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.

Podcast show notes are here https://www.paultrammell.com/podcast-season-7

Support the show through Patreon here patreon.com/paultrammell

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.

Links and shownotes are here

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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.

Shownotes and links are here https://www.paultrammell.com/podcast-season-7

Support the show through Patreon here patreon.com/paultrammell

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.

Podcast show notes can be found here https://www.paultrammell.com/podcast-season-7

Support through Patreon here patreon.com/paultrammell

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 https://www.paultrammell.com/podcast-season-7

Support the show here patreon.com/paultrammell

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 https://www.paultrammell.com/podcast-season-7

Support through Patreon here patreon.com/paultrammell

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 https://www.paultrammell.com/podcast-season-7

Support the show through Patreon here patreon.com/paultrammell

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 https://www.paultrammell.com/podcast-season-7

Support the show through Patreon here patreon.com/paultrammell