On the Wind Sailing

#254: Simon Borjeson returns to the podcast as ISBJORN's new skipper for the first few two-boat passages later this year. Simon & I became friends when we met during the ARC Europe rally a few years back, and bonded on our love of sailing, skiing and endurance sports. Back then he was sailing his dad's X-42 EUPHORIA across the Atlantic, while simultaneously training for the 70km OtillO Swimrun World Championships. Simon came out to the farm in Sweden in December for a weekend of planning, and we sat down to discuss his love of sailing & adventure, the cutting-edge foiling motorboats he's currently involved in building, how he got involved with ISBJORN, his thoughts on leadership and more. -- On the Wind is presented by Rutgerson Marine. And also supported by Offshore Passage Opportunities and Sun Powered Yachts.

#253: Jessie Zevalnkink & Luke Yeates were on the podcast back in October 2017, right after they'd crossed the Atlantic in their 37' yawl DESIREE. Mia & I caught up with them in person aboard their boat in Lagos, Portugal, as we were getting ISBJORN ready to cross the Atlantic. We sat in their cockpit as the sun went down, hearing stories of their dramatic knockdown off Cape St. Vincent, their 6 weeks rebuilding their rudder here in Lagos, life as a married couple and what their future plans are as sailors. Jessie is a professional portrait photographer and also came by ISBJORN later to photograph Mia & I, so check out her work in the show notes. This episode is also available as an On the Wind LIVE filmed version on YouTube! Go to 59-north.com/youtube to watch. -- On the Wind is presented by Rutgerson Marine. And also supported by Offshore Passage Opportunities and Sun Powered Yachts.

#252: Haakon Vatle has, as far as we can tell, the world's ONLY master's degree in sea shanties. He's the founder and leader of the Storm Weather Shanty Choir, who fans of the show will know as the group of Norwegian musicians who have mastered the art of the modern sea shanty. And Haakon is a REAL sailor - he's heavily involved with Norway's tallship Statsraad Lehmkul and has sailed her trans-Atlantic 4 times, practicing his shanties in real life aboard the ship. I traveled to Bergen to meet Haakon for this interview and to see the Shanty Choir live. -- On the Wind is presented by Rutgerson Marine. And also supported by Offshore Passage Opportunities and Sun Powered Yachts.

#251. Rachel Slade is the acclaimed author of 'Into the Raging Sea,' the heartbreaking account of the sinking of the American merchant ship 'El Faro.' With a degree in political science from Barnard College and a Master of Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania, Rachel began her journalism career as the design editor at Boston magazine and moved up the masthead to executive editor. After a decade on staff, she became a full-time freelance writer in 2016. Incredibly, 'Into the Raging Sea' is her first book. Rachel & I discussed her background growing up on the water, her interest in merchant shipping and her own thoughts on the tragic sinking of El Faro. This one's an all-timer, so pay attention! -- On the Wind is presented by Rutgerson Marine. And also supported by Offshore Passage Opportunities, and SunPowered Yachts.

#250: Matt Rutherford and Randall Reeves are both veterans of the podcast and extremely accomplished single-handed ocean sailors. In today's special episode, Matt guest-hosts the show to talk to Randall about his latest attempt at the 'Figure 8' voyage, his plan to sail solo and nonstop around the America's AND Antarctica. Randall was on the show with me just before his first attempt, which failed when he suffered a serious knockdown, blowing out the windows in his boat's wheelhouse. At the time of this recording with Matt, Randall was set to depart San Francisco on his second attempt the very next day; just this week, Randall rounded Cape Horn. This episode first appeared on Matt's own show "Single Handed Sailing," available on iTunes and wherever else you get your podcasts. Matt's a world-class story-teller - his podcast is great! -- On the Wind is presented by Rutgerson Marin. And also supported by Offshore Passage Opportunities.

#249. Herb McCormick has made a career of writing about sailing, but it wasn't entirely on purpose. A fifth-generation Newport, Rhode Island native, Herb didn't even know that sailing was a thing at all until a chance meeting in his 20's. After vagabonding around for a while, he wound up with a low-level job at Cruising World during the heyday of sailing magazines, and slowly started working his way up, of course eventually becoming Editor. Herb has seen it all in sailing, from the racing and cruising scene to an epic 13-month Around the America's expedition on the 64-foot steel cutter OCEAN WATCH. I talked to Herb about what inspired him to follow his passion on the water. -- On the Wind is presented by Rutgerson Marine. And also supported by Offshore Passage Opportunities.

#248. Bryan Rolfe is a grass-roots 30-something cruiser with big dreams and a small budget. He's been documenting his adventures aboard his 27-foot Albin Vega TARKA on YouTube, and is currently in the Caribbean. Mia & I have followed Bryan from afar since he started his trip, and my conversation with him ended up being a very inspirational look at how someone takes a dream and turns it into reality. Longtime fans of the show will know how excited I get talking to other young folks out there cruising, but this episode is truly for anyone who dreams of heading off in their own boat, no matter your age or finiancial situation. Bryan truly started from scratch, and tells the whole inspiring story of how he made his dreams reality. -- On the Wind is presented by Rutgerson Marine. And also supported by Offshore Passage Opportunities.

#247. Mia Karlsson is honored to be the FIRST guest on the new Mermaid Tales podcast, featuring tales of women who are connected in some way to the ocean, hosted by Breezy Mulligan. Here’s a rare opportunity to hear Mia on the podcast, talking about her sailing history! Subscribe to Mermaid Tales wherever you get your podcasts! -- On the Wind is presented by Rutgerson Marine. Visit rutgerson.se to see their full range of sailing hardware. And also supported by Offshore Passage Opportunities. Go to sailopo.com.

#130 RECYCLED. John Kretschmer has long been a hero of mine, and has become a friend and mentor over the past 10+ years. John runs offshore adventure sailing passages on his Kaufman 47 QUETZAL (the inspiration for our own business), is a former delivery skipper and a renowned author of several books, including his latest ‘Sailing to the Edge of Time,’ which will release in November. Andy spoke to John back in 2016. -- Recycled episodes of On the Wind are presented by us at 59 North, Ltd. Sail offshore with Andy & Mia on their Swan 48 & Swan 59. Visit 59-north.com/offshore to sign on.

#246. Lee & Rachel Cumberland are two of Mia and my best friends, and this episode has been a long time coming. Together, Lee & Rachel, in their late-twenties, bought and refit a Tayana 37, quit their jobs and sailed off to Panama. We recorded the podcast at their house, which Lee built with his own two hands, over a glass of wine late in the evening. The conversation traces their story from dream to reality, including all the scary bits, and for the first time ever publicly, I finally got them to share their story of a terrible storm in the Bahamas that led them to deliberately beach their beloved boat Satori. Any of you young folks out there who need inspiration to follow your sailing dreams, this one is for you. -- On the Wind is presented by Rutgerson Marine. And also supported by Offshore Passage Opportunities.