On The Wind Sailing

#83. Bruce Scwab is the first American sailor to complete the legendary solo, nonstop Vendee Globe ocean race. It was his second solo circumnavigation onboard Ocean Planet, the boat he designed and developed on the west coast.  Bruce grew up in northern California and started sailing with his dad a young age, eventually working at a rig shop for many years where he honed his skills on the owners boat as a solo racing sailor, winning the first event he ever entered. DON'T MISS Bruce's YouTube channel with some incredible footage from the Vendee, including a horrendous Southern Ocean storm. 'In hindsight, I realized that for my entire life I'd been training for the Vendee and didn't even realize it,' Bruce says. The lightbult went off and he started putting together a program with the nonprofit Ocean Planet, who funded the boat. He tells the whole story - and then some - here on the podcast. Bruce now lives in Maine and specializes in outfitting cruising boats with alternative energy sources and high-end batter

#82. Kamau Iandiataiyero is a learner. He discovered sailing in July 2013 on a Rainbow in Annapolis, and has taken to the sport incredibly quickly. So quickly, in fact, that he's building his own bluewater boat - one that he also designed - and hopes to set off by 2017. Kamau is not your average sailor. He's not average anything - at 6'7", he found production boats literally don't fit him. But they don't fit his personality either, which you'll soon discover in this very cool episode with a very inspiring dude. We talked about Kamau's project, how he got into sailing, how he took the leap to desing his own boat and more. Kamau is using Erik de Jong as his naval architect in fact, so there is definitely some crossover here. Kamau actually first reached out to me before the boat show in Annapolis this fall to have me pick apart his original design on the boat. Check out Kamau's YouTube channel for some very insightful videos at youtube.com/user/kamauiandiataiyero. Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a bert

#81. Andy sits down with yachting photographer Tim Wright last week at the ARC finish in Saint Lucia. Tim has been photographing the ARC finish since 2000, and has been a professional photographer since the early 1990s.  He sailed, single-handed, in the first ARC in 1986 on a 29-footer, and never went home. After a lightbulb idea to photograph a race in Bequia, he took the success of that and expanded on it to create what he calls an 'itinerant photography lifestyle,' whereby he sails his boat up and down the Caribbean taking photos of sailing events. We talk about his career ARC and how he 'made' it in photography and created one heck of a lifestyle job. See all of Tim's work on photoaction.com. Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on Sojourner, Serenity and others at the newly redesigned 59-north.com/events.

#80. Brenda and Thane Paulsen spoke with Andy from their Bavaria 39 'Asylum' at Rodney Bay Marina in Saint Lucia. They'd just completed their first Atlantic crossing, sailing in the ARC+ rally, which departs Las Palmas and stops in the Cape Verde islands en route to the Caribbean. Brenda and Thane sailed double-handed, and spoke about the challenges of short-handed sailing. They delved into their sailing history, gave some practical tips on shipping their boat to Europe and cruising the Med, and talked about what it's like to sail in a rally. Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on Sojourner, Serenity or a Swan 57 at 59-north.com/events.

#79. Andy sits down with Samuli & Timo in Saint Lucia to talk about Leopard's record-breaking run in this year's ARC. Nearly 3,000 miles in just over 8 days! While the boat was long gone, Samuli and Timo were still on island with their families and graciously chatted with Andy at Elena's Cafe in Rodney Bay Marina for an in-person chat. They talk about sailing culture in Finland, Samuli's pro racing career, Timo's adventures in the mountains and of course what it's like to sail a 100-foot maxi at 30+ knots offshore. To follow the ARC in real-time, visit worldcruising.com/arc or keep up to date on facebook.com/arcrally. Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on Sojourner, Serenity or a Swan 57 at 59-north.com/events.

#78. Matt Rutherford is back, and joins Andy via Skype from the R/V Ault, the Ocean Research Project's Colvin schooner in Annapolis. They discuss Matt's tumultuous history as a youngster, which was depicted in the newly released documentary 'Red Dot on the Ocean.' Matt touches on living in a cult, spending weeks in prison, living on and off the streets and how he relates to money (or lack thereof).  "At the end of the day you die," says Matt. "It's not about how much money you have, but what you've done with your life." They also discuss the ORP's last expedition across the Pacific in a Harbor 29 daysailor. The conversation wraps up with Andy & Matt just chatting sailing in general, as they often do. Buy the DVD of 'Red Dot on the Ocean' here or purchase the digital download here. Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on Sojourner, Serenity or a soon-to-be-announced Swan 57 at 59-north.com/events.

#77. I wrote this piece in 2008, long before I got into any of this sailing stuff professionally (or even otherwise). I was dreaming of going offshore, and this is how I put that initial dream into practice. It's read in the present tense, but remember, was written in 2008, so it's not what I'm thinking now, but what I was thinking then. Hopefully it can inspire you to put your own dreams into action! Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on Isbjorn, our 1972 Swan 48, at 59-north.com.

#76. We recorded this one live in Tortola at the end of the Caribbean 1500 rally. Andy gives an informal chat on his favorite places to visit down-island in the Caribbean. Basically St. Martin and south - the Eastern Caribbean's Leeward & Windward Islands. (By the way, that sound you hear in the background? It's the waves at the beach where we recorded this!) If you want to follow along graphically, it's a good idea to listen to this one near a computer and just Google Earth the places I mention here to get an idea of what we're talking about geographically. Better yet, downlaod the Imray app, including the Imray-Iolaire charts for the Caribbean, and follow along (these are the same charts I reference in the talk, and my personal favorites). I'll also have a page on the 59-north.com site devoted to this talk, with notes, charts and photos, so you can refer to that here. Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on Sojourner, Serenity or a soon-to-be-announced Swan 57 at 59-north.com/events.

