Mark Sinclair returns to the podcast, live from FALKEN's cockpit in Nuku Hiva! Andy caught up with Mark after FALKEN & COCONUT have been shadowing each other across the Pacific — they even shared a raft-up through the Panama Canal! Mark is midway through his fourth circumnavigation attempt since the first GGR in 2018, this time following the Mini Globe Race fleet. We covered a lot of ground in this one, from Mark's career and philosophy to sailing to GGR founder Don McIntyre and more!

Victoria Low is the newly appointed CEO of The Magenta Project. I first met Vicky back in 2021, after being told she was the person to talk to if you’re planning any serious international sailing campaign — and it’s easy to see why. With over three decades in sailing public relations and communications, including five Volvo Ocean Race campaigns, she really understands how this sport tells its story. What is so impressive about Vicky is how she uses that insight — and her influence — to drive real change. From authoring a report on women in sailing that exposed endemic discrimination, to leading The Magenta Project, she’s exposing truths, finding real solutions and paving new pathways for the next generation of female sailors.

Dan Turner is a 40-something Australian with extremely high ambitions for himself. When he was just a teenager, he wrote a list of bucket-list items that he wanted to accomplish during his life — things like ultra-running and becoming a martial arts champion. In a quite short time, Dan completed every last one of them — except sailing around the world. We met in Nuku Hiva and I talked to Dan onboard FALKEN about his attempt to circumnavigate in a 19-ft, homebuilt boat and complete that bucket list.

Women and the Wind are three exceptional and multi-faceted women who embody courage, creativity, and pose a rare example of primal femininity at sea. Kiana Weltzien, Laerke Heilmann and Alizé Jireh, cross the Atlantic using all traditional sailing methods aboard "Mara Noka" a 50-year-old plywood catamaran with nylon sheathing and tar coating. The girls grinded away on a year-long refit in Florida, before heading out for their mission to follow, document, and raise awareness to plastic in our oceans. This trio is a powerful force, using Alizé's creative background in filmmaking you will be blown away at the images and footage that came out of this journey. We can't wait to see their documentary and gain perspective on how little one actually needs in today's day and age to take to the sea.

Ben Shaw returns to the podcast, this time in-person and onboard DOVKA, his family's Hallberg Rassy. Ben is the host of the OUT THE GATE sailing podcast and a former crew of 59º North. Ben and his wife Lauren sailed with us on ICEBEAR in 2019 to prepare for their own cruising adventures, and we met up quite spontaneously in Hiva Oa, after both crossing the Pacific to the Marquesas. We talked about Ben and his family's cruising plans - they've been living aboard now for two years with their young kids - ocean sailing, podcasting and much more.

Will and Sarah Curry are the perfect example of a young family who has managed to create and sustain a life between land and sea, managing and operating "Hydrovane" from their catamaran with 2 littles, and from their home in Vancouver. First and foremost we discuss the ins and outs of the fantastic and hardy product itself — but on a more personal level they share a bit about finding their limits aboard, adjustments they had to make when the boys came aboard, and their willingness to live in and accept a constant state of change and adventure. I love these two dearly and they are such an inspiration!

Richard Clarke was raised on Toronto Island and first sailed at 4 years old. An impressive performance with Canadian Youth sailing led him to compete in the Finn Class in four consecutive Olympic Games with Team Canada. This opened the door to a wildly successful professional sailing career. Richard was part of a winning Volvo Round the World crew, has broken the 24-hour sailing distance record four times, holds both the Transatlantic and the Transpac records – his accolades are jaw dropping, and these are only a handful. Richard is a great storyteller, so I’m sure you are going to love this episode, full to the brim with stories – insightful and entertaining.

Bob and his wife Jody spent most of their life as live-aboards and at sea. Their marital dynamic and life long friendship is infectious. Bob dives into his younger years as a Hells Angel, his entrepreneurial mindset, and how sailing literally saved his life. Bob has owned and operated more businesses than he can barely count, and has written and self-published eleven books on the side. We discuss some of the darker times in Bob's life, and how attitude towards adventure has been his most valuable asset. Jody shares some insight about her fears in taking off to sea with Bob and how she gained confidence. She highlights how their differences have complimented one another over the years and also discusses how their mindset on adventure and life helped them navigate the loss of their entire home in a 2020 wildfire.

Longtime friend of the pod Jessie Zevalkink returns to the show ahead of her debut as host of ON THE WIND! We first met Jessie back in 2017 at the Annapolis Sailboat Show, interviewing her after she'd completed the Great Loop with her friend Katie. As it happens in the sailing community, we kept running into her, and starting next week she'll be co-hosting the show! Andy caught up with Jessie to talk about life after cruising, single-parenting and how she feels about filling-in on the podcast.

Ben Doerr, longtime friend of the pod and founder/skipper at Sail Bainbridge in Seattle, returns to the show to spin some yarns with Andy. This episode is really a catch-up between Ben & Andy, who haven't spoken in a while, and is a wide-ranging episode on everything from sailing & skiing in Alaska to being away from home when you've got a young family. We also briefly touched on Ben's new Sail2Run project in the San Juan Islands. Check out Ben on sailbainbridge.com.

Louay Habib is a true sailing insider. Everyone who participates regularly in any of the major offshore races around the world will know Louay. In fact, if you yourself follow sailing – say races like the Fastnet, the Ocean Race - you probably know Louay too – well his writing at least. Currently he is the communications manager at the Royal Ocean Racing Club. But for two decades, Louay has reported on sailing. He is a master in conveying the drama and passion of the sport – to both sailors, and non-sailors. I figured, someone who has been so deeply embedded in this industry for so long must have garned some wisdom and insider knowledge worth sharing. I hope you enjoy.

Katy Campbell is a world-class sailor, groundbreaking entrepreneur, and one of my lifelong friends. A decade ago, Katy launched her sailing school ‘Sea to Sky Sailing’. Sea to Sky is now the only RYA-recognized training center on North America’s west coast, and Vancouver’s only school offering both cruising and racing programs, including a regular winter Caribbean race circuit which is where we recently got together to record this podcast. Google Katy, and the title: “Dinghy Sailor Turned Keel Boat Goddess” comes up. Yes, she really is a goddess, a wonderful friend – and as you are about to find out – a trail blazing source of inspiration for any of you who dream of carving your own adventurous path in this world.

Matt Rutherford returns yet again to the podcast, this time from his outpost in the Philippines. It's always fun to catch up and shoot the shit with Matt, but this time I really wanted to hear about his near-sinking on a Caribbean delivery last fall. Matt talks through the entire ordeal, from riding out a gale with all the pumps running, to nearly losing the rudder out of the bottom of the boat, to ultimately his safe landfall in Bermuda.

Jesse Terry is a normal guy — dad and husband, keeps a 9-5 job, lives in the city, etc etc, all that "normal" stuff. But he's decidedly not normal as a boat owner — keeping a classic wooden ketch in top condition with some friends and racing & cruising her up and down New England's coast and out to Bermuda. I talked to him about the contrast between his "normal" life and sailing life, what it's like owning a wooden boat and a recent heavy-weather Bermuda Race which saw a few major incidents at sea.

Paul Osborne is the dad behind Osborne Adventure. Paul's family, including his wife and three kids, are planning a unique circumnavigation over the next few years to raise awareness for Down Syndrome. Paul has spent a lifetime traveling, mountain biking, white water kayaking, climbing, camping, and hiking, and in real life is a photographer and designer. I spoke to Paul about his adventure planning, life with kids, being a dad, sailing and much more.

Don McIntyre, founder of the GGR, OGR and now MGR, returns to the podcast! Andy sat down for a meandering conversation where they talk about meeting in Lagos, Portugal at the start of the Mini Globe Race, his philosophies on life, sailing and adventure, Don's definition of success, how he handles the 'haters' surrounding his ambitious events, how he pays for his crazy ideas and lots, lots more.

Peter Gibbons-Neff returns to the podcast to talk about the successes and failures of his Mini-Transat racing campaign. "PGN" and I sat down face-to-face in Annapolis where he told me about losing a rudder shortly after the start in the Canaries, the hardest part about solo sailing a 21-ft. boat, how the mini-class doesn't allow even basic electronics, his military background and how that helps him offshore — plus his plans to one day win the Mini-Transat!

David Cross is an author in the midst of writing a book—a large portion of which involves a solo, offshore passage to Brazil. Wanting to get the fundamentals right, David asked if he could turn the tables and interview me about this fictional voyage in order to make it as realistic as possible. Of course I was happy to oblige, and this conversation is the result of our chat. Read more about his book on loansailor.com.

Andy Hesketh, aka Andy H. is the founder of the Odyssey Sailing Festival and host of the Ocean Cruiser's Podcast. Andy lives aboard his Jeanneau Sun Odyssey called VOYAGER and has been sailing full-time for several years. He wasn't always a sailor though, leaving a corporate life behind to pursue wider horizons. I talked to him last fall when he was aboard is boat in Greece.

Happy New Year podcast listeners! Mia & I are back with our somewhat-annual year-in-review show, where we sit down and chat through the highs and lows at 59º North. This one was recorded onboard FALKEN just before the first trip of 2025 was set to depart Portugal. Mia & I discussed everything from new projects coming in 2025 to the successes (and failures) of 2024 as well as our plans as a sailing family. Enjoy!

Lin Pardey is a living legend, having paved the way for countless cruising sailors for her epic voyages in an engineless boat with her husband Larry in the 60s and 70s, beautiful boats they built by hand, by themselves. Now at 80 years old, she's still doing it. I sat down with her and her new partner David Haigh, himself an accomplished solo sailor in Annapolis to talk about life after Larry and what inspires her and David to keep forging new sailing memories.

Gurra Krantz returns to the podcast to talk to Andy about life after the Whitbread Race. What do you do after sailing 4 laps around the globe at the highest level of the sport!? Lots, apparently. Gurra talks about his involvement in the hugely popular Swedish TV series 'Över Atlanten,' about his lack of philosophy when racing offshore, motorboating, marina ownership and more.

Lauren Topchik grew up in Maine and on boats. She was introduced to cruising as a high schooler driving the launch boat at her local yacht club. Word got out in the community that a young sailor was looking for her first boat, and soon Lauren was the proud owner of Cita. Lauren dove into living aboard, exploring the islands in Maine, and learning everything she could about being a sailboat owner. She now owns a bigger boat and works in the marine industry as the Community Manager at Dockwa. Her cruising dreams are very alive and ever evolving.

ISBJØRN's rig towers over the other sailboats in her winter marina, but at the far end of the pontoons, there is one mast that makes even her spar look tiny. It belongs to a veteran of ocean racing, built as “Toshiba” for the last ever Whitbread Round the World race in 1997. She’s now under the command of skipper Morten Landmark, who uses it for family cruising and to humble the Shetland Race fleet. 

In January 2024, Dr. Deborah Fish became the first woman ever to be elected commodore of the Royal Ocean Racing Club. For 99 years, RORC, as it's better known, has been regarded as a premier organization for offshore racing globally, as well as a leading authority for safety at sea. Its most famous event – the Fastnet Race – Deb has completed in impressive 11 times. Despite having started sailing only in her 30s, Deb has an incredible sailing resume and now heads up one of the most influential organizations in offshore sailing worldwide. Not only is she promoting, but also living the truth – that offshore sailing is a sport for anyone, provided they are up for the challenge.

Kiera and Tripp are the couple behind Apparent Winds, a nonprofit they run aboard their sailing research vessel Resilience. As they sail around the world, they collect and share stories of environmental and cultural preservation while conducting marine research. Their journey started in Washington State in 2022, and led them here to Maine via Alaska, Mexico, Panama, and South Carolina. On their diverse expeditions, they might offer a research platform for scientists, an educational platform for students, and now an immersive charter experience for clients. They interview local people in the places they visit and tell stories focused on environment and culture. Emma got to sit down with them in person while they are in town before heading south this fall.

Porter Fox is a writer, lifelong sailor and author of the new book Category Five: Superstorms & the Warming Oceans that Feed Them. I was referred to Porter by our mutual friend John Kretschmer, who is a major character in the book. Porter is also the son of Able Marine founder and grew up in Maine amongst sailboats and boatyards. Porter and I had a long and winding conversation about sailing, weather, science and family. His new book is out now and widely available - I highly recommend it.

Jon Amtrup is an avid environmentalist, and one of the world's top high latitude skippers. He was an obvious choice for GREENPEACE for their arctic research expedition this summer, aboard their recently acquired sailboat WITNESS. She used to be named “Pelagic Australis” and was designed and built by Skip Novak. She is a unique expedition sailboat, as well adapted to the high Arctic as Jon himself.

Vendee Globe sailor Pip Hare returns to the show for a 3rd time only one month before the start of her second Vendee Globe. In 2020, Pip became only the 8th woman to ever complete the Vendee Globe, and on a shoestring, crowdfunded budget to boot. In the years since, Pip has parlayed that hard work and early success into a second campaign aboard a new, faster and foiling IMOCA 60. I caught up with Pip to talk about everything from her fitness routine to making an IMOCA 60 fly in this super fun and meandering episode.Emma talked to Liz while she was home in Australia, simultaneously recovering and preparing for the next challenge: rowing the World's Toughest Row Pacific. Liz tells stories from her solo row across the Atlantic, reflects on her path into sailing and now rowing, and shares plans for the double-handed Pacific row.

