Podcasts by The QUARTERDECK Sailing Podcast

Weather Routing from 2023-11-28T13:10

Andy and August talk offshore weather routing, with FALKEN's recent trip to Greenland as a case study. They discuss how to think about forecasts, considering alternatives, implications on comfor...

Orca Attacks from 2023-11-21T21:44:09

Andy Schell and his crew just returned to port after Falken's last sail of the year. They sailed through the Gulf of Cadiz - A stretch of water that offers a new and unique challenge to mariners...

MFD Mounting Options from 2023-11-14T12:38:17

The Quarterdeck Podcast is back! It will feature conversations about projects and issues from the top of the 59 North agenda, providing some insight into our work and our decision making process...

Debate: Coastal vs. Offshore from 2023-09-06T22:41:08

For the last debate of this season, we take a big step back and ask the big question: The sights, sounds and cultural input of coastal cruising? Or the freedom, desolation and peace of offshore ...

Debate: Symmetric vs. Asymmetric Spinnakers from 2023-08-31T22:41:28

When the wind is light and abaft the beam, what you want is a spinnaker. But what type of spinnaker? Nikki Henderson and August  Sandberg randomly pick a side in this heated discussion, and trie...

Debate: Big crew vs. Small crew from 2023-08-24T16:00

The more the merrier? Safer? Faster? Or just more expensive, crowded and annoying? Nikki Henderson the extrovert and August Sandberg the introvert randomly pick a side in this heated discussion,...

Is it seamanlike to take bananas offshore? from 2023-08-17T10:00

Are bananas the perfect food offshore, or are they inherently dangerous? Nikki Henderson and August Sandberg randomly pick a side in this heated discussion, and tries to convince the other, and ...

Debate: Cruising v.s. Racing from 2023-08-10T10:00

Cruising or Racing - which is better? Nikki Henderson and August Sandberg randomly pick a side in this heated discussion, and tries to convince the other, and the audience, of which is the best ...

Debate: Monohulls vs. Catamarans from 2023-08-03T11:40:36

Monohulls or cats - which is better? Nikki Henderson and August Sandberg randomly pick a side in this heated discussion, and tries to convince the other, and the audience, of which is the ideal ...

Debate: Wheels v.s. Tillers from 2023-07-27T10:00

Welcome back to the second debate of this season of the Quarterdeck Sailing Podcast! Nikki Henderson and August Sandberg will randomly pick a side in a contentious sailing topic, and then go toe...

Debate: Anchorage vs. Marina from 2023-07-20T10:00

Welcome back to a new season of the Quarterdeck Sailing Podcast! This time around, we are doing debates! Nikki Henderson and August Sandberg will randomly pick a side in a contentious sailing to...

Cruising Series - Antarctica from 2023-05-25T13:27:53

Time has come for us to cross the line and explore the very south of the southern hemisphere. Nikki makes a call to sailing explorers Listen

Cruising Series - San Francisco Bay from 2023-05-18T21:29:50

Laura Parent is representing 59 North on the Pacific coast of the US, and teaches sailing on the famous bay. She knows a lot about the waters, culture and history of the area, and thoroughly con...

Cruising Series - Central South England from 2023-05-11T13:11:53

Crammed with history, boats and sailing culture, the south coast of England is a perfect cruising destination. Nikki Henderson grew up in the area, and shares her vast knowledge about tides, wea...

Cruising Series - Svalbard from 2023-05-04T13:59:11

Svalbard is a different cruising ground all together. Icebergs, polar bears, cold and isolation are just a few of the challenges - and allures - of this arctic archipelago. Isbjørn skipper Jon A...

Cruising Series - Chesapeake Bay from 2023-04-27T21:45:46

This week, we set sail for the Chesapeake Bay in the Mid-Atlantic region of the US with Andy Schell. Andy shares his personal connection to the Bay, where his love for sailing first took root. H...

Cruising Series - West Sweden from 2023-04-20T07:57:29

In this episode, we venture to the stunning west coast of Sweden with Mia Karlsson! Listen in as we discuss the unique beauty of the Swedish archipelago, the challenges of sailing in the area, a...

