On the Wind Sailing

#126 & 127 are parts one and two of World Cruising Club's 2015 Ocean Sailing Forum. It's a panel discussion of all things ocean sailing. I moderated it, and our guests included Lee & Rachel Cumberland of Satori, their Tayana 37; Rick & Julie Palm of Archer, their Outremer 51 catamaran; and Sheryl & Paul Shard of Distant Shores, their Southerly 49. Paul & Sheryl also have been making the popular TV series of the same name now for over 25 years.

#126 & 127 are parts one and two of World Cruising Club's 2015 Ocean Sailing Forum. It's a panel discussion of all things ocean sailing. I moderated it, and our guests included Lee & Rachel Cumberland of Satori, their Tayana 37; Rick & Julie Palm of Archer, their Outremer 51 catamaran; and Sheryl & Paul Shard of Distant Shores, their Southerly 49. Paul & Sheryl also have been making the popular TV series of the same name now for over 25 years. Thanks to Sailrite for sponsoring this week's episode. Join Andy & Mia offshore on Isbjorn, our classic Swan 48. 59-north.com/offshore.

#125. is Janne Larsson, Swedish electrician cum-circumnavigator. This is another episode I recorded at Hallberg-Rassy's Oppna Varv in August. Big thanks to podcast fan – and now guest of the show! – Nuno Antunes for introducing me to Janne. Janne is another dreamer, and another example of how to make dreams turn into reality. An electrician living in Helsingborg on Sweden's southwest coast, Janne and a friend Karl made a handshake agreement one day after a wine-filled evening the night before, and agreed they'd set off together and sail around the world. Nevermind that neither of them had ever sailed before. That was just a detail. The book 'Brave or Stupid' was born. Thanks to Sailrite for sponsoring this episode! Come ocean sailing with Andy & Mia on their Swan 48 'Isbjorn'. To view the passage calendar, visit 59-north.com/offshore.

#124 is Matt Rutherford (again). Matt and Nicole recently returned from another lengthy expedition, this one to the far northern reaches of Greenland in pursuit of scientific research. Matt & Nicole made it all the way to 78º North, further even than Nasa this summer, and helped chart one of the last areas on earth that's never been surveyed before. We talked about the expedition, the logistics of navigating 24/7 in thick ice, how they anchored and what anchoring hardware they used, the locals, wildlife, carrying rifles ashore and polar bears! Check out his blog on oceanresearchproject.org. Thanks to Sailrite for sponsoring this episode! Want to go ocean sailing? Join us on Isbjorn, our classic Swan 48. Click here!

#123 starts out with a short story about the refit on Isbjorn. Andy reflects on the past three weeks and what he, Mia and a whole host of friends, old and new accomplished on the boat. There's still lots to do, but boy have we come a long way! The guest this week is Nuno Antunes. Nuno's from Portugal, but has lived in Sweden for over 20 years and has a fascinating personal story, including growing up in rural Portugal, becoming a Navy diver and being involed in the Balkans War. All the while, Nuno had a dream to sail over the horizon. His relentless pursuit of that dream and his unconventional means of making it come true are precisely why I wanted to have him on the show. This episode is one for the dreamers out there, a real-life example of one family who made their dreams come true and a practical lesson in how to actually do it. You can follow Nuno and Jenny's adventures on dreamalive.se, where he'll be keeping an ongoing blog of their trip. Nuno is also the Swedish distributor for the Air Head composting marine toilet (why he was at the show), so if you're in Sweden and you're interested in one, visit his sit at airheadtoilet.se.

#122 is Ben & Teresa Carey (again!). Mia and Andy had a chance to watch their movie, 'One Simple Question' and Andy spoke to them about it for a bit (spolier alert - it's awesome!). We also talked a lot about their 'Hello Ocean' citizen-science research projects, what motivates them to work so hard in sailing, and what they're up to at the upcoming Annapolis Boat Show! Hello Ocean can be found at helloocean.org, where there is also a link to their Indie Gogo page. Ben & Teresa's sail-training is at morsealpha.com. Get details on DVD orders for 'One Simple Question' at simplequestionmovie.com Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on Isbjorn, a classic Swan 48, at isbjornsailing.com.