Blue & Brady of Cruisers Academy return to the podcast to tell some sea stories! This episode is an adaptation of a video that Mia & I filmed with them a few weeks ago, us on FALKEN, them at their shore base in Tahoe, as we started prepping for our Boat Show workshop coming up in Annapolis. We talk about some of the gnarliest things to happen to us at sea and on boats and had a lot of good laughs to boot.

Nigel Calder returns to the podcast to talk about selling his beloved Malö 46 Nada. Nigel is of course the foremost guru of yacht systems and is at heart and inventor and science buff. He and his wife Terry built their 'dream boat' some 16 years ago and are sad to part ways with her now. We talk about many of the custom design details he's integrated, the systems onboard that made her unique and how he's coming to terms with having to downsize.

Skip Novak returns to the podcast to talk about his new book Skip Novak On Sailing: Words of Wisdom from 50 Years Afloat. There's not much Skip hasn't done in his remarkable sailing career, including 4 Whitbread races, a 5th round-the-world race on a maxi catamaran, and of course pioneering expedition sailing in Tierra del Fuego, Cape Horn and Antarctica. I talked to Skip about his new book and in particular some of the more 'controversial' topics he writes about.

Pickup Skip's new book here.

Lydia Mullan is a sailor, journalist, and onboard reporter. She is the managing editor at Sail Magazine and was the social media manger behind Cole Brauer’s recent Global Solo Challenge campaign. She was aboard the vessel Alliance in this year’s Newport-Bermuda race when they struck an object and had to abandon ship in the Gulf Stream. In this episode, we talk about that accident and their subsequent rescue, as well as Lydia’s career as a sailing journalist.

Friend of the podcast Pam Wall & our own Laura Parent do an ON THE WIND takeover this week to interview sailmaker and America's Cup sailor Peter Grimm! On an impromptu afternoon in Pam's living room, stories started flying and Pam said 'get the mics!' and this entertaining and charming episode was born! Big shout out to Pam & Laura for literally running the show this week! Enjoy their conversation with Peter Grimm.

The RORC Caribbean 600 is one of the great offshore ocean races and in February we launched the 59º North offshore racing program with this as our debut event. The Whole Point? To try to open the door of offshore racing wider so that more people like you can get involved. In this episode Nikki has a chat with Alex to reminisce on trials and tribulations of the 2024 edition of the Caribbean 600.  

Andy Schell. We know him, we love him, he's the founder of this very podcast! And of course the co-founder of 59º North Sailing. In this episode, Emma turns the interview table around on Andy to ask him about this past decade of 59º North Sailing. A lot has changed from the early inspirations of starting the business to where Andy sits now, in Sweden, a parent of a 4-year old, and an employer to a whole staff at 59 North. Then again, not much has changed. Andy is still just as in love with sailing and even more inspired by this company as it grows and evolves.

The BELAFONTE is underway on a great, big sailing adventure, and August was lucky enough to meet her and her lovely crew, Julien and Pieter in Bergen. They were on their way North to Svalbard, and the three had many things to talk about. They recently made it to the high Arctic, and are sharing their considerable experiences on @Aboard_Belafonte on Instagram.

Since his On The Wind debut on episode 359 two years ago, Ian Herbert-Jones has raced 28,000 miles and rounded Cape Horn twice. In this episode, he tells the story of him joining the Ocean Globe Race last minute at the start in Southampton, and chasing the circumnavigation that escaped him during his Golden Globe Race.

Since his On The Wind debut on episode 359 two years ago, Ian Herbert-Jones has raced 28,000 miles and rounded Cape Horn twice! In this episode, he tells the story of his remarkable Golden Globe Race, from the last polishing of his boat at the start in France, to losing her to a storm in the South Atlantic.

Our own Emma Garschagen, co-host of ON THE WIND, former ICEBEAR & FALKEN First Mate and now entrepreneur joins me on todays show to talk about her evolution as a sailor since she joined 59º North. Emma started with us as an apprentice, took over as Chief First Mate for Mia when she was pregnant with Axel and has now gone on to start her own business, Sail Seabird, running coastal passages on her refit Navy 44 out of Portland, Maine.

Friend of the podcast and legendary sailor Matt Rutherford returns to the show to shoot the shit aboard his schooner MARIE THARPE. Matt hosted a small gathering of friends in Annapolis back in April aboard his boat, and we got warmed up by getting out the mics and mixing it up at the salon table down below on a rainy, chilly day. Matt was sipping tequila I think, and I had a beer and the conversation flowed, as it's wont to do with Matt, across a myriad of topics. Enjoy.

Skipper Heather Thomas recently won the inaugural Ocean Globe Race aboard the iconic yacht MAIDEN. The crew made history again by becoming the first all-female crew to win a round-the-world race! At 27, Heather was the youngest skipper in this race and one of two female skippers. Emma and Heather talked about leadership, confidence, navigation and weather routing in a retro race, and much more.

Comedian Kristoffer Appelquist returns to the podcast to talk about his first trans-Atlantic passage with the Swedish reality TV show 'Över Atlanten.' Now in it's 6th season, the show — which puts celebrities onboard a big Swan with Whitbread skipper Gunnar Kranz for an Atlantic crossing — has become a huge hit. Kristoffer, Mia and I talk about how his dream of ocean sailing has evolved since we first had him on the show, how he got picked for the TV show, what it was like hot-bunking with hockey legend Peter Forsberg and more.

August Sandberg is the owner and skipper of our beloved Swan 48 ISBJØRN, which has sailed over 60,000 miles since the beginning of 59º North. August lives outside Bergen, Norway, where the boat is now based, and recently finished overseeing a second major refit, which we had done at Vindö Marin on the west coast of Sweden on the famed boatbuilding island of Orust. I caught up with August to talk to him about what went into the refit, discuss some of the bigger projects and ask him what he's most excited about for the 2024 season.

Suzanne Heywood was raised on a sailboat. What started as a three year circumnavigation with her family turned into a decade of living aboard, sailing, and struggling to get an education. Suzanne's book, 'Wavewalker,' tells the story of that voyage. In this episode, Emma and Suzanne talk about 'Wavewalker,' Suzanne's relationship to sailing now, and her thoughts on giving kids an unconventional upbringing.

Alex Laline is a lifelong sailor and one of our full-time staff at 59º North. Growing up in a multinational family, he sailed dinghies as a kid in the UK, Spain and Indonesia, then got inspired to sail around the world when he saw an ad for the Clipper Round the World Race. As a teenager he saved all his money and joined Clipper as a paying crewmember, completing a circumnavigation and later going on to work as a mate and now skipper for them as well, under the guidance of Clipper founder Sir Robin Knox-Johnston. I talked to Alex about his career onboard FALKEN in Barbados.

Sailing was never a part of Lutz Kohne’s life growing up — it hit him square in the face as an adult, and completely changed his trajectory. He has since worked as a professional skipper, as Race Director for the OGR and the GGR, and he is now preparing to set sail himself, around the world, solo, retro and unassisted as a participant in the Golden Globe Race 2026.

Henry Mickel & Bayley Richardson are self-described "Mates from the Land Down Under", cruising around the world in an old Beneteau. These two twenty-something friends made a pact, worked their asses off, saved their money, bought a boat and are living the dream — figuring it out as they go, but with knowledge and experience earned from working professionally offshore in Australia's oil industry. I spoke to them onboard FALKEN on anchor in Barbados about the wild highs and scary lows of their adventure so far in their mission to sail REVELRY home to Australia.

Jojo Pickering grew up with sailing as a central part of her life, vagabonding on the high seas with her family and sailing from Africa to the UK. As she got older, she spent more time ashore, starting a traveling theatre company with her husband and kids and bouncing around the UK, France and Spain. But the sea called her back — she recently completed an Atlantic circle with her family on a gaff-rigged sloop and now sails professionally as a skipper on classic yachts and with 59º North. Andy spoke to her onboard FALKEN in the Cape Verde islands.

Sailor, kitesurfer, and paddler Liz Wardley returns to the show to talk with Emma about her record-breaking row across the Atlantic. She completed the World's Toughest Row at the end of January after 44 days at sea. She beat the previous record by 15 days. Liz has competed many times in The Ocean Race and was last on the podcast in 2019 when she was skippering Maiden.
Emma talked to Liz while she was home in Australia, simultaneously recovering and preparing for the next challenge: rowing the World's Toughest Row Pacific. Liz tells stories from her solo row across the Atlantic, reflects on her path into sailing and now rowing, and shares plans for the double-handed Pacific row.

Capt. Jen of Schooner WOODWIND returns to the podcast after having just sailed with Andy aboard FALKEN on the 2,100 mile passage across the Atlantic! Jen and Andy reflect on Jen's first big ocean crossing and what it was like to leave the wintry Chesapeake Bay for tropical Tradewind sailing. They also talk about challenges of running a small business, how Andy evolved from being a deckhand on the WOODWIND into running offshore passages around the world and much more.

Emily Caruso has spent 18 years and counting as a professional sailor, though only first learning about the sport in her late 20s. Growing up in the countryside in England, Emily had an epiphany one day during a weekend sailing excursion and hasn't looked back since. Andy & Emily sat down in person onboard FALKEN in Cape Verde to talk about her career path, what motivates and scares her, leadership, skippering Sir Francis Chichester's legendary GYPSY MOTH IV, working for 59º North, 'deep feeling' and so much more.

Jens Joachim Hiorth is the Captain of the Statsraad Lehmkuhl, the largest and oldest tall ship in Norway. The ship recently completed a circumnaivation around the great capes. August joined the Captain onboard the ship for a conversation on the particulars of running such a large ship on the high seas.

Bill Strassberg literally wrote the book on the Viking Route, authoring the latest edition of the Cruising Club of America's guide to the far northern route across the Atlantic. Andy first got in touch with Bill when researching FALKEN's Greenland passage last summer and caught up with him late last year for the podcast. We talked about Bill's custom 60-foot cruising boat, his own sailing through the fjords of Greenland, what inspired him to write the guide and how he balances a career as a surgeon with his long-term sailing goals.

Cosima grew up on the Puget Sound where her family nurtured a love of sailing and old classic boats. In college she worked on tall ships in the PNW but eventually she landed on the east coast where she found a community of friends who worked on private classic yachts. She spent her twenties pursuing positions and racing aboard big rig schooners and other classics throughout the Caribbean and Mediterranean. Today she is Captain of a 108’ sailing yacht based in Europe and running her charter business, Olympia Sailing Company, with her family.

Ben Doerr sat down with Matt from The Duracell Project YouTube channel. Matt and his wife Janni are refitting Mike Plant's famous Open 60 "Duracell" into a comfortable cruising boat. Sitting in the cockpit of Duracell outside of Port Townsend, Matt and Ben discuss Matt's cruising and boatbuilding past and the many challenges of building the boat and the channel.

Captain Jan Miles returns to the podcast! Andy first sat down with Jan onboard Maryland's flagship PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II tall ship way back in 2015 for a fascinating interview tracing Jan's career at sea. We return to the Captain's Cabin onboard PRIDE for this second, meandering chat about seamanship, life on tall ships, the leadership structure on traditional ships and a whole lot more. This episode was recorded onboard PRIDE II at the Annapolis Sailboat Show in October.

Elliot Rappaport has been a captain of sailing ships for the past three decades. He currently is a faculty member at Maine Maritime Academy, where he lives nearby with his wife and their dog. Elliot also sailed as a captain for many miles with Sea Education Association, an organization that offers shipboard programs in ocean science and leadership to undergraduates and high schoolers. He recently published a fantastic book called Reading the Glass: A Captain's View of Weather, Water, and Life on Ships.

Emma and Elliot were shipmates on the Robert C Seamans, SEA's Pacific-based vessel, in New Zealand in 2018. We talked about the impact of sail training, leadership, teaching, being a captain, writing a book, and weather.

Mats Grimsæth is a professional skipper, photographer and lecturer. He’s the youngest person to ever skipper a boat around the island of Spitsbergen on Svalbard, which is where he first met August. He has a great passion for the sea and for his fellow human beings. Having had a difficult time in his teenage years, he’s now using his considerable energy and outreach to help others in the same situation.

Wendy Mitman Clarke is the editor-in-chief at SAIL magazine and a long-time cruiser herself. I work with Wendy regularly as a columnist for SAIL, but had never actually sat down to talk about her own background. I caught up with her at the Annapolis Sailboat Show in October, and from the Captain's Cabin onboard the Pride of Baltimore II, we discussed her history as a sailor, 'failure' in the cruising lifestyle, what it's like running a magazine, the writing process and lots more.

Last week Mia, Bosun Adam Browne and Chief Mate Alex Laline and I sat down in the salon of FALKEN to reflect on what's been a busy, stressful and ultimately successful first season on our newly refit Farr 65. We've truly come a long way since one year ago this time, when we were scrambling to get the boat out of the shed, sea-trialled and out of the UK. Since then, FALKEN has sailed over 16,000 nautical miles (!) with over 120 crewmembers. The four of us reflected on this past year and what stood out most to each of us, and how we feel about the future.

