Offshore Sailing and Cruising with Paul Trammell

Joe Drago used to be a commercial fisherman in New England and now sails a Cape Dory 45 ketch based in New York and runs Sailing Resolution, a sailing adventure charter business.  We talk about how he got involved in commercial fishing, lessons about seamanship learned from commercial fishing, fishing in foul weather, being washed overboard while longlining in the Gulf Stream, his rescue, safety gear, responding to a mayday, things commercial fishermen wish sailors did differently, towing signals, radar and AIS, sleeping while singlehanding, communication with commercial vessels, the Gulf Stream and wind against current, his boat Resolution - a Cape Dory 45 ketch, Airex foam coring,  sailing a ketch, redundant and simplified systems on his boat, personal MOB AIS beacons, bronze deck fitting, chain plates, dragging anchor, sailing and climbing in Newfoundland, tips for staying warm and dry in cold wet weather, St Pierre (French island near Newfoundland), favorite anchorage in Maine, and more. Photos and links are on the podcast shownotes page Support the show through Patreon   

Robin Toozs-Hobson is a long-time sailor and delivery skipper based in St. Lucia. He and I have sailed together a few times and had some great adventures. He recently did a delivery of an Excess catamaran from St. Lucia to Japan.  We talk about living in St. Lucia, living abroad and dealing with the passport and banking and mail, monohull sailing vs catamaran sailing, favorite boats, Excess catamarans, sailing from St Lucia to Japan, favorite stops along the way, the Panama Canal, diving with hamerhead sharks in Galapagos, locations in Japan, the Japanese people and culture, dealing with heavy weather in a catamaran, where the friendliest people are, anchoring a catamaran, lightning, the importance of sailing lessons, stepping outside your comfort zone, and more. Photos and links are on the podcast shownotes page Support the show through Patreon

Hylke Boersma is a project manager for refits at KM Yachtbuilders. He is currently working on the repair of a Boreal 52 that suffered hull damage after being struck by another boat while on a mooring.  We talk about using a 3D-scanner to asses damage, repairing an aluminum hull, repairing aluminum vs steel, care and maintenance of aluminum hulls, painting aluminum hulls, advantages of building in aluminum, common mistakes people make when buying sailboats, deck materials, diesel engines, electric motors, electrical systems on aluminum boats, what buyers should know about aluminum vs fiberglass, and more. photos and links are on the podcast shownotes page Support the show through Patreon Shop or list sailboats at sailboatsforsale.com

Harry Anderson is the only person to have both flown solo and sailed solo to all seven continents. He is also the author of "Sailing 7 Continents Solo." We talk about his route, his boats (a Bavaria 37 and an Alures 40.9), sailing with a centerboard, heaving-to, HF radio, VHF with wireless remote handset, anchoring, shore lines, generating electricity, Deception Island, getting permits to go to Antarctica, katabatic winds, Puerto Montt, Cocos Keeling, friendly people, favorite places, Namibia, beautiful moments, safety, heaters, the NW passage, his books, and more. photos and links are on the podcast shownotes page  support the show through Patreon browse or list sailboats for sale  get remote electrical help from Meridian Marine Electrical

Willem Nieland has been designing yachts for 35 years. He designs Globemaster yachts, as well as custom aluminum expedition sailboats, motor yachts, and residential yachts. His designs are know for efficent and ergonomic use of space, comfort, and excellent offshore sailing characteristics. We talk about design elements he likes in a boat, his boat, sailing around The Netherlands, designing boats, the Northwest Passage, the expedition boat Necton, twin saildrives, his Globemaster yachts, using a lifting keel, the Globemaster 45 and some of its features, advantages and disadvantages of dual rudders, bilge keels, standpipes on water intakes, dual fuel filters, folding propellers, engines, ergonomics and layout, working with the owner on customboats, the Globemaster 53, and more. Photos and links are on the podcast shownotes page Support the show through Patreon  

