Offshore Sailing and Cruising with Paul Trammell

Interviews with offshore sailors and those in the industry sharing exciting stories and useful information so we can better enjoy and better prepare for our own adventures.

Ambre Hasson, Mini Transat 2025 12/16/2024

Ambre Hasson, Mini Transat 2025 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 Support the show here /episode/index/show/paultrammell/id/34455890

Adventure Sailing in Scotland, Scott Johnston 12/09/2024

Adventure Sailing in Scotland, Scott Johnston 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 Support through Patreon here /episode/index/show/paultrammell/id/34333295

Building and Sailing a 75' Steel Sailboat, Doug Jackson, SV Seeker 12/02/2024

Building and Sailing a 75' Steel Sailboat, Doug Jackson, SV Seeker Doug Jackson spent fifteen years building a 75' steel junk-rigged sailboat in Tulsa Oklahoma. Aron Erwin introduced me to Doug, and I interviewed them both in episode 221 in the before and after Hurricane Milton episode. Doug had such an interesting boat that I had to do this episode. We talk about St Augustine Florida, a boat that went aground in the Hurricane Milton, designing and building Seeker, bringing researchers aboard, the junk rig, learning to sail the boat, reefing, entering the St Augustine inlet, running into things, the inspiration to change his life and build this boat and move aboard her, taking risks, making friends, living a strenuous, curious, and meaningful life, tools, 3-D printing, and more. Shownotes (links and photos) are here Support the show through Patreon here /episode/index/show/paultrammell/id/33942992

Adam Desrosiers, Living Off-Grid in Alaska, Sailing a Cape George 36 11/25/2024

Adam Desrosiers, Living Off-Grid in Alaska, Sailing a Cape George 36 Adam lives off-grid in southeast Alaska and sails a Cape George 36. He was also a small-boat commercial fisherman and a merchant marine. We talk about Alaska, his history of commercial fishing, why we love untying the lines ashore, working as a merchant marine, finding the right boat, the Cape George 36, the Golden Globe Race and Kirsten Neuschafer, sailing in the fjords, the anchorages, Deigo Garcia, shark fishing, knife making, wildlife, orcas singing with thier heads out of the water, and more. Podcast shownotes are here Support the show through Patreon here /episode/index/show/paultrammell/id/33913402

Erden Eruc, Preparing for the 2026 Golden Globe Race 11/18/2024

Erden Eruc, Preparing for the 2026 Golden Globe Race Erden Eruc is an entrant in the 2026 Golden Globe Race, and has purchased Simon Curwen's Biscay 36, Clara. Erden is also one of only two people to have circumnavigated under human power, and Erden is the only to have done it solo, and he did it by rowing, cycling, kayaking, and hiking. He holds an amazing 18 Guiness World Records. We talk about his boat, his sailing experience, reasons he wants to do the race, learning about the Hydrovane, projects needed on the boat, hopes and fears regarding the race, the photogates, future sailing plans, and much more. We also discussed his solo human-powered circumnavigation on my other podcast Podcast shownotes (links and photos) are here Support through Patreon here /episode/index/show/paultrammell/id/33880812

Sam Holmes 2, in Dakar 11/11/2024

Sam Holmes 2, in Dakar When I spoke with Sam the previous week (ep. 224) he was en route to Dakar. In this episode, he is in Dakar. I also talk about my recent passage from San Blas to Linton Bay and then on to Escudo de Veraguas. Sam and I talk about the passage and trouble encountered on the way including damaging a spreader, reefing, using a modified climbing harness, sharks, a windvane problem, anchors and anchoring, using multiple anchors, sleeping while underway, anchor alarms, halucinating, radar and its limitations, Dakar, clearing customs and immigration, favorite places, and more. Podcast shownotes are here Support through Patreon here /episode/index/show/paultrammell/id/33866222

Sam Holmes, Underway between the Canary Islands and Dakkar 11/04/2024

Sam Holmes, Underway between the Canary Islands and Dakkar Sam was sailing in his Cape Dory 28 between the Canary Islands and Dakkar when I spoke to him. Before the interview, I talk about the San Blas Islands. Sam and I talk about the conditions, his Cape Dory 28, his windvane and electronic autopilots, sailing a full-keel boat, replacing the bronze chainplates, fixing a leaking hull-deck joint, Morocco, The Canary Islands, The Gambia, sailing to The Bahamas on a 16' Hobie Cat, fear, sailing for the sailing or for the destinations, solo sailing and why we love it, the Annapolis Boat Show, and more. Tune in next week for a continuation of this conversation. Sam and I got cut off at the end of this one, as he was underway and without reliable internet. Shownotes are here Support through Patreon here /episode/index/show/paultrammell/id/33726297