Paul & Sheryl Shard of Distant Shores are truly the OG YouTubers, having filmed and produced videos of their sailing adventures for over 25 years. I met up with them in person at the Annapolis Sailboat Show a few weeks ago to talk about their transition from broadcast TV to YouTube and if that's changed their process. We also talked a lot about their new boat, a go-anywhere aluminum expedition yacht built in the Netherlands, which will launch in early 2024, and what they've designed into what is their 5th boat. Follow along on Paul & Sheryl's adventures at distantshores.ca.

#413: In Jake Beattie’s words, the Race to Alaska "celebrates and illuminates life’s everyday heroes". Jake is one of those people. Aside from creating and organizing the Race to Alaska, he is also the executive director of the Northwest Maritime Center located in Port Townsend, Washington: a non-profit organization whose mission is to connect people to experiences of the sea. Through educational programs in boat construction, an annual wooden boat festival, the magazine 48º North and now a maritime academy — Jake and the center are setting a world-class example of how to translate life at sea to every day people.

#412: Ben and Jade Couturier recently completed the Northwest Passage on their Navy 44 Caprivi. They bought the boat in 2016, looking to make it their traveling home. Ben and Jade took Caprivi through an impressive rebuild while living aboard and working in the Florida Keys. In June 2022, they set sail, and have covered a lot of distance since. In May 2023, they left Antigua and aimed the bow north, quietly planning to sail to Alaska via the Northwest Passage. Emma caught up with Jade and Ben just a week after they arrived in Seward, Alaska. They're now part of a group of just under 400 boats reported to have completed this voyage.

If you’ve been around this podcast for awhile, Matt Rutherford won’t be a stranger to you. Famous for being the first person to sail solo & non-stop around the Americas, he’s now the operator/co-director of the non-profit organization, OCEAN RESEARCH PROJECT, and has his own, amazing podcast called SINGLE-HANDED SAILING. Andy met up with Matt yet again, and their conversation meanders from high-latitude sailing and crew management, to weed and psychedelics.

Mark Sinclair has sailed the seas his entire life, both professionally and as a hobby. He served for 20 years in the Royal Australian Navy, commanding three ships and navigating four, at the time when celestial was still the primary means of offshore navigation. He participated in both the 2018 and the 2022 Golden Globe Races on his Lello 34 COCONUT, and is currently racing as skipper on EXPLORER in the fully crewed Ocean Globe Race. August and Adam caught up with Captain Coconut in Southampton just days before the start of the OGR.

Andy & Mia sit down to talk about the past 5-6 years of 59º North and how it's evolved from a "lifestyle" business to an "actual" business, with investors, lots of staff and high stakes! They talk about the rollercoaster of emotions, the stress, the joys and the future (which is exciting—make sure to listen to the end!)

Evgeniy “Ev” Goussev was born in the far east of Russia, where he began sailing at the age of five, and was soon competing in a variety of classes while having a grand adventure on the sea with his father and friends. As the Soviet Union began to deteriorate and in-fighting became dangerous, his father decided to sail away, unsure if his eldest son was coming with the family. I sat down to talk with my good friend Ev about his sea-born childhood, his escape from the USSR and the journey that took him around the world to his life here on Bainbridge Island, where he continues to build a community focused on seamanship and sailing culture.

Peter Bruce is both a sailor and a writer of sailing. He most famously wrote the last four editions of the world-famous book HEAVY WEATHER SAILING having taken over from the original author Adlard Coles. A life-time of achievements on the water qualify him to write with such esteemed authority. He has represented Britain on seven occasions, won the Admirals Cup twice, finished the Fastnet Race of 1979, and skippered a blind crew to win a gold medal in the Southern Cross Series in Australia. As much an avid cruiser as he is racer, Peter has also researched and written a number of popular local cruising guides and tidal stream atlases for the South Coast of the UK.

Will Sofrin is among other things a sailor, shipwright and author of the new book ALL HANDS ON DECK. The story is a maritime adventure memoir that follows a crew of misfits hired to sail an eighteenth-century warship replica 6,000 nautical miles from New England to Hollywood where the ship would become the HMS SURPRISE for the iconic film MASTER & COMMANDER. Will was 21 years old at the time, working on yachts and somewhat directionless. In this episode, Andy interviews Will to hear more about the high seas adventure and how the book came to be.

James Frederick, aka 'James the Sailor Man' returns to the podcast four years after I first interviewed him. Back then, James was still prepping his Alberg 30 TRITEIA in LA...now, the boat is in New Zealand after James sailed her over 9,000 miles, solo, with many adventures along the way. We talked about his sudden divorce, losing his rudder mid-Pacific and of course sailing in Greenland on FALKEN.

Nikki Henderson is no stranger to the 59N family. She’s a skipper, a podcaster, master of the Quarterdeck and a dear friend in the community. But when she signs off from these watches, she doesn’t quit. You likely know that she’s been on heaps of other seafaring adventures, including skippering the famed Whitbread machine, Maiden; the Clipper Round the World Race; and her first attempt at the Race To Alaska with Team Sail Like a Girl. I sat down to talk with Nikki about her second, most recent attempt at the R2AK, its challenges, and what made this one such a successful campaign in what I think is one of the greatest adventure races on earth. Guest-Hosted by Ben Doerr.

Navigating the challenges of parenthood whilst also maintaining an atypical lifestyle — be that of a sailor, adventurer, or anything that doesn’t involve a 9-5 desk job — has been a consistent theme of this podcast. Now the tables have turned. Andy, Mia and August are raising their two boys whilst running a business and working as professional sailors themselves. Hoping to be a parent myself one day, I took the opportunity to put them on the spot to discuss what has surprised them about parenthood, what they wish they had known before taking the plunge, and what advice they have for anyone else dreaming of a similar future.

Pam Wall returns to the podcast, live from her living room in Ft. Lauderdale. Andy sat down to talk to Pam about the treasure trove of memories in her house, how she stays happy and inspirational despite the tragedy of losing her husband and daughter too soon, the relationship she has with her son, how she stays fit at nearly 80, and lots lots more.

Celeste Pomerantz wasn't a sailor until she signed up for a sail & ski trip out of Tromsø, Norway, that was headed north in search of un-skied peaks in Svalbard. The boat was called SOFIE, and was owned and skippered by friend of 59º North, Mats Grimsaeth. I discovered Celeste in the ski film Wavy 2 about the adventure and immediately reached out to her. We talked about sailing in the Arctic, her upbringing in the mountains of western British Columbia, similarities between big mountain skiing and offshore sailing, managing fear, 'imposter syndrome' and her studies in renewable energy.

Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen was the first to reach the South Pole and the North Pole, but his greatest achievement may have been leading the first successful crossing of the Northwest Passage in 1906. Terje Andre Pedersen grew up inspired by Amundsen's great stories of exploration. He has followed his own dreams, and is soon to set sail towards the Northwest Passage in Amundsen's wake with a ship made of wood and a crew made of iron.

Ben Doerr of Sail Bainbridge returns to talk to Andy about motorboatin'! Andy got inspired to call Ben when he saw an ad for a 65-foot converted Swedish Navy ship for sale in Stockholm as a place to live on the water. Andy though, 'hmm, who do I know that did exactly this, and with a family to boot...?' Ben of course! Ben and his young family have been living continuously on motor yachts (while their shoreside home is rented out) for over 5 years, currently calling the converted fire tug EWEN ROSS home. Ben talks to Andy about all the ups and downs of motorboat livin' on this long, winding and very fun chat between old friends.

McKayla Bower is an experienced outdoorswoman who is preparing to set off around the world alone on her San Juan 30, Swirl. Her goal is to become the first openly transgender person to circumnavigate and first queer person to do so solo.

Legendary Finnish sailor Tapio Lehtinen returns to the podcast to talk to Andy about losing his boat in the recent Golden Globe Race and the emotional toll it took on him. They discuss theories on why the boat sank and talk about how that experience has influenced his preparation for the upcoming Ocean Globe Race. Tapio is preparing his classic Swan 55 GALIANA with a crew of young Finnish sailors. It will be Tapio’s second Whitbread-style race after he sailed the original route in the 80s.

You can learn more about Tapio and his OGR campaign on his website: https://www.tapiolehtinensailing.fi

Andy & Matt ramble on about anything and everything, from sailing in Greenland to DJ’ing in the turntable era and most things in between. Andy was able to catch up with Matt right before he left for the 2023 Ocean Research Project expedition to Greenland the very next day. Matt is always an interesting guest and this episode is no exception. To support Matt’s mission and follow his expedition north to Greenland, head over to Ocean Research Project.

In less than a month, Andrew Bedwell from the UK will set sail on his homemade yacht, Big C, in a daring attempt to break the World Record for smallest boat to ever have sailed across the Atlantic Ocean. The previous record has stood for thirty years, and if Andrew is successful, his record will be very hard to beat indeed. His boat is one meter long, and the voyage is 1,900 nautical miles.

Nikki Henderson & Andy Schell host a panel of sailors at the 2022 Annapolis Sailboat Show to talk about the essence of seam'nship and what offshore sailing is all about, from technical issues to facing fear and philosophical ambitions. Panelists include Matt Rutherford, Ryan Ellison, Emma Garschagen, Phil Gutowski, Kristen Berry & Pam Wall.

Don't miss this year's Seam'nship Workshop at the 2023 Annapolis Sailboat Show in October. Register now at 59-north.com/seamnship.

Andy sits down with his dad and sister to reminisce about past sailing adventures and future plans while they are in Sweden for an early spring visit. 

Pip Hare is the 8th woman to ever finish the Vendée Globe. With that adventure complete, she is now well on her way to her next solo circumnavigation in 2024. She’s got a new boat and a professional team behind her as she prepares a competitive campaign for the next series of races. Andy first interviewed Pip ahead of her previous Vendée Globe, and for her second appearance on the podcast, Nikki catches up with Pip in between races.

This year is the 10th anniversary of the podcast! To celebrate we're going to go back and revisit some of the most memorable conversations over the years. This week it's the first ever interview between Matt Rutherford and Andy, before his record-setting around the Americas voyage and before 59 North even existed. Come be a fly on the wall with Andy and Matt. Find out more about what Matt is up to over at Ocean Research Project.

Simon Prestø-He is the intelligence officer on the loss prevention and emergency response team at the Norwegian Yacht Club. August and Simon sat down for a chat in the situation room at the club.

Rachael Miller is the Founder of Rozalia Project for a Clean Ocean and co-inventor of the Cora Ball, the world’s first microfiber-catching laundry ball. She is an expedition scientist, National Geographic Explorer, and Explorers Club Fellow. Rachael captains the 60’ sailing research vessel, AMERICAN PROMISE, certified hundreds of people to be sailing instructors, trained Navy SEALS to find unexploded mines using underwater robots, and mentors young scientists at the New York Harbor School. She lives in Vermont and loves the snow as much as the sea.

Emma sat down with Rachael at her home in Vermont to talk about her winding path through sailing, science, and all things water.

Sarah Armour is the captain of Mystic Seaport Museum’s sail training Schooner Brilliant. For the past decade, Sarah has been working in environmental education, sail training, and experiential learning aboard vessels like the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Pride of Baltimore II, Lady Maryland, and Geronimo. Sarah grew up in the Hudson Valley and is on the Sloop Clearwater's board of directors. She has a degree in Earth Systems Science from Cornell University, where she focused on applied ecology, sustainable agriculture, and environmental education.

Last month ISBJØRN set sail for a unique, wintertime event on the other side of the dark and stormy North Sea—the Up Helly Aa fire festival on Shetland. Skipper Jon Amtrup was joined by a hearty crew for the crossing and to partake in the experience. Have a listen as Jon and August recap the passage.

Elliott Smith was competing as the youngest sailor in the 2022 Golden Globe Race when his bowsprit broke off the coast of Cape Town. He made a repair that got him across the Southern Ocean to Australia where he ended up retiring from the race. Elliott is a Sailor, Surfer, Artist, Deep thinker and Big dreamer.

Tania Aebi sailed around the world alone on her Contessa 26, Varuna. She cast off from New York in May 1985 when she was 18 years old, and returned in November 1987, having visited 23 countries along the way. After returning from her circumnavigation, Tania wrote her bestselling book, Maiden Voyage.

Emma visited Tania at her home in Vermont, where Tania spends her time writing, caring for the house, and being near family. Tania also runs sailing charters and works as a hired skipper. Keep up with Tania’s projects at http://www.taniaaebi.com/

FALKEN, our newly refit Farr 65, is finally sailing. August Sandberg hosts a 59 North 'Admiralty' roundtable, recapping the first sea trial on the new boat, which we did last week here in the English Channel. With gusts up to 55 knots, hail squalls, sunshine, big waves, fast reaching and breaking the things that 'needed' to break, the sea trial was a massive success and a hell of a lot of fun sailing with 9 of our friends and 59 North sailing staff! Andy, Nikki & Mia were all onboard and relive the sea trial on today's episode, the first of 2023!

