Offshore Sailing and Cruising with Paul Trammell

Simon Curwen will be sailing around the world solo and nonstop in his Biscay 36 in the 2022 Golden Globe Race. We talk about racing, his boat, tiller vs wheel, full keel vs modern designs, headsail configurations, roller furling vs hank-on, dual mainsheets, Hydrovane vs Aries, selecting lines, antifouling, reefing, safety, solo sailing vs sailing with crew, what he is looking forward to and what he fears about the GGR, sail trim for cruisers, and much more.

An interview with Donna, the Marina Manager at the Errol Flynn Marina in Port Antonio, Jamaica.

I discuss my singlehand passage of 8 days and 900nm from Bocas del Toro, Panama, to Port Antonio, Jamaica.

John and his wife took their first sailing class in March of 2020 and later that year bought a Tartan 37. His story is a good example of how to move quickly from landlubber to cruising sailor. We talk about sailing education, buying a boat, the survey and haul-out, Tartan 37's, dealing with bad weather, insurance, hurdles that stop people from leaving the dock, making mistakes as a beginner, dinghies, fuel and avoiding diesel bug, climbing the mast, autopilots, steering, anchoring, and much more.

This is my second interview with Guy deBoer, an entrant in the 2022 Golden Globe Race. We discuss the refit of his boat, Spirit, a Tashiba 36, including details like bottom paint, bilge pumps, the mast, solar panels, and reefing. We also discuss sail training, communication, fin keel vs full keel, the other competitors, killer whales, and sextant navigation.

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.