On the Wind Sailing

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

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

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

#74. Frank & Patty Fabian are the philosophical opposites of last week's guests, Ted & Claudia Reshetiloff. But their story is no less inspiring. Where Ted & Claudia packed up their working lives, yanked their young kids out of school and set off for new lives in the Caribbean, Frank & Patty took a more deliberate route. Learning the ropes for 17 years on their Catalina 30, they taught themselves ocean sailing, worked hard and saved harder, and finally bought a Leopard 48 catamaran - for cash - to set off with the Caribbean 1500 rally and realize a nearly lifelong dream. Newly retired, the Fabian's told me their story from the luxurious cabin of Sunsplash. And you can sail with them! Visit sailsunsplash.com to book a crewed charter with Frank & Patty in the Virgin Islands (I didn't even know they were running a business on the boat until halfway through this conversation!). As an aside, they offer some very simple yet GREAT financial advice within for those looking to follow in their footsteps, young or old. Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Sign up for an offshore passage at 59-north.com/events.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#61. Part 2 of the World Cruising Club 'Ocean Sailing Forum,' live from the Annapolis Sailboat Show. Andy moderates a panel including SAIL's Charlie Doane, Paul & Sheryl Shard from 'Distant Shores,' and Jennifer & Scott Brigham of the Valiant 40 'Pendragon.' They discussed all things ocean sailing, from boat selection watch planning, seasickness, fears, joys and more! If you missed Part 1, go to 59-north.com/sailingpodcast.

#60. Part 1 of the World Cruising Club 'Ocean Sailing Forum,' live from the Annapolis Sailboat Show. Andy moderates a panel including SAIL's Charlie Doane, Paul & Sheryl Shard from 'Distant Shores,' and Jennifer & Scott Brigham of the Valiant 40 'Pendragon.' They discussed all things ocean sailing, from boat selection to watch planning, seasickness, fears, joys and more! Check for Part 2 later this week.

#59. NPR's Scott Neuman chats with Andy about their favorite books that they'd bring along to a desert island or on a long offshore passage. They get going discussing some classic sailing books, then venture into fiction and nonfiction. If you're looking for something new to read, take notes! Thanks to Scott for inspiring this podcast!

#58. Andy reads a story called 'High Adventure' he wrote in February 2008. He and a friend, Michael, summited the hightes peak in Ireland. They were traveling together after meeting at a TEFL course in Prague.

#57. Brion's back to chat with Andy about some more technical aspects of yacht rigging, specifically to how it relates to ocean sailing, in Part 2 of yesterday's interview. They discuss proper preventers, rig tune, rig inspections, Dynex Dux and the advent of synthetics, and much more.

#56. Master Rigger Brion Toss is on the show today for Part 1 of a very long and enlightening conversation with one of Andy's heroes. Andy met Brion in 2009 at the Annapolis Sailboat Show, and their conversation was the deciding factor in outfitting Arcturus with synthetic rigging. Brion comes on the podcast to discuss his own history as a rigger and sailor. In Part 2, they discuss the more technical aspects of rigging.

#55. Andy & Ryan Briggs talk with Baxter and Molly Gillispie, serious adventurers. John and Amanda Neal, previous guests on the show, got us in touch with the couple, and we're glad they did! Baxter is a professional BASE jumping and 'squirrel suit' instructor, and he and Molly met skydiving. Their both skiers and mountaineers, having live for a while in Utah. Baxter summited Everest a while back, with Molly trekking into Nepal with some friends to meet him at Everest Base Camp. Now they've sold their house, sold their old Tartan 37 and bought a new-to-them 1982 Valiant 47 they hope to live and cruise on long-term with their dog Kala. This was was of the coolest episodes yet, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed doing it! Thanks to Baxter and Molly!

#54. This week I read an essay I wrote for Broadreach's blog about how sailing brings you back to the world as it was meant to be for humans. It's more philosophical than practical, but hopefully is inspiring! What did you think?