Young Cruisers' Association exists to connect like-minded folks through sailing and cruising. They define themselves as "a collection of young, salty vagabonds forming a community of the sea". Logan and Caroline Rowell brought the Young Cruisers Association to life back in 2012, while they were out cruising on their boat. Brian Currier joined soon after, and recently, Riley Whitelum and Elayna Carausu of La Vagabonde came aboard too. The original YCA started in the 1970's among liveaboard sailors, and its legacy is now being carried by new generations.

#382. Matty Duncan is bound solo around Cape Horn on ICE WARRIOR, his 1987 Moody 346. He left from the UK this summer to head for Chile, the 'Wrong Way Round'. He is now undergoing repairs in Brazil, after a rigging failure offshore. His project aims to raise awareness about mental health issues by Matty telling his life story.

#381: Lyall & Katie Burgess have a shore base 2000' up the volcano in Hawaii, but have spent the past year living aboard and cruising their Dufour 38 BLAKE with their two young daughters. They bought the boat new as part of a charter fleet, then after taking ownership in September, sailed across the Atlantic with the ARC rally, where Lyall & Katie actually met working on the staff years ago. I caught up with them in Mexico to hear about their adventures.

Motts Mueller is the longtime director, and now owner of Broadreach, whose unforgettable summer adventures for teens specialize in scuba diving, sailing, marine biology, veterinary medicine or wildlife biology. Motts has been a part of the company since 1993, when he was a student on the first-ever trip, sea-kayaking in the BVI. Recently he bought the business from founder (and former podcast guest) Carlton Goldthwaite. Motts and I talked about business and life in this wide-ranging episode.

Hannah Goldberg is a sailor, freelance social media manager, and content creator. She quit her 9-5 desk job in 2021 and left life on land to pursue a dream to sail around the world. In the last year and a half, Hannah has sailed over 10,000 nautical miles, on 5 different boats, in 11 countries. She has crossed the Atlantic Ocean and transited through the Panama Canal. Hannah has connected with over a million people through her videos on TikTok, where she shares the ups and downs of her sailing journey.

#378. Sam Merrett is the founder, leader, and captain of the Schooner Apollonia, the only operating sail freight vessel in the United States. The Apollonia sails up and down the Hudson River, collecting and delivering cargo as she makes her way with the power of the wind. Sam has a background working in alternative fuels and spent years converting truck engines from diesel to vegetable oil. He gained sailing and boating experience on the Hudson River, and then bought the Apollonia in 2015. The vessel had not been sailed in over 30 years, and was missing an important component: the rig. After a 4 year yard period, Sam and his crew started sailing the Apollonia in 2019. For the past three summer seasons, the Apollonia and her crew have been shipping goods up and down the river. Sam and Emma sat down in Hudson, NY, to talk about this carbon neutral shipping project, and everything that comes with it.

#377. Mr. Brady & Alex Blue return to the podcast to talk about their transition from full-time cruising onboard SV DELOS to their shore-based lifestyle in Lake Tahoe. We discuss the ins and outs of starting a new business and their experience with Cruiser's Academy, what their long-term offshore sailing plans on, living with a 'purpose', work-life balance and lots more.

#376. Onne van der Wal is one of the world's foremost yachting photographers, but he started his career as a vagabond sailor. Growing up in South Africa, Onne rarely went to school and instead hitched rides on whatever racing boats he could, amassing a storied career and finding a home on the high seas. His racing career peaked with his involvement in the second FLYER campaign, where he also first made a name for himself in photography. Andy talked to Onne aboard his Grand Banks motorboat in Annapolis in October to hear his story and philosophy. We were joined by Onne's wife Tenley, Ship's Photographer James Austrums, and Schooner WOODWIND owner & captain, Jen Kaye.

#375. Writer & sailor Charlie Doane returns to the show (ep. #269) to talk about his new book 'The Boy Who Fell To Shore.' Charlie tells the story of how Thomas Thor Tangvald went from a seagoing vagabond during an oceanic childhood to disappearing at sea in 2014. During a long chat in Annapolis after boat show last week, Charlie recounted to Andy how he discovered the story, his process for researching & writing it, and what he thinks really happened to Thomas after his disappearance.

Earlier this year, SV DELOS completed her 10-year, 77,000+ mile circumnavigation when she crossed her outward track near Mexico. Brian & Karin sat down with Andy in Annapolis to reflect on the adventure, talk about sailing with kids, and drop some exciting news about DELOS' future plans!

#373. World-record setting sailor Lisa Blair returns to the podcast to discuss her latest voyage: sailing around Antartica, alone and without stopping. Lisa broke the speed record on this circumnavigation. She also collected data for scientific research while underway. She is an activist and advocate for climate action, hence the name of her boat, Climate Action Now.

Emma and Lisa discuss the challenges and successes of this latest world record, including some harrowing scenarios from the Southern Ocean. They also talked about what life has been like since Lisa returned from her latest epic circumnavigation. Lisa reveals future plans for sailing records and climate change research.

We met Maya and Aladino in Marstrand this summer, where they were cruising the Swedish coastline on their Vindo 32, Magic Carpet. Maya is a Canadian musician, filmmaker, and sailor. Aladino is a Swiss and Italian boatbuilder and sailor. They recently bought a Cape George 36, Magic Carpet II, that they are refitting in Canada with the goal to sail around the world. Maya and Aladino create beautiful films of their journeys and have a successful YouTube channel with new videos released every Friday.

In this episode, Nikki, Emma, and Mia sit down together in the UK to debrief 59° North's inaugural all-women's sailing passage. It was an epic heavy weather trip. We sailed over a thousand miles from Marstrand, Sweden to Portsmouth, England, with six female crewmembers. This all-women passage is one of many steps towards a more inclusive and equitable sailing community. In the episode, we discuss the details of this passage, including weather routing decisions and medical situations onboard. We also talk about the big-picture goals behind this passage, and what the three of us learned along the way.

#370: Don McIntyre returns to the podcast to talk about the second edition of the Golden Globe Race – a retro, solo, non-stop around-the-world race. Departing on their start from France on Sept 4, 2022, the fleet is now approaching the Canary Islands. I caught up with Don while he was in Lanzarote awaiting the first media drop from the fleet. We talked about the differences between the GGR this year and the last time around in 2018, who his favorite skippers are, what some of our favorite boats are and what he expects of the second edition of these sailors going round the world.

#369: What happens when you put three of the saltiest, Norwegian, high latitude sailors on the same boat? They record a podcast, of course! August and Emma were joined by Oyvind Nilssen and Jon Amtrup on ISBJØRN in Longyearbyen, Svalbard. Oyvind runs Duen Experience, running charters in Arctic Norway. Jon is an author and sailor, and has literally written the books on sailing in Norway and the high latitudes. Jon has also been skippering ISBJØRN this past summer.

The four of us discuss what's unique about sailing in the high latitudes and the Arctic, from ice to polar bears to weather forecasting. We filmed this episode (thanks James Austrums!) and you can find that video on The QUARTERDECK.

August & Emma explored the High Arctic lands of Svalbard on ISBJØRN this summer with four crew and our ship's photographer James Austrums. James has been sailing with 59 North since 2017 as friend and photographer, and this was his second time to Svalbard aboard ISBJØRN. During our time in Svalbard, we sailed as high as 80 degrees North and saw incredible ice and wildlife. Freshly inspired after three weeks in the Arctic, we sat down in the main saloon to talk about our experiences.

Meg Reilly of Ocean Racers (previously interviewed in episode #267) returns to the podcast to talk about her new role with The Magenta Project with Andy & Nikki. After catching up with Meg about the last few years of her career with partner Morgen Watson, the conversation turns towards women in sailing and how to evolve the sport in a direction towards inclusivity. Applications for mentees and mentors are open at The Magenta Project through mid-September, so head over there if you're a woman aspiring to a career in professional sailing and apply!

John Harries of morganscloud.com returns to ON THE WIND yet again for another rambling, technical chat with Andy on all things seamanship. John & Andy start things off with an extension of their lithium battery conversation, which started on The Quarterdeck, moved over to morganscloud.com, and is ultimately being published in an upcoming issue of SAIL Magazine. This is a technical episode with a lot of takeaways, so get your notebooks ready and enjoy!
Born in Chicago’s Bronzeville community, Pinkney is a US Navy veteran with eight years service as a Hospital Corpsman. He spoke with Emma for On the Wind from his home in Fajardo, Puerto Rico.

#361. Captain Bill Pinkney returns to the podcast to chat with Emma about his life, career, and new book. In 1992, Bill became the first black man to circumnavigate solo, sailing via the five Great Capes. He made the 2 year voyage around the world on his Valiant 47 COMMITMENT. In addition to it being a remarkable sailing trip, Bill's circumnavigation was an educational opportunity for thousands of school kids who followed his journey. Pinkney also oversaw the building and subsequently captained the replica schooner AMISTAD, and spent years as a board member with Mystic Seaport maritime museum.

Born in Chicago’s Bronzeville community, Pinkney is a US Navy veteran with eight years service as a Hospital Corpsman. He spoke with Emma for On the Wind from his home in Fajardo, Puerto Rico.

REPLAY of #192. Susie Goodall is a badass. Mia & I met her in Antigua in February 2017 after she’d just completed a solo trans-Atlantic crossing in her Rustler 36. At just 26, she was the first woman to enter the following year’s Golden Globe Race, essentially a reenactment of the famous race that Sir Robin Knox-Johnston won in 1968, establishing non-stop solo ocean racing. Susie was prepping for her return voyage to England when we spoke in Antigua, which was to fulfill the race's qualifying passage requirement. Despite her youth, she’s an accomplished sailor, having worked as a skipper with Rubicon 3 in the Arctic and has sailed thousands of offshore miles. Follow Susie’s adventures at https://susiegoodall.co.uk/.

In just over three months, a yacht race like no other will start from Les Sables d’Olonne, France – the Golden Globe Race 2022. On the start line, we’ll find Ian Herbert-Jones and his beloved boat Puffin, ready to sail & race solo around the world with no modern equipment or outside assistance. The concept of the 30,000 mile non-stop, solo circumnavigation is to sail in the spirit of the original GGR held in 1968/69 in which Sir Robin Knox-Johnston became the first and only entrant to cross the finish line and complete this feat in 312 days. Modern-day entrants are limited to only use equipment that was available during the time of the original race.

In this episode, August interviews Ian as he prepares for this fantastic endeavor upon his Tradewind 35 cutter. You can check out more about Ian’s race preparations at his website (https://www.hjsailing.com/) and you can support his campaign through GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/hj-sailing-golden-globe-race.

#358. Captain Liz Clark has sailed over 20,000 miles on her sailboat, Swell. She grew up sailing in San Diego, and cruised the coast of Mexico with her family at age 9. She became an avid and competitive surfer as a teenager, which took her traveling around the world. After finishing her degree in Environmental Science in Santa Barbara, Liz acquired Swell, her Cal 40. She undertook an extensive refit of the boat, then pushed off into the Pacific on a voyage of self-discovery.

Liz's book Swell: A Sailing Surfer's Voyage of Awakening is an inspiring and beautifully illustrated memoir about her voyage. After cruising and surfing through the Pacific, Liz landed in Tahiti where she wrote her book and still lives with her partner. Swell sits on a mooring in view from her porch, ready for the next adventure. In the meantime, Liz is busy on the island, protecting the animals, lands, and ocean waters of Tahiti.

#356: Paul Heiney is a well-known writer and broadcaster, as well as a seasoned ocean sailor. His voyages include a singlehanded race across the Atlantic, a long passage from England to Cape Horn and back, and a cruise around Iceland. His work is published regularly in sailing magazines and he has written several books, some about his sailing trips. Paul is also the commodore of the Royal Cruising Club.

Paul has also been an organic farmer and keeper of working farm horses. He is married to columnist and broadcaster, Libby Purves. They have a late son, Nicholas, and a daughter Rose. Paul and Libby live beside the seaside on the Suffolk coast with their dog.

You can find his latest book, Farewell Mr Puffin (https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/farewell-mr-puffin-9781472990976/), wherever books are sold. See more about Paul's life and work at https://www.paulheiney.com/.

#355. Andy hosts a sit-down session at August's cabin in Bergen where a bunch of salty sea captains talk sailing. Honestly, we can't even tell you what this episode is about, as it's a rambling hour of shootin' the shit. But it's entertaining, we promise. Grab a coffee or a whisky and join us!

Jon Totten is an outdoorsman, educator, sailor, and all-around great person. He spent 12 years leading outdoor adventures in Northern Idaho before he found a path as a professional sailor. Jon led sailing charters in the San Juan Islands and the Caribbean until life forced him to change paths. After an absolutely epic adventure in 2020, he went back to Idaho where he founded his nonprofit, Dogsmile Adventures. His organization is now in its second year creating therapeutic sailing opportunities for everyone. Check it out at dogsmileadventures.org and be sure to watch their Youtube videos to hear more stories from the folks who sail with Jon.

In this episode, Emma and Jon discuss the path that led Jon to Dogsmile Adventures. They talk about addiction, mental health, the healing power of the outdoors, and how to make sailing available to more people.