Sailing through Southeast Asia with Olivia Owens Wyatt 10/28/2024

Sailing through Southeast Asia with Olivia Owens Wyatt Olivia Owens Wyatt is a solo sailor, a filmaker, and a USCG 50-Ton Master certified captain. She is on her way around the world, currently in SE Asia, on a Panda 34. She is also entered in the 2026 Golden Globe Race We talk about Papua New Guinea, piracy, self-defense, Wayag, dealing with squalls, going without sleep, sailing through Indonesia, the perils of listening to bad advice, taking a tow from a coal-barge tug that led to near-disaster, preparing for the GGR, dealing with fear, wildlife encounters, sea snakes, happy people and where to find them, anchors, and more. Shownotes are here Support through Patreon here /episode/index/show/paultrammell/id/33624327

Andrew Cassels, Around the Americas through the NW Passage and Patagonia 10/21/2024

Andrew Cassels, Around the Americas through the NW Passage and Patagonia Andrew recently completed a three-year journey around the Americas including the Faroe Islands, Greenland, through the Northwest Passage, Alaska, Costa Rica, Patagonia, Brazil, and Svalbard, in a JFA 45, an aluminum expedition yacht. We talk about highlights of the trip, as well as difficulties, favorite places, sailing in heavy weather, anchoring in Patagonia and tying ashore, the importance of having a properly prepared sailboat in the high latitudes, foul-weather gear, his boat, electronics, navigation, elephant seals and other wildlife, navigating through ice, a grizzly-bear threat, pros and cons of aluminum boats, properly isolating steel bolts from aluminum, dragging anchor, and more. Shownotes and links are here Support through Patreon here /episode/index/show/paultrammell/id/33523627

Before and After Hurricane Milton, Anchored in St Augustine with Aaron Erwine and Doug Jackson 10/14/2024

Before and After Hurricane Milton, Anchored in St Augustine with Aaron Erwine and Doug Jackson Aaron and Doug were anchored in the Intracoastal Waterway just north of St Augustine, Florida, during hurricane Milton (and Helene). I interviewed them before and then after Hurricane Milton. We talk about anchoring; setting a tandem anchor; using multiple anchors; selecting a spot to sit out a hurricane; we get interuppted by a food delivery to my boat in San Blas, Panama; using two anchors in a tidal current; preparing the boat for the storm; alligators and sharks in the anchorage in Florida; crocodiles in the anchorage in Panama; after the hurricane; insurance; a boat that went aground during the storm; and more. Shownotes are here Support through Patreon here /episode/index/show/paultrammell/id/33438297

Sailing Solo from The Netherlands to New Zealand, Jacqueline Evers 10/07/2024

Sailing Solo from The Netherlands to New Zealand, Jacqueline Evers Jacqueline Evers set off from The Netherlands in July 2023 and is now in New Zealand. She sails a 1977 Grinde 27 called Loveworkx, designed by Peter Bruun and built in Denmark. We talk about New Zealand, clearing into various countries and expenses, sailing solo with family visiting, her boat, the inner forestay, why she is sailing solo around the world, favorite places, what we learn about ourselves through solo sailing, bird visitations, fishing while sailing (or not), sharks, fear, big wind and waves in the Caribbean Sea, creative anchoring, anchors and chain, a beautiful moment, landfalls, the wonder of living on a sailboat, and more. You can follow Jacqueline on her Youtube Channel Sailing Loveworkx Shownotes are here Support through Patreon here /episode/index/show/paultrammell/id/33344857

Panama Update, Bocas del Toro and San Blas 09/30/2024

Panama Update, Bocas del Toro and San Blas Recorded at Esnasdup island in San Blas, aka Guna Yala, I discuss my year and a half in Panama. I talk about navigating here, places I've been, anchorages, marinas, the weather, wildlife, crime, clearing in and out, surfing, spearfishing, tropical disaeses, getting proper exercise when living on a boat, and much more. Shownotes are here Support through Patreon here /episode/index/show/paultrammell/id/33249157

