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.
#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.
#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.