Cruising Series - West Norway from 2023-04-13T20:29:29

In this season on the Quarterdeck Sailing Podcast, we talk to members of the 59 North team about their favorite cruising grounds, and get them to share their tips, tricks and hidden gems. First ...

Poles from 2023-03-17T01:14:13

Whisker poles, telescoping poles, spinnaker poles, carbon poles, alluminium poles, fixed height poles, large poles, slim poles, pink poles - OK we are getting a bit carried away - but there real...

Life on a Heel from 2023-03-09T12:55:19

Grab a drink and a handhold, and join Mia Karlsson and Nikki Henderson for a chat on heeling!

Unless you sail a multi-hull, 'life-on-a-heel' is an unavoidable fact of life. Heeling ...

Chafe from 2023-03-02T19:58:54

CHAFE - you might be thinking that's a narrow subject area? But when you really dig into it, chafe and chafe avoidance is so critical to life at sea where everything but everyth...

Crew Overboard Recovery from 2023-02-23T20:02:52

Part 2 of our 'crew overboard' deep dive! Now we get to the more difficult bit - how to get someone back onboard. This is really a two part procedure: How to get the boat back to the person, and...

Crew Overboard Prevention from 2023-02-09T10:47:05

Andy Schell and Nikki Henderson talks MOB this week! This is the first half of the discussion on the bigger topic of people falling overboard. So before we discuss how to rescue anyone, it seems...

Troubleshooting Water Line Issues from 2023-02-02T12:19:25

The water system possibly works harder than anything else onboard - every day, every crew member will use it multiple times. And it keeps us alive too! So it's arguably the most important system...

Troubleshooting Fuel Line Issues from 2023-01-26T13:16:56

We're back! Nikki and August are kicking off a new round of Quarterdeck Podcast episodes with a discussion on fuel line issues.. Inspired by resent events aboard our Swan 48 Isbjørn. Fuel is tox...

Sail Plans for Shorthanded Crews from 2022-12-29T05:00

Last episode of 2023! Nikki & Andy discuss ways to make sail handling and your sail inventory optimal for short-handed crews (think 2-4 sailors on a passage). We discuss which sails you should c...

The Galley from 2022-12-22T10:36

Chef de cuisine (and 59 North Bosun!) Adam Browne joins the gang this week to talk galley optimization. Adam, in a prior life, worked for 15 years as a chef at chalets in the Alps, on superyacht...

Christmas for Sailors from 2022-12-22T10:33

Happy Holidays! Nikki, Mia & Emma sit down by the fire to talk about Christmas. Specifically, what they're favorite Christmas presents for sailors are, to give, and to get!

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Electrical Consumption from 2022-12-15T05:00

Andy & Nikki dive deep on electrical systems and calculating electrical consumption. Specifically we are looking for answers to the following: How to calculate the draw of your domestic circuit ...

Ground Tackle from 2022-12-07T23:11

Nikke Henderson & Andy Schell take a deep dive on anchors & anchoring systems (aka 'ground tackle'). Which anchor should I choose? How long should the chain be? What weight should I be looking f...

Safety Briefings from 2022-12-01T16:45

Nikki, Andy & Adam are live and in-person from Gosport, England, where Nikki leads a discussion on safety briefings. How to think about them, inshore versus offshore thoughts, how to make people...

Rig Inspections from 2022-11-24T11:08

Andy & Emma continue on last week's rig topic by discussing how to inspect your mast and rigging. We talk about timing of rig inspections - preparation, pre-departure, and at-sea - and what to l...

Rig Climbing for Sailors from 2022-11-17T18:17

59 North Skipper Nikki Henderson is joined by Chief Mate Emma Garschagen to go deep on rig climbing for sailors. They discuss all the details you want to know about safely going aloft ashore and...

Electric Propulsion on YELLOW MATILDA from 2022-09-29T19:37

Emma talks to 59 North Bosun Adam Browne & his wife Laura (one of our graphic designers!) about their electrified Hallberg-Rassy 312 YELLOW MATILDA. Adam & Laura repowered with a fully-electric ...

