Ep. 251, All About Sails, Mike Price, Hyde Sails Hawaii
Mike Price sails and races in Hawaii and owns Hyde Sails Hawaii. We talk about sailing in Hawaii, sailmaking, things sailors need to know about sails, when you need new sails, how to choose between different cruising and racing sails, triradial vs cross-cut sails, different materials, spinnakers, asym. vs. sym., top-down furlers, sail trim, interpreting telltales, maintaining sail shape when roller-reefing a roller-furled headsail, adjustable failrleads, foam luff, repairing sails at sea, Elliot Smith, a captain being held for hostage at Christmas Island, the liberty of sailing, and more.
Ep. 250, Brent Remley, Story of Stargazer, Bringing an Endurance 35 Back From the Dead
Brent bought Stargazer, an Endurance 35 six years ago in Vancouver and has since been restoring and rebuilding her. She has been almost completely rebuilt and now looks like a work of art. She can be seen on Instagram @storyofstargazer.
We talk about the restoration process and get into the details of wood, joints, fiberglass, sanding, varnish, paint, woodworking, the decision to buy an old boat that needs work or a boat ready to go, electronics, chainplates, balancing living the experience with recording the moment, where to go, wilderness anchorages, dealing with internet offshore, and more.
Owen's WhatsApp:
1-561-827-5457
Ep. 249, Melanie Sunshine Neale, Conversation with a Yacht Broker, Selecting the Right Boat
.png)
Melanie 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.
Caliber 40 LRC
Island Packet 349
Mayan, formerly David Crosby's yacht
Ep. 248, Istvan Kopar, Westbound Solo Around the World
Istvan Kopar took 4th place in the 2018 Golden Globe Race - and was one of only five finishers. Next year on the 250th anniversary of the United States of America, he will be attempting to be the first person to sail from the USA solo nonstop westbound around the world via the three great capes and he will be doing it at the same time as the GGR 2026 boats will be going the other way around the world.
We talk about his ambitions, his new boat - a Valiant 42, preparing for the westbound circumnavigation, his book Kihivas, his first circumnavigation with one stop on his boat Salammbô, the 2018 GGR, emergency tillers, navigation, heavy weather sailing techniques - heaving to, solo sailing, drogues, favorite land sightings, sharks, orcas, other wildlife, and more.
Owen's WhatsApp:
1-561-827-5457
Puffin, a Tradewinds 36
Surprise, a Valiant 42
Salammbô
Ep. 247, Mark Synnott, Into the Ice, Sailing the NW Passage
Mark Synnott is a New York Times bestselling author, a pioneering big wall first ascensionist and one of the most prolific exploratory climbers of his generation. Always seeking new adventures, in 2022 he sailed through the Northwest Passage while searching for the grave of and attempting to solve the mystery of what happened to legendary nineteenth-century explorer Sir John Franklin and his ships, HMS Erebus and Terror.
We talk about his boat Polar Sun - a Stevens 47, getting the boat ready for the Northwest Passage, ice and how to read ice charts, what happens if you get frozen in the ice, a boat that got crushed in the ice, how to freeze in safely, dressing properly for sailing in cold weather, shelter on the boat, crew issues, growlers, wildlife sightings, beluga whales, anchoring, writing books, and more.
.png)
![img-2ef61bc7-020e-4c4c-a46b-9f8ea26f42fc[83].png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/94eced_66c90b5bca184848af789f8401bb4016~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_141,h_141,al_c,lg_1,q_85,enc_avif,quality_auto/img-2ef61bc7-020e-4c4c-a46b-9f8ea26f42fc%5B83%5D.png)
Ep. 246, Selling it All and Circumnavigating, Ulrika Katja Sjoback
Ulrika retired, sold her house, and bought a 1995 Island Packet 40. She has just started what she plans to be a long and casual circumnavigation. She was in Guyamas Mexico when I interviewed her.
We talk about her boat, sailing from BC to Mexico, The Sea of Cortez, sailing singlehanded and with crew, Mexico, water, how the Island Packet performs, whisker poles, her previous boat - an Atkins Ingrid, sailing in British Columbia, electronics, radar, plans for the South Pacific, diving, whales, whale sharks, Papua New Guinea, and more!
Owen's WhatsApp:
1-561-827-5457
Ep. 245, The Last Voyage of Asteria
The Last Voyage of Asteria is Tapio Lehtinen's latest book, co-written by Paul Trammell, and documents Tapio's 2022 Golden Globe Race, during which his boat, Asteria, sank while 460 nm SE of South Africa.
In this episode, I read from the book, including the beginning and also the chapter titled "Lessons Learned," which disusses what Tapio learned from the sinking and from entering the life raft, and inccludes a list of all the safety gear required by the Golden Globe Race NOR.
