Melanie Sunshine Neale, Conversation with a Yacht Broker, Selecting the Right Boat
Offshore Sailing and Cruising with Paul Trammell
Release Date: 04/28/2025
Daniel Turner 2, Mini Globe Race, Fiji
Offshore Sailing and Cruising with Paul Trammell
Daniel Turner is currently in second place in the Mini Globe Race, another Don McIntyre circumnavigation race. He was in Fiji when I interviewed him, right befrore the start of Leg three, Fiji to Cape Town. We talk about sailing from Antigua to Panama, dealing with a roller-furler malfunction, sailing to Fiji, a storm in the Tuomotus, using a drogue, helmets, preventers, response to the skeptics, the route and obstacles to Cape Town, sailing solo and how his enjoyment of it has changed during the race, Starlink, how sailing changes us, boat balance and reefing and sailing more...
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Ask an Electrician, Owen Murphy, Part 2
Offshore Sailing and Cruising with Paul Trammell
This is part two of my conversation with marine electrical engineer Owen Murphy. We talk about meeting John Kretschmer, the influence of electrical systems and electronics on sailboat value, wiring diagrams, the risks of modern high-output systems, fuses, what electricity is, amps, electrical fields, panconsciousness, sailing in the South Pacific, sailing into an atoll, a tiger-shark story, grey sharks, a near-death experience while surfing, a strategy to stay in the South Pacific long-term, and more. Owen's website is Support the show through
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Ask an Electrician, Owen Murphy of Meridian Marine Electrical, Part 1
Offshore Sailing and Cruising with Paul Trammell
Owen Murphy is an ABYC certified marine electrical engineer and technician who offers both onsite and remote electrical system consulting, maintenance and installation. He sails a Pacific Seacraft 34 and is currently in Fiji. Owen answers questions from Patrons about their electrical systems. These include charging an AGM starter battery with LiFePo4 house batteries, saving weight on race yachts in the elctrical system, how to avoid electrical fires, the safety of Lithium batteries, explain the difference between grounding and bonding, what components need to be upgraded when converting...
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Deborah Hammett, Young Salt at Sixty
Offshore Sailing and Cruising with Paul Trammell
Deborah Hammett began sailing later in life and is the author of the book "Young Salt at Sixty." She sails a Jenneau Sun Odyssey 36 out of Martha's Vineyard, Mass. We talk about Martha's Vineyard, seeing your hometown from the water, scaling down, what inspired her to become a sailor, The Bahamas, riding out a storm in Georgetown at anchor, anchors, the Dominican Republic, her boat, unexpected difficulties, sailing in the ICW solo, sleeping when solo sailing, favorite anchorages on the east coast of the US, sobriety and sailing, changing an impeller, losing power, her book, writing, and more....
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Sailing with Six
Offshore Sailing and Cruising with Paul Trammell
Chris and Shona have been sailing around the world on a Leopard 46 catamaran with their four children. They started in Australia on a monohull and sailed up to the islands in the South Pacific. They then bought a catamaran in Mexico, went through the Panama Canal, up to Nova Scotia, and around the Caribbean, back through the canal, across the Pacific, through SE Asia, and to the Seychelles, where they were when I interviewed them. We talk about sailing with children and homeschooling, how they learned to sail, comapring monohulls and catamarans, sailing upwind, solar power, batteries, safety...
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Niels Nielson, Saare Yachts, also Bahamas Fee Increases, Unrest in Panama
Offshore Sailing and Cruising with Paul Trammell
Saare Yachts is a German company that builds quality, semi-custom yachts which are made in Estonia in the yard that formerly built Finngulf Yachts. In the intro, I discuss the new 5X-more expensive Bahamas cruising permits and new fees, as well as the strikes in Bocas del Toro, Panama. Niels and I talk about sailing in the Baltic Sea, sailing angles, history of the boatyard, building the hulls, vacuum infusion, vinyl-ester resin, foam, bulkheads, lead keels, keel bolts, traditional hull design, heeling, single rudders, engine access, electrical systems, alternators, induction stoves,...
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Filip Kotodziej, Isla de los Estados, Patagonia, and Antarctica
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...
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Cruising the Med and Sailing Naturally with Richard and Jude of Sailing Helios
Offshore Sailing and Cruising with Paul Trammell
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...
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Matt Woodside, Golden Globe Race 2026 Entrant
Offshore Sailing and Cruising with Paul Trammell
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,...
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Diana Vega, First Mate in the Clipper Round the World Race
Offshore Sailing and Cruising with Paul Trammell
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...
info_outlineMelanie 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
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