Travel Grit

At 62 years old, Hugo Vihlen sailed across the Atlantic Ocean in Father's Day—a boat just 5 feet 4 inches long. He hand-steered through hurricanes, ate quarter rations, and lost a kidney somewhere between Newfoundland and England. His record still stands 30+ years later.This is Hugo's second Atlantic crossing. In 1968, he sailed April Fool, a 6-foot sailboat, from Casablanca to Florida in 85 days. But the Coast Guard towed him in 25 miles from shore. That "rescue" ate at him for 25 years.So at 62, Hugo built Father's Day in his garage, cut 2 inches off the bow to beat his rival Tom McNally, defied the Coast Guard, and sailed from Newfoundland to England in 105 days. He navigated by sextant, slept in the fetal position, and hand-steered most of the voyage.In this conversation, Hugo talks about growing up poor in Depression-era Florida, overcoming his fear of rattlesnakes, becoming a Marine Corps pilot, building boats from Popular Mechanics plans, and what it takes to be a positive thinker when you're sailing a bathtub across the Atlantic Ocean.Guest: Hugo Vihlen — Holds the world record for sailing the smallest boat across the Atlantic Ocean (5' 4"), former Delta Airlines pilot, U.S. Marine Corps veteranLinks:April Fool: How I Sailed from Casablanca to Florida in a Six-Foot Boat (Amazon)The Stormy Voyage of Father's Day (Amazon)Chapters: People: Creators & Guests Hugo Vihlen - Guest For more stories of long riders, sailors, ramblers, adventurers, and dreamers finding their way, visit TravelGrit.com.

Long Rider Gin Szagola and her wild Snowy Mountain Brumby, Fable, became the first person and horse to cross Australia coast to coast with no support vehicle or chase crew—4,400 kilometers over eight months.In this conversation, Gin shares the complete story: training a recently wild horse in just 90 days, crossing 1,000 miles of Nullarbor desert with volunteer-organized supply caches, dealing with road trains at 80mph, camping roadside 85% of the time, and what it's really like to live with your horse 24/7.Before Australia, Gin walked across America at age 18—failed after 4 days, went home, then succeeded on her second attempt. She's now working in Western Australia and raising funds to bring Fable home to the United States.WHAT'S COVERED:- Training a wild brumby in 90 days (5:50)- Road trains and triple-length trucks (16:39)- The Nullarbor: 1,000 miles of desert (28:29)- Holes in a boat: Mental health on the road (46:02)- Living 24/7 with your horse (50:15)- Failed at 18, grateful for it now (1:02:31)- Bringing Fable home: $20,000 journey (1:09:57)- Why wild horses matter (1:19:26)More about Gin:Website: ginandfaith.comGoFundMe: Search "Help Bring Fable Home"Facebook: Gin and FableMore podcasts, articles and art for and by ramblers, roamers and free spirits at TravelGrit.comClick here to view the episode transcript. Click here to watch a video of this episode. Creators & Guests Gin Szagola - Guest

This is the only audio interview available on the internet with anyone who rode in the 1976 Great American Horse Race—the longest horse race in history. As the 50th anniversary approaches, this conversation preserves Tom Sites' voice and the incredible story of the Great American Horse Race of 1976.In 1976, Tom Sites—a Vietnam veteran haunted by severed heads and searching for peace—walked into a tack shop and bought a runaway horse named Jose Dante for $200. Six months later, he rode Jose 1,966 miles across America in the Great American Horse Race with just $500, no crew, and a single set of horseshoes that lasted 1,000 miles. Through small, consistent, dedicated steps across 13 states, Tom discovered what he couldn't find after the war: peace, purpose, and a partnership that would change his life forever.For more stories of long riders, sailors, ramblers, adventurers, and dreamers finding their way, visit TravelGrit.com.Click here to watch a video of this episode. Click here to view the episode transcript. Creators & Guests Tom Sites - Guest

Reza Baluchi is attempting the impossible: running 21,000 miles across the world's oceans in a human-powered vessel called a hydropod — a 12-foot wheel he powers by running inside like a hamster wheel.Reza calls in from Taiwan at midnight, making final preparations for his fifth-generation hydropod. He plans to launch in December, heading south through the South China Sea, then west through the Red Sea and Mediterranean, before crossing the Atlantic back to America.This isn't his first attempt. The U.S. Coast Guard has stopped him multiple times, damaged one of his hydropods, arrested him, and sent him to a mental hospital. Now he's launching from Asia — beyond their jurisdiction.Born in Iran, Reza was tortured and imprisoned for 18 months before escaping as a young cyclist. He's since run 150,000 miles across continents. At 52, after being stopped, arrested, and told his dream is impossible, he's ready to push his hydropod into the Pacific and start running."If you have a dream, you must follow your dream. Dream no coming after you."For more stories of long riders, sailors, ramblers, adventurers, and dreamers finding their way, visit TravelGrit.com.Click here to watch a video of this episode. Click here to view the episode transcript. Creators & Guests Reza Baluchi - Guest

Webb Chiles has sailed around the world six times and is the first American to sail alone around Cape Horn — one of the most dangerous stretches of water on earth. He's also completed one of the longest open boat journeys in modern times, sailing a 19-foot open sailboat across the Pacific Ocean and beyond.In this conversation, Webb talks about survival, resilience, and what keeps him going after a lifetime of pushing into the unknown. At 83, he still does his age in pushups every day.For more stories of long riders, sailors, ramblers, adventurers, and dreamers finding their way, visit TravelGrit.com.Click here to watch a video of this episode. Click here to view the episode transcript. Creators & Guests Webb Chiles - Guest