#353: Tapio Lehtinen is a legendary Finnish sailor who is preparing to race the Golden Globe Race this year, and the Ocean Globe Race in 2023. Tapio sailed the Whitbread Round the World Race as watch captain in 1980-81. He also completed an arduous Golden Globe Race in 2018, which made Tapio the first Finn to have raced single-handed nonstop around the world. In this episode, Andy and Tapio talk about the devastating war in Ukraine, raising children and losing loved ones, and, of course, offshore sailing. Follow Tapio's sailing programs at https://www.tapiolehtinensailing.fi/

#352. Robin Lee Graham made history when he left California in 1965, at the age of sixteen, to sail around the world alone on Dove. He met his wife Patti on this epic journey, which he completed in 1970. The voyage was followed by a flurry of media and a difficult return to life ashore. The Graham’s moved to Montana soon after the circumnavigation, where they built a life with their two kids, Quimby and Ben. Robin and Patti still live on Flathead Lake, where their close-knit family gathers often.

Robin wrote three books with the help of Derek Gill: Dove, The Boy Who Sailed Around the World Alone, and Home is the Sailor. Dove was adapted into a Hollywood movie in 1974.

Emma's mother, Lynn, sailed across the Atlantic in 1978, when she was twelve years old. Lynn had the first edition of The Boy Who Sailed Around the World Alone on the shelf beside her bunk, and spent their 26 day passage from Maine to Ireland flipping through its pages. Emma grew up with that same copy on her shelf, which sparked her trajectory towards sailing.

In February 2022, 50 years after Robin's circumnavigation, Emma traveled up to Montana to interview Robin in person, in the house he built on Flathead Lake. The two sailors talked about Robin's early sailing days, his relationship with his father, his faith, and how he and Patti have built their life.

#351. Andy Chase is a professional mariner in every sense of the word. He's worked all over the world on all types of ships - big, small, sailing ships and container ships. Nonfiction writer John McPhee even based his wonderful book 'Looking for a Ship' on Andy's maritime career. Most recently, Andy's been a long-time professor at Maine Maritime Academy and even skippered the schooner BOWDOIN back to the Arctic. I spoke to Andy at length about his career and his thoughts on seamanship, which there are many.

#350. Ryan Ellison, friend of the show, returns to talk about his emotional voyage solo across the Atlantic. Aboard POLAR SEAL, Ryan got involved in a migrant rescue at sea and helped save the lives of dozens of migrants as he stood by to mark their position while the helicopter rescue crews did their work. Ryan reflects on the traumatic experience and the life epiphanies that came from the experience, why he stopped in Cape Verde, why he continued solo after almost abandoning the attempt, and what he learned about himself in the process. Andy & Emma co-host today's show with Ryan.

#349. Peter Gibbons-Neff - the namesake of PGN Ocean Racing - is a solo sailor from Annapolis aiming for the single-handed Mini Transat next year in 2023. Peter & I have crossed paths many times, most recently in Kinsale, Ireland - we were outbound on ICEBEAR heading to Sweden, and Peter was inbound on his Mini arriving from France. We traded photos and I promised then I'd get him on the show! Peter tells me the story of how we wound up in the same harbor an ocean away from home.

#348. 59º North's own Emma Garschagen is back in the interviewee-seat after having sailed 12,000 miles as the mate on ICEBEAR in 2021. Emma takes us through all of the ups and downs of her long voyage, from successfully completing her first trans-Atlantic crossing to an offshore medical emergency.

New to the show? Listen to episode #311 to learn more about Emma and her sailing origins!

#347. Dawn Riley is an expert big-boat and match-racing sailor, and a wonderful storyteller. Emma got Dawn on the phone for an hour of sailing stories from Dawn's incredible career.

Dawn was the first woman ever to manage an entire America’s Cup syndicate, the first American, man or woman, to sail in three America’s Cups and two Whitbread Round the World races. She was on the Maiden crew in the 1989-90 Whitbread Race. Dawn is the Executive Director at Oakcliff Sailing, an organization dedicated to raising the level of sailors and sailing in the United States.

Learn more about Dawn's career here (dawnriley.com) and more about Oakcliff Sailing here (https://www.oakcliffsailing.org/). Learn more about training programs at Oakcliff here (https://www.oakcliffsailing.org/programs/), or how to support their mission here (https://www.oakcliffsailing.org/support-us).

#346. Chris Nolan is a former US Coast Guard cutterman and current USCG reservist. He is a faculty captain and current interim academic dean at Sea Education Association (www.sea.edu) in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Chris is also the founder of Practical Navigator (www.practicalnavigator.org) where he provides educational resources to mariners. He runs a YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/NavigationTraining/videos) where he shares educational material and stories from his experience at sea. In this episode, Emma and Chris discuss Chris's time in the Coast Guard and subsequent transition into sailing education on tall ships. We explore questions around leadership, being a good shipmate, and how to take care of one's own needs while still looking out for others.

#345. Matt Rutherford (again!). Matt & Andy shoot the shit about sailing origins, how far we've come since 2011, his big-ass schooner refit, missing solo sailing, and Matt's upcoming Greenland expedition with his Ocean Research Project. Want to sail with Matt? He's looking for a female mate to work alongside him, his first mate, and scientist Nicole Trenholm for the duration of the summer. Low pay, high adventure! Contact oceanresearchproject.org to apply.

#344. Taylor Grieger returns to the podcast to talk about how sailing saved his life. Taylor is a military vet, a former US Navy rescue swimmer, who suffered from severe PTSD on his return to civilian life. He returned to a childhood love of sailing, and with two friends, set out to sail around Cape Horn and talk about PTSD for a film called HELL OR HIGH SEAS. Taylor has since started the American Odysseus Sailing Foundation (amodsailing.org) to help other vets and first responders recover from PTSD through sailing. Catch the film at hellorhighseas.com.

#343. Djemila Tassin is a Belgian and Spanish sailor from the island of La Palma. She completed the 2021 Mini Transat aboard her boat Kaïros. Djemila is a determined solo sailor, a trained oceanographer, and an inspiring adventurer. In this episode, Emma and Djemila discuss the mental preparation necessary for an undertaking like the Mini Transat. In addition to her confidence and drive, Djemila found success through advice from mentors and learning to ask for help. Djemila is taking all her lessons on racing and seamanship from last year's race into the next edition of the Mini Transat aboard a new boat. Follow her adventures and contact Djemila at www.djemilasailing.com.

#341. Megan Frye is a tall ship sailor and educator. She has spent the last 10 years at sea, sailing traditionally rigged vessels all over the world. She is pursuing her dream of connecting people through sailing with Ocean's Dream. Emma connected with Megan after the transatlantic on ICEBEAR to hear more of Megan's fantastic story. They discussed how Megan followed her intuition to islands in Norway and Scotland, and the Alaskan coastline. Megan shared the comical and joyful story of her first sailboat, and we dove in to the plan for her sail training nonprofit, Ocean's Dream.

You can find out more about Ocean's Dream and support Megan at https://www.oceansdream.org/

#340. Simon Walker has raced around the world, "the wrong way" twice, sailed the high latitudes at both ends of the globe, and managed several large offshore races. He's also part of The Adventurists, who's putting together hilarious and challenging races in unsuitable vehicles in the air, on the ground and at sea.

#339. I first talked to pro skier-turned-sailor Angel Collinson in the fall of 2020 before she ever set out on an offshore passage. About a year later, I caught up with her and Pete aboard their steel sloop SEABEAR in the Canary Islands, after they'd done their first major ocean crossing. We talked about Pete's lifelong history as a sailor, how he and Angel met in the officers of Teton Gravity Research in Jackson Hole, why they're both such great huggers and how Angel's sailing career is evolving in real-time, just as she's officially announced her retirement from skiing.

#338. Andy sits down with Ryan & Sophie from POLAR SEAL, Kiara & Adam from MILLENNIAL FALCON, and Angel & Pete from SEABEAR, live in Lanzarote, to discuss boat design for bluewater sailing.

#337. Andy & Mia sit down in the house Andy grew up in to discuss the fallout from dropping out of the Ocean Globe Race and the new boat they just purchased which will become the flagship of the 59º North fleet!

#336. Sam Holmes sums up his life in one simple sentence: "Crossing ocean on questionable sailing vessels." Andy talked to him at length about exactly what that means, onboard one of those questionable vessels in Kinsale, Ireland earlier this summer.

#335. Kirsten Neuschäfer is a professional sailor and adventurer, most recently working as a skipper for Skip Novak's Pelagic Expeditions in Antarctica in the Southern Ocean. At 22 she cycled solo 15,000 km from Europe to her home in South Africa, and is now preparing for her biggest challenge yet - the 2022 Golden Globe Race, a solo, nonstop circumnavigation of the globe starting next year!

#334. We met Marcus Hutchinson in Kinsale, Ireland after ICEBEAR's trans-Atlantic, having been referred to him by one of our former crew who used to be his neighbor. Marcus has been deeply involved in the high-end racing scene for most of his career, first as a naval architect with Rob Humphries, later as editor of Seahorse Magazine, on America's Cup campaigns, and now as a coach and mentor for major solo ocean sailing campaigns including the Figaro and Vendee Globe. Andy talked to him at his house in Kinsale back in August.

#333. Lisa Blair is an Australian adventurer who holds multiple world records for her solo sailing adventures. She is a positive and strong voice for confronting climate change, and for pursuing one's dreams full force. Lisa is currently preparing to sail solo, nonstop, and unassisted around Antarctica, in pursuit of world records and groundbreaking ocean data collection. On her boat, Climate Action Now, Lisa will be facing the Southern Ocean again as she races the clock around the world.

#332. Andy kicks off the Fall 2021 podcast season talking cruising the Bahamas, with longtime friend and sponsors of the show, Forbes & Jamie Horton. Forbes and 59º North go WAY back, to our early days in Annapolis circa 2006, and he's one of the few brokers in the trade that has skin in the game when it comes to cruising - last year, at the height of COVID, he and his wife and business partner Jamie took their two young kids out of school and cruised the Bahamas on their 35-foot lobster boat. Forbes & Jamie tell the whole story on the podcast, what they like & dislike about motor boating versus sailing (they previously cruised an S&S Tartan 34 to the Eastern Caribbean), and why they're going back to the Bahamas in 2021!

#331. John Kretschmer returns to the podcast! This time, in person, with the whole host team together. Andy, Emma & August sit down with John Kretschmer in Bermuda to discuss seamanship, philosophy, fatherhood and a wide-ranging list of other topics about offshore sailing.

#330. Megan Frye has spent the last 10 years at sea, sailing traditionally rigged vessels all over the world. She is pursuing her dream of connecting people from around the world through sailing with Ocean's Dream. Emma got to sit down with Megan for a short chat while they were both in Maine, where Megan is spending the summer running a charter sailboat. This is just part one of our conversations with Megan, who has learned many lessons from her travels, and is looking to spread the wisdom of the high seas with others.

#327. Abby Ehler has been working in high performance sailing, on and off the water, for over twenty years. She has competed in three editions of the Volvo Ocean Race as boat captain, most recently competing in the 2017-18 race with Team Brunel, the first edition of the Race to actively promote mixed gender teams. When shore side, Abby has worked for the America’s Cup and Sail GP. Abby founded and runs the Magenta Project, a collective that develops pathways and opportunities for women in performance sailing. The Magenta Project focuses on establishing networks, fostering mentorships, influencing policy, and raising awareness. Abby also hosts her own podcast, the Sailing Show Podcasts, where she interviews professional sailors.

#326. Pam Wall is a legendary ocean sailor with boundless energy. She cruised around the world with her beautiful family on the boat they built, KANDARIK. Pam has worked in the marine industry all her life and continues to advise cruisers on how to get out there and ‘just do it’. She consults sailors on everything from buying to outfitting to passagemaking. Andy and Mia have known Pam for years now and Emma was lucky enough to meet her this spring in Fort Lauderdale. Emma feels incredibly lucky to have gotten the chance to sit down with her at her home for an interview. Find her at https://www.pamwall.com/

#325. Lisa Blair is an adventurer, author, and a multiple world record holding sailor. Her boat, Climate Action Now, is a brilliantly colorful poster of a positive approach to tackling climate change. In 2017, Lisa set out to break the record for a solo, nonstop circumnavigation around Antarctica. She was dismasted south of Cape Town, about three quarters of the way through the passage. Unstoppable as ever, Lisa repaired Climate Action Now and completed the circumnavigation, setting her first of many world records. Lisa wrote a wonderful book, Facing Fear, about her 2017 Antarctic circumnavigation. You can follow Lisa, support her voyages, and find her book at her website: https://lisablairsailstheworld.com/

#323. Jon Sanders is an 81-year-old Australian solo sailor whose been around the globe a full 11 times! He was the first person ever, in 1981/1982 to circumnavigate Antarctica, and indeed three of his roundings of the world happened back-to-back-to-back nonstop! Despite these crazy accomplishments, Jon remains incredible humble and sails simply for the love of it. Special thanks to Morgan Flower for setting up this interview and helping record & produce it with me!

#322. Dustin Reynolds is on a mission to become the first-ever double-amputee solo circumnavigator. After losing his left arm, left leg and nearly his life in a terrible motorcycle accident in 2008, Dustin regrouped, decided he wanted to live, and set out to fulfill a dream that started on a whim. I caught up with him earlier this spring when he was in Panama preparing for the final leg of his voyage home to Hawaii.