Tapio Lehtinen and his crew were sailing in the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers from the Canary Islands to St. Lucia when we talked. The interview was conducted in the cockpit of Galiana, a 1972 Swan 55 yawl, while underway. I spoke with each of the crew, most of whom were paying customers. Tapio is taking paying crew on ocean training passages and various offshore races this year, as well as the 2027 Ocean Globe Race. Ifyou are interested in sailing with Tapio on Galiana, email me at paulwtrammell@hotmail.com and I will put you in touch with Tapio, as well as his schedule and prices. Photos of Galiana and crew are on the podcast shownotes page Support the show through Patreon List or browse sailboats for sale at SailboatsForSale.com Shop for dinghy navigation lights at ShowMeYourDinghy.com and use discout code MERRY CHRISTMAS for 10% off

Viivi was part of Tapio Lehtinen's crew onboard Galiana for the 2023 Ocean Globe Race. This race was the subject of Tapio's book "Pole Star and Albatross." Viivi is now building a Class Globe 5.80 to sail in the 2026 Mini Globe Transat.  We talk about learning to sail, training for the Ocean Globe Race (OGR), the sinking of Asteria, favorite moments in the OGR, rounding Cape Horn, fear, difficult moments, sail repair, maintaining a positive spirit on Galiana, diving to fix the hydrogenerator offshore, steering across the finish line of the OGR, the unexpected, the Southern Ocean, Galiana, the Globe 5.80 Transat, building her boat, advice for young sailors, and more. Photos and links are on the podcast shownotes page. Support the show through Patreon. Browse or list sailboats for sale at sailboatsforsale.com Shop for tankless dive systems from BLU3

Andrew Evans is best known for his book "Singlehanded Sailing, Thoughts Tips Techniques and Tactics." His most recent book is "Singlehanded Sailing, Two Points West of Sanity." The book is mostly about his ill-fated passage attempting to sail from Victoria, Canada, to the start of the Transpac in San Francisco. During the journey, he experienced falling overboard, taking on water, total loss of his electrical system, great hardship, exhaustion, and a week of hallucinations. In this episode, Andrew tells the story of this journey, starting in Victoria, Canada and finishing with his rescue in Victoria Canada. We talk all about the sailing, his hallucinations, and how the problems might have been prevented. We also talk about Andrew's other interest in physics and his new patent on manufactured gravity. Links are on the podcast shownotes page Support the show through Patreon List or browse sailboats for sale

The Royal Western Yacht Club was founded in 1827 to encourage yacht racing. Chris Arscott is the Vice Commodore and organizes the OSTAR and the Round Britain & Ireland Race, and now the Worldstar, a new nonstop round-the-world race for 35'-60' monohulls without specific requirements and raced singlehanded or doublehanded,.  We talk about the Worldstar, Starlink, communication, sponsorship, making the race affordable, how the Worldstar is different from other circumnavigation races, history of the OSTAR (1960) and Doublhand RBI (1966), support during the race, livestreaming during the race, safety, the Worldstar rules, the inspiration for the race, Guy Waites, life rafts, watermakers, qualification, favorite boats, and more. links are on the podcast shownotes page support the show through Patreon

Guido Cantini is an Italian entrant in the 2026 Golden Globe Race. His boat is a Vancouver 34, and he has been preparing for the race for six years.  We talk about sailing arounf the Tuscan Archipelago, the differences between being a mariner and a racer, the Golden Globe Race, his boat and how he chose it, work he has done to the boat, cruising in Panama, the effects of moving weight inside the boat, heaters, GGR rules, reefing, sailing in the "Nostar," breaking a Hydrovane, electronic autopilots, heavy weather strategies, the GGR and what he is looking forward to, dealing with fear, the Jordan Series Drogue, heaving-to, and more. Photos and links are on the podcast shownotes page Support the show through Patreon Browse sailboats or list yours for sale at Sailboatsforsale.com Get electrical help from Meridian Marine Electrical

