Offshore Sailing and Cruising with Paul Trammell

John, Jennifer, and their son Wilson Stark live on a Tartan 41. I interviewed them in Bocas del Toro, Panama. We talk about their boat, safety, sailing through a 2-day gale in the Gulf of Mexico, sailing from Jacksonville, Florida, to Panama, whales, swimming offshore, Panamanian residency, working while living aboard, homeschooling, boat kids, mooring screws, and much more.

This is my second interview with 2022 Golden Globe Race competitor Gaurav Shinde. We talk all about his preparations for the around-the-world singlehand race, including his own mental and physical preparations, as well as the ongoing refit of his boat Good Hope, a Baba 35. We also talk about his relationships with other competitors, meditation, and how he has already altered his sleep schedule.

In part 2, we go deeper into Ricardo's experience surviving the sinking of his mini-transat boat, what went through his mind while floating 26 hours in a lifejacket, how he contacted the cruise ship that rescued him and talked them to his location, how he was received on the ship, and how this turned into his career as an inspirational speaker. Other stories we get into include almost hitting a whale and a UFO encounter. We also discuss the coast of Portugal, anchorages and surfing locations, future plans, and more.

Ricardo Diniz is a Portuguese singlehand sailor, author, coach, actor, businessman, and inspirational speaker. We talk about growing up in Portugal, learning to sail, building a mini-transat boat, running into a container and sinking in this boat, surviving 26 hours at sea in a lifejacket, being rescued by a cruise ship, hitting a second container a year later, sleeping when singlehanding, safety at sea, reefing, seasickness, and more.

I met Maikel in Bocas del Toro when he sold me a dinghy that he built. He invited me into his shop, where he had built an aluminum dinghy from scratch. Also in the shop was a dismantled 34' aluminum sailboat, which he was rebuilding. In this episode, we discuss this project, which includes building a lifting keel, as well as how he finances his nomadic life working on other boats.

In this second interview with Carin, we discuss sailing from Bocas del Toro to shelter Bay, preparing to transit the Panama Canal, going through the canal, the Pacific side, and preparing for the coming passage to French Polynesia.

Carl Schultz, a former bicycle messenger in New York City, is a solo sailor exploring the tropics on his Shipman 28. We talk about his adventures sailing through the Bahamas, to Turks and Caicos, and the Dominican Republic.

Simon and Sally recently sailed from Greenland to Labrador to Newfoundland to Nova Scotia. We talk about high-latitude sailing, staying warm, anchoring, radar, icebergs, bugs, clearing customs, Vikings, polar bears, williwas, hiking, favorite places in Newfoindland, Bras d'Or Lake, and much more.

I spoke with Peter as he was anchored in Portugal fixing a steering breakdown. He is on his way around the world in a solo, nonstop, unassisted circumnavigation via the five capes in his Rival 41, Waxwing.

Brian Russell and his wife Helen, who you might remember from season 2, recently sailed Helacious, the boat the Brian built, from the USVI to the Azores and then to Ireland and Scotland. We talk about sailing from the USVI to the Azores, swimming in the open ocean, downwind sailing, arriving in the Azores, the Portuguese language, his wind generator, sailing from the Azores to Ireland, cruising Scotland, weather routing, charts, bugs, hiking in Scotland, hurricanes, and much more.