#53. David & Isabelle share their classic story of a ten-year dream-turned-reality to take their kids cruising. A French-Canadian couple from Quebec, David & Isabelle describe how after a bad ATV accident, David had an epiphany in his hospital bed, and their dream began. Ten years, two daughters, and three boats later, and their realizing it, halfway through an Atlantic circuit that took them to the Bahamas, down the Thorny Path to the BVI, across the Atlantic to Morocco and the Saraha desert, and now to Las Palmas where they're staging for the return. Get inspired!

#52. Andy discusses how he and Mia stay fit and healthy onboard. From eating right and paying attention to ingredient labels, to why German beer is better for you, to how to create a workout around a deck of cards, Andy covers his own methods of keeping fit and healthy on Arcturus. Have your own ideas? Share them with us!

#51. Chris Museler is back for another inspiring chat with Andy. Last they talked, Chris had just returned from an Atlantic crossing aboard HUGO BOSS, covering the double-handed race as a media crew for the NY Times. Chris explains what's happening with all the video footage he took (it's very cool). They continued to chat about how he got into sailing journalism, the big-time sailing he's done competitively, and lots more.

#49. *Rerun from Two Inspired Guys* John and Amanda Neal from Mahina Expedtions have been sailing heros of Andy's for a while now, and it was a real honor to have them on the show. Ryan was away for this one, but Ben Eriksen, creator of the One Simple Question movie (www.simplequestionmovie.com) joined Andy as a special guest co-host. They talked to John and Amanda about their sailing history, about Amanda's participation in the Whitbread Round the World Race as crew on 'Maiden', about John's passion for kayaking, and about running a triathlon in Svalbard in 2016 in Arctic Norway! Check out Mahina Expeditions online at www.mahina.com to sign up for one of John and Amanda's sailing adventures. Thanks guys!

#48. This is the Voice of Experience piece I wrote for SAIL magazine back in 2013 about my experience losing an anchor on my first-ever charter as a 20-year-old in New Zealand. Without further ado, enjoy this weeks (embarassing) Essay Friday. What's some of your stupid mistakes onboard?

#47. Kristen Berry is one of the head trainers at J/World Annapolis sailing school. Andy chatted with him in early August about his racing and cruising career, his transition into professional sailing from managing political campaigns (you'd be surprised at the similarities), his thoughts on what racers can learn from cruisers (and vice versa) and how he creates successful trainig programs at J/World and manages successful ocean racing campaigns. J/World Annapolis is now the Official Training Partner of World Cruising Club USA, and are hosting their first Ocean 'OPS' course on September 22-23. The Ocean Preparedness Seminar will be a hands-on weekend learning safety and emergency management specific to ocean sailing. Check them out at jworldannapolis.com.

#46. Andy spoke with master rigger Brion Toss from Bermuda several years back about the art and science of a proper rope whipping. It was originally for an article in Yachting World, but we've repurposed it into another Essay Friday episode. Brion is set to come on the podcast soon for a full-on interview, but in the meantime, enjoy his philosophy on rope whippings and learn a thing or two this week! briontoss.com

#45. John Franta is the brains behind Colligo Marine and their synthetic rigging products. Andy met John in 2009 at the Annapolis Sailboat Show and has been friends with him since. Arcturus was the first monohull that we know of that crossed an ocean with Colligo Dux synthetic rigging, and John and Andy have been working together on promoting synthetic rigging for cruising boats since their first meeting. They discuss the business behind Colligo and how John transitioned from a corporate job as an engineer at GM, to a start-up founder with Colligo. He's an inventor and a businessperson, and that combination is truly inspiring. Sklp to about minute 22 if you want to get right into the technical aspects of synthetic versus wire rigging. Check out Colligo on colligomarine.com.

#44. Another 'Essay Friday' for you to think about! Andy's ideas on how to outfit the ocean sailing yacht based on the principles found within Nassim Taleb's classic book 'The Black Swan.' Andy talks about not the chances of a piece of gear failing onboard, but rather the consequences of that failure and how that should influence what you decide to fit, or not fit, on an oceangoing boat. What do you think?