#75. This is Part 4 of Andy & Mia's last big offshore passage on Arcturus from 2012, when they sailed direct to Sweden from Scotland. If you missed Parts 1, 2 & 3 they were  the last two Friday episodes, so you'll want to hear these in order. Thanks to the Blaggards for the music! Check them out at blaggards.com. Want to come ocean sailing with Andy? New passages for 2015 announced on a Shnnon 43 ketch, a Swan 57 and a trip to Lunenburg, Nova Scotia on Sojourner! Visit 59-north.com/events for details and to register.

#74. Frank & Patty Fabian are the philosophical opposites of last week's guests, Ted & Claudia Reshetiloff. But their story is no less inspiring. Where Ted & Claudia packed up their working lives, yanked their young kids out of school and set off for new lives in the Caribbean, Frank & Patty took a more deliberate route. Learning the ropes for 17 years on their Catalina 30, they taught themselves ocean sailing, worked hard and saved harder, and finally bought a Leopard 48 catamaran - for cash - to set off with the Caribbean 1500 rally and realize a nearly lifelong dream.  Newly retired, the Fabian's told me their story from the luxurious cabin of Sunsplash. And you can sail with them! Visit sailsunsplash.com to book a crewed charter with Frank & Patty in the Virgin Islands (I didn't even know they were running a business on the boat until halfway through this conversation!). As an aside, they offer some very simple yet GREAT financial advice within for those looking to follow in their foot

#73. This is Part 3 of Andy & Mia's last big offshore passage on Arcturus from 2012, when they sailed direct to Sweden from Scotland. If you missed Parts 1 & 2, it was last  the last two Friday episodes, so you'll want to hear these in order. Thanks to the Blaggards for the music! Check them out at blaggards.com. Want to come ocean sailing with Andy? New passages for 2015 announced on a Shnnon 43 ketch, a Swan 57 and a trip to Lunenburg, Nova Scotia on Sojourner! Visit 59-north.com/events for details and to register.

#72. Welcome to the best episode yet...no joke. If you ever dreamed of leaving the corporate life and sailing off, on a tight bugdet and with a young family, listen to this episode. These are my friends Ted & Claudia Reshetiloff and their two kids, Max and Anya, 11 and 9. Mia and I joined them on ther boat, Demeter, a Wauquiez Amphitrite ketch in Nanny Cay Marina in Tortola to hear the story of how they left it all behind and headed out for adventure on the high seas and an entirely new lifestyle. They left Annapolis in 2012 and haven't looked back since. Anya's now in local school in Tortola, Ted works managing an outboard retail shop and they go sailing every weekend, taking longer stints off to head down island to Dominica and beyond. The voices you hear in the background are Mia (she makes her first podcast appearance!) and Paul Exner, who's been on the show twice and also happens to live in Tortola. What a cool evening on Demeter. This is what long-term cruising is all about.

#71. This is Part 2 of Andy & Mia's last big offshore passage on Arcturus from 2012, when they sailed direct to Sweden from Scotland. If you missed Part 1, it was last Friday's episode, so you'll want to hear these in order.

#70. Bill Cullen, accomplished offshore sailor and crewmember aboard Serenity in this year's Caribbean 1500, guest-hosts the podcast to discuss his favorite gadgets for offshore sailing and down-island cruising. These are far from your 'mission critical' items that Andy is constantly harping on, but they're fun, clever ideas for making the best of your time at sea. Bill has sailed in most parts of the world, and has a website called thebookofsail.com, where you can find examples to most of the gadgets he talks about today. This episode was recorded LIVE at the Caribbean 1500 seminar program in Portsmouth, VA. Check out Bill at thebookofsail.com/

#69. Andy reads from a handwritten log entry during Arcturus' North Sea crossing from 2012. This is the first of a four-part series on the voyage from Scotland to Sweden, the last major offshore passage that Andy and Mia have done on Arcturus since crossing the Atlantic in 2011. Since then, the boat's been in the sheltered waters of the Baltic archipelagos. Stay tuned over the next three weeks for parts 2, 3 and 4.

#68. Andy chatted with Erik for a third time about a month ago now, just after Erik had returned from 4 months in the Arctic on Bagheera. They discussed why he's drawn to sailing in the ice, how he made it all the way to 78º north, how he rebuilt his engine in Nuuk, Greenland, and his design ideas on the Adventure 40 he's working on with John Harries. Follow Erik on bagheera-sailing.com.

#67. Andy gives a seminar on Tuesday at the Caribbean 1500 on mentally preparing to go offshore. This is similar to the one that was up previously, but is specific to the Caribbean 1500 and more generally the route from the Chesapeake to the Caribbean, regardless of whether or not you're with a rally. This was recorded at Roger Brown's on High St. in Portsmouth during the pre-departure program in front of a live audience. Follow the 1500 on carib1500.com.

#66. Andy sat in on the Ocean Research Project's two-year anniversary party and 'friendraiser' at Heavy Seas Brewery in Baltimore. He got to sit next to Senator Tom Harkin and Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley during the ORP's presentation! Matt, Jamin and NIcole talked about the ORP's last two years and what happening next summer in Greenland. Jamin's part of the presentation was exceptionally interesting - they'll be using drones to study the glaciers in Arctic Greenland, and Matt is understandably excited to be heading back to the ice! Thanks to Zack for getting the audio.

#65. Andy discusses his way of getting and interpreting weather forecasts offshore, and why he thinks people tend to overanalyze it to the detriment of their enjoyment of ocean sailing. This is apart educational, part rant, and part just what works for Andy & Mia. What works for you when it comes to offshore weather?

#62. Andy recounts a tale about a run-in with immigration authorities in Grenada that nearly cost him a weekend in prison. This is from his 2009 experience skippering Broadreach's Arc of the Caribbean adventure travel program.