Props from 2022-09-22T18:05:47

Andy, Lee & Adam talk props on this week's episode. We discuss how to decide what to optimize for - sailing performance, motoring performance or efficiency - and then how the decisions kind of m...

Boat Designs of the GGR from 2022-09-15T07:30

Andy, Adam & Lee chat about the boat designs in the 2022 Golden Globe round-the-world race, which set off from France last week on Sept. 4. Though the...

Anchoring from 2022-09-07T22:30:09

Andy Schell & Nikki Henderson spend an hour talking about anchoring! This episode was prompted by a Quarterdeck article asking "Are Anchor Alarms Seamanlike?", which of course led us down the ra...

Refit Time Management from 2022-09-01T08:26:04

Nikki Henderson and 59 North's Bosun Adam Browne discuss the challenges of time management during an extensive refit, highlighting how we're handling it on FALKEN.

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Introducing Nikki Henderson from 2022-08-25T09:10:15

Andy & Nikki talk about how they got to know each other and what Nikki's new full-time role will be with 59 North!

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Electronic Navigation and Boat Instruments from 2022-04-18T20:57:41

Nikki, Andy, Mia and August are all together under the same roof in Bergen! And doing a LIVE podcast on ship's electronics and navigation systems! We are currently discussing how to set up the e...

Crew Maintenance from 2022-04-11T18:23:34

Our boats have many crucial and complex systems that needs to be inspected and maintained regularly, lest they rust or rot away. But our most important systems by far are made of meat and bone. ...

FALKEN Refit Update // Propane or Induction? from 2022-04-04T10:39:24

Andy & Emma discuss the current happenings onboard FALKEN during her refit in the UK. Andy traveled to Gosport, England last week to check in on the progress and make some key decisions in the FALK...

How to learn Cruising Skills from 2022-03-27T19:38:14

This week, we will tackle an excellent question that we received from Quarterdeck member and Isbjørn crewmember Knut Nesheim: "What is the best way to build the skills needed for cruising?"
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ISBJØRN to the Arctic from 2022-03-20T20:40:24

This week, August is joined by Jon Amtrup, who is going to skipper ISBJØRN along with him to the Arctic this summer! They ...

Sails and Sail plan from 2022-03-13T20:29:44

These days, Andy and the 59 North team is pondering the sail plan and sail inventory for our new Farr 65 FALKEN, and is very excited to talk about it. Sails, balance, redundancy.. Let's all get ...

Cold Weather Sailing from 2022-03-07T00:24:33

August and this week's special guest Ben Doerr are both big fans of the high latitudes and of winter sailing. Too many sailors wrap up and mothball their boats in the wintertime, missing out on ...

Battery Technology from 2022-02-27T22:19:17

Andy & Lee take over the helm this week to talk about battery technology. Last year Andy made the switch to Dakota Lithium on SPICA, his Norlin 34 in Sweden, and Lee just did the same on their V...

Forestay Failure from 2022-02-20T23:08:33

August is singlehanding for this episode, telling the story of when he experienced a forestay failure offshore on his Swan 48 Isbjørn.

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Old Boats from 2022-02-13T23:02:45

Andy Schell and August Sandberg are joined by their good friend Ben Doerr from Sail Bainbridge for a discussion on old boat charms and ails!

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Running Backstays from 2022-02-06T23:34:28

Emma Garschagen and August Sandberg discuss running backstays. What are they, and what do they do? How do they work, and why does some boats have them and some don't? Tips, tricks and sea storie...

Deck Layout from 2022-01-30T23:03:44

Professional sailing skippers Andy Schell and August Sandberg discuss sailing and seamanship, picking a new topic every week. This week, we're talking deck layout! Our favourite deck sailing gea...

Helming from 2022-01-23T19:58:30

Professional sailing skippers Andy Schell and August Sandberg discuss sailing and seamanship, picking a new topic every week. This episode is all about helmsmanship. How do you keep your boat fa...