#43. Cary St. Onge took an ex-America's Cup training boat - an 80-foot maxi racer called 'Falcon', used for the 'Young America' team leading up to the 2000 AC - and converted it into his ideal notion of a fast cruising boat! Andy chatted with him on Skype from his home in Boulder, Colorado. He's outfitting the boat to sail in the Caribbean 1500 this coming fall, and is offering 10 crew berths onboard for what should be the sail of a lifetime! Check out Falcon in detail on force10sailing.com

#42. This week's essay Friday is an excerpt from the Log of Arcturus, which I keep onboard the boat. Written by hand, as it's happening, the log is a diary of sorts about our travels. This was written in August of 2012, almost exactly two years ago, during the 3-day passage from Malmo on Sweden's southwest coast to Visby, on the island of Gotland. It's good timing, as starting after work today, we'll be on vacation for the next three weeks, heading this time out of the Baltic and essentially retracing our steps from this here trip. It's fun to read what I've written and see what goes on in my head on those late, solo night watches. Hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed reliving it!

#41. Mario Vittone is a Navy vet and retired USCG rescue swimmer with a resume that will blow your mind. Andy got in touch with him via a mutual friend, and had an interesting chat about his experience in helo rescues at sea, cold water immersion, safety offshore and more. They discussed the recent Cheeki Rafiki search, the sinking of the Bounty and how Mario's career has recently transitioned from on-the-scene rescue ops to consultancy work and a successful writing career. Mario writes regularly on gCaptain.com and for various industry magazines and publications. Check out his own website at mariovittone.com. Enjoy episode 41!

#40. Essay Friday - What I learned in two Atlantic crossings. The first, of course was in 2011 aboard Arcturus, which I discussed at length with Clint Wells in Tuesday's episode. The second, which I haven't written much about, was the following year, on Kinship, a Saga 43 that Mia and I skippered in ARC Europe, crossing the Atlantic via Bermuda-Azores-Portugal. Both were very different experiences and taught me valuable lessons. This is what I wrote following the second crossing in July 2012. Enjoy!

#39. Andy sits down in person with one of his best friends in Oslo, Norway to reminisce about sailing across the North Atlantic. Clint, a non-sailor, joined Andy & Mia in Halifax for the cruise up the Canadian Maritimes and across the pond to Ireland, a 23-day passage, and the first time Clint was at sea. In between jokes and fun memories, Clint comes up with some great pearls of wisdom for anybody looking to cross an ocean, but might not know what to expect. He's honest, funny and sincere about how the experience changed his life for the better.

#37. Regular guest & sailing legend Matt Rutherford is back on the podcast to discuss his recent landfall in Japan, climbing Mt. Fuji, making his own saki, what it's like to complete a 7,000-mile nonstop ocean crossing in a 30-foot daysailor, and why he's so determined to do what he says he's going to do! Matt & Nicole Trenholm were in Japan when they recorded this, their last day there before returning to the USA, and Andy Skyped them from Sweden, so another international interview. Check out Matt & Nicole's latest expedition on oceanresearchproject.org.

#Bonus. This one is a bit more serious than last week, and looks at some of the 'rules' of ocean sailing from the perspective of two events from last fall - the Caribbean 1500 rally, and the Salty Dawgs. You'll recall that six Salty Dawg boats issued distress calls last year, two of which were later rescued by the Coast Guard. The incident made national news, and was a hot button issue among the offshore sailing community. I wrote down my own thoughts immediately afterwards, but didn't publish them until now, after lots of time to think it over and make a fair assessment of what happened. There's a lot of opinions in here, so buckle up! What did you think about the incident and what lessons did you take from it?

#36. To anybody that's been near a sailboat, today's guest needs no introduction. John Rousmaniere is a legendary sailor/writer whose been in the thick of the sport for over 40 years. He's logged over 40,000 sailing miles, mostly offshore, raced at the highest levels of the sport, and written 15 books and counting on the subject. Andy met John at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club following the Newport-Bermuda Race a few weeks ago. John has been in charge of media for the past three editions of the race, and reprised his role in 2014. Then he jumped aboard the McCurdy & Rhodes designed 'Selkie' and sailed back to Newport! John and Andy Skyped, Andy in Sweden, John in NYC, and they chatted for almost an hour about John's career as a writer, what it was like to sail in the '72 Bermuda Race and infamous '79 Fastnet Race, his motivations for writing about sailing and specifically safety at sea, and what he fears offshore. Enjoy!

