Offshore Sailing and Cruising with Paul Trammell

Erick and Jenny had just arrived in Fiji when I spoke with them, after having spent a year in French Polynesia. I interviewed the sepparately and asked the same questions, then editied it so you can hear their different, or similar, responses. We talk about favorite places, pleasant and difficult passages, favorite diving experiences, wildlife, sharks, things they did right and wrong, cultural experiences, things they miss on land, things they learned about sailing, and things they learned about themselves.  Shownotes are here https://www.paultrammell.com/podcast-season-7 Support through Patreon here patreon.com/paultrammell

Tom and Chris are two sailors from the UK who developed SailTies, a free app that makes it easy to record all your sailing experience in one place. The app keeps a digital record of all your voyages, certificates, crew, vessels, and clubs. We talk about their sailing experiences, chartering in the Med, sailing around Sicily, the SailTies app, and more.  Find the app and get a discount on the plus version here https://sailties.net/partner/paultrammell podcast show notes are here https://www.paultrammell.com/podcast-season-7

Kyle Davis, aka Captain Ky the Seaglass Guy, was in the San Blas islands in Panama when he came down with dengue fever. He ended up in a bad situation in a prison-like hospital and had to escape. Kyle is a sailor and a sea-glass hunter, and has also been know to catch crocodiles by hand. We also talk about fishing, sailing from Panama to Cartagena, zarpes, the consequences (or not) of not clearing out of a country, the San Blas islands (Guna Yala), lightning strikes, seasickness, surf, the indigenous cultures in Panama, coral-reef health, having boatwork done in Catagena, Santa Marta, sailing solo from Santa Marta to Aruba, visiting Cuba, staying in a van in the Cayman Islands, motorsailing, hunting for seaglass, cloning his late dog Little Coconut, and more. Shownotes are here https://www.paultrammell.com/podcast-season-7 Support the podcast here patreon.com/paultrammell

Grant Headifen, founder and Global Director of Education at NauticEd, is a trailblazer in modern sailing education. He discusses the rapid increase in wind speed and its implications for sailing. Grant dives into the essential skills often overlooked by new sailors and the establishment of USCG national standards. He highlights the significance of emotional intelligence in leadership aboard a vessel and shares his insights on forming effective crews. The conversation also touches on innovative online courses and sailing as a transformative journey.

Jack Patton sails an electric Passport 42, and was sailing to Hawaii when we spoke. He is also the owner of Poerflow Marine, which makes electric-motor systems for sailboats. We talk about sailing an electric boat, the conversion from diesel, the cost comparison between repowering with diesel vs electric, cooling systems, regeneration, the Ecostar propeller, easy and difficult boats to convert, and more. We also talk about cruising the Sea of Cortez, the Tuamotu Islands and French Polynesia, and Vancouver Island. Podcast shownotes are here https://www.paultrammell.com/podcast-season-7  Support through Patreon here patreon.com/paultrammell

Timo and Jo bought NV, a 66' IMOCA ex-Vendee Globe sailboat and converted her into a family cruiser, without sacrificing performance. The draft is still 4.5m and the mast 100'. NV was originally designed, built & raced by famous Hungarian sailor Nándor Fa. He competed in her in the 1992 Vendée Globe finishing 5th, becoming the first non-frenchman to finish. When I spoke with Timo and Jo, they were in Lombok, Indonesia, preparing to go see the dragons on Komodo Island. We also talk about moving from a Young Sun 35 to the IMOCA racer, modifications to the boat to make it a family cruiser, maintaining the boat's weight, why we love sailing, and lots more.  Support the show with Patreon patreon.com/paultrammell Shownotes are here https://www.paultrammell.com/podcast-season-7

Skip Novak is a lifetime offshore sailor, veteran of four Whitbread Round the World and other races, and owner of Pelagic Expeditions. He recently published the boat "On Sailing." We talk about the book, learning to sail, Kirsten Neuschafer, combining sailing and climbing, design aspects of proper bluewater cruising boats, deck layout on Skip's boats, rigging for heavy weather, heaving-to, drogues and sea anchors, rudders and keels, unnecessary features often found on modern sailboats, older boats, simplicity, communication, managing Starlink, safety, below-deck features of a bluewater boat, catamarans, favorite wildlife, sailing amongst ice, favorite moments, and more. Shownotes are at https://www.paultrammell.com/podcast-season-6 Support the show through Patreon here patreon.com/paultrammell

Keith and Becca bought a Pearson 424 that needed a refit, and when the time came to repower, they found an inexpensive electric motor and made a quick decision to build an electri-motor system. They eventually sailed off from Texas to the Caribbean, worked their way upwind to the Windward Islands, then to the Azores, where they were when I talked to them. They've been sailing and living aboard for six years, and have a wealth of knowledge and experience with their electric-motor system. We get into all the details about their system, but we also talk about the Azores, free and silent motor assist sailing, having unlimited power, refitting their Pearson 424, sailing upwind through the Caribbean, losing the prop shaft coupler, cavitation caused by seaweed on the prop strut, micro-route-planning offshore with Starlink, unexpected issues, their 48-volt system, life at anchor with 2500 watts of solar and a large lithium battery bank, comparing the electric motor to a diesel motor, comparing costs of repowering with a diesel motor vs electric, how to make the decision to go electric or diesel, batteries, and more. Shownotes are at https://www.paultrammell.com/podcast-season-6 Support through Patreon here patreon.com/paultrammell

Tanguy de Lamotte is a French sailor and naval architect, and veteran of many offshore races, including the two Vendeé Globes and several Transats. He is also part of Vita Power, a company that makes electric boats. We talk about electric boats and their environmental advantages, the Vita Power boats, sailing IMOCA boats, foiling, cruising, and more. Shownotes are at https://www.paultrammell.com/podcast-season-6 Support through Patreon here patreon.com/paultrammell

Simon Curwen recently skippered Translated 9, a Swan 65, in the Ocean Globe Race, which was a re-creation of the 1973 Whitbread Round the World Race. The race consisted of 4 legs, from the UK to Cape Town, South Africa; to Aukland, New Zealand; to Punta del Este, Uruguay; and back to the UK.  Simon started as the navigator aboard Translated 9, and was the skipper for the last two legs. They had a great first two legs, but suffered hull damage in the third.  We talk about the boat, sailing a ketch, different sailplans, the difference between sailing solo and with crew, hank-on sails, foul-weather gear, preventers, adjustable backstays, using a jockey pole, highlights of the four legs, Marie Tabarly getting bit by a seal, a crack in the mast, surfing, running aground, taking on the role of skipper, rounding Cape Horn, a broach and knockdown resulting in a crack in the hull, the Falkland Islands, and Simon's new boat - an X 412. Shownotes are at https://www.paultrammell.com/podcast-season-6 Support the podcast with Patreon at patreon.com/paultrammell