Claim OwnershipOut The Gate Sailing
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San Francisco Bay is beautiful body of water. But it can be a challenging place to sail, row or swim. I'm Ben Shaw, a lifelong sailor and adventurer. But my sailing career on the West Coast is just beginning. In this podcast I pick the brains of those who know the local waters. If you want to hear some good adventure stories while learning more about sailing on and around SF Bay, this is the podcast for you.
146 Episodes
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I sit down with Duncan Copeland and Larissa Clark, a couple currently sailing the Pacific with their two children aboard their Bruce Farr designed Beneteau 50, Freeranger. While cruising they are running a global non-profit called Free Range Ocean, focused on inspiring sailors and non-sailors to get involved in citizen science with the goal of inspiring action among boating and costal communities that’ll lead to healthier oceans. We recorded this conversation while anchored together in the lagoon of Bora Bora. You can read more about the Freeranger crew in this Yachting World article.
In this episode, I sit down with Nica and Jeremy Waters, a couple cruising on their 28 foot Bristol Channel Cutter, Calypso. We met up on the north side of Nuka Hiva in the Marquesas. You might recognize Nica’s voice from The Boat Galley podcast she does with Carolyn Shearlock. Jermey has created an affordable weather routing tool for all cruisers called Fast Seas. They both provide information and inspiration for other cruisers, having set sail multiple times in their own lives - first as a young couple, then as a family of four, now as a retired couple. You can follow their adventures at Fit2Sail.com.
At 21-years-old Jasmine Harrison became the youngest female to row solo across the Atlantic. A year later she set a record as the first woman to swim the full length of the British Isles. Currently, she’s participating in the Mini Globe Race, a solo, around-the-world race for 5.8 meter mostly home-built yachts. Before starting the race, Jasmine didn’t know how to sail. We crossed paths in the Marquesas where we discussed her exploits. Follow her progress on the Mini Globe website or her Instagram page.
Andy Schell of 59° North Sailing is no stranger to the Out The Gate podcast. We’d both been wanting to follow up on our last podcast conversation, but hadn’t managed to connect over Zoom. So, when Falken, 59° North's Farr 65, and Dovka both happened to pull into Hiva Oa in the Marquesas the same morning, we took the opportunity to finally sit down and chat. We talked about our respective Pacific crossings, the importance of letting go, and what we’re each looking forward to in sailing, work, and life. This interview can also be found on Andy's pre-eminent podcast On The Wind.
After completing a nearly 3,000 nautical mile passage from Banderas Bay, Mexico to the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia, my crew and I sit down to debrief our voyage. Joining me on Dovka for the 23.5 day ocean crossing was my brother Jon Shaw and my college buddy Tim Field. A few days after arrival, the three of us sat down to discuss the highs and lows of the trip, from a magical manta ray visit to managing the monotony of late night watches. You can relive moments from the passage @SVDovka on Instagram.
Mark Synnott is a professional rock climber and author. He’s climb many first ascents, written a multitude of National Geographic articles and simply put had a ton of bad ass adventures. He took up sailing about 20 years ago, and recently sailed his boat, Polar Sun, through the Northwest Passage on a quest to unlock the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the Franklin Expedition. Mark has a new book about the adventure called Into The Ice. National Geographic also produced a special about his journey called Lost in the Arctic that you can watch on Disney+.
I met 23-year-old Kevin Boyle when he sailed into La Cruz Mexico aboard his Ericson 32 and I took his lines at the dock. Kevin stuck out in the sailing community of La Cruz because of his young age. He reminded me of myself when I went cruising in my 20s and I really wanted to talk to him about his experience cruising a young person and seeing how he made that happen. He’s currently crossing the Pacific from Mexico to the Marquesas and I’m hoping we can reconnect in French Polynesia.
Tim Carden is not new to adventure, having ridden his motorcycle solo all over the world. But, he is relatively new to sailing and he’s planning an audacious journey in his trailerable 27-foot trimaran. He’s planning to drive his Corsair F-27 south from his home in Albuquerque, NM, to launch it in the Sea of Cortez. From there, he’ll sail solo down the Sea of Cortez, out across the Pacific to French Polynesia, north to Hawaii and then back to California. He’ll do all this without fossil fuels, having converted the boat to electric propulsion and electric cooking. You can follow Tim’s journey on Instagram at Manta_On_The_Sea.
Heather Richard is a skilled sailor, an exceptional teacher, a great storyteller, and a kick-ass mother! As a high school graduation present for her son, they double-handed in the Pacific Cup Race to Hawaii, aboard the boat on which she raised him! Heather and I talk about prepping for this race, the crossing, and the long sail back. We discuss why she’s decided to sell her boat and what she’s looking for next. After hearing her story, you can sail with Heather at Fine Day for Sailing.
