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.
James Frederick, aka 'James the Sailor Man' returns to the podcast four years after I first interviewed him. Back then, James was still prepping his Alberg 30 TRITEIA in LA...now, the boat is in New Zealand after James sailed her over 9,000 miles, solo, with many adventures along the way. We talked about his sudden divorce, losing his rudder mid-Pacific and of course sailing in Greenland on FALKEN.
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.
Ben Doerr of Sail Bainbridge returns to talk to Andy about motorboatin'! Andy got inspired to call Ben when he saw an ad for a 65-foot converted Swedish Navy ship for sale in Stockholm as a place to live on the water. Andy though, 'hmm, who do I know that did exactly this, and with a family to boot...?' Ben of course! Ben and his young family have been living continuously on motor yachts (while their shoreside home is rented out) for over 5 years, currently calling the converted fire tug EWEN ROSS home. Ben talks to Andy about all the ups and downs of motorboat livin' on this long, winding and very fun chat between old friends.
Legendary Finnish sailor Tapio Lehtinen returns to the podcast to talk to Andy about losing his boat in the recent Golden Globe Race and the emotional toll it took on him. They discuss theories on why the boat sank and talk about how that experience has influenced his preparation for the upcoming Ocean Globe Race. Tapio is preparing his classic Swan 55 GALIANA with a crew of young Finnish sailors. It will be Tapio’s second Whitbread-style race after he sailed the original route in the 80s.
You can learn more about Tapio and his OGR campaign on his website: https://www.tapiolehtinensailing.fi
Andy & Matt ramble on about anything and everything, from sailing in Greenland to DJ’ing in the turntable era and most things in between. Andy was able to catch up with Matt right before he left for the 2023 Ocean Research Project expedition to Greenland the very next day. Matt is always an interesting guest and this episode is no exception. To support Matt’s mission and follow his expedition north to Greenland, head over to Ocean Research Project.
In less than a month, Andrew Bedwell from the UK will set sail on his homemade yacht, Big C, in a daring attempt to break the World Record for smallest boat to ever have sailed across the Atlantic Ocean. The previous record has stood for thirty years, and if Andrew is successful, his record will be very hard to beat indeed. His boat is one meter long, and the voyage is 1,900 nautical miles.
Pip Hare is the 8th woman to ever finish the Vendée Globe. With that adventure complete, she is now well on her way to her next solo circumnavigation in 2024. She’s got a new boat and a professional team behind her as she prepares a competitive campaign for the next series of races. Andy first interviewed Pip ahead of her previous Vendée Globe, and for her second appearance on the podcast, Nikki catches up with Pip in between races.
This year is the 10th anniversary of the podcast! To celebrate we're going to go back and revisit some of the most memorable conversations over the years. This week it's the first ever interview between Matt Rutherford and Andy, before his record-setting around the Americas voyage and before 59 North even existed. Come be a fly on the wall with Andy and Matt. Find out more about what Matt is up to over at Ocean Research Project.
Rachael Miller is the Founder of Rozalia Project for a Clean Ocean and co-inventor of the Cora Ball, the world’s first microfiber-catching laundry ball. She is an expedition scientist, National Geographic Explorer, and Explorers Club Fellow. Rachael captains the 60’ sailing research vessel, AMERICAN PROMISE, certified hundreds of people to be sailing instructors, trained Navy SEALS to find unexploded mines using underwater robots, and mentors young scientists at the New York Harbor School. She lives in Vermont and loves the snow as much as the sea.
Emma sat down with Rachael at her home in Vermont to talk about her winding path through sailing, science, and all things water.
Sarah Armour is the captain of Mystic Seaport Museum’s sail training Schooner Brilliant. For the past decade, Sarah has been working in environmental education, sail training, and experiential learning aboard vessels like the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Pride of Baltimore II, Lady Maryland, and Geronimo. Sarah grew up in the Hudson Valley and is on the Sloop Clearwater's board of directors. She has a degree in Earth Systems Science from Cornell University, where she focused on applied ecology, sustainable agriculture, and environmental education.
Last month ISBJØRN set sail for a unique, wintertime event on the other side of the dark and stormy North Sea—the Up Helly Aa fire festival on Shetland. Skipper Jon Amtrup was joined by a hearty crew for the crossing and to partake in the experience. Have a listen as Jon and August recap the passage.
Elliott Smith was competing as the youngest sailor in the 2022 Golden Globe Race when his bowsprit broke off the coast of Cape Town. He made a repair that got him across the Southern Ocean to Australia where he ended up retiring from the race. Elliott is a Sailor, Surfer, Artist, Deep thinker and Big dreamer.
Tania Aebi sailed around the world alone on her Contessa 26, Varuna. She cast off from New York in May 1985 when she was 18 years old, and returned in November 1987, having visited 23 countries along the way. After returning from her circumnavigation, Tania wrote her bestselling book, Maiden Voyage.
Emma visited Tania at her home in Vermont, where Tania spends her time writing, caring for the house, and being near family. Tania also runs sailing charters and works as a hired skipper. Keep up with Tania’s projects at http://www.taniaaebi.com/
