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.
#392: Matt Rutherford // Pre-Around the Americas // 10-yr. Anniversary Episode 1
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.
#391: Simon Prestø-He // Marine Insurance
#390: Rachael Miller // Rozalia Project Founder
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.
#389: Sarah Armour // Schooner Brilliant Captain
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.
#388: Jon Amtrup // Up Helly Aa Festival
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.
#387: Elliott Smith // Choosing Love Over Fear in the GGR
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.
#386: Tania Aebi // Solo Circumnavigator, Skipper, and Storyteller
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/
#385: FALKEN Sea Trial // Andy, Nikki, August & Mia
FALKEN, our newly refit Farr 65, is finally sailing. August Sandberg hosts a 59 North 'Admiralty' roundtable, recapping the first sea trial on the new boat, which we did last week here in the English Channel. With gusts up to 55 knots, hail squalls, sunshine, big waves, fast reaching and breaking the things that 'needed' to break, the sea trial was a massive success and a hell of a lot of fun sailing with 9 of our friends and 59 North sailing staff! Andy, Nikki & Mia were all onboard and relive the sea trial on today's episode, the first of 2023!
#383: Young Cruisers' Association
Young Cruisers' Association exists to connect like-minded folks through sailing and cruising. They define themselves as "a collection of young, salty vagabonds forming a community of the sea". Logan and Caroline Rowell brought the Young Cruisers Association to life back in 2012, while they were out cruising on their boat. Brian Currier joined soon after, and recently, Riley Whitelum and Elayna Carausu of La Vagabonde came aboard too. The original YCA started in the 1970's among liveaboard sailors, and its legacy is now being carried by new generations.
#382: Matty Duncan // Wrong Way Round
#382. Matty Duncan is bound solo around Cape Horn on ICE WARRIOR, his 1987 Moody 346. He left from the UK this summer to head for Chile, the 'Wrong Way Round'. He is now undergoing repairs in Brazil, after a rigging failure offshore. His project aims to raise awareness about mental health issues by Matty telling his life story.
#381: Lyall & Katie Burgess // Family Cruising & Working Aboard
#381: Lyall & Katie Burgess have a shore base 2000' up the volcano in Hawaii, but have spent the past year living aboard and cruising their Dufour 38 BLAKE with their two young daughters. They bought the boat new as part of a charter fleet, then after taking ownership in September, sailed across the Atlantic with the ARC rally, where Lyall & Katie actually met working on the staff years ago. I caught up with them in Mexico to hear about their adventures.
#380: Motts Mueller // From Broadreach Student to Broadreach Owner
Motts Mueller is the longtime director, and now owner of Broadreach, whose unforgettable summer adventures for teens specialize in scuba diving, sailing, marine biology, veterinary medicine or wildlife biology. Motts has been a part of the company since 1993, when he was a student on the first-ever trip, sea-kayaking in the BVI. Recently he bought the business from founder (and former podcast guest) Carlton Goldthwaite. Motts and I talked about business and life in this wide-ranging episode.
#379: Hannah Goldberg // Sailing TikTok and Pursuing Dreams
Hannah Goldberg is a sailor, freelance social media manager, and content creator. She quit her 9-5 desk job in 2021 and left life on land to pursue a dream to sail around the world. In the last year and a half, Hannah has sailed over 10,000 nautical miles, on 5 different boats, in 11 countries. She has crossed the Atlantic Ocean and transited through the Panama Canal. Hannah has connected with over a million people through her videos on TikTok, where she shares the ups and downs of her sailing journey.
#378: Sam Merrett // Hudson River Sail Freight on Schooner Apollonia
#378. Sam Merrett is the founder, leader, and captain of the Schooner Apollonia, the only operating sail freight vessel in the United States. The Apollonia sails up and down the Hudson River, collecting and delivering cargo as she makes her way with the power of the wind. Sam has a background working in alternative fuels and spent years converting truck engines from diesel to vegetable oil. He gained sailing and boating experience on the Hudson River, and then bought the Apollonia in 2015. The vessel had not been sailed in over 30 years, and was missing an important component: the rig. After a 4 year yard period, Sam and his crew started sailing the Apollonia in 2019. For the past three summer seasons, the Apollonia and her crew have been shipping goods up and down the river. Sam and Emma sat down in Hudson, NY, to talk about this carbon neutral shipping project, and everything that comes with it.
#377: Señor Brady & Alex Blue // From Delos to Cruiser's Academy
#377. Mr. Brady & Alex Blue return to the podcast to talk about their transition from full-time cruising onboard SV DELOS to their shore-based lifestyle in Lake Tahoe. We discuss the ins and outs of starting a new business and their experience with Cruiser's Academy, what their long-term offshore sailing plans on, living with a 'purpose', work-life balance and lots more.
#376: Onne van der Wal // From Whitbread Race to Renowned Photographer
#376. Onne van der Wal is one of the world's foremost yachting photographers, but he started his career as a vagabond sailor. Growing up in South Africa, Onne rarely went to school and instead hitched rides on whatever racing boats he could, amassing a storied career and finding a home on the high seas. His racing career peaked with his involvement in the second FLYER campaign, where he also first made a name for himself in photography. Andy talked to Onne aboard his Grand Banks motorboat in Annapolis in October to hear his story and philosophy. We were joined by Onne's wife Tenley, Ship's Photographer James Austrums, and Schooner WOODWIND owner & captain, Jen Kaye.
#375: Charlie Doane // The Boy Who Fell to Shore
#375. Writer & sailor Charlie Doane returns to the show (ep. #269) to talk about his new book 'The Boy Who Fell To Shore.' Charlie tells the story of how Thomas Thor Tangvald went from a seagoing vagabond during an oceanic childhood to disappearing at sea in 2014. During a long chat in Annapolis after boat show last week, Charlie recounted to Andy how he discovered the story, his process for researching & writing it, and what he thinks really happened to Thomas after his disappearance.
#374: Brian & Karin // SV DELOS Completes Circumnavigation
#373: Lisa Blair // Fastest, Solo, Non-stop Sail Around Antartica
#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.