Offshore Sailing and Cruising with Paul Trammell

Bill and JoAnne Harris are the Ocean Cruising Club Port Officers for the Bay Islands of Honduras (Roatan, Guanaja, Utila, Cayos Cochinos, and the Swan Islands. They sail SV Ultra, a trimaran, often spending hurricane season in Rio Dulce, Guatemala, and the rest of the year in the Bay Islands. We talk about Rio Dulce, crossing the bar on the way in, being an OCC Port Officer, the Bay Islands, spearfishing (or not), moorings and anchoring, Roatan, Guanaja, Utila, diving with whale sharks and manta rays, whales, staying long-term, getting groceries and supplies, hauling out, crime, anchorages in the Bay Islands, copmmunity projects, and more. Find links and photos here Support the show through Patreon

Captain Mark Sinclair was born in Manchester, UK, and emigrated to Australia in 1960. He served 20 years in the Royal Australian Navy up to the rank of Commander. During his extensive sea time he served in a tanker, icebreaker, minesweeper, destroyers and numerous hydrographic ships and aircraft. He navigated 4 ships and commanded 3 ships. He has sailed extensively all his life, and in 2018 participated in the Golden Globe Race (GGR) circumnavigating single-handed in Coconut in 332 days with one stop in Adelaide, and participated in the 2022 GGR, retiring in Lanzarote to attend his son’s wedding. He then sailed across the North Atlantic to Trinidad. He skippered Explorer in the 2023 Ocean Globe Race, circumnavigating again. He holds Yachtmaster Offshore and Yachtmaster Ocean certification and has sailed over 90,000 nautical miles.  We talk about the 2108 GGR, sailing long passages, sailing conservatively, heavy weather, selecting his GGR boat - a Lello 34, the Mini Globe Race, the Ocean Globe Race, beautiful moments, difficult situations, Cape Horn, baking bread, how he has his boat set up for solo passagemaking, favorite places, and more. Photos and links are on the shownotes page  Support the show through Patreon

MJ and Amy Sizemore from Motherload Sailing sailed in November from Linton Bay, Panama, to Ft. Pierce, Florida, through the Windward Passage, and without stopping. They sail a Bavaria 50 with their five boys, but have sold it and are buying a Lagoon 410 catamaran.  We talk about clearing out of Panama, the Ngäbe indigenous people, their nonstop passage, weather routing, foul weather in the Windward Passage, using a roller-furled mainsail, being hailed by Cuban helicopters, fishing, bird visitations, selling their boat and buying a catamaran, catching rain-water, spearfishing, triggerfish ceviche, pink meenies, raising a family on a boat, swim-through caves, a snake in the chain locker, San Blas, dinghies and dinghy security, air tags, and more. Shownotes and links are here  Support through Patreon here

Helga Marie Lovenskiold Kveseth, aka Mara, is a Norwegian entered in the 2026 Golden Globe Race, an around-the-world, solo, and nonstop race using only technology from 1968 or before. She holds a Captain's License and has over 25,000 nm sailing experience. She once trained for the olympics in fencing, was a rower competing on the world stage, and even a bobsleder. We talk about preparing for the Golden Globe Race - mentally and physically, qualifying for the race, different boats she is looking at for the race, catamarans vs monohulls, learning to sail, fear, dealing with losing a rudder, books, and much more! Podcast shownotes are here Support the show through Patreon here

Lin Pardey is a living legend best known for sailing long offshore passages in small traditional boats witout engines or electronics. Lin and her late husband Larry have sailed over 200,000nm, have circumnavigated in both directions, and have sailed around all the great capes east to west (contrary to prevailing wind). She is the author of 14 sailing nonfiction books, including her latest "Passages: Cape Horn and Beyond." We talk about boats and design elements she likes, old boats vs modern boats, writing, favorite passages, lessons learned while sailing, modern electronics vs sailing without, the benefits of learning to sail in a small boat, safety drills, making your boat unstoppable, learning to appreciate foul weather, heaving-to, favorite places, questions from podcast patrons, maintaining a safe distance from shore, secrets to staying active and healthy as we age, her book, and more. Podcast show notes are here https://www.paultrammell.com/podcast-season-7 Support the show through Patreon here patreon.com/paultrammell

Bert Terhart is a Canadian adventurer who has cicumnavigated solo, nonstop,  navigating only with a sextant. He also crossed Canada from west coast to east coast in a canoe in one season, which we talk about on my other podcast "Dream Chasers and Eccentrics." In this episode, we talk about his circumnavigation and why he did it, sharks, preparing for worst-case scenarios, Captain Cook, broaching and knockdowns, tethers, dealing with heavy conditions, beautiful moments at sea, his circumnavigation route, the joy of hand steering, karma, and more. Links and shownotes are here Support the show here

Dealtry Pickford is a South African sailor entered in the 2027 Global Solo Challenge, an around-the-world nonstop solo race. HIs background is dinghy racing, and his boat is a class 40.  We talk about sailing a class 40, speed, different points of sail, difficult situations, sailing around South Africa, training for the Global Solo Challenge, the desire to do the race, the Southern Ocean, being alone at sea, staying calm in difficult situations, future cruising plans, the perfect cruising sailboat, saving the wandering albatross, and more. Shownotes and links are here https://www.paultrammell.com/podcast-season-7 Support the show through Patreon here patreon.com/paultrammell

Pat Lawless is an entrant in the 2026 Golden Globe Race. He also sailed in the 2022 GGR, but had a failure of his windvane and retired in Cape Town, South Africa.  We talk about the Canary Islands, his passage from Ireland, his Saltram Saga 36, sextant navigation, AIS, lightning, lessons learned in the 2022 GGR, finishing teak, waterproofing deck hardware, making to-do lists, using teak oil, meeting Tapio Lehtinen near the equator during the 2022 GGR, the sinking of Tapio's boat, Guy deBoer running aground, sleeping through alarms, deadman and other alarms, servicing winches, comparing a Rustler 36 to Pat's boat, the Aries windvane, and more. Podcast show notes can be found here https://www.paultrammell.com/podcast-season-7 Support through Patreon here patreon.com/paultrammell

Ambre was born in Paris, but moved to the US when she was 10. She went to school and graduated with a degree in economics. After a brief career in New York City, she gave it all up to become a sailor, and now races Class Mini with her eyes on the Ocean Race and the Vendée Globe. She tells us about her new boat, #618, On the Road Again II, and training for the Mini Transat 2025. We talk about the new carbon-fiber boat, controlling and using our emotions, what she loves about racing, cruising, the Vendée Globe, men and women competing on equal ground, endurance, pain tolerance, confidence, the amount of effort required to become great at something, sailing fast, Guadeloupe, and more. Shownotes are here https://www.paultrammell.com/podcast-season-7 Support the show here patreon.com/paultrammell

Scott Johnston runs Yachting Scotland, an adventure-sailing and sailing tourism operation located in the Firth of Clyde on the west coast of Scotland. Our discussion begins with us talking about our boats and comparing the pros and cons of my full-keel cruiser and his modern performance cruiser. We also talk about the weather and sailing conditions in Scotland, sailing destinations in Scotland, learning to sail, delivering climbers to sae cliffs, St Kilda, using a sea anchor, anchoring in deep water, starting a charter-sailing business, the love of sailing, freediving, Newfoundland, and more.  Shownotes are here https://www.paultrammell.com/podcast-season-7 Support through Patreon here patreon.com/paultrammell