Transatlantic on a Hans Christian 34, Gunnar Christensen 09/26/2024

Transatlantic on a Hans Christian 34, Gunnar Christensen Gunnar Christensen is an entrant in the 2026 Golden Globe Race, and he recently bought a Hans Christian 34 in Trinidad and sailed it, solo, home to the UK. We talk about the boat, the voyage, his self-steering, Hydrovanes, Watt&Sea, trailing warps in heavy weather, sailing with hank-on headsails, jacklines and tethers, emergency ways to climb back onboard, symmetrical vs asymmetrical spinnakers, storm trysails, heavy weather, sailing a full-keel vs a fin-keel boat, sailing with a windvane, whales, reefing, PLB's, modifications needed, dodgers, Tapio's book "On a Belt of Foaming Seas," Southerly Yachts, the mental aspect of long-distance solo sailing, and more. Shownotes are here Support through Patreon here /episode/index/show/paultrammell/id/33160322

Tom Fisher, Sailing in Newfoundland 09/16/2024

Tom Fisher, Sailing in Newfoundland Tom Fisher sails a Biscay 36. He was inspired to go to Newfoundland after readingthe book "Sailing to Newfoundland," and visited many of the places I went in 2022. We talk about growing up sailing in the UK, sailing barges, folkboats, comparing traditional full-keel boats to modern charter boats, his Biscay 36, radar, Starlink, AIS, St. Martin to Bermuda to Nova Scotia to Newfoundland, hiking to the top of the mountain at Deadman's Cove, waterfalls, outports, hiking around Francois, bears, blueberries, Hare Bay, Isle aux Mortes, and more. Podcast show notes are here Support the show here /episode/index/show/paultrammell/id/33059372

Nathan Zahrt, 09/09/2024

Nathan Zahrt, Nathan and his wife Vivian run Ocean Passages, offering training passages aboard their Compass 47. We also talk about Tahiti and the Society Islands, dealing with cyclone season, Nova Scotia, dealing with heavy weather, electronics, anchoring, his association with John Kretschmer, training passages, heaving-to, different boats, different rigs, using preventers, accidental jibes, sailing to a schedule, lessons learned from John Kretschmer, and more. Podcast shownotes are here Support through Patreon here /episode/index/show/paultrammell/id/32954467

Porter Fox, Category Five 09/02/2024

Porter Fox, Category Five Porter Fox grew up on the coast of Maine sailing small boats. His father designed and built Whistler sailboats and founded Able Marine. Porter has written three books and also writes stories for The New York Times and other journals. His latest book is Category Five, which we talk about. We also talk about sailing around New York City, sailing a Whistler that his father built, sailing a cat ketch, cruising the New Jersey coast, sailing canoes in The Bahamas, sailing with John Kretschmer, climate change, the amplification of storms, sea-level rise, why we love the ocean, the importance of keeping a calm mind, defeating trauma, John Kretschmer's books, freeboard, net zero, and more. Shownotes are at Support through Patreon here /episode/index/show/paultrammell/id/32848397

Dave Winkler, Sea Tow 08/26/2024

Dave Winkler, Sea Tow Dave winkler is a Sea Two captain in Boston. We talk about sailing in Boston, problems sailers face and ask Sea Tow for help with, towing sailboats and using drogues during rudder-failure, mast breakage, the importance of taping over cotterpins in the standing rigging and lifelines, dangerous rescues, lobster bouys, rescuing a leatherback turtle, tips to avoid needing to call for help, and more. Find the shownotes here Support through Patreon here /episode/index/show/paultrammell/id/32726987

James Evenson, Sailing Zingaro 08/19/2024

James Evenson, Sailing Zingaro Captain James is a former submariner in the US Navy. He's sailed over 70,000 nm on a wide variety of boats. We talk about life on a submarine, catamarans, sailing through the South Pacific, a near-disaster on a catamaran breaking up in a storm, dual rudders, center cockpits, raised deck salons, pointing high, chasing your dreams and doing what you really want instead of what you think you are supposed to do, dinghies, lifting-keel sailboats, adventures in anchoring, buoying the chain, the importance of freediving, backup anchors, Portugal, surfing, Costa Rica, wing masts, fast boats, dream boats, selectingthe right boat for you, the disturbing noises catamarans make, running a charter business, seasickness, and more. Shownotes are here Support through Patreon here /episode/index/show/paultrammell/id/32626407