Winches from 2022-01-16T21:49:58

Professional sailing skippers Andy Schell and August Sandberg discuss sailing and seamanship, picking a new topic every week. This week, we're talking winches! How to use them, how to size them ...

Charts from 2022-01-10T13:53:46

First episode of this new podcast format as we launch Season 6! Professional sailing skippers Andy Schell and August Sandberg discuss sailing and seamanship, picking a new topic every week. And ...

S5, #4 // ICEBEAR Celestial Debrief from 2021-06-17T15:39:13

Emma Garschagen and ICEBEAR crew John B. debrief their recent  celestial navigation passage from Annapolis to Bermuda.

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S5, #3 // Andy Sets the Alternator on Fire from 2021-06-10T04:00

Andy & Mia explain how SPICA's new alternator caught on fire a few days ago during her electrical system refit. Oops. To watch the video and see Andy's beautiful whiteboard drawings, join us on ...

S5, #2 // Real-Time Weather Routing for ISBJORN from 2021-05-27T16:57:51

Andy checks in with skipper August Sandberg halfway across the Atlantic and looks at the weather they've encountered thus far on their route towards the Azores, and the weather challenges that l...

S5, #1 // Antigua-Bermuda Passage Debrief from 2021-05-20T04:00

Andy & ICEBEAR First Mate Emma Garschagen debrief the first passage of the 2021 season from Antigua to Bermuda! We recorded this from Bermuda the day after crew departed, so it was fresh in our ...

S4, #8 // Nikki Henderson Q&A from 2021-03-11T14:28:25

Nikki Henderson joins the Quarterdeck membership for a brief discussion on seamanship, followed by a Q&A. Members on the QDeck submitted their questions, which Nikki answered here! Listen

S4, #7 // Offshore Rig Failure Debrief from 2021-03-04T21:22:11

Locally recorded audio from our Quarterdeck Seamanship Debrief with Bill Hutton and his harrowing rig failure & yacht abandonment story from episode #4.

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S4, #6 // QDeck Q&A from 2021-02-11T10:20:03

Andy answers questions from The QUARTERDECK. Hydraulic rigging failures, where to buy paper charts, learning curves & luck, when to know if you're "ready" to go offshore & more!

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S4, #5 // After 11,000 Miles from 2021-01-22T13:59:39

Andy dips into the archives this week to read an essay titled AFTER 11,000 MILES that he wrote in 2016, but which was never published, about the changes he and Mia made and what they learned on ...

Eight Bells for Papa Sandberg from 2021-01-14T09:25:12

"But give me this glorious ocean life, this salt-sea life, this briny, foamy life, when the sea neighs and snorts and you breathe the very breathe that the great whales respire. Let me roll arou...

S4, #4 // Offshore Rig Failure // Bill Hutton&August Sandberg from 2021-01-07T05:00

August Sandberg interviews Bill Hutton about a terrifying offshore rig failure that ended in abandoning ship and a harrowing rescue by a cargo vessel.

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S4, #3 // Instincts&Fear // Ben Doerr, August Sandberg&Emma Garschagen from 2020-12-24T05:00

Ben Doerr of Sail Bainbridge out in the Pacific Northwest, prompts us on a discussion about leadership, framed through gut instincts & fear. How do yo...

S4, #2 // Self Steering with Andy&August from 2020-12-17T05:00

Andy Schell & August Sandberg answer QUARTERDECK member Olwen's call for an in-depth look at self-steering systems. We discuss what makes a boat steer herself, from the purity of balancing sails...

S4, #1 // Bob Perry: Seaworthiness in Yacht Design from 2020-12-10T13:50:08

Bob Perry, legendary cruising & racing yacht designer, joins Andy Schell to discuss the concept of 'seaworthiness' and how it affects yacht design. Plus, what makes a boat seaworthy - the design...

S3, #11 // 2019 - Two Boats, Bigger Challenges from 2020-04-23T17:46:40

Season 3, #11. Andy & Mia announce some life-changing news at the top, then reflect on a tumultuous 2019 leading up to the uncertainty of the present in 2020. Two boats, big challenges, lots of ...