#121. Cameron Deyell is a musician based in Brooklyn by way of Auckland, New Zealand. Note the new intro music this week, a song called 'Hey Rose' by his band 'Streets of Laredo.' The full song plays at the conclusion of the episode. Cameron's also a sailor and traveler, and much of his solo music is informed by his sailing experience and sailing dreams. Cameron invited Andy to his Brooklyn studio to record this interview, where they discuss his music career and his sailing background. Cameron also wrote and performed the new ad music for the podcast. Look for a bonus episode this week with a look behind-the-scenes at how that came together. Check out Cameron's band at 'Streets of Laredo' at streets-of-laredo.com. Cameron's solo project is at totarajack.com. Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on Isbjorn, a classic Swan 48, at isbjornsailing.com. And to find Franz Amussen and his podcasts and sailing tutorials, visit medsailor.com.

#120 is Magnus Rassy. If the name sounds familiar, it should – Magnus is CEO of Hallberg-Rassy, builder of some of the finest cruising yachts in the world. Orust island is legendary for producing sailing yachts, and in fact Magnus has an almost unbelieveable story to share about the history of this place. Go to the show's website page at 59northpodcast.com to see some photos from the HR yard in Sweden! Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on Isbjorn, a classic Swan 48, at isbjornsailing.com.

#119. Going to the way-back machine for this week's show, re-releasing episode #10 of my old Two Inspired Guys show. This is Joe Reed, multi-time Caribbean 1500 sailor and NASA scientist, recorded in Tortola after the rally in 2012. For those of you who have listened to 59º North for a while now, you'll notice a BIG difference in this episode! I'm slightly embarrassed to even release this again, but it is fun to go back and hear how far the podcast has come in terms of both my hosting and the production quality. Plus, Joe's a super guy, and has a super story. He's sailed in the 1500 every year since this was recorded, and is indeed signed up again for 2015. If you want to come ocean sailing with Mia and I on our Swan 48 'Isbjorn,' check out the passage calendar on 59-north.com/offshore.

#118 is Matt Grant of Sailrite, makers of the Ultrafeed sewing machine and inspiration to thousands of DIY sailors around the world. Matt's father Jim started the company back in the 1960s, and he's followed in the family footsteps, taking the reigns after college and moving the business into the future. Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on Isbjorn, a classic Swan 48, at isbjornsailing.com.

#117 is Simon Borjeson, a twenty-something Swedish sailor and athlete living in Norway and working as an engineer in the oil industry. I met Simon at the start of the ARC Europe rally in Portsmouth, VA. He, along with three of his friends, were crewing onboard Euphoria, a brand-new Xc-42 that Simon's dad Len had recently bought. Simon discusses growing up and sailing with his family, what it's like on a long ocean passage, how Swedish sailing and boating culture works, why Swedes don't drink and drive and how his sailing actually helped his preparation for the Stockholm Swimrun in June. Simon & his competition partner Rasmus are gunning for the world championships in Swimrun on September 7, racing in 'O till O', a 75km jaunt through the outer Stockholm archipelago. Follow them on ostersjosimmet.com. As an aside, you might hear that I talk a bit different in this episode. I know Simon in Swedish, and we rarely talk English to each other. So it's a bit strange for both of us to be speaking English together on the show. Big thanks to Simon for going out of his comfort zone and recording this episode in English. Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on Isbjorn, a classic Swan 48, at isbjornsailing.com.

#116 is one of the best yet! Yan Miles, captain of the tall ship 'Pride of Baltimore II' is full of stories, and boy can he tell them! Yan and Andy spoke from the captain's quarters onboard the 'Pride' itself, docked in Annapolis at City Dock. He has been involved with the 'Pride' since it's inception in the 1980s. Yan tells the story of how he got involved in sailing, worked his way up in the private and classic yachting scene, the story of the 'Pride's' inception, the first 'Pride's' tragic sinking, the building of the second 'Pride' and what it's like barreling down the Bay during the Schooner Race and overtaking the schooner Woodwind, which Andy was aboard! Join Andy on an offshore sailing passage on his Swan 48 'Isbjorn' at 59-north.com/offshore.

#115 is Sara Hastreiter, crewmember aboard Team SCA in the most recent Volvo Ocean Race. Sara's been featured in the NY Times, on NPR, in the Wall Street Journal and other places as her star has risen in the sailing world. She only got started in 2008 after moving from Wyoming to St. Croix, and getting work on charter boats and racing yachts in the Caribbean. It had always been a goal to reach the pinnacle of the sport, and she did that with Team SCA. Sara and Andy discussed her career and what it's like ocean racing on a VO65 for over an hour, Sara speaking on Skype from her new home base in the UK. Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on Isbjorn, a classic Swan 48, at isbjornsailing.com.