Raffi Patatian is one of the most conscientious, careful, and knowledgeable sailors I know. He set off for Mexico aboard his Hallberg Rassy 43, Wind River, in the fall of 2023. Since then, he has sailed many miles down the West Coast and across the Pacific Ocean, mostly singlehanded. He’s an entrepreneur who ran his own IT business in the Bay Area before heading off cruising. Raffi and I caught up at his Sausalito home when he briefly returned from Fiji to pick up some boat parts.
Jamie and Behan Gifford have been sailing their Stevens 47, Totem, around the world for more than a decade. They raised three children aboard but are now empty nesters, planning the next chapter of their cruising life. Lauren and I joined them aboard Totem to discuss life afloat, upgrades to their beloved boat, their successful coaching business, and their upcoming sailing plans. (Photo by Jill Hearne)
1Jon Bilger is the director and founder of PredictWind. Jon founded the company after working on forecasting for the Alinghi Americas Cup team. The technology has revolutionized accessibility of weather forecasting and routing for both racers and cruisers. I talk to Jon about his own sailing background, how he developed Predict Wind, some new exciting tools - like 100 meter accuracy tidal current modeling for San Francisco Bay - and more.
John Taussig is the founder and executive director of Backcountry Medical Guides and the subsidiary Maritime Medical Guides. He’s a career paramedic who’s worked on helicopters, in ambulances, on ski patrol, as a ranger, and as a captain on boats. He’s a surfer, climber, kayaker, mountain biker, snow boarder, sailer, and and all around adventurer based in Bellingham Washington. John and I talked about responding to bear attacks in Yellowstone, commuting to work from Santa Cruz to Monterey via sailboat, flying on choppers through the Sierra as part of a air medic team, his trip paddling and sailing a kayak from Washington up the inside passage to AK, and more.
Michael Rohde is rebuilding - bow to stern, keel to masthead - a late 70s Cape George 36 named Akela. He welcomed me aboard the boat last August when it was on the hard at Napa Valley Marina. He’s jumped into this major project with both feet and is making good progress. Inspired by other YouTubers, he’s documenting the entire refit on his channel RohdeSoda.
Andre Lay is licensed Captain from the Bay Area who is in the process of circumnavigating North America in a compact trawler. He’s currently in Barra de Navidad on the Mexican mainland and is soon headed for El Salvador. He is doing this trip simply to prove too himself he can, to meet people, and to see what’s out there. He’d also like to raise awareness for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, but as Andre says” I’m not trying to change the world by going around it. I’m just out there to experience it.”
Scott Racette and Ashley Gremel met sailing in San Francisco Bay in 2016. Five years later they sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge together aboard their Pearson 365, Azimuth, to begin a trip from the San Francisco Bay to the Chesapeake Bay. Along the way they adopted a cat, transited the Panama Canal, fixed leaking through-hulls, and learned a whole lot. I talk to them about the adventure.
Brendan Borrell is a corespondent for Outside Magazine. Along with photographer Tom Fowlks, he recently paddled from the Central Valley of California to the headwaters of the San Francisco Bay. Taking advantage of a very wet winter last year, which led to the reformation of Tulare Lake, they paddled over flooded farmland, up irrigation ditches and down rivers, braving putrid water, a sinking boat, being shot at, and nearly being arrested. An article about the adventure titled My Wild Wet and (Sometimes) Miserable Paddling Trip Through the Heart of California, with words by Brendan and photos by Tom, appears in the November/December issue of Outside Magazine.
As my wife, two daughters and I prepare to move aboard and sail south aboard Dovka, our 1981 Hallberg Rassy 352, the four of us sit down with my parents Sid and Rebecca shaw to talk about the boat--which they used to own--and our coming travels. Follow our trip at www.Dovka.com
Andy Schell, along with his wife Mia Karlsson, founded the ocean sailing business 59 North to share the wisdom of the high seas. Lauren and I sailed with them in July of 2019 and that’s when I last had Andy on the show. Since then Andy and Mia have grown 59 North by leaps and bounds. In this episode, I catch up with Andy to hear about the changes and the difficulties and stresses they’ve faced in building the business and how he attempts to find balance while pushing boundaries.
Pam Wall has encouraged and inspired so many individuals and families to find joy from sailing and cruising. She has spent decades sharing her knowledge through lectures, boat show seminars, and of course podcasts like this. Pam first took off cruising with her husband Andy Wall aboard their 30-ft sloop Carronade. Later, with children, they cruised aboard the 39-ft sloop Kandarik. While I’ve never met Pam in persons, she’s been friends with my parents for years and my father, Sid Shaw, met Andy Wall in Tahiti in the 60s.
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