Ethan Mass, Sea Tow Boston 08/14/2024

Ethan Mass, Sea Tow Boston In this bonus mid-week episode, I interview Sea Tow captain Ethan Maass, from Sea Tow Boston. We talk about how Sea Tow serves sailors, how far they go to help, working with the Coast Guard when there's a problem, communications, what membership includes and doesn't, collisions, common safety shortcomings in boaters, emergency anchoring, getting lost, using divers, ordering pizza, and more. Shownotes are here Support through Patreon here /episode/index/show/paultrammell/id/32580747

The South Pacific in 2 Perspectives, Erick and Jenny VanMalssen 08/12/2024

The South Pacific in 2 Perspectives, Erick and Jenny VanMalssen 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 Support through Patreon here /episode/index/show/paultrammell/id/32520427

Chris and Tom from SailTies 08/07/2024

Chris and Tom from SailTies 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 podcast show notes are here /episode/index/show/paultrammell/id/32486517

Escape from Panama, Captain Ky the Seaglass Guy 08/05/2024

Escape from Panama, Captain Ky the Seaglass Guy 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 Support the podcast here /episode/index/show/paultrammell/id/32424022

Grant Headifen, NauticEd, 07/29/2024

Grant Headifen, NauticEd, Grant Headifen is the founder and Global Director of Education of NauticEd, a modern sailing education organization that provides online sailing courses, a global network of sailing schools, and virtual-reality sail training. In addition to sailing education, we talk about the force of wind and why it quadruples when wind speed doubles, a different formula for the amount of chain rode per depth, skills that new sailors neglect to study, USCG national standards, safety, avoiding collisions, learning to sail, the benefit of joining a yacht club and racing, sailing on different kinds of sailboats, cruising around Sicily, dealing with unruly crew, being an effective captain, sailing onto dock, NauticEd, a career opportunity to be a sailing instructor, comoditizing sailing education, and much more. Shownotes are here Support through Patreon here /episode/index/show/paultrammell/id/32314697

Jack Patton, Sailing an Electric Boat, Powerflow Marine 07/22/2024

Jack Patton, Sailing an Electric Boat, Powerflow Marine 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 Support through Patreon here /episode/index/show/paultrammell/id/32226877

Cruising an IMOCA 66, Sailing NV 07/15/2024

Cruising an IMOCA 66, Sailing NV 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 Shownotes are here /episode/index/show/paultrammell/id/32123392

Skip Novak, High-Latitude Expedition Sailing and Expedition Sailboats 07/08/2024

Skip Novak, High-Latitude Expedition Sailing and Expedition Sailboats 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 Support the show through Patreon here /episode/index/show/paultrammell/id/32031982

Living Aboard and Sailing a Proper Electric Sailboat with SV Vagari 07/01/2024

Living Aboard and Sailing a Proper Electric Sailboat with SV Vagari 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 Support through Patreon here /episode/index/show/paultrammell/id/31940902

Tanguy de Lamotte, Vita Power, and Electric Boats 06/24/2024

Tanguy de Lamotte, Vita Power, and Electric Boats 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 Support through Patreon here /episode/index/show/paultrammell/id/31854597

Simon Curwen, Ocean Globe Race aboard Translated 9 06/17/2024

Simon Curwen, Ocean Globe Race aboard Translated 9 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 Support the podcast with Patreon at /episode/index/show/paultrammell/id/31756565

Sail Trim Basics with Carl Damm 06/10/2024

Sail Trim Basics with Carl Damm Carl Damm is a sailing instructor and owner of Damsel Marine, a yacht managment and maintenance consulting service. We talk about the basics of trimming sails, like using adjustable jib-sheet cars, the boom vang, the outhaul, halyard tension, asymetrical spinnakers, using a spinnaker net, downwind sailing, flying the main or not when on a deep broad reach, sailing wing-on-wing, etc. Carl has sailed on a lot of different boats, and we talk about what he likes and does not like in a sailboat, from a full-keeled gaff-rigged schooner to a light and fast Deerfoot, and design aspects he likes, as well as things he doens'nt like, like too many through-hulls, how to design with fewer through-hulls, catamarans, the value of a simple boat, sailing his Compac 19, refitting a Tartan 27, The Bahamas, Damsel Marine, managing yachts, etc. and what his dream boat would be. I tell a story about my genoa sheets getting caught inside the furled genoa and causing a serious problem, and another about tearing the genoa and heaving-to wrong. Carl tells of making a mistake on the Compac with a bunch of non-sailors aboard, and a favorite moment offshore. Podcast show notes can be found at You can support the show through patreon at /episode/index/show/paultrammell/id/31661337

Offshore Sailing and Cruising with Paul Trammell

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