Ep. 237, Mark Sinclair aka Captain Coconut, Long Passages and Solo Sailing
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Captain Mark Sinclair was born in Manchester, UK, and emigrated to Australia in 1960. He served 20 years in the Royal Australian Navy up to the rank of Commander. During his extensive sea time he served in a tanker, icebreaker, minesweeper, destroyers and numerous hydrographic ships and aircraft. He navigated 4 ships and commanded 3 ships. He has sailed extensively all his life, and in 2018 participated in the Golden Globe Race (GGR) circumnavigating single-handed in Coconut in 332 days with one stop in Adelaide, and participated in the 2022 GGR, retiring in Lanzarote to attend his son’s wedding. He then sailed across the North Atlantic to Trinidad. He skippered Explorer in the 2023 Ocean Globe Race, circumnavigating again.
He holds Yachtmaster Offshore and Yachtmaster Ocean certification and has sailed over 90,000 nautical miles.
We talk about the 2108 GGR, sailing long passages, sailing conservatively, heavy weather, selecting his GGR boat - a Lello 34, the Mini Globe Race, the Ocean Globe Race, beautiful moments, difficult situations, Cape Horn, baking bread, how he has his boat set up for solo passagemaking, favorite places, and more.
Ep. 236, Panama to Florida, Motherload Sailing
MJ and Amy Sizemore from Motherload Sailing sailed in November from Linton Bay, Panama, to Ft. Pierce, Florida, through the Windward Passage, and without stopping. They sail a Bavaria 50 with their five boys, but have sold it and are buying a Lagoon 410 catamaran.
We talk about clearing out of Panama, the Ngäbe indigenous people, their nonstop passage, weather routing, foul weather in the Windward Passage, using a roller-furled mainsail, being hailed by Cuban helicopters, fishing, bird visitations, selling their boat and buying a catamaran, catching rain-water, spearfishing, triggerfish ceviche, pink meenies, raising a family on a boat, swim-through caves, a snake in the chain locker, San Blas, dinghies and dinghy security, air tags, and more.
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Ep. 235, Helga Marie Lovenskiold Kveseth, 2026 GGR
Helga Marie Lovenskiold Kveseth, aka Mara, is a Norwegian woman entered in the 2026 Golden Globe Race, an around-the-world, solo, and nonstop race using only technology from 1968 or before. She holds a Captain's License and has over 30,000 nm sailing experience. She once trained for the olympics in fencing, was a rower competing on the world stage, and even a bobsleder.
We talk about preparing for the Golden Globe Race - mentally and physically, qualifying for the race, different boats she is looking at for the race, learning to sail, books, Sailing Ripple Effect, catamarans vs. monohulls, solo sailing, sleeping, fear, dealing with the loss of a rudder, and much more!
Ep. 234, Lin Pardey, Passages: Cape Horn and Beyond
Lin Pardey is a living legend best known for sailing long offshore passages in small traditional boats witout engines or electronics. Lin and her late husband Larry have sailed over 200,000nm, have circumnavigated in both directions, and have sailed around all the great capes east to west (contrary to prevailing wind). She is the author of 14 sailing nonfiction books, including her latest "Passages: Cape Horn and Beyond."
We talk about boats and design elements she likes, old boats vs modern boats, writing, favorite passages, lessons learned while sailing, modern electronics vs sailing without, the benefits of learning to sail in a small boat, safety drills, making your boat unstoppable, learning to appreciate foul weather, heaving-to, favorite places, questions from podcast patrons, maintaining a safe distance from shore, secrets to staying active and healthy as we age, her book, and more.
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Ep. 233, Bert Terhart, Bluewater Sailing
Bert Terhart is a Canadian adventurer who has cicumnavigated solo, nonstop, navigating only with a sextant. He also crossed Canada from west coast to east coast in a canoe in one season, which we talk about on my other podcast "Dream Chasers and Eccentrics." In this episode, we talk about his circumnavigation and why he did it, sharks, preparing for worst-case scenarios, Captain Cook, broaching and knockdowns, tethers, dealing with heavy conditions, beautiful moments at sea, his circumnavigation route, the joy of hand steering, karma, and more.
Ep. 232, Dealtry Pickford, Preparing for the Global Solo Challenge in a Class 40
Dealtry Pickford is a South African sailor entered in the 2027 Global Solo Challenge, an around-the-world nonstop solo race. HIs background is dinghy racing, and his boat is a class 40.
We talk about sailing a class 40, speed, different points of sail, difficult situations, sailing around South Africa, training for the Global Solo Challenge, the desire to do the race, the Southern Ocean, being alone at sea, staying calm in difficult situations, future cruising plans, the perfect cruising sailboat, saving the wandering albatross, and more.
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Ep. 231, Pat Lawless in the Canary Islands
Pat Lawless is an entrant in the 2026 Golden Globe Race. He also sailed in the 2022 GGR, but had a failure of his windvane and retired in Cape Town, South Africa.
We talk about the Canary Islands, his passage from Ireland, his Saltram Saga 36, sextant navigation, AIS, lightning, lessons learned in the 2022 GGR, finishing teak, waterproofing deck hardware, making to-do lists, using teak oil, meeting Tapio Lehtinen near the equator during the 2022 GGR, the sinking of Tapio's boat, Guy deBoer running aground, sleeping through alarms, deadman and other alarms, servicing winches, comparing a Rustler 36 to Pat's boat, the Aries windvane, and more.
Ep. 230, Ambre Hasson, Mini Transat 2025
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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.
Ep. 229, 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.
Ep. 228, 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.
Owen's WhatsApp:
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Ep. 227, 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.
Ep. 226, 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.
Listen to the beginning of this conversation
on my other podcast
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Ep. 225, 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.
Ep. 224, 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.
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