.png)
Tapio and Kirsten aboard Minnehaha after his rescue
Ep. 244, Ronnie Simpson, Class 40 Sailing and the 2027 Global Solo Challenge
Ronnie Simpson is a 40-year-old professional racing sailor from the United States of America who aims to sail in the 2027 Global Solo Challenge race. Recently, Ronnie was the skipper of the Open 50 Shipyard Brewing which competed in the first-ever Global Solo Challenge in 2023-24. Sailing in a strong third place for most of the race, Ronnie unfortunately dismasted off of Argentina in February 2024 and Shipyard Brewing was lost at sea. Having completed 80% of a singlehanded racing circumnavigation and rounding all of the three great capes including Cape Horn, Ronnie’s resolve to race in and complete the Global Solo Challenge is now only stronger. To that effect, Ronnie purchased Class 40 #15 ‘Koloa Maoli’ in early 2025 to mount another campaign for the Global Solo Challenge.
As a combat-wounded and medically retired US Marine and Iraq war veteran who has sailed more than 175,000 miles at sea, Ronnie is proud to use his sailing efforts to raise both funds and awareness for US Patriot Sailing, a 501c3 Veterans’ sailing non-profit organization. Ronnie credits sailing with saving his life and believes in the inspirational and therapeutic benefit of finding purpose through sailing.
We talk about his new Class 40 sailboat Koloa Maoli, preparing the boat for the GSC, sailing the boat, the mast, the keel, comparing Class 40 boats to cruising boats, safety of Class 40 boats, building the GSC campaign, other races, sailing in Maine and Canada, destinations, how to win a long ocean race, the motivation and drive to race sailboats, cruising vs racing, delivering a Hanse with Elliot Smith, sailing a Hobie 18 in Maine, sailing a Gunboat 60, dream boats, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Sustainability Maine, Remoran hydrogenerators, and more.
Owen's WhatsApp:
1-561-827-5457
Ep. 243, Robert Perry, Old Sailboats, New Sailboats, and How to Choose Them
Robert Perry is one of the most prolific, sucessful, and iconic sailboat designers of the modern age. He is known for designing the Valiant 40, Tayana 37, Tashiba 36, Baba 35, and many many more. His knowledge of sailboats is extensive to the point of making him a national treasure.
We talk about older crusing boats ideal for beginning cruisiers, ie: good boats for beginning offshore sailors, CCA and IOR rules, design elements, the Dufour Arpege, selling my first boat, John Vigor's book "20 Small Sailboats to Take You Anywhere," Alberg sailboats, chainplates, Albin Vega 27, small boats vs big boats, Contessa sailboats, Cape Dory sailboats, Pearson Triton, Allied Seawind, Southern Cross sailboats, foam-cored hulls, Westsail 32, the birth of recreational offshore cruising, the Mini Globe Race, sailboat statistics and ratios like sail area to displacement and ballast to displacement, different ballast types, overhangs, interiors, modern production offshore boats, the Carbon Cutter, consulting, the Norseman 447, hard dodgers, andmore.
Owen's WhatsApp:
1-561-827-5457
Fraser Flight was born and raised in Zimbabwe, where he up on a tobacco farm. He started sailing as a young boy on a lake alongside giraffes and rhinos. He progressed to competetive internationl dinghy racing as a child and offshore racing as an adult. He earned a Master of Yachts license, has logged over 80,000 miles on sailing and motor yachts, and has crossed the Atlantic 15 times. He is now entered in and preparing for the Global Solo Challenge, a solo nonstop circumnavigation race.
We talk about learning to sail in Zimbabwe, sailing on an African lake, elephants, the inspiring story of his grandfather's circumnavigation and settling in Zimbabwe, working on large motoryachts, entering the Global Solo Challenge, the rules of the GSC, shopping for a class 40, training for the OSC, practicing polyphasic sleeeping, meditation and its efficacy in polyphasic sleep training, sailing heros, sailing from Cape Town to Brazil, dealing with a broken boom and continuing under jury rig, sailng back to Africa, dealing with a storm and losing a spinnaker, climbing the mast in rough conditions offshore, working as a chief officer on a luxury motoryact, favorite places, bucket-list destinations, and more.
Ep. 242, Fraser Flight, Preparing for the Global Solo Challenge
Ep. 241, Brian Hathaway, St Helena to Brazil
Brian Hathaway has been sailing around the world, mostly solo, on his Hunter 44. He recently sailed from St Helena to Recife, Brazil.
We talk about Recife, Brazil, St Helena, sailing downwind with twin headsails, customs, anchoring, singlehanding, pirates, self defense, crime, diving on a shipwreck in St Helena, and much more.
.png)
