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.
#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/.
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.