S3, #10 // 2018 - Sailing to Svalbard from 2020-04-09T04:00

Season 3, #10. Andy & Mia reflect on their life-and-business-changing summer in the High Arctic in Svalbard from 2018.

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S3, #9 // 2017 - Sailing to a Schedule (HaHa!) from 2020-03-26T04:00

Season 3, #9. In the time of the coronavirus, doing ANYTHING on a schedule right now feels rather quaint. Ironically, today's episode is a conversation with cruiser Doug Weibel about how we at 5...

S3, #8 // 2016 - Racing in the Caribbean 600 from 2020-03-05T05:00

Season 3, #8. New intro to an old recording. Andy & Mia start the show and reflect on what it's like ocean racing in the Caribbean 600. Then we play the audio documentary that Andy put together ...

S3, #7 // 2015 - Introducing ISBJORN from 2020-02-27T05:00

Season 3, #7. Almost exactly five years has passed since we bought ISBJORN, our beloved S&S Swan 48, which remains to this day as the foundation of 59 North. We go back in time today and hear An...

S3, #6 // 2014 - Racers v. Cruisers from 2020-02-20T12:03:34

Season 3, #6. Andy & Mia reflect on the 2014 Newport to Bermuda Race, which they competed in a J/37. They discuss what they've learned from ocean RACERS that they've applied to their ocean CRUIS...

S3, #5 // 2013 - Beta Engine Refit on ARCTURUS from 2020-02-13T11:53:28

Season 3, #5. Andy reflects on the refit of ARCTURUS’s engine in Sweden in 2013, when he, Mia & their friend Micah installed a new Beta Marine 16hp diesel. We look back on why we chose the small...

S3, #4 // 2012 - SV DELOS Trans-At Briefing from 2020-02-06T15:24:05

Season 3, #4. Andy and Mia reflect on their last days on ICEBEAR (with Mia’s nearly-broken ankle). And Andy briefs Brady, Alex and Sean of SV DELOS on what to expect sailing trans-Atlantic from ...

S3, #3 // 2011 - Weather Routing&Mental Prep on ARCTURUS from 2020-01-23T17:04:29

Season 3, #3. Andy looks back at their successful first Atlantic crossing on ARCTURUS and looks at how the weather routing strategies have changed - or not - over the intervening years, and how ...

S3, #2 // 2010 - Failure on ARCTURUS from 2020-01-16T05:00

Season 3, #2. Andy reads aloud to Mia a dramatic, and at times embarrasing, journal about their failure to cross the Atlantic in ARCTURUS in 2010, and what they did about it. This is the first e...

S3, #1 // MAJOR Announcement from Andy&Mia from 2020-01-02T05:00

Season 3, #1. Andy & Mia record from the cockpit of ICEBEAR in Antigua with not one but two MAJOR announcements. Hold on to your hats, it’s Season 3 of ‘How I Think About Sailing!’ (Happy New Ye...

S2 #10 // ICEBEAR 1st Impressions from 2019-03-28T04:00

Season 2, #9. Andy & Mia talk about the ups and downs of the first 6 weeks aboard ICEBEAR, the new-to-us Swan 59.

S2 #9 // Risk Management 3 w. Ryan Ellison from 2019-01-24T05:00

Season 2, #9. Part 2 of last week’s chat with former Air Force pilot Ryan Ellison for another talk about risk management. This one is in two parts, so make sure to li...

S2 #8 // Risk Management Con't w. Ryan Ellison from 2019-01-17T11:50:48

Season 2, #8. Former Air Force pilot Ryan Ellison joins Andy for another talk about risk management. This one is in two parts, so check out the continuation next week on episode #9. See more of ...

S2, #7 // 'Black Swan' Outfitting Revisited from 2018-12-13T05:00

Season 2, #7. Andy reads and comments on an piece he wrote almost 5 years ago to the DAY about risk management and black swans.