#321. Nikki Henderson is the youngest person ever to have skippered a yacht in the Clipper Round the World race, coming second in the 2017/18 edition of the race at 25 years old. Since the age of 18 Nikki has pursued a career in professional sailing, and has earned worldwide respect for her accomplishments. She has been a guest-skipper for MAIDEN, raced on an all-women's team in the Race 2 Alaska, been through the Suez Canal and many times across the Atlantic. Nikki recently sailed on ICEBEAR with Andy in Antigua, where they recorded this long and inspirational chat about Nikki's career and philosophy.

#320. James Frederick is a 40-something artist living in Los Angeles with his wife Camille and their dog, Mr. Steady Man. For the past several years James has been refitting an Alberg 30 while sailing out to Catalina island and exploring the California coast and documenting it all on YouTube. Very shortly, that's all about change, as James will set off single-handed first bound towards Hawaii and then onwards towards Alaska, where Camille and Mr. Steady Man plan to meet them for cruising. I talked to James just as he and Camille were getting ready to move back onto the boat after an intense refit period. James is also connected to 59 North in that he's sailed our former boat ARCTURUS in Sweden with her new owner Neil Fletcher!

#256 RECYCLED. August Sandberg is a Norwegian sailor and filmmaker who is the full-time skipper of ISBJORN. He has been co-hosting the podcast and leading as an admiral on The QUARTERDECK while we have worked remotely this past year. August lives on a small island off the coast of Bergen, Norway, where in addition to being a university film professor, he has been doing a lot of skating, skiing, and ice fishing through the winter. Andy interviewed August in February of 2019, before he had ever sailed with 59 North.

#319. Markus Norlin is the son of famous Swedish yacht designer Peter Norlin, who's illustrious career indeed included our own boat SPICA, a 1977 Norlin 34 mk 2. Markus came out to the farm to 'Mission Control' where we discussed his late father's career as a yacht designer, growing up in a sailing family, and his 'rescue' of one of his dad's most famous boats, AGNES, a one-off 37-footer built in mahogany and successfully raced in the USA. Markus found the boat in Vancouver, bought it, and had it shipped back to Sweden where he now sails it with his family.

BONUS! As Pip Hare nears the finish line of the 2020 Vendee Globe Race, she checks in with us from the Bay of Biscay. Pip has been a professional sailor for over 25 years and broke into solo ocean racing a decade ago. Andy got to interview Pip as she prepared for the race in 2019 and we are so happy to bring that conversation full circle as she nears the finish line. On top of her wonderful videos and blog posts throughout this Vendee Globe, she has been sailing an outstanding race in a 20-year-old, non-foiling boat. It was her birthday just a few days ago and she wrote: “I first dreamed of competing in this race when I was 17 years old. I am now 47. Never stop chasing your dreams. I have so many more ambitions and am excited to find out who I will be at 57.” Thanks Pip!

#318. Nat Benjamin is a sailor and yacht designer who owns and operates Gannon and Benjamin Marine Railway, an iconic haven for wooden boats in Martha’s Vineyard. Nat and his partner Ross Gannon founded the boatyard in 1980, where they have built everything from 8 foot tenders to a 65 foot schooner, all made with traditional plank-on-frame construction. In the past 40 years, they have built more than 70 substantial vessels of Nat’s designs. In this episode, Emma and Nat talk about his adventurous path: from growing up on the Hudson River, to working as a young delivery captain, to becoming one of today’s most renowned wooden boat designers and builders. Nat and his wife Pam live year-round on Martha's Vineyard, where they have two daughters and five grandchildren. Find more links and photos about Nat and G&B by going to: https://59-north.com/onthewindpodcast/318-nat-benjamin

#317. Sea shanties have taken the internet by storm! As these familiar songs go viral, we decided to do some digging on their function and history, then recycle an interview with Storm Weather Shanty Choir's founder and lead man, Haakon Vatle. In 2018, August and Andy sat down in person with Haakon in Bergen, Norway. Haakon Vatle holds the world's ONLY master's degree in sea shanties. Fans of the show will know his band, Storm Weather Shanty Choir, as the group of Norwegian musicians who have mastered the art of the modern sea shanty. To start this episode off, we spoke with Biz Wallace, a captain and sail instructor who works aboard tallships, and Christian Letourneau, a former ship's cook and a writer. August also got to chat with Haakon now, in 2021, to catch up on how the sea shanty craze is affecting the band, their upcoming album (February 5th!) and how Norway's tallship, the Statsraad Lehmkul, is faring through COVID times. In this episode, you will also hear recordings of shanties sung by folks at Sea Education Association, a sail training and marine science program that Biz Wallace, Christian Letourneau, and Emma Garschagen have all worked with.

#316. Tracy Edwards led the first all-female round-the-world crew in the 1989-90 Whitbread Race aboard Maiden. Following that race, Tracy was the first woman to receive the Yachtsman of the Year Trophy and was awarded an MBE honor. In 2014, after more than three decades since her Whitbread success, Tracy bought Maiden back. A few years later, Maiden was sailing again and a major documentary about their 1989-90 Whitbread Race was released. The Maiden Factor foundation focuses on education for girls around the world. You can find and support them at https://www.themaidenfactor.org/

#315. Matt Rutherford returns to the show to reflect on the tenth anniversary of his departure for the Around the America's solo passage, a record-setting, nonstop trip through the NW Passage and around Cape Horn. We also discussed his origins as a drug dealer on the streets of Cleveland, and how staying out of prison - and alive - helped him become a 'defensive' sailor. Checkout Matt's podcast SINGLE-HANDED wherever you get your podcasts.

#314. Cam Deyell is a sailor and musician and a longtime friend/fan of the show! Cam composed and performs the intro music for ON THE WIND, and recently sailed his own boat BOOMBOX across the Pacific to Australia, where he currently lives with his family. En route, he was inspired to create his latest album called SUNKEN SONGS, an instrumental, ethereal take on classic sea shanties that you can get wherever you stream or download your music!

#313. Mia Karlsson should be no stranger to you all. She is the co-owner and founder of 59 North Sailing, and is married to Andy Schell. They live in Sweden with their son Axel, where Mia is an active outdoorswoman and puzzler. She grew up in Sweden and has been an avid traveler since she was young. When she and Andy met, her sailing career began. Mia has now sailed over 50,000 miles and completed five Atlantic crossings. She created the first mate position on the 59 North Swan's, which is the job that Emma now occupies. Emma will also be appearing as a regular guest-host for ON THE WIND, so stay tuned for more episodes with her as interviewer!

Senor Brady & Alex Blue of SV DELOS join Andy for a look back at how the 80º NORTH: SAILING ON TOP OF THE WORLD film series was created. We reflect on some of our favorite memories from Svalbard, including polar bear encounters, beluga whale songs, glaciers, walrus & much more! Then Brady & Blue describe the painstaking process of sifting through 4 terabytes of raw footage to edit together four, 30-minute episodes. They even reveal the untold story of the day of lost footage from a crashed hard drive! In total it took over two years of post-production and 2,000 hours of labor, but it was a labor of love and we can't be more proud of the result! If you haven't watched yet, go to 80northseries.com, pay what you think is fair, grab a beer and enjoy the ride!

#312. Steph Crawford & Conor Smith have been out cruising for the past few years on their Brewer 44 GRACE, and are about to swallow the anchor and re-enter 'normal' society to pursue their careers in science. I talked to them onboard the boat in Annapolis, which they were getting ready to sell.

#311. Emma Garschagen is the full-time mate on ICEBEAR, taking Mia's place on the boat since Axel was born. She's a lifelong sailor who grew up on the Hudson River and at age 19 got her first boat, a 24-foot C&C where her love for adventure sailing truly began. Since then she's gone on to sail aboard a variety of boats from tall ships to schooners and most recently her dad's 40-footer which she took offshore to St. Maarten last fall. Emma & I sat down in ICEBEAR's cabin in Antigua last week to debrief our passage south, talk about how she wound up on the team and hear her dreams for the future!

#310. Albert and Stian started Ægir Expeditions along with Sondre Misund after a vacation to Asia in 2016. Returning to school was not a tempting prospect, and the gang bought a sailboat and sailed to Greenland instead.

#309. Erik Aanderaa is a storm chasing, singlehanding, self-taught Norwegian Viking sailor bad ass. He also produces some of the best sailing content on youtube under the fitting tagline “No bullshit, just sailing”, and he recently completed a solo circumnavigation of the Norwegian Sea.

#308. Angel Collinson is a pro free skier who comes from a family of pro skiers. She grew up at Snowbird Resort in Utah where her parents were professional ski patrollers. Even her brother John is a pro freakier. You can see them both in Teton Gravity Research films, among other places. Angel is new to sailing but recently bought a steel boat in Maine her and her boyfriend are outfitting for long-term cruising. Angel & I had a long and insightful conversation on managing fear, how backcountry skiing and offshore sailing are related, when to trust your gut instinct, mental health and lots more.

#307. David Lewis is one of our favorite sailor/authors at 59º North, and not so well-known in the USA. Ben Lowings, his biographer and author of the new book THE DOLPHIN about Lewis' life, comes on the show to talk about him and share some stories.

#306. ISBJORN skipper August Sandberg accidentally bumped in to his old friend Oyvin Nilssen, skipper of DUEN III, in Lofoten earlier this summer. After a night of partying in the on-deck hot tub and swimming in the Arctic waters, August & Oyvind traded stories in the saloon of DUEN III.

#305. Who better than to discuss heavy weather with than Southern Ocean veteran Susie Goodall, and Spitzbergen explorer August Sandberg! Today's show is adapted from the LIVE video session we held on the topic at the height of the pandemic. We define heavy weather, talk about our favorite tactics and of course tell some harrowing storm stories!

#304. If you've ever spotted a beautiful Pearson 36, crewed by an even more beautiful couple, sailing off their anchor, there's a good chance you'll be in the background of a new video from Sailing UMA. Dan & Kika stopped in Bergen on their way to the Arctic and invited August Sandberg onboard for a chat.

#303. Chris Stanmore-Major has already been twice round the world, as a skipper with the Clipper Race, then solo in the Velux Five-Oceans Race. Now, with over 300,000 offshore miles under his keel, he's attempting to circumnavigate again, this time solo, nonstop and against the prevailing Southern Ocean wind and seas. It's crunch time for Chris' pre-departure refit...support Chris in his RTW attempt through GoFundMe or on his Patreon page.

#302. Don McIntyre is a lifelong adventurer and sailor, and founder of the Golden Globe Race and Ocean Globe Race, which we will be participating in on ICEBEAR in 2023! Andy & Don talked all things adventure. This is an all-timer, so don’t miss it!

#301. Barry Kennedy is a high-latitude sailor and helicopter pilot whose been all of the world pursuing both, from Cape Horn and Antarctica to the oil fields of the Middle East and the wilderness of Alaska. Barry had his own COVID-19 escape, sailing from South Georgia all the way to St. Croix when the places in between denied him entry at the start of the pandemic.

#300. Andy & Mia bought a new boat! They sit down for a special episode reminiscing about the podcast's long history, and talking about some exciting news for their future and the future of 59º North.

#299. August Sandberg interviews ISBJORN skipper Kristen Berry who flew to St. Thomas to rescue the boat from hurricane season down-island. August, ISBJORN's primary skipper, meanwhile, was stuck in Norway under lockdown and unable to travel to the boat himself. After a whirlwind of preparation and a new crew in the USVI, both ISBJORN & ICEBEAR made it safely north to home waters on the Chesapeake Bay.

#298. Mike Beemer is an instructor at Skagit Valley Community College out in the Pacific Northwest. The school has recently purchased an old Westsail 39 that his students will renovate over the course of the next school year into an offshore-capable cruising boat, which they'll sell to an inspired sailor! They'll document the progress on the SVC 'Skallywags" YouTube channel.

#297. Dylan Magaster is the founder of FLORB Productions, or "floating orb", which , in a nutshell, films interviews with folks into the "alternative house" - think 'tiny house' - movement. Dylan was himself a #vanlifer, until he recently made the jump to a Morgan 38 sailboat and began learning the ways of the sea. Dylan & I spoke last week about his Christian upbringing and desire to become a pastor before he set out on a continuing journey around the world by van & by boat.

#296. Susie Goodall sailed her 36' Rustler DHL STARLIGHT in the 2018 solo round-the-world Golden Globe Race, getting pitchpoled in the Southern Ocean and needing a dramatic rescue to get safely to shore. For the first time publicly, Susie recounts the race, both the highlights and the drama. Susie would have been the skipper on ICEBEAR in 2020 if it weren't for COVID-19, and we can't wait to get her back aboard once our boats are sailing again.

#295. In 1972, Nick Ryley signed up as crewmember on board a brand new Swan 48 called “Warbaby”. Today, she is called “Isbjørn”, and is skippered by August Sandberg. The two chat about the history of the boat, of salty stories from her youth, and about Nick’s life as a sailing professional.

