Offshore Sailing and Cruising with Paul Trammell

Filip Kotodziej is the skipper of SV Selma of SailCamp Expeditions, running high-latitued charters. He recently visited Isla de los Estados - an island off the souther tip of Argentina few people have visited. We talk about isla de los Estados, anchoring and anchorages, katabatic winds, currents and tides, charts and navigating, the boat Selma - a custom steel ketch, features of the boat that make her capable of high-latitude sailing, sailing in high winds, different sail configurations, dealing with heavy weather, clearing customs in Argentina and going to Isla de los Estados, tsumanis at sea, wildlife, foul-weather gear and staying warm and dry in the high latitudes, boots and gloves, safety prorocols and gear, penguins, South Georgia Island, and a surprise announcement. Photos and links are on the podcast shownotes page Support the show through Patreon

Richard and Jude sold everything and bought a Jenneau Sun Odyssey 410 in 2022. Unable to get the boat delivered to Australia in a timely manner, they decided to take the boat in France and start their sailing lives by cruising the Mediterranean. We talk about crusing the Mediterranean, the boat, dual helms, anchoring, lights and a collision while at anchor, favorite places, cultures, food, making the transition to the cruising life, running a YouTube channel, running another channel in which they wear no clothes, health and extending lifespan, and more. Photos and links can be found on the podcast shownotes page Support the show through Patreon

Matt Woodside is entered in the 2026 Golden Globe Race (GGR). His boat is a Cape George 36 and he lives in Portland, Oregon. We talk about getting into sailing, the Sea of Cortez, Mexico, the GGR, simplifying the boat, refitting her, replacing the mast, reefing, heavy-weather strategies, heaving-to, towing drogues, using a storm trysail, his unique jury rig, abandoning ship, books, serving as a Flight Officer in a Navy aircraft, fears, food, to fish or not to fish, magic, old navigation tech, not sailing with a cat, modern navigation, unexpected events, bucket-list destinations, feedom, and more. Photos and links can be found here Support teh podcast here

Diana Vega grew up on the Isle of Wight sailing in the Solent. She will be the First Mate with Guy Waites on Team Unicef UK in the 2025-2026 Clipper Round the World Race. We talk about crew dynamics, a transatlantic on an Outremer catamaran, refitting a steel boat, installing a synthetic teak deck, heaving-to in the Bay of Biscay, the Clipper Race, the role of the first mate, training for the Clipper, the boats, Guy Waites, fear, anticipations, the southern ocean, book recommendations, bucket-list destinations, beautiful moments, unexplainable sights, and more. Photos and links can be found at https://www.paultrammell.com/podcast-season-7 Support the show through Patreon

Barry Perrins recently crossed his wake completing a 9-year circumnavigation aboard steel Van de Stadt. We talk about his boat, the pros and cons of steel boats, his route, New Zealand, crocodiles in Australia, friendly people, Vanuatu, whale sharks, dancing with manta rays, anchors, lessons learned, nature, profound revelations, and more. Links and photos are on the shownotes page Support the show through Patreon

Mike Price sails and races in Hawaii and owns Hyde Sails Hawaii. We talk about sailing in Hawaii, sailmaking, things sailors need to know about sails, when you need new sails, how to choose between different cruising and racing sails, triradial vs cross-cut sails, different materials, spinnakers, asym. vs. sym., top-down furlers, sail trim, interpreting telltales, maintaining sail shape when roller-reefing a roller-furled headsail, adjustable failrleads, foam luff, repairing sails at sea, Elliot Smith, a captain being held for hostage at Christmas Island, the liberty of sailing, and more. Photos and links are on the shownotes page here Support the show through Patreon here

Brent bought Stargazer, an Endurance 35 six years ago in Vancouver and has since been restoring and rebuilding her. She has been almost completely rebuilt and now looks like a work of art. She can be seen on Instagram @storyofstargazer. We talk about the restoration process and get into the details of wood, joints, fiberglass, sanding, varnish, paint, woodworking, the decision to buy an old boat that needs work or a boat ready to go, electronics, chainplates, balancing living the experience with recording the moment, where to go, wilderness anchorages, dealing with internet offshore, and more. Links and photos are on the podcast shownotes page Support the show throught Patreon

Melanie Neale grew up on sailboats and has always lived the sailing and cruising life. She's been a yachtbroker for ten years and now owns Sunshine Cruising Yachts based in St. Augustine, Florida. I met Melanie years ago when I was looking for my first boat, and we've stayed in touch. We talk about boats Melanie likes, the Caliber 40 LRC, Island Packets, the Nicholson 31, the right size boat to singlehand, bolt-on keels, water intrusion around keel bolts, the steps involved in buying a boat, boat shows, common mistakes in boat buying, marinas, insurance, financing boats, maintenance, affects of Covid on the market, the market today, looking at boats, Melanie's dream boat, the benefits of a forgiving boat, moorings, The Bahamas, sharks, and more. Photos and links are on the shownotes page Suppoert the show through Patreon

Istvan Kopar took 4th place in the 2018 Golden Globe Race - and was one of only five finishers. Next year on the 250th anniversary of the United States of America, he will be attempting to be the first person to sail from the USA solo nonstop westbound around the world via the three great capes and he will be doing it at the same time as the GGR 2026 boats will be going the other way around the world. We talk about his ambitions, his new boat - a Valiant 42, preparing for the westbound circumnavigation, his book Kihivas, his first circumnavigation with one stop on his boat Salammbô, the 2018 GGR, emergency tillers, navigation, heavy weather sailing techniques - heaving to, solo sailing, drogues, favorite land sightings, sharks, orcas, other wildlife, and more. Photos and links are on the shownotes page Support the show on Patreon

Mark Synnott is a New York Times bestselling author, a pioneering big wall first ascensionist and one of the most prolific exploratory climbers of his generation. Always seeking new adventures, in 2022 he sailed through the Northwest Passage while searching for the grave of and attempting to solve the mystery of what happened to legendary nineteenth-century explorer Sir John Franklin and his ships, HMS Erebus and Terror. We talk about his boat Polar Sun - a Stevens 47, getting the boat ready for the Northwest Passage, ice and how to read ice charts, what happens if you get frozen in the ice, a boat that got crushed in the ice, how to freeze in safely, dressing properly for sailing in cold weather, shelter on the boat, crew issues, growlers, wildlife sightings, beluga whales, anchoring, writing books, and more. links and photos are on the shownotes page Support the show through Patreon