Eddie and Kelli were in Corfu, Greece, when I spoke to them. They were sailing a 1986 Beneteau First 29, had just sold it, and were buying a Moody 422.  We talk about sailing with a new baby, kids on boats, their Beneteau First 29 and how they chose it, buying a boat remotely, in-mast furling, the Moody 422, sailing in Croatia, buying a boat in Croatia, registering a boat in Poland, staying in the EU - leaving and returning to renew visas, digital nomad visas, Montenegro, sea mines and the danger of anchoring, Tunisia, cruising Greece, ancient ruins, the food, making decisions as a couple, other couple dynamics, drinking water, worries that never happened, lightning strikes, thunderstorms, rain, comparing van life to sailing life, Odysseus, difficult situations, beautiflul moments, anchoring, dragging anchor, and more. Photos and links are on the podcast shownotes page Support the show through Patreon Browse sailboats or list yours for sale at sailboatsforsale.com Shop taknless dive systems from Blu3  

Iain and Brioni are two Scottish sailors casually circumnavigating on a Leopard 47 Catamaran. As we spoke, they were in the South Pacific.  We talk about dealing with a broken steering cable, using an emergency tiller, repairing the steel cable with dyneema, their route across the South Pacific, hurricanes, staying warm, whales, cameras and drones and the logistics of making a YouTube channel, INav4U, how to know when to reef a catamaran, watch and sleep schedules, sailing to an uncharted atoll, fish and their level of intelligence, sharks, making decisions as a couple without conflict, division of boat chores or not, sailing goals, tacking angles of their catamaran and my monohull, and more. Photos and links are on the podcast shownotes page Support the show through Patreon  

Brett and Tess were in the Solomon Islands when I spoke to them. They sail a Corbin 39, surf, spearfish, explore, and interact with the local cultures. We talk all about the Solomon Islands, their boat, colliding with a floating tree and dealing with a damaged skeg and a pernicious leak, hauling out and and fixing the skeg, living on a boat vs living in a house, crocodiles, crocodile safety, ciguatera, dealing with passports and visas, Papua New Guinea, surfing, the people and the culture of the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea, sharks, spearfishing, stern-tying to shore, anchoring in deep water, squalls at anchor, dragging, anchor alarms, watermakers, what we love about sailing, making friends, and much more.  Photos and links are on the podcast shownotes page Support the podcast through Patreon List or shop for sailboats at https://sailboatsforsale.com/ Shop for tankless dive systems at https://www.diveblu3.com/

Jaz races in the Hanse 303 and RS Venture Connect SCS classes, and sails an Albin Vega 27, in which she recently became the first wheelchair user to sail solo and unassisted around Great Britain and Ireland, and doing so confronted and overcame great difficulties. She lives with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome,  which means her connective tissue does not function properly, and this also effects her internal organs, and her condition is terminal. Regardless, Jaz is now preparing to compete in the 2026 Worldstar, in which she will attempt to sail solo nonstop unassisted around the world. We talk about her introduction to sailing on a cold wet day in the Cornish Harbor, her obsession with the ocean, growing up with a difficult home situation, being homeless as a child and living on the street, then sleeping in the boats at the sailing club, dealing with fear, living on a shorter time line, finding a new family, comparing the Albin Vega to performance boats, heaving-to, sleeping while solo, hallucinations, breakages, preventers, Project Fear, how the circumnavigation of Britain and Ireland changed her, the extents of her mobility, foul-weather gear, beautiful moments, wildlife, running aground 50 nm from the finish and kedging off, the WorldStar 2026, and more. Photos and links are on the podcast shownotes page Support the show through Patreon

Tapio Lehtinen sailed his boat Galiana, a 1972 Swan 55 yawl, in the 2023 Ocean Globe Race. He is now taking paying crew on ocean training passages and offshore races. If interested, send an email to paulwtrammell@hotmail.com and put "Sailing" in the subject line. In this episode, we talk about sailing in the Finnish Archipelago, Galiana and her latest refit, electric winches, autopilots, raising the main with electric winches, varnishing technique and products, sailing around Cape Horn in the 2023 OGR, sailing in heavy weather, how the crew changed during the circumnavigation in the OGR, Galiana's sailing schedule for the coming year, and more.  Links and photos are on the podcast shownotes page Support the show through Patreon