#294. Bill Pinkney first dreamed about the ocean as a small boy growing up in Chicago. He got his first real start on the ocean with the US Navy int he 1950s, and for years held on to his sailing dreams. Finally, in 1992, he completed a solo circumnavigation on his Valiant 47 COMMITMENT, which was more than just a sailing trip, but an educational opportunity for thousands of Chicago kids following his journey. Bill was also the captain of the tallship AMISTAD and is heavily involved with the Mystic Seaport maritime museum.

#293. Andy hosts a live panel discussion with Brian Trautman from SV Delos, John Harries of morganscloud.com, legendary solo sailor Pete Goss and Meg & Morgen of Ocean Racers. This two-hour chat covers how each of these accomplished sailors thinks about outfitting their boats, risk management, decision making, and more.

#292. Gunnar Krantz has competed in 4 of the iconic Whitbread/Volvo Round-the-World races, skippering two of them and sailing hundreds of thousands of offshore miles in the process. He was also recently the skipper of the Swedish TV show 'Over Atlanten', where he shepherded 6 non-sailing Swedish celebrities across the Pond in a Swan 80. Gunnar visited Andy & Mia on their farm to record a fascinating interview about his career.

#291. Now made obsolete by technology, the romantic aspect of celestial navigation will never die. Andy & August talk history & philosophy of celestial during our latest LIVE session. If you want to see the visuals, watch the replay at crowdcast.io/holdfast.

#290: Guest host and 59 North Skipper August talks to Jeff Thayer, a lightning expert and avid sailor!

#289. Joscha & Niklas are two friends from Germany who set out on the dark-blue-hulled Bavaria in search of adventure. They've found it in spades, crossing the far north Atlantic via Iceland & Greenland, and winding up in the Caribbean before they got stuck in French Martinique during the coronavirus lockdown. Follow their travels on sailingnaked.de

#288. Barry Walton speaks with ISBJORN skipper & guest-host August Sandberg about his documentary film series REACHING REALITY, where he and two friends set out down the Baja Peninsula in search of adventure on their 24-foot sailboat.

#287. Brian & Kazza and their new daughter Sierra join Andy & Mia onboard ICEBEAR in the BVI in February to talk about their lives since the Svalbard adventure in 2018.

ISBJORN's skipper August Sandberg guest-hosts today's bonus episode with ICEBEAR skipper Sean Westoby, who is currently living on ICEBEAR in Grenada, under quarantine on anchor. August & Sean discuss what this is like, and the future for ocean sailing in the time of the coronavirus.

Ryan Ellison & Sophie Darsy have become close friends of ours in the years since we first met them in Stockholm. Non-sailors initially, they bought a Beneteau 40 they named POLAR SEAL, and set out on a cruise of undetermined length, leaving Stockholm and sailing south, first to the Mediterranean and last year across the Atlantic. We met them in the Saintes and recorded onboard ICEBEAR.

#283: Andy sits down with Bela Musits, an exceptionally experienced entrepreneur and sailor.

#282. Liz Wardley has never NOT been a professional racing skipper. Getting her first taste of sailing at age 13 on a Hobie Cat, she was instantly hooked. At 15, she convinced her parents to let her drop out of school, and by 18 she was racing in the Sydney-Hobart race. Since then she’s done 3 Volvo Ocean Race’s and is aiming for another in next year’s event. Currently, she’s skippering the famous Whitbread yacht MAIDEN, and working closely with founder Tracy Edwards to fulfill the goals of The MAIDEN Factor as they sail around the world with an all-girl crew.

#281 (#251 Re-Issue). Rachel Slade is the acclaimed author of INTO THE RAGING SEA, the riveting and heartbreaking account of the loss of the American merchant ship EL FARO, with all hands, in hurricane Joaquin in 2015. We’re re-issuing this episode today ahead of the audio release of INTO THE RAGING SEA on Season 4 of Sailing Stories! Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and HOLD FAST!

#280. Back in 2018, the crew of SV DELOS joined Mia, James & I onboard ISBJORN for a 3-week adventure in the High Arctic. Needless to say, it was life-changing. Earlier this fall, we got to relive the adventure with Brian & Brady, who flew out to the Annapolis Sailboat Show to give a presentation on our trip, and show the first-ever screening of their '80 NORTH' film project to a USA audience. What follows is the audio of that presentation, which I hope you'll enjoy.

#279. Dee Caffari is perhaps the most accomplished sailor I've ever had on the show, and she's easily the most inspiring. Dee has sailed around the world a full 6 times, 3 of them solo and nonstop, and most recently as skipper of the Turn the Tide on Plastic Volvo campaign. There isn't much she hasn't done in racing, whether solo or crewed, as skipper or in another role, but I took away much deeper insights from our conversation on things like leadership, psychology and inspiration. Mia & I met Dee in England to hear her story.

#278. Kass Schmitt is a solo sailor who has had a dream of completing the OSTAR Race, the original single-handed trans-Atlantic race, which back in the 1960's, began the solo racing scene we know today. Kass, unassuming and thoughtful, set out to make that dream a reality in 2017 on her cold-molded sloop ZEST, but was thwarted halfway across the Atlantic by an unusually strong early summer storm that swept through the fleet, forcing the abandonment of three boats and forcing her to retire. Kass & I sat down in London where she told me the tale.

Sierra Groth & Billy Swezey are the inspiring couple behind Tula's Endless Summer. Their adventure started when Billy bought a dilapidated boat that had been abandoned in a New York boatyard and set about restoring her and meandering his way single-handed down the US East Coast. Billy met Sierra in Florida, and since then they, with their dog Jetty, have been inseparable, cruising the Bahamas and Eastern Caribbean in a variety of boats from the original TULA to a motor trawler named NEVERLAND, and now their ex-racing catamaran ADRENALINE. We spoke to Billy & Sierra onboard ICEBEAR at the recent Annapolis Sailboat Show.

#276. Pip Hare is a lifelong professional sailor and a wonderfully inspiring person. Mia & I traveled to the south coast of England to meet Pip aboard her IMOCA 60 SUPER BIGOU, a 'recycled' Open 60 she is gearing up to campaign in the 2020 Vendee Globe Race. While we talked, her friends - including sailing speed record holder Paul Larsen - were on deck prepping the boat for upcoming Transat Jacque Vibre. Pip shared her life's sailing story, from growing up in small cruising boats to sailing a 'desk' with the RNLI, that ultimately led her back into a career on the ocean.

#275. The legendary Lin Pardey is back on ON THE WIND! Way back in 2013 when I first started the show, Lin & Larry Pardey were episode #2. Six years and 273 episodes later, and Lin is back, live in person this time, to give us an update on her life and cruising plans. Sadly, Larry is no longer able to travel. Lin recently published the 3rd edition of her beloved 'Self Sufficient Sailor' book, and she explains today why that classic sailing tome got a modern update.

#274. Max Campbell left England shortly after his 20th birthday in a rebuilt 22-foot wooden sloop, bound for adventure. He set out, as many Europeans do, traveling for his gap year with no real plans and not a lot of money. When he friend jumped ship in Lisbon to follow his girlfriend, Max set his sights on a solo trans-Atlantic passage, aiming west for Grenada. When his diesel stove exploded, literally setting Max on fire, his passage changed dramatically, as did his outlook on the future. Max told us his story in London last week.

#273. Lars Ström is known as 'The Professor' of Nautor's Swan. Now 80 years old and retired, Lars worked at the famed Nautor boatyard in Finland for nearly his entire career, and indeed during the period in the 1970s when ISBJORN, our S&S Swan 48, was built, AND also in the 1990s when ICEBEAR, oru Frers Swan 59 was built. Over the years since we first bought ISBJORN Lars has been a wonderful help to us in learning the boat, as he is to almost any Swan owner who reaches out to him. Mia & I talked to him in Finland about his long and satisfying career.

#272. Jeremy Davis, weather guru, comes on the show to debrief his passage from Lunenburg-Newfoundland on ICEBEAR. He shares what he learned as a forecaster, getting offshore for the first time.

#271. John Harries, the founder of morganscloud.com, AKA ‘Attainable Adventure Cruising,’ and in my opinion the foremost authority on safe and simple ocean sailing boats & equipment. He’s an accomplished high latitudes sailor with over 150,000 miles under his keel. Mia and I met him for a round 3 on the podcast in Lunenburg harbor aboard Ice Bear.

#270. Ben Shaw & Lauren Keane were recent crewmembers on ICEBEAR for the Annapolis to Lunenburg passage. Mia & I first met Ben's parents, Sid & Rebecca, in 2011 in St. Pierre, as we were getting ready to sail ARCTURUS trans-Atlantic. Inspired by us, and with a career in radio production Ben recently started the 'Out the Gate' sailing podcast. I talked to him and Lauren about their goals to take their kids long-distance cruising and how they're making that dream into reality.

#269. Charlie Doane is a long-time Editor-at-large with SAIL Magazine, and a lifeline sailor. I've known Charlie for years, and FINALLY got to sit down for a long chat with him aboard his new Boreal 47 LUNACY in St. George's harbor in Bermuda. Charlie told stories of his early days saiing a styrofoam boat he'd gotten in the mail by saving cigarette packs, the chance meeting that got him into sailing journalism, getting ship-wrecked in Africa and lots more.

#268. The one and only Matt Rutherford is back on the show yet again! Matt & I sat down to chat aboard ICEBEAR in Annapolis as he was getting ready to take ISBJORN north to Newport. As is normally the case when Matt comes on the show, we didn't really know what we were going to talk about, yet we easily filled a very entertaining hour, talking about him skippering ISBJORN, his own podcast 'Single-Handed', his challenges with the Ocean Research Project and more.

#267. Meg and Morgen are the couple behind Ocean Racers, sailing a Pogo 12.50 (think cruising 'Class 40') on the Atlantic racing circuit and taking paying crew along for the adventure. They earned their chops - and met each other - as young 20-something's sailing as crew on the Clipper Round the World race, the same year that friend of the podcast Ollie Cotterell was skipper. That adventure inspired them to start their own racing team, which evolved into the Ocean Racers business. Mia & I spoke to them in person onboard their boat HERMES in Bermuda. What follows is one of the most inspiring episodes yet, so get ready to enjoy the ride!

#266 Ben Doerr is the owner of Sail Bainbridge, which operate charters is the region Bainbridge Island Region. He is also a husband, father of two, and professional musician with the indie-folk band, St. Paul de Vence. Andy and Ben sit down to discuss the recent passage from Key West to Bermuda. On the Wind is presented by Costa Sunglasses And also supported by Buldano Towels, and Offshore Passage Opportunities

#265. Chris Stanmore-Major returns to the podcast for another super-inspiring chat about ocean sailing. Chris is hugely accomplished, having sailed over 300,000 miles offshore, mostly racing. In the last episode with Chris, # 227, we discussed his sailing history and philosophy; this time, we talk about his latest ambition to try and break the east to west solo circumnavigation record, sailing nonstop round-the-world AGAINST the wind & seas, and his plan to launch a Canadian team in the next edition of The Ocean Race. Learn more about Chris at spartanoceanracing.com.

#264. Vendee Globe sailor Bruce Schwab returns to the podcast with guest hosts (and now Isbjorn skippers!) Ben Doerr & Simon Borjeson, to discuss the power management refit options for ICEBEAR, our Swan 59. Bruce runs Ocean Planet Energy in Maine and specializes in power generation, and we discussed diesel versus electric propulsion, lithium batteries, gensets, AC/DC power and lots more.

#263. Øyvind Vedvik is the Sailing Category Managing Director at Helly Hansen, who have been a longtime supporter of 59 North. Øyvind grew up sailing in the fjords of Norway and along the Scandinavian coastlines and has had a passion for the sport since his early days. He invited Mia & I to sail ISBJORN up to their annual sales meeting last April and we had a chance to talk to him about his personal sailing career and his time developing sailing gear at Helly Hansen.

#262. Pawel Motawa is one of the first guests I ever interviewed WAY back in my 'Two Inspired Guys' days in 2012. Then, he had just completed the ARC rally in St. Lucia, and I was drawn to his bright yellow steel sloop MALAIKA, with it's proud Polish flag flying, and thought there had to be a story here. When Mia & I sailed ISBJORN into Las Palmas in January, there was MALAIKA again, on the pontoon just a few slips down from us. Pawel immediately said hello and we reconnected for another chat in the saloon of his lovely boat.

#261. Gerard Dykstra is one of the world's iconic yacht designers. He's most notable to me as the designer of the Bestevaer 53, by far my favorite of all the aluminum expedition yachts which are now so popular. And he designed the first one for himself as a very simple, robust personal cruising yacht. He's also designed some of the most iconic superyachts like the Panamax ketch HETAIROS and the infamous MALTESE FALCON. Not to mention a few tall ships to boot. I first met Gerard in Isafjordur, Iceland and later talked to him on Skype about his career as a sailor first, then as a designer.

#259. Alex & Brady are the other half of SV Delos. After meeting them for the first time up in Svalbard, Mia & I reunited with the whole Delos crew in Antigua after our Atlantic crossing on ISBJORN. We spent 3 weeks chillin' on the beach and hanging out in shorts! While Brian & Kazza were off on their honeymoon in New York City, Mia & I recorded a long meandering chat with Brady & Alex aboard Delos about their side of the Delos story.

