On the Wind Sailing

Latest Episodes:

Hank Schmitt // Offshore Passage Opportunties Jun 09, 2015

Show notes

#106. Hank and Andy go back several years, having continually bumped into each other in various landfalls around the US and Caribbean. Those of us who work in sailing full-time are few and far between, so it's a small world. Andy sat down with Hank in Bermuda during the ARC Europe stopover and chatted for almost an hour and a half! Hank talked about his career working on offshore oil rigs, how he got into racing as a teenager (and lived a sailing bums life in the 70s), & how he started OPO and the NARC Rally.

Towards the second half of the episode, Hank discusses candidly some scary stuff - the loss of a crew member in the NARC Rally in 2010, and the abandonment of the Alpha catamaran during an ill-fated delivery last January. It's an inspiring look at one of the biggest names in the American offshore cruising business.

Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth Isbjorn, our Swan 48, at 59-north.com/offshore.

Ups & Downs // Andy's Essay Jun 02, 2015

Show notes

#105 is an essay in which Andy describes the ups and downs of starting a sailing business. Financially and emotionally it's been a roller coaster ride since buying Isbjorn. Andy talks about that process and how far he and Mia have come since buying the Swan 48 in February.

Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on Isbjorn, a classi Swan 48, at isbjornsailing.com.

Tania Aebi LIVE // Sailing Legend May 26, 2015

Show notes

#104. Tania Aebi spoke at the ARC Europe Rally in Bermuda last Sunday, and Andy recorded it. Tania was skippering Jojo Maria, a Beneteau on it's way back to New York from the Caribbean. During the Bermuda stopover she regaled the packed house of crew with her tales of circumnavigating in her 26-foot Contessa in the 1980's at age 18. She was the youngest woman to ever do so single-handed. Her book 'Maiden Voyage' remains in print and is an all-time sailing classic. The fleet was based at the St. George's Dinghy & Sports Club.

Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on Isbjorn at 59-north.com/offshore.

Anna Vinnars // Adventurer May 19, 2015

Show notes

#103. The beautiful and charming Anna Vinnars, voice of the podcast, on the show today to talk about her epic cycling trip from South Africa to Sweden (yes, you read that correctly!). Co-hosted by Ryan Briggs, Andy's best friend. This is a re-run from one of the very first podcasts Andy ever did, back in the 'Two Inspired Guys' days. It's not so much about sailing, but it's all about adventure. You'll dig it. And you'll fall in love with Anna's voice like Andy did!

Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on Isbjorn, our Swan 48 at 59-north.com/offshore.

Offshore Yacht Rigging - Mike Meer // Seminar May 12, 2015

Show notes

#102 is Mike Meer, a dear friend of mine and my former employer, who taught me everything I know about yacht rigging. It's all about yacht rigging in the context of ocean sailing, in Mike's witty, fun-loving style. He's a cool guy, and he gets across complex rigging issues in a very understandable manner. The slides from Mike's talk are available at this episode's blog page on 59-north.com/sailingpodcast, so head there to follow along.

Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on Isbjorn, our classic Swan 48, at 59-north.com/offshore.

Elodie-Jane Mettraux // Team SCA, Volvo Ocean Race May 05, 2015

Show notes

#101. I had a nice little chat with Elodie at the dock after sailing with Team SCA on their TP52 in New York. Elodie is one of the crewmembers with the Volvo Ocean Race's Team SCA, the first all-female crew in 12 years in the race. This is a bit shorter than normal, but Elodie has promised to come back on the show for a longer chat after the Volvo, so look forward to that! For now, enjoy a few minutes with Elodie Mettraux of Team SCA!

Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on Isbjorn, our classic Swan 48, at 59-north.com/offshore.

Paul Exner // Boatbuilder & Capt. May 01, 2015

Show notes

#100 is Paul Exner & I on the road talking business. It occurred to me shortly after releasing Paul's first interview with Victor Hempel that a lot of my listeners might not know who the hell this Paul Exner guy was.

So we re-hash some of Paul's sailing experience, focusing on his technical knowledge of the sport. Ultimately though we ended up talking more about the new business than anything else. This is a very honest episode - we talk about the conflict of using the podcast as an advertising platform, how to price offshore passage trips, what it's like emotionally starting your own business and lots more.

Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on Isbjorn, our classic Swan 48, at 59-north.com/offshore.

Gary Jobson // Sailing Legend Apr 28, 2015

Show notes

#99 is legendary America's Cup sailor and local Annapolitan Gary Jobson. Gary told stories of growing up in New Jersey sailing dinghies, sailing with Ted Turner and winning the 1977 America's Cup, commentating for ESPN, winning two Emmy wards, watching the foiling catamaran's at AC34, his thoughts on AC35 in Bermuda and lots more!

Want to go ocean sailing? Book a berth on Isbjorn, our Swan 48, on 59-north.com/offshore.

Tom Harkin // US Senator Apr 21, 2015

Show notes

#98. Retired Senator Tom Harkin invited me and my dad to his house in Hope Town, Bahamas, a place he's been going to since the 70s to escape the rat race in DC, and which he'll spend a lot more time at now in retirement. We took the ferry over and had lunch with Tom and his wife Ruth on the dock overlooking the sea of Abaco and Tom's new sailboat, a 26' lifting keel Seaward. We recorded the podcast on the deck behind Tom's house, overlooking the Atlantic ocean. My dad was there as well, listening in the background. Tom's got an amazing life story, a lot of which includes his love of sailing. We discussed his younger days in the Navy ROTC, how he became a fighter pilot, what it's like to takeoff and land from the deck of an aircraft carrier, how he built a trimaran in Japan, how he survived ejecting from a fighter plane on a training mission gone wrong, and much more. This is a good one, so listen up!

Come ocean sailing with Andy, like Tom did, on Isbjorn, our classic Swan 48. Book a trip at 59-north.com/offshore!

Offshore Passage Debrief with Les & Jim Apr 14, 2015

Show notes

#97. At about 0200 in the morning last Wednesday, after we'd tied the dock lines up in Little Creek VA, I got out the recorder and we debriefed the passage north on Sojourner from Marsh Harbor to Annapolis. The crew were myself, my dad, and Les and Jim, two podcast fans who'd signed up for the expedition online!

The trip was ideal sailing - broad reaching under a full moon for most of the way, and warm, dry and comfortable (at least until we got back into colder water on the Bay). Aside from one night, that is. Early Easter Sunday morning we experienced a violent frontal passage, with 50-knot initial gusts and sustained winds overnight in the 30-40 knot range. Easily the strongest weather I'd encountered in my offshore career, and a hell of an experience for Les and Jim who'd never been offshore before. So we talked about it. Here's the tape.

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