#114. Paul Exner speaks at the World Cruising Club's 'Ocean Sailing Seminar' in Annapolis, MD in March on what it's like to sail offshore in strong conditions. Paul touches on heavy weather in theory and mixes in his own experiences from his varied career as an ocean sailing skipper. Want to go ocean sailing with Andy or Paul? Book a berth on 'Isbjorn,' our classic Swan 48, at 59-north.com/offshore.

#113. is an essay about the first passage of Andy & Mia's Swan 48 Isbjorn. They sailed to Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, departing Annapolis on July 4, with Charly, Dan, John and Sean onboard as the inaugural crew. Andy talks about the passage and reflects a bit on how it all went down and what it felt like to reach this milestone. To see some photos of the trip, go to 59-north.com/passagelogs. Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on Isbjorn, a classic Swan 48, at isbjornsailing.com.

#112. is a Two Inspired Guys rerun with Pawel Motawa, a Polish sailor Andy met at the ARC Rally a few years back. Pawel had a TV studio in Poland, and then bought his dream boat - a steel sloop - and has been spending the past several years sailing in Antarctica. The interview was recorded onboard his boat 'Malaika' in St. Lucia after he'd crossed the Atlantic from Europe. Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on Isbjorn, a classic Swan 48, at isbjornsailing.com.

#111 is Miles Poor. Miles and his wife Anne run MRP Refits, both here in Annapolis and at their winter base in Nanny Cay, BVI. MRP specializes in project management on pretty fancy sailboats. Miles' main career was as a facial surgeon. We sat down on Miles' Tayana 55 in Annapolis, a boat he uses for MRP as his 'showroom' and discussed his very interesting history – he was born in Stockholm and went to boarding school in Switzerland, learning to sail on Lake Geneva – and then delve into some ocean sailing stuff. Book your next passage with Isbjorn, our classic Swan 48, at 59-north.com/offshore.

#110 is Duncan Hood, a long-time sailor and technically an Annapolis resident for more than two decades, but who's traveled the world teaching instructors how to teach sailing. Duncan works as an ASA instructor and years ago got asked to travel to China to help start a sailing school in the south, near the border with North Korea, and his story of that misadventure makes up a good chunk of the middle of this episode. It's a riveting tale! Come ocean sailing with Andy & Mia on Isbjorn, their classic Swan 48 at 59-north.com/offshore.

#109 is guest-hosted by Magnus Ormestad, of the hugely popular Swedish outdoor sports podcast 'Husky.' I met Magnus in Stockholm in May. He had a chance to go to Iceland and stay aboard the Aurora Arktika, a 60-foot former Clipper RTW race boat. His interview with skipper 'Siggi' Jonsson had me spellbound – they spent a week sailing in the fjords of Iceland and skiing the surrounding mountain peaks. Magnus agreed to let me air his chat with Siggi on my show, so here it is! Be sure to check out the Husky Podcast at huskypodcast.com, and visit 59northpodcast.com for more links and videos on ski-sailing in Iceland! Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on Isbjorn, a classic Swan 48, at isbjornsailing.com.

#108 is a followup to the very popular blog post I wrote last week about our too-close encounter with a Navy ship en route from Bermuda to NYC. Douglas MacDonald, owner of the HR43 we were sailing, comes on the show to discuss what happened from his perspective. He's very humble about the experience, and wants to provide his insight on how you can avoid this kind of thing yourself. If you haven't read the article, click here. Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on Isbjorn, a classic Swan 48, at isbjornsailing.com.

#107. Paul Exner sits down with Brian Duff in Tortola. Brian's old friends with both Paul & Andy. Brian started Southbound Rigging in Annapolis, MD a few years back, where Andy first started working as a rigger in 2009. Brian sold the shop to Mike Meer (who's been on the podcast!) and sailed his Westsail 32 south to the BVI to start a new life as a boat broker. Paul of course lives in the BVI, and soon became friends with Brian. They chat on this episode about Brian's work as a boat broker, his life as a rigger, how he moved south from Annapolis and his new venture as a restaurant owner at The Island Last Resort in Trellis Bay. If you're ever cruising in the BVI, stop in and have a drink! Want to go ocean sailing with Andy or Paul? Book a berth on Isbjorn, our Swan 48 at 59-north.com/offshore, or on Paul's Solstice, a Cape George 31 at moderngeographic.com.

