foot Albin Vega TARKA on YouTube, and is currently in the Caribbean. Mia & I have followed Bryan from afar since he started his trip, and my conversation with him ended up being a very inspirational look at how someone takes a dream and turns it into reality. Longtime fans of the show will know how excited I get talking to other young folks out there cruising, but this episode is truly for anyone who dreams of heading off in their own boat, no matter your age or finiancial situation. Bryan truly started from scratch, and tells the whole inspiring story of how he made his dreams reality. -- On the Wind is presented by Rutgerson Marine. And also supported by Offshore Passage Opportunities.

#247. Mia Karlsson is honored to be the FIRST guest on the new Mermaid Tales podcast, featuring tales of women who are connected in some way to the ocean, hosted by Breezy Mulligan. Here’s a rare opportunity to hear Mia on the podcast, talking about her sailing history! Subscribe to Mermaid Tales wherever you get your podcasts! -- On the Wind is presented by Rutgerson Marine. Visit rutgerson.se to see their full range of sailing hardware. And also supported by Offshore Passage Opportunities. Go to sailopo.com.

#130 RECYCLED. John Kretschmer has long been a hero of mine, and has become a friend and mentor over the past 10+ years. John runs offshore adventure sailing passages on his Kaufman 47 QUETZAL (the inspiration for our own business), is a former delivery skipper and a renowned author of several books, including his latest ‘Sailing to the Edge of Time,’ which will release in November. Andy spoke to John back in 2016. -- Recycled episodes of On the Wind are presented by us at 59 North, Ltd. Sail offshore with Andy & Mia on their Swan 48 & Swan 59. Visit 59-north.com/offshore to sign on.

#246. Lee & Rachel Cumberland are two of Mia and my best friends, and this episode has been a long time coming. Together, Lee & Rachel, in their late-twenties, bought and refit a Tayana 37, quit their jobs and sailed off to Panama. We recorded the podcast at their house, which Lee built with his own two hands, over a glass of wine late in the evening. The conversation traces their story from dream to reality, including all the scary bits, and for the first time ever publicly, I finally got them to share their story of a terrible storm in the Bahamas that led them to deliberately beach their beloved boat Satori. Any of you young folks out there who need inspiration to follow your sailing dreams, this one is for you. -- On the Wind is presented by Rutgerson Marine. And also supported by Offshore Passage Opportunities.

#245. Matt Rutherford's been a longtime friend of the podcast and has been on the show more than any other guest. For this episode, Matt & I talked about Arctic sailing - I got to tease him for sailing farther north than he ever has! - we talked about the Golden Globe race, death, fear, anxiety, kids, his latest trip to the Northwest Passage, climate change, Shackleton, and more. It was a wide-ranging and meandering conversation, and Matt, like usual, always has something compelling to say, so listen up. Follow Matt and his Ocean Research Project on oceanresearchproject.org, and don't miss Matt's own podcast called "Single-Handed." -- On the Wind is presented by Rutgerson Marin. And also supported by Adlard Coles, and BRNKL.

#244. Pete Goss became a hero in the 1996 Vendee Globe for rescuing fellow competitor Raphael Dinelli in a survival storm in the Southern Ocean. Pete tells this story and many others from onboard his new Garcia Exploration 45 at the Annapolis Sailboat Show. This one's an all-timer, so pay attention! On the Wind is presented by Rutgerson Marine. And also supported by BRNKL Systems and Adlard Coles.

#174 RECYCLED: Nigel Calder is universally recognized as the guru of yacht systems. His hardcover tomes grace the bookshelves of yachts the world over. On Isbjorn, his are some of my most referenced books. But while many of you will know Nigel for his writing, I’d bet that few know his background. I didn’t. He came aboard Isbjorn during the Annapolis Sailboat Show last October and told me his backstory, which included living in a commune in the UK, years working on oil rigs in the Gulf, building pipe bombs in his parents back yard and much, much more. 

#243. James Aiken is a filmmaker and single-handed sailor that Mia & I met in Ireland after our passage south from Iceland. At the dock in Bangor, James saw our 59 North flag and as a fan of the show, came over to say hi. Coincidentally, five minutes earlier I'd been admiring this beautiful dark-blue boat at the other end of the dock, which turned our to be James' OAKEN YARN, a classic Tradewinds 33. Thus began a week-long interaction with James that included chasing him down under spinnaker in the Irish Sea and sailing less than a boat-length apart outside Dublin as we filmed each other. Check out James' incredible work on jamesaiken.co. On the Wind is presented by Rutgerson Marine. And also supported by Adlard Coles, and BRNKL Systems.