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S2, #6 // Risk Management with Ryan Ellison from 2018-12-06T06:54:39

Season 2, #6. Former Air Force pilot Ryan Ellison joins Andy to talk about how practices from aviation can help us sailors better manage risk offshore. Listen

S2 #5 // Arctic Reflections w/ Mia&Andy from 2018-11-29T05:00

Season 2, #5. Mia & Andy reflect on a summer above the Arctic Circle.

S2, #4 // Watch Schedules, Conflict Resolution,&More! Q&A from 2018-11-15T10:15:21

Season 2, #4. Mia joins Andy on today’s show to answer listener questions about watch systems, crew conflict resolution, shoreside learning and more!

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S2 #3 // Crossing the Gulf Stream from 2018-11-08T13:55:18

Season 2, #3. It's that time of year again - as a whole bunch of boats head south from the east coast of the USA, Andy revisits how he thinks about getting safely across the Gulf Stream.

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S2, #2 // Reefing Q&A from 2018-11-01T16:58:09

Season 2, #2. Andy & Blake Aslin - aka ‘Billy Big Rig’ - talk reefing systems and reefing procedures.

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"You're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat" // Introducing the Swan 59 'ICE BEAR' from 2018-08-23T09:09:49

Chief Brody from JAWS was right - we ARE gonna need a bigger boat! Introducing 'ICE BEAR,' our German Frers-designed Swan 59, and 59 North's 2nd boat. Andy tells the whole story on th...

S2, #1 // "You're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat" from 2018-08-23T09:03:16

Season 2, #1. Chief Brody from JAWS was right - we ARE gonna need a bigger boat! Introducing 'ICE BEAR,' our German Frers-designed Swan 59, and 59 North's 2nd boat. Andy tells the who...

#11 // Departure (Season 1 Finale) from 2018-05-03T04:00

#11. You can only prepare for so long. Eventually, you gotta just go.

#10 // Mario Vittone on Why 'Experience' is the Wrong Argument from 2018-04-26T04:00

#10. Mario Vittone, former USCG Rescue Swimmer, records a special episode just for HITAS listeners on why 'experience' in the wrong argument when it comes to safety at sea.

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#9 // Refitting Isbjorn from 2018-04-24T12:29:41

#9. Andy talks about Isbjorn's big refit and the 70-mile shakedown cruise he and Mia did up the west coast of Sweden. Special thanks to Helly Hansen for inviting us to their event; an...

#8 // Crew Management from 2018-04-19T16:00

#8. Andy answers emailed questions from August & Rick on crew management & selection and watch rotations offshore.

#7 // Crew Leadership, Drogues&MOB: Listener Q&A w/ Chris Hartnett from 2018-04-05T14:24:34

#7. Crew Leadership, Drogues & MOB. Listener Chris Hartnett calls in for a Q&A about his upcoming trans-Atlantic via Newfoundland and England.

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#6 // Sail Design from 2018-03-29T04:00

#6. Sail design. Andy helps his friend Kristoffer design a bluewater mainsail. AND, we round out the episode with a talk by Isbjorn's sailmaker Listen

#5 // iPad Navigation from 2018-03-22T10:41:40

#5. iPad Nav. Andy answers listener Richard Shaw's question on how to setup and use a dual-iPad navigation system on the boat. Rich is an airline pilot and in fact uses a similar iPad-based syst...

#4 // Boom Preventers from 2018-02-22T05:00

#4. Preventers. Andy answers a question from former Isbjorn crew Dan Levine about what to do when you accidentally jibe with a proper preventer attached.

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#3 // Ask us Anything from 2018-02-15T05:00

#3. Andy & Mia answer listener questions on things like mono- versus multihulls, swing keels, meals onboard, books, how to be a leader and more!

#2 // Weather Forecasting from 2018-02-08T05:00

#2. Weather. Andy talks about the three sources of weather he and Mia use to make their passage plans on Isbjorn.

#1 // Pacific Crossing Q&A from 2018-02-01T14:55:36

#1. Q&A with Andy Schell & Cam Deyell, as Cam prepares to cross the South Pacific in his classic Beneteau.

How I Think About Sailing from 2018-01-29T21:00:57

Andy Schell's new podcast. The title says it all! Music by Storm Weather Shanty Choir.