#106. Hank and Andy go back several years, having continually bumped into each other in various landfalls around the US and Caribbean. Those of us who work in sailing full-time are few and far between, so it's a small world. Andy sat down with Hank in Bermuda during the ARC Europe stopover and chatted for almost an hour and a half! Hank talked about his career working on offshore oil rigs, how he got into racing as a teenager (and lived a sailing bums life in the 70s), & how he started OPO and the NARC Rally. Towards the second half of the episode, Hank discusses candidly some scary stuff - the loss of a crew member in the NARC Rally in 2010, and the abandonment of the Alpha catamaran during an ill-fated delivery last January. It's an inspiring look at one of the biggest names in the American offshore cruising business. Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth Isbjorn, our Swan 48, at 59-north.com/offshore.

#105 is an essay in which Andy describes the ups and downs of starting a sailing business. Financially and emotionally it's been a roller coaster ride since buying Isbjorn. Andy talks about that process and how far he and Mia have come since buying the Swan 48 in February. Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on Isbjorn, a classi Swan 48, at isbjornsailing.com.

#104. Tania Aebi spoke at the ARC Europe Rally in Bermuda last Sunday, and Andy recorded it. Tania was skippering Jojo Maria, a Beneteau on it's way back to New York from the Caribbean. During the Bermuda stopover she regaled the packed house of crew with her tales of circumnavigating in her 26-foot Contessa in the 1980's at age 18. She was the youngest woman to ever do so single-handed. Her book 'Maiden Voyage' remains in print and is an all-time sailing classic. The fleet was based at the St. George's Dinghy & Sports Club. Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on Isbjorn at 59-north.com/offshore.

#103. The beautiful and charming Anna Vinnars, voice of the podcast, on the show today to talk about her epic cycling trip from South Africa to Sweden (yes, you read that correctly!). Co-hosted by Ryan Briggs, Andy's best friend. This is a re-run from one of the very first podcasts Andy ever did, back in the 'Two Inspired Guys' days. It's not so much about sailing, but it's all about adventure. You'll dig it. And you'll fall in love with Anna's voice like Andy did! Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on Isbjorn, our Swan 48 at 59-north.com/offshore.

#102 is Mike Meer, a dear friend of mine and my former employer, who taught me everything I know about yacht rigging. It's all about yacht rigging in the context of ocean sailing, in Mike's witty, fun-loving style. He's a cool guy, and he gets across complex rigging issues in a very understandable manner. The slides from Mike's talk are available at this episode's blog page on 59-north.com/sailingpodcast, so head there to follow along. Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on Isbjorn, our classic Swan 48, at 59-north.com/offshore.

#101. I had a nice little chat with Elodie at the dock after sailing with Team SCA on their TP52 in New York. Elodie is one of the crewmembers with the Volvo Ocean Race's Team SCA, the first all-female crew in 12 years in the race. This is a bit shorter than normal, but Elodie has promised to come back on the show for a longer chat after the Volvo, so look forward to that! For now, enjoy a few minutes with Elodie Mettraux of Team SCA! Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on Isbjorn, our classic Swan 48, at 59-north.com/offshore.

#100 is Paul Exner & I on the road talking business. It occurred to me shortly after releasing Paul's first interview with Victor Hempel that a lot of my listeners might not know who the hell this Paul Exner guy was. So we re-hash some of Paul's sailing experience, focusing on his technical knowledge of the sport. Ultimately though we ended up talking more about the new business than anything else. This is a very honest episode - we talk about the conflict of using the podcast as an advertising platform, how to price offshore passage trips, what it's like emotionally starting your own business and lots more. Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on Isbjorn, our classic Swan 48, at 59-north.com/offshore.

#99 is legendary America's Cup sailor and local Annapolitan Gary Jobson. Gary told stories of growing up in New Jersey sailing dinghies, sailing with Ted Turner and winning the 1977 America's Cup, commentating for ESPN, winning two Emmy wards, watching the foiling catamaran's at AC34, his thoughts on AC35 in Bermuda and lots more! Want to go ocean sailing? Book a berth on Isbjorn, our Swan 48, on 59-north.com/offshore.