#242: Fredrik Molin is another 30-something out sailing the world on his own terms. We've met several like-minded young people this summer in the Arctic, and it's super inspiring to me to know they're out there - we just gotta look in the colder places apparently. After building a successful career as a sommolier and chef, opening and later selling his own restaurant in Bergen, Fredrik needed a new challenge. With some adventurous (and at times crazy) friends, he taught himself how to sail and then went all-in, buying a 53-foot steel ketch and set out for Svalbard. We met him in Iceland, where Fredrik was on his way home with a young volunteer crew seeking adventure. On the Wind is presented by Rutgerson Marin. And also supported by Adlard Coles, and BRNKL Systems.

#241. Longtime friend of the podcast and ISBJORN'S racing skipper Paul Exner speaks to Andy from opposite sides of the world to talk about living through Hurricane Irma, sailing Solstice to Hawaii, relocating his family, and the challenges that lie ahead with his Modern Geographic expedition business. Sail offshore onboard our Swan 59 ICE BEAR & our Swan 48 ISBJORN! Spots open in 2019 - go to 59-north.com/2019. On the Wind is presented by Rutgerson Marin. And also supported by BRNKL Systems and Adlard Coles.

Chief Brody from JAWS was right - we ARE gonna need a bigger boat! Introducing 'ICE BEAR,' our German Frers-designed Swan 59, and 59 North's 2nd boat. Andy tells the whole story. Read more on 59-north.com/icebear.

#240. Mike Beemer is the department chair of the Marine Technology program at Skagit College in Anacortes, Washington. Mike & I were initially introduced by John & Amanda Neal from Mahina Expeditions, who work with Mike on some of their offshore cruising seminars. After trying to connect for over a year, Mike & I finally got to chat about his career. Mike started life as a vagabonding sailor & liveaboard, eventually discovering his passion for teaching. He’s since become a sort of evangelical of marine technology, opening up doors for young people and cruisers alike in the field of marine tech. Additionally, Mike leads flotilla’s in the summertime up the Inside Passage to Alaska. On the Wind is presented by Rutgerson Marine. And also supported by Adlard Coles, and BRNKL Systems.

#239. Sigurdur Jonsson is the captain of and brains behind ‘Aurora Arktika,’ the adventure charter business based out of Isafjordur in Iceland. Mia & I had the privilege of joining Siggi and his crew for their first ski & sail trip of the season in early March, exploring the West Fjords aboard his new boat ‘Arktika,’ hiking up the adjacent mountains and skiing down to the sea. Siggi’s business started with a chance meeting in Isafjordur with none other than Sir Robin Knox-Johnston & Chris Bonington, who had sailed in aboard Sir Robin’s Clipper 60 on their way to Greenland for a climbing expedition. Siggi & Robin hit it off, and he later bought the boat - now ‘Aurora’ - and started his adventures. On the Wind is presented by Rutgerson Marine. And also supported by Adlard Coles, and BRNKL Systems.

#178 RECYCLED. Rick Tomlinson is one of yachting’s most accomplished photographers. What I didn’t know before we met, was how accomplished he is as a sailor. Rick was a crew member on four consecutive Whitbread Races, and literally invented the modern concept of onboard reporter. Back in his day, Rick was an integral member of the sailing crew - he took photos onboard as a hobby, on his off-watches, and even developed film in the galley sink offshore! Mia and I traveled to Rick’s beautiful studio in Cowes on the Isle of Wight last September to chat about his career.

#238. Friend of the podcast Erik de Jong joins the show for the 4th time. Originally from Holland and trained as a naval architect, Erik eventually built his own steel boat Bagheera in his backyard and sailed it to Nova Scotia, where he relocated, spending winters designing ships and summers sailing to Greenland. He’s since completed the Northwest Passage and relocated himself and Bagheera to Alaska, where he now runs expedition charters and scientific voyages in the North. Erik & I spoke about his most recent ‘Arctic Mission’ expedition alongside adventurer Pen Hadow to sail north into the Arctic Ocean to research climate change and sea ice retreat. On the Wind is presented by Rutgerson Marin. And also supported by Adlard Coles, and BRNKL Systems.

#237. Brandon Wright is the founder of BRNKL, a Vancouver-based tech startup focused on remote monitoring systems for boats. Brandon & I originally connected on Instagram and immediately hit it off. His sailing, tech & entrepreneurial background ticks all the boxes of my own personal interests, so it was a blast talking to and learning from Brandon about how he got his fledgling business off the ground. He has a background in surveillance, having worked for the US Military in the middle east, creating home systems for Arab sheikhs and more. Brandon’s lightbulb moment to start BRNKL came when his own sailboat broke it’s mooring in the middle of the night and ended up on the rocks… On the Wind is presented by Rutgerson Marin. And also supported by Adlard Coles, and Weems & Plath.