#258 David Hows is the host of the Ocean Sailing Podcast. He sails his own Beneteau 44.5 “Ocean Gem” and has raced it extensively between Australia and New Zealand. He has now crossed the Tasman Sea three times, two of those single handed. David interviewed Andy for his podcast - they spoke of the podcasting business, filming and photography, and the anxiety that comes with running a boat offshore.

#255. Alvah Simon is best known for his extraordinary voyage to the Arctic that he documented in 'North to the Night,' a highly philosophical, almost spiritual book about his over-wintering in the Canadian Arctic, alone, on his steel sloop, the ROGER HENRY, frozen in the ice. Alvah and I of course discussed this adventure, but today's show really covers his whole career and touches heavily on his personal philosophy, not just with sailing, but life in general. Alvah is one of these rare humans who really seems to have it figured out. He's a sailor's sailor, happier at sea than ashore, and our conversation is filled with wonderful anecdotes and bits of advice he's learned through the years.

#256: August Sandberg is a young Norwegian sailor and filmmaker. After being inspired at a young age by the Norwegian sailing greats, he bought a boat with his friend and sailed it across the Atlantic and down to Panama. He now works as a teacher, professional filmmaker and sailor. Andy caught up with him at his home on the west coast of Norway.

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On the Wind is presented by Rutgerson Marine. And also supported by Offshore Passage Opportunities and Sun Powered Yachts.

#256: Oda Pedersen Taule is a 20-something Norwegian sailor who set out single-handed on her little sloop SNUPPA, bound for Australia. Self-taught at ocean sailing, Oda learned the hard way, getting badly beaten up on her first Bay of Biscay crossing, even needing to call the coast guard for help, and tearfully sharing some emotional moments with the crew who came to her rescue. The experience didn't discourage her though - on the contrary. Oda & I met in Bergen in December to record the podcast in person, and despite her youth, I discovered that Oda is wise beyond her years and can teach us all a lot about patience, perseverance, and the passion to follow your dreams.

#254: Simon Borjeson returns to the podcast as ISBJORN's new skipper for the first few two-boat passages later this year. Simon & I became friends when we met during the ARC Europe rally a few years back, and bonded on our love of sailing, skiing and endurance sports. Back then he was sailing his dad's X-42 EUPHORIA across the Atlantic, while simultaneously training for the 70km OtillO Swimrun World Championships. Simon came out to the farm in Sweden in December for a weekend of planning, and we sat down to discuss his love of sailing & adventure, the cutting-edge foiling motorboats he's currently involved in building, how he got involved with ISBJORN, his thoughts on leadership and more.

#253: Jessie Zevalnkink & Luke Yeates were on the podcast back in October 2017, right after they'd crossed the Atlantic in their 37' yawl DESIREE. Mia & I caught up with them in person aboard their boat in Lagos, Portugal, as we were getting ISBJORN ready to cross the Atlantic. We sat in their cockpit as the sun went down, hearing stories of their dramatic knockdown off Cape St. Vincent, their 6 weeks rebuilding their rudder here in Lagos, life as a married couple and what their future plans are as sailors. Jessie is a professional portrait photographer and also came by ISBJORN later to photograph Mia & I, so check out her work in the show notes.

#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.

#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!

#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.

#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.

#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.

#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!

#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.

#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."

#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!

#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.

#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…

#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.

#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.

#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…

#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 her to Nova Scotia, where he relocated. Erik spent 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.

#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.

#233. Nat Philbrick is the author of ‘In the Heart of the Sea,’ the famous story of the whaling ship Essex, which sunk in the Pacific after being attacked by an angry sperm whale. This true-life story became the inspiration for Herman Melville’s classic ‘Moby Dick’, and at the time, was one of the most well-know sea stories. Nat’s book, which recounted the true story from the perspective of the ship’s cabin boy, went on to become a Hollywood movie of the same name. Nat’s also a sailor, and actually lives on Nantucket, the whaling capital of the world in the 1700’s. I chatted with Nat about his career as a sailor and writer back in February.

#9. Andy talks about Isbjorn's big refit and the 70-mile shakedown cruise he and Mia did up the west coast of Sweden. Special thanks to Helly Hansen for inviting us to their event; and to Isbjorn crewmember Karl for composing and performing the music motifs on this week's show. Our 2020 Passage Calendar is now live! Go to 59-north.com/2020 to sail with us in the Atlantic.

Click here for the text article with photos & videos of Isbjorn's refit.

#231. Tom Cunliffe is one of the great sailor/writers of the past 30 years. His old-school style in both the boats he chooses to sail and the way he tells his story is fascinating. Tom grew up in the UK and went to sea at a very young age on an actual merchant sailing vessel trading along the coast. His adventurous spirit goes beyond the high seas too - he and his wife motorcycled across the US, and he keeps a 1949 Bentley in his garage that he affectionately calls Reggie. After sailing classic, wooden gaff pilot cutters for most of his career, Tom now sails a (relatively) modern Mason 44. Mia & I met Tom at his house in the New Forest in England in February to talk sailing, and even got to sit in the Bentley! This one’s an all-timer, so listen closely!

#230. Goran Rutgerson is the founder of the eponymous Rutgerson company, who design & fabricate rigging and deck hardward in Marstrand, Sweden. Goran grew up in a sailing family and went on to pursue his passion in the sport, rising all the way to the America's Cup ranks. Back in the day, he was good buddies with Peter Harken, and both Harken & Rutgerson evolved as businesses alongside one another on opposite sides of the Atlantic. I spoke to Goran at his office at the Rutgerson Factory in Marstrand in January.

BONUS. Matt Rutherford has been on the podcast more than anyone else in our 230+ episodes, and his stories are always epic. What follows is a presentation Matt did in Toronto in January at the boat show there about his Around the America’s voyage on the 27’ Albin Vega ‘St Brendan.’ Matt’s told this story before on the podcast, but he’s so damn good at it that I never tire of listening to it, and you can always learn something new from him. I’m also playing this as a bonus episode this week because Matt just launched his own podcast - aptly titled ‘Single-Handed’ - so I encourage you to check that out for more of his incredible adventures. And be sure to check out Matt’s updated oceanresearchproject.org website.

RECYCLED #99. Gary Jobson is one of the few household names in the American sailing world. He’s is a former All-American collegiate sailor and won the America's Cup in 1977 as tactician for Ted Turner. Gary then became a professional broadcaster & producer, working for ESPN and other national media organizations, and more recently has done the TV announcing work for the recent America’s Cups. He’s an Editor at Large for both Sailing World & Cruising World Magazines. He continues to sail out of his homeport in Annapolis and remains one of America’s strongest sailing ambassadors. I had the privilege to sit down with Gary in his home office in Annapolis back in April of 2015 to talk about his career. This episode originally aired as #99. Enjoy!

HOW I THINK ABOUT SAILING #3. Andy & Mia answer listener questions on things like mono- versus multihulls, swing keels, meals onboard, books, how to be a leader and more!

How I Think About Sailing is Andy Schell's new podcast on, well, the title speaks for itself! Subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts! Music by Storm Weather Shanty Choir. Donate at 59-north.com/thinksailing.

#229: Andreas Heide is captain of the sailing yacht 'Barba', and the motivation behind the expeditions they run in far northern Norway. In winter. I should mention that Barba isn't a beefed up expedition yacht - she's a Jeanneau Sun Fast 37, more likely found in the Caribbean than the Arctic. No matter. After learning to sail in 2009, Andreas and his companions started setting out north and looking for Orcas. Here's his incredible story.

#228: Liz Karamavros is 59 North's first-ever apprentice. She came to us at the 2015 Annapolis Sailboat Show, and made such a good impression when we basically made up the apprentice position for her! Since then she's continued to carve out her own path towards her dream of professional ocean racing. Liz has recently signed onto her first big gig and is headed to the Caribbean to race onboard a Volvo 60!

#36 RECYCLED. John Rousmaniere is a lifelong sailor & writer whose seen - and done - it all. I first met John in Bermuda following the 2014 Newport-Bermuda Race. John's been involved in the race for years running the media team. John is most well-known for his books, namely the Annapolis Book of Seamanship, and Fastnet Force 10, about that infamous race in 1979.

#227. Chris is a long-time ocean racing sailor, having competed in the Velux 5 Oceans Race, skippered a boat in the Clipper Race and later building his own charter-racing business called Spartan Ocean Racing. Chris & Andy met at the RORC Caribbean 600 in Antigua in 2016, Isbjorn's first attempt at the race, and finally got the chance to record a podcast in January 2018!

#226. Lee Chesneau needs no introduction to you weather nerds out there. He’s been the voice of weather education for the past few decades in the US at least, and is as passionate about his chosen career field as anyone I’ve ever met. Lee & I began this conversation talking about his career - like how he KNEW he’d become a meteorologist when he was only 3 years old - but it was quite obvious that he REALLY wanted to talk weather. About a third of the way in, Lee gets going, and we had a wonderful and educational chat about offshore weather and how it impacts us sailors. Get in touch with Lee yourself on marineweatherbylee.com.

#225. Henrik Engblom is the bosun on the tall ship Pommern, one of the classic Cape Horn clipper ships that sailed out of the Aland Islands in the early 20th century. Aland is a Swedish-speaking but legally Finnish archipelago in the Baltic Sea, about 40 miles northeast of Stockholm, and home to a rich cultural & maritime history. Only in his 20s, Henrik, a native Alander Islander, is already a Master Rigger and in charge of Pommern’s restoration. Mia & I visited the ship back in 2013 when we sailed to Aland on Arcturus. I was excited to be back last summer aboard Isbjorn, when in August Henrik gave me a tour of the ship and talked to me at length about his career.

#224 / #173 Recycled. The Reverend Bob Shepton, now 81, got his start shortly after WWII as a climbing instructor in the British Armed Forces, where he used the outdoors to teach leadership & scripture. He didn’t start sailing until much later in life, but got real serious about it real quickly. I sat down with him at the Southampton Boat Show to talk religion, spirituality, his early days as a climber, losing his boat during an Arctic winter, his 15 Atlantic crossings, meeting the Wild Bunch, and the story behind the film series ‘Vertical Sailing Greenland.’ The music in this episode is courtesy of the Wild Bunch. This episode is sponsored by Forbes Horton Yachts. Visit forbesyachts.com. Bob Shepton might not be a household name in the US, but he certainly is in the UK. He was honored as ‘Yachtsman of the Year' in 2014, which may sound irrelevant until you realize the winners in 2013 & 2015 - that would be Sir Ben Ainslie & Sir Robin Knox-Johnston. Good company indeed. Anyway, Bob is one of the most accomplished and yet most humble sailors I’ve ever met. My interview with him was like sitting down with your favorite grandfather and hearing him tell old stories. We could have talked for hours, and Bob seemed to enjoy every second of it. Before you listen to this episode, take five minutes and watch Episode 2 of Vertical Sailing Greenland - you'll find it in the show notes below. That film is what initially inspired me to reach out to Bob, and he tells the behind-the-scenes story of it at length about halfway through our chat.

Paul Exner is one of our best friends, and easily the best sailor I’ve ever sailed with. Paul is Isbjorn’s Racing skipper, and is the only person - besides mad dad - who I’ve trusted to sail Isbjorn offshore without me being aboard. He’s been a regular on the podcast, so if you don’t know his backstory - how he grew up as a Gringo living in Puerto Rico, went on to coach the racing team at the University of Wisconsin, had his own mapping business, built his Cape George 31 Solstice from a bare hull and eventually sailed it to the caribbean - listen to one of his past episodes on On the Wind. Paul & I talk today about surviving Hurricane Irma and how it’s changed the lives of his young family.

#222. Carlton Goldthwaite is the visionary founder & owner of Broadreach, a North-Carolina based company that offers adventure travel and cultural immersion programs for students worldwide, a company very close to my heart - my first official captain’s job was in 2008, as a Broadreach skipper based out of French St Martin and co-leading three-week sailing & diving trips around the Leeward Islands. Carlton & I spoke in-person at the Broadreach HQ in Raleigh about his seaside childhood on the coast of New Jersey, his vagabonding experiences as a young adult, his stint on Wall Street as a junk bond trader, and the origins and evolution of Broadreach itself.

It’s been a LONG time since I talked much about the business on here, and, now three years in (almost) and at the dawn of a new year, I feel like this is as good a time as any. I’m writing and recording this in real-time, by the way - as I write this, it’s just before 1000 SWE time on Tuesday January 2, the day this will release.

Mia & I spent a lot of yesterday afternoon, January 1, reflecting on 2017 and planning ahead for 2018, across the business. The big question that we kept reminding ourselves of was the overall mission statement of 59 North. What, exactly, do we do, what do we WANT to do, and HOW do we accomplish that without getting sidetracked.

A special Christmas episode with the crew of SV Delos, plus a special announcement...

John Martino is the former owner of 'Isbjorn', then 'Patriot', and he's also the founder of the Annapolis School of Seamanship. I spoke to John in Eastport at the school's headquarters about his history as a sailor, how he founded the school, and of course how he came to own 'Patriot' and what he thought of her as a boat!