John Franta // Synthetic Yacht Rigging

#153. John Franta of Colligo Marine has been on the podcast before of course, in episode 45, where we discuss his career and some of the technical aspects of Colligo ‘Dux,’ the synthetic, dyneema-based standing rigging that we put on Arcturus before crossing the Atlantic. John’s back this week to discuss some more technical aspects of his job at Colligo.

We start the discussion by focusing on one of John’s most recent inventions, the so-called ‘ELHF’ furling system, and I use that as a sort of primer for discussing in general how he comes up with new ideas and what the design and production life cycle is like. John is as pure an engineer as there is, and LOVES the technical aspects of running a synthetic yacht rigging company, and it’s a joy to hear him talk about his passions so, well, passionately! He gets to play with CAD and 3D printers all day long, so what’s not to like (if you’re an engineer!).

John’s also been a dear friend of mine since we first met in 2009, and you can kind of see that in the way we talk throughout the episode, it’s definitely a lot less formal than some of my other interviews. I think you’ll dig it.

Crew arrives this afternoon for our next trip up to Lunenburg. By the time you hear this we’ll be offshore, bound for Nova Scotia - check out our passage logs and follow the trip on 59-north.com/tracking.

We’ve also got a few spots left for the return passage, August 6-14 from Halifax to Annapolis. It’s not too late to join! Go to 59-north.com/offshore for details - I hope by the time we get to Lunenburg, one of you faithful listeners out there has decided to sign up an join us!

Finally, we’ve got some new swag! In time for our passage to colder climes, we’ve ordered #isbjornsailing beanies. They come in any color, so long as it’s black! Go to 59-north.com/shop to check them out and get yours now. $25, plus shipping.

Okay, enough about us. Enjoy episode 153 with John Franta!