#98. Retired Senator Tom Harkin invited me and my dad to his house in Hope Town, Bahamas, a place he's been going to since the 70s to escape the rat race in DC, and which he'll spend a lot more time at now in retirement. We took the ferry over and had lunch with Tom and his wife Ruth on the dock overlooking the sea of Abaco and Tom's new sailboat, a 26' lifting keel Seaward. We recorded the podcast on the deck behind Tom's house, overlooking the Atlantic ocean. My dad was there as well, listening in the background. Tom's got an amazing life story, a lot of which includes his love of sailing. We discussed his younger days in the Navy ROTC, how he became a fighter pilot, what it's like to takeoff and land from the deck of an aircraft carrier, how he built a trimaran in Japan, how he survived ejecting from a fighter plane on a training mission gone wrong, and much more. This is a good one, so listen up! Come ocean sailing with Andy, like Tom did, on Isbjorn, our classic Swan 48. Book a trip at 59-north.com/offshore!

#97. At about 0200 in the morning last Wednesday, after we'd tied the dock lines up in Little Creek VA, I got out the recorder and we debriefed the passage north on Sojourner from Marsh Harbor to Annapolis. The crew were myself, my dad, and Les and Jim, two podcast fans who'd signed up for the expedition online! The trip was ideal sailing - broad reaching under a full moon for most of the way, and warm, dry and comfortable (at least until we got back into colder water on the Bay). Aside from one night, that is. Early Easter Sunday morning we experienced a violent frontal passage, with 50-knot initial gusts and sustained winds overnight in the 30-40 knot range. Easily the strongest weather I'd encountered in my offshore career, and a hell of an experience for Les and Jim who'd never been offshore before. So we talked about it. Here's the tape.

#96. Live from World Cruising Club's Ocean Sailing Seminar weekend in Annapolis. Andy spends 90 minutes discussing boat types and how to prioritize outfitting your boat for deep ocean sailing. He emphasizes that basically ANY boat can complete an ocean passage when properly outfitted and with a properly trained crew. But sometimes it's nice to have a few luxuries, and Andy talks about how to prioritize adding equipment. To follow along with the slides from this episode, go to 59-north.com/sailingpodcast and click on this episode. This episode was sponsored by Forbes Horton Yacht Sales in Annapolis. Need a bluewater boat? Have one to sell? Talk to Forbes - Andy's new Swan 48 came through Forbes' office. Visit forbesyachts.com. This episode was also supported by World Cruising Club, the world's most popular offshore sailing rallies. Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on Isbjorn, our S&S Swan 48, at 59-north.com/offshore.

#95. Despite the intro, this is not the first Thursday episode…but it is another business-oriented episode, kind of a hybrid actually. Andy sat down with Forbes Horton of his namesake Yacht Sales brokerage in his office in Annapolis. Forbes' firm, thanks to Lloyd Cooper, put together the deal to buy Isbjorn, the Swan 48 we talked about previously. Andy has known Forbes for a while - they talk about how they met, how he got into sailing and his own adventures in a Tartan 34c, the brokerage business in general, and how the deal came together with Isbjorn! Need a good bluewater sailboat? Go to forbesyachts.com and get in touch with Forbes and Lloyd. They're the best in the business. Want to go on an ocean sailing expedition? Head on over to 59-north.com/sailingpassages to book a berth on the Swan 48 'Isbjorn.' We're heading to the Caribbean for 2016, Europe in the spring!

#94. Paul Exner talks to single-handed sailor Victor Hempel aboard Paul's boat 'Solstice' in Tortola. Paul and Andy also announce their partnership between 59º North & Modern Geographic to offer sailing expeditions aboard the Swan 48 'Isbjorn' and Paul's 'Solstice.' Paul will be regularly co-hosting '59º North' during the normal Tuesday releases. What do you think of the new co-host? Want to go ocean sailing with Andy or Paul? Book a berth on the Swan 48 'Isbjorn' or the Cape George 31 'Solstice' at 59-north.com and moderngeographic.com.

#93. You know that intro music you love from the podcast? It's Blaggards! Andy spoke with lead singer and co-founder of the band, Patrick Devlin just in time for St. Paddy's Day. Patrick's story is a classic one of following your passion into a passable career, and he's had remarkable success with it. Patrick talks about not drinking, starting a band, U2, growing up in Ireland, sadness in his family, touring and playing all-day shows on St. Paddy's Day! Check out Blaggards music at blaggards.com or on Facebook.com/blaggards.