#35. Welcome! New concept this week borrowed from Tim Ferriss and his podcast, which I'm a huge fan of (check it out). Every Friday I'll be recording an essay of sorts - stories, opinions, ideas, Q&A if we can get some folks involved, that sort of thing. It'll be a nice compliment to the interviews I do with guests, which will be out earlier in the week. So enjoy this story of my first experience being naked in Scandinavian-style with my wife Mia, her best friend Johanna, and my best friend Clint in the sauna in Finland.

#34. Yves Gelinas of Cape Horn Marine Products was on the show last year, coming to us from his office on the Ottawa River in Quebec. Andy was in Sweden and Ryan in Pittsburgh, so it's the first three-country podcast! Yves is a wonderful guy, a solo sailor, artist, inventor and businessman who gave up a successful career in filmmaking to pursue his dreams of sailing. In 1983 he completed production on 'With Jean du Sud Around the World', the film account of his solo circumnavigation via the Roaring Forties. The film won numerous awards following it's release, and is still considered by many as the finest sailing film ever produced. Yves discussed that project with us, his philosophy on art, life and sports, and how he got into the business of designing and producing the Cape Horn windvane self-steering system. Check out www.capehorn.com to learn more about that and to contact Yves. Thanks Yves!

#32. Andreas Hanakamp! For the sailors out there, Andreas is a former Olympic sailor and the skipper of Team Russia in the 09/08 Volvo Ocean Race. And he's awesome! Andy first met him in the 2011 ARC rally, and got a chance to sit down with him this year over a coffee in St. Lucia. Beyond sailing, Andreas is just overall a super inspiring dude - he climbs mountains, runs marathons, skis in the backcountry and just generally takes full advantage of life. It was a privilege for Andy to have had the chance to hang out with him for a couple days in St. Lucia. Thanks Andreas!

#31. This is another lecture from Cruiser's University that Andy gave in April in Annapolis. Sorry for the not-perfect quality (he recorded it on his phone), but hopefully the content makes up for it! Andy discusses six common problems you might encounter offshore, and how to deal with them. Indeed, whether some of them are even worth losing sleep over! Of the six, only two are what Andy calls 'deal-breakers' - meaning they can ruin, sometimes dangerously, an otherwise pleasant experience ocean sailing. If you missed it, check out Episode 29 about 'Mentally Preparing to go Offshore,' the other lecture from Cruiser's U. Enjoy!

#30. Andy and Chris met at the 2011 Caribbean 1500 when Chris was covering the rally. They caught up this morning on Skype and had a PHENOMENAL chat about Chris' experience onboard Hugo Boss in the recent New York - Barcelona IMOCA 60 race. It's the first time in history an outside journalist has been allowed onboard a shorthanded (double- or single-handed) to report objectively on what the crews go through in such a lengthy endurance test. Hugo Boss' normal skipper Alex Thomson is of course famous for his mast walk and keel walk escapades in his Hugo Boss clothing. Thomson couldn't make the race, so American Ryan Breymaier stood in...the won the race! Chris discusses life onboard, if it's possible to accurately document a double-handed race with a third person onboard (and Chris offers an awesome Heisenberg uncertainly analogy), what it feels like to sail a cutting edge rocketship like an IMOCA 60, and more! Towards the end Andy and Chris delve into fears offshore and some more philosophical ideas about sailing. Check the 59 North Facebook page for links to some of the stuff we talk about in the podcast. If you like it, please review it! Any comments or questions, interview ideas, etc, please email andy [at] 59-north [dot] com. Thanks for listening! We've got a new intro song from the Blaggards, and a new, simplified podcast logo! Like it? Hate it? Let me know! Any comments or questions, interview ideas, etc, please email andy [at] 59-north [dot] com. Thanks for listening!

#29. Welcome back! This week is a seminar Andy recorded at the Cruiser's University in Annapolis during the Spring Sailboat Show. People talk endlessly about preparing their boats to go offshore, but what about their brains? Andy spends over an hour going through the stages of a voyage, from preparation through to landfall, and discusses the common anxieties, what to expect, and how to keep it all in perspective. Enjoy!

