Essay

What One Isbjorn Crew Learned from Her 1st Offshore Passage // by Sophie Darsy

What One Isbjorn Crew Learned from Her 1st Offshore Passage // by Sophie Darsy

Note from Andy & Mia: Sophie sailed with us on Isbjorn from Sweden to Scotland in May 2018, our first passage of the Arctic season. She's a 30-something from France who lives in Stockholm with her partner Ryan, another 30-something from Iowa. They recently bought a Beneteau & are about to start a cruise from Stockholm to the Med, their first. Sophie came with us, like many do, to get some experience before setting out on their own. Here, in her own words, is what she learned.

Refitting Isbjorn // 2018's First Shakedown Sail

Refitting Isbjorn // 2018's First Shakedown Sail

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.

Heavy Weather Sailing // Thoughts from Paul Exner

Heavy Weather Sailing // Thoughts from Paul Exner

Note from Andy: "This post was written by our friend and Isbjorn's racing skipper Paul Exner, of moderngeographic.com. Paul writes from Chiapas, Mexico, where he's onboard his Cape George Cutter 'Solstice,' that he built himself. He's en route to Hawaii, relocating his family after Hurricane Irma destroyed their home and way of life on Tortola in the BVI. Family & heavy weather is on Paul's mind as he readies 'Solstice' to cross the Pacific...

The State of 'Isbjorn' Sailing in 2018 // Essay Podcast

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.

Andy's Biased Review of 'Red Dot on the Ocean: The Matt Rutherford Story'

Andy's Biased Review of 'Red Dot on the Ocean: The Matt Rutherford Story'

Andy Schell reviews the new documentary about the life of Matt Rutherford and how he went from troubled teenager to legendary solo sailor. In short - watch it. It's an inspirational tale and an absolutely riveting recounting of what will go down in history as one of the greatest small boat voyages of all time. The fact that Matt nearly ended up spending his life in prison only makes it more interesting. Truly moving. The movie makes it's theatrical debut this Friday in New York City at the Quad Cinema. Click for tickets.

Ocean Sailing Rules: The Salty Dawg Incident of 2013

Ocean Sailing Rules: The Salty Dawg Incident of 2013

Another essay episode for your Friday! 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. 

Naked in Public: Sauna Etiquette from the Swedes

Naked in Public: Sauna Etiquette from the Swedes

To the girls, this was nothing out of the ordinary. Johanna said it best. "Boobs are just boobs. They're not sexual until you start playing with them!" Touche. But in American - and British - culture, that's not always the case. We've got a messed up sense of our own sexuality (thank the Puritans I guess, and they came from England), so anytime there's nudity involved the mind tends to wander.