#92. Buying a bigger boat and using it to take people across oceans has long been a dream of mine. I can't pinpoint when exactly this happened, but it was probably in the mid-2000s when I was working on the schooner Woodwind in Annapolis. That was the first time I realized that it might be possible to have a career not in sailing, but as a sailor. So at Christmastime I did a yachtworld.com search, just for fun. I typed in 'Swan', set the length to 40-50 feet, and capped the price at $150,000.00. Mia and I had been able to save a fair amount of money over the past couple of years, to the tune of about $35,000.00, and this was a number I thought we might be able to afford. --- This is the beginning of the story of how Mia and I came to own a 1972 Swan 48, hull no. 2, which we've named Isbjorn. I'll follow this up with regular podcast and blog updates on how the business is developing and how the refit is going, in real time, as we embark on the next stage of our sailing careers. Wish me luck! Read on for the transcribed audio below, or click the player above to hear it. Want to go ocean sailing on our new Swan!? Sign up at 59-north.com!

#91. Andy's seminar about sailing to Europe and back from the 2015 Toronto Boat Show in January. Recorded in front of a live audience! Episode includes Q&A at the end, tips on weather routing, northern versus southern routes to Europe, and how to get back! Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on at 59-north.com/events.

#90. This week's episode features another LIVE lecture from the Toronto International Boat Show about sailing offshore to the Bahamas! The tried and true route is down the ICW from the Chesapeake. But that takes weeks! Which ic great if you have the time to meander and enjoy the nice towns along the way. But if you're really keen to get to the islands and enjoy that time there, there's a much faster way, and it's in the ocean. In five days from Norfolk or Beaufort, you can be sipping rum and laying back in the Abacos! The focus of today's episode is getting over the fear and trepidation of going offshore in general, and then planning specifically for a Bahamas-bound passage. What weather to expect, where to make landfall, etc. Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth at 59-north.com.

#89. This one is for the sailors who are also skiers - Drew Hardesty is a forecaster with the Utah Avalanche Center. How does he relate to sailing? Drew is the definition of an outdoorsman, and the wilderness envrionment that is the backcountry in the mountains of Utah is strikingly similar, philosophically, to the wilderness that is the high seas, and both are blessed and cursed with the same adventure and the same problems. Drew and Andy discuss his career as a rescue-climber and backcountry avalanche forecaster, as well as Drew's ideas on how to manage the influx of people into the backcountry, how those same problems plague the ocean sailing community, his hopes and fears to the future of backcountry use, and what he thinks we can do about it. Reach out to Drew to join his backcountry outreach program on drew [at] utahavalanchecenter [dot] org, or check out avalanche.org for more information. Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on 59-north.com/events.

#88. Franz Amussen, host of the 'Sailing the Med' podcast, joins Andy to discuss his namesake podcast. They recorded over Skype, Andy in Toronto for the boat show there, Franz in his home in Salt Lake City. This is the first part of a two-part episode, and is mostly Franz interviewing Andy about his own sailing career, cruising in the Baltic, Swedish customs and other fun stuff. Towards the end the tables are turned and Franz is the one answering questions, but they ran out of time before getting too far into it. Stay tuned for a Part 2 coming up soon! Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on at 59-north.com.

#87. Andy spoke with Brenda of the schooner Mahdee, which is currently berthed in California. Brenda and her husband David got inspired to go sailing in their college years while on a cycling trip around Lake Superior. Eating from a camp stove, they looked at a sailboat on the lake and thought, 'that's how we ought to travel!' Years went by, and Brenda and David traveled all over the world following his career as a Navy Pilot while Brenda picked up Engineering jobs. Finally, in 2006, their dream came true when they bought and begant the lengthy restoration of the classic 1931 schooner Mahdee. Since launch, they've cruised the west coast as far as Alaska, and are full-time liveaboards, having sold everything ashore to follow their dream. Check out Mahdee's transformation on blog.mahdee.com. Their latest project is Bootstrap Adventure (bootstrapadventure.com), where they're attempting to create a marketplace for outdoor adventurers to buy and sell gear, knowledge and experience. Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on 59-north.com/events.