#28. Erik de Jong was one of Andy's favorite guests on the podcast, and spoke at length on Episode 15. This one is a bit shorter. Andy & Erik talked via Skype last Saturday, the day before Erik was set to depart Halifax bound for Greenland in his custom steel 50-footer Bagheera, which Erik designed and built himself (he's a professional ship designer, so he can do that sort of thing!). Andy & Erik discuss how the very cool story of Erik delivering some sculptures to an art Student in Nuuk, Greenland came about after the last podcast episode was released. So as I type, Erik is en route to Nuuk, with a cargo of artwork, on a very cool mission! He'll continue sailing north this summer on his Arctic expeditions (still some crew spots left!). Check out bagheera-sailing.com to follow his progress and book a bunk! Thanks again to Erik for joining the show.

#27. Ben & Teresa Carey Return! Andy spoke with Ben & Teresa from his couch in Lancaster PA. No, they were not on the couch - they were in Maine! In a sweet little cafe while their new boat was anchored offshore1 And that's much of what this episode is about - their new-to-them Norseman 447, how they decided on buying it, what it was like getting down to Panama (the country!) to bring her home, and the adventures they had along the way. Of course Andy, Ben & Teresa take a few detours along the way, talking about sailing philosophy, shipwrecks at sea, this that and the other thing, but that's what old sailing friends do when they haven't caught up in a while. Check out Ben & Teresa's new adventures - and sign up for their sail-training courses this summer! - on morsealpha.com, or on their new oceancourier.org conservation-media site. Thanks guys!

#26. You might not recognize their names, but Jean-Charles & Antoine have been at the top of the multihull game for some time, and I had the chance to chat with them in Bermuda during the ARC Europe stopover. Both guys are French through and through (and I love their accents), and the French are nuts about multihulls. They were commercial mariners and fisherman, respectively, but got invited to join the crew of Geronimo, a 110-foot trimaran that was purpose built to break all the speed-sailing records in the early 2000's. They were both onboard for much of the campaign, including the Jules Verne Trophy (63 days nonstop around the world), the trans-Pacific California to Japan record, the round Australia record and on and on. We spoke aboard the one-off VPLP-designed cat Tosca that had just sailed the 650 miles from Portsmouth, VA to Bermuda in 3 days (!), with a top speed of 18 knots. And this is a cruising boat...Jean-Charles & Antoine couldn't have been nicer hosts - two days later, they invited Mia and I onboard for an evening of wine and cheese and great conversation. Jean-Charles also got me in touch with Mathias Maurios, the actual designer of Tosca who works for VPLP in Paris, so I'll be having him on the podcast soon! Thanks guys!

#25. Paul & Sheryl Shard are well known to many sailors for their Distant Shores TV series and DVD collection. They've been sailing for over 25 years on three boats now, and Andy sat down to Skype with them and talk about it! A very sailorly episode, this one was recorded in Bermuda (where Andy was), while the Shard's were aboard their Southerly 49 in Georgetown, Exuma, Bahamas, actually anchored out! They talked about how they got into sailing, how they built their first boat from a bare hull, started cruising and documenting their trips on video (film back in the day), and how that has all evolved into a career! Buy their DVDs right on 59-north.com.

#24. Magnus Olsson was on the Two Inspired Guys podcast a while back, and I'm relaunching this episode now on 59º North. I interviewed Magnus in downtown Stockholm, at the 'Sprit Museet' (Alcohol Museum) on Djurgården. Our boat Arcturus was tied up in the harbor there after we'd sailed her across the North Sea. Magnus and his partner Vica cycled down to the harbor and had coffee with us on Arcturus before he and I did the podcast. It was initially about an article I wrote for Yachting World on code sails, but turned into a discussion on sailing in general Magnus was truly larger than life, which comes through in this episode, and it was with great sadness that the sailing world learned of his passing last summer in Lanzarote, where he was training with Team SCA, the all-female entry in the next Volvo Ocean Race. I only knew him for short time, but it was a privilege. Thanks for the memories - and the podcast! - Magnus.