Adam Desrosiers lives in the Alaska panhandle and sails a Cape George 36.  We talk about sailing in the Alaska panhandle (the south), fjords and inlets, weather, currents, storms, dealing with the cold, katabatic winds, Patagonia, anchoring in Alaska, 25' tides, using two anchors, his boat, making the boat more cruiser-friendly, bears on the beach, black bears vs brown bears, bear safety, benefits of a full keel, bottom jobs on the grid, the Pelagic tiller pilot, magnetic disturbances, sailing with kids, hauling out, the love of sailing, and more. photos and links are on the podcast shownotes page Support the show through Patreon

Brian and Helen Russell sail an aluminum Dudley Dix 43 that Brian built. This past summer, they sailed the Viking Route from London to Halifax, Nova Scotia via the Scilly Isles, Scotland, The Faroes, Iceland, Greenland, Labrador, and Newfoundland.  We talk about all the places they visited, the pasages in between, the wildlife, difficult situations, sea ice, icebergs, radar, broaching, autopilots, foulweather gear, weather forecasting, making friends while cruising, the benefits of a cockpit enclosure, and more. Photos and links are on the podcast shownotes page Support the show through Patreon List your sailboat for sale at sailboatsforsale.com Shop tankless dive systems at diveblu3.com

Norbert Sedlecek Koch is the founder of Innovation Yachts. In July 2026, he will attempt to sail nonstop unassisted solo around the world passing through all the world's oceans, and becoming the first person to do so. He has already circumnavigated in a boat he built and in the Vendee Globe, and he has circumnavigated Antarctica. Innovation Yachts designs and builds custom yachts with attention to detail and sustainability in mind. They also make their own epoxy matrix using volcanic stone. His yacht is an Innovation Yachts Open 60, Ant Arctic Lab.  We talk about the Ant Arctic Lab Challenge, Innovation Yachts' bio based epoxy matrix, boats made at Innovation Yachts, how the boats are built, building a prototype, using balsa core and Airex, negative bows, what it's like to sail his open 60, sailing into older age, circumnavigating Antarctica in an aluminum boat, the benefit of a lifting keel while surfing downwind in heavy conditions, hand-steering vs using the autopilot in heavy conditions, ice and icebergs, staying warm while sailing in cold conditions, arriving in Martinique after the Transat without a rudder, whales, the Vendee Globe, fear, and more. Photos and links are on the podcast shownotes page Support the show through Patreon SailboatsForSale.com Meridian Marine Electrical Dinghy Navigation Lights https://showmeyourdinghy.com/

Etienne Messikommer is an entrant in the 2026 Golden Globe Race. He also won the 2021 Globe 5.80 Transtat.  We talk about his first boat (which was steel), selecting his GGR boat (a Tradewinds 35), refitting and preparing the boat for the GGR, converting from wheel to tiller, reefing and furling, reinforcing the chainplates, antifouling, getting advice from previous GGR competitors, books, the rules of the GGR, the Globe 5.80 Transat, the importance of preparation, why he wasn't tempted to do the MGR, why he wants to do the GGR, fear, safety, training for the GGR, Etienne's dream boat, and more. Photos and links are on the podcast shownotes page Support the show through Patreon Sell your boat or shop for a boat at sailboatsforsale.com

Mark Sinclair is following the Mini Globe Race in his Lello 34, Coconut (the boat he raced in the 2018 GGR). He was in Antigua last time we spoke (in February 2024) and he was in Darwin, Australia when we spoke this time. We talk about the Mini Globe Race, Darwin Australia, his sail from Antigua to Australia, sailing every other leg with his girlfriend, provisioning, transiting the Panama Canal, Ahe (in the Tuamotus), Tahiti, sailing through the South Pacific, Fiji, Thursday Island, sailing the Globe Mini 5.80 boats, modern navigation, avoiding jet skis and charter catamarans, using a lead line, sailing without a windlass, sailing around Cape Horn under bare poles and dragging a tire for a drogue and navigating with an echo sounder, the La Maire Strait, overfalls, the MGR contestants, sailing fast around the world vs stopping longer, convergence zones and heavy weather, how the MGR sailors have changed during the race, and more. Photos and links can be found on the shownotes page. Support the show through Patreon