#86. Andy sat down in person with Liza Copeland at the Toronto Boat Show not too long ago. In fact, they shared a booth alongside Paul & Sheryl Shard, who were all part of the seminar program at the show. Liza has sold an astounding number of her books, all about the cruising lifestyle, which has made her a household name in the sailing world. She first circumnavigated with her young family aboard a production Beneteau, and has since sailed over 100,000 miles in that boat, called 'Bagheera.' Andy & Liza discussed how she got into cruising and what it's like saiing around the world with a family! This is truly an inspiring episode for anyone thinking of sailing with kids (Andy met her son at the show, who's now a successful airline pilot - and still a sailor!). You can find Liza's books online at aboutcruising.com. Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth for the Canadian Maritimes this summer and the Caribbean 1500 next fall at 59-north.com/events.

#85. Eric Forsyth, legendary ocean voyager with over 300,000 sea miles and whose visited both Antarctica & Spitsbergen on his Westsail 42, joins the podcast! Andy and Eric chat about his days in the 1950s flying the first fighter jets with the Royal Air Force, how Eric got into sailing, navigating on Celestial only in the Newport-Bermuda Race in the 1970s and what it's like to endure a 75-knot gale in the Southern Ocean. Eric is a very humble man with extraordinary achievements beneath his keel, and bumps along the road in his life. "I have no regrets," he says about it all. Eric's now going on 83, and is planning on going back to Fiona this spring to sail, well, who knows where. Thanks to Eric for this inspiring conversation! Read all about Eric and his travels on yachtfiona.com. Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on Sojourner, Serenity or a soon-to-be-announced Swan at 59-north.com/events.

#84. Webb Chiles is a sailing legend. Andy and he spoke about his sailing philiosophy, what it's like to survive for 26-hours floating in the ocean, rounding the Horn and whether or not religion plays a role in sailing (yep, it's deep). You may not have heard too much about Webb, and that's kind of by design. Webb is an artist as much as he is a sailor (read his work at inthepresentsea.com), and he's about as pure as they come in the sailing world. He's been around the world a full five times, and set a myriad of records, including first American to sail solo around Cape Horn, and fastest aorund the world alone, beating Sir Francis Chichester's record in the 1970s (which has of course since been demolished). In his 70s now, Webb is about to embark on his sixth circumnaviagation, this time in a 24-foot light-displacement day-racer, which he's been sailing for a while (luxurious compared to his lap of the globe in an 18-foot open yawl). Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on Sojourner at 59-north.com/events.

#83. Bruce Scwab is the first American sailor to complete the legendary solo, nonstop Vendee Globe ocean race. It was his second solo circumnavigation onboard Ocean Planet, the boat he designed and developed on the west coast. Bruce grew up in northern California and started sailing with his dad a young age, eventually working at a rig shop for many years where he honed his skills on the owners boat as a solo racing sailor, winning the first event he ever entered. DON'T MISS Bruce's YouTube channel with some incredible footage from the Vendee, including a horrendous Southern Ocean storm. 'In hindsight, I realized that for my entire life I'd been training for the Vendee and didn't even realize it,' Bruce says. The lightbult went off and he started putting together a program with the nonprofit Ocean Planet, who funded the boat. He tells the whole story - and then some - here on the podcast. Bruce now lives in Maine and specializes in outfitting cruising boats with alternative energy sources and high-end batteries, and is on the forefront of marine energy technology. Check him out at bruceschwab.com or oceanplanet.org. Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on Sojourner! Summer Annapolis-Lunenburg & fall Caribbean passages available on 59-north.com.

#82. Kamau Iandiataiyero is a learner. He discovered sailing in July 2013 on a Rainbow in Annapolis, and has taken to the sport incredibly quickly. So quickly, in fact, that he's building his own bluewater boat - one that he also designed - and hopes to set off by 2017. Kamau is not your average sailor. He's not average anything - at 6'7", he found production boats literally don't fit him. But they don't fit his personality either, which you'll soon discover in this very cool episode with a very inspiring dude. We talked about Kamau's project, how he got into sailing, how he took the leap to desing his own boat and more. Kamau is using Erik de Jong as his naval architect in fact, so there is definitely some crossover here. Kamau actually first reached out to me before the boat show in Annapolis this fall to have me pick apart his original design on the boat. Check out Kamau's YouTube channel for some very insightful videos at youtube.com/user/kamauiandiataiyero. Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on Sojourner and sail to Nova Scotia in July or the Caribbean in November at 59-north.com/events.

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

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

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

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