Discussing my time in Nova Scotia, from Lunenberg through the Bras d'Or Lake, and Newfoundland, particularly the fjords on the south coast.

Canada Update 2, Newfoundland!

Interviews with offshore sailors and those in the industry sharing exciting stories and useful information so we can better enjoy and better prepare for our own adventures.

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Leisure

  Carl Damm is a sailing instructor and owner of Damsel Marine, a yacht managment and maintenance consulting service. We talk about the basics of trimming sails, like using adjustable jib-sheet cars, the boom vang, the outhaul, halyard tension, asymetrical spinnakers, using a spinnaker net, downwind sailing, flying the main or not when on a deep broad reach, sailing wing-on-wing, etc. Carl has sailed on a lot of different boats, and we talk about what he likes and does not like in a sailboat, from a full-keeled gaff-rigged schooner to a light and fast Deerfoot, and design aspects he likes, as well as things he doens'nt like, like too many through-hulls, how to design with fewer through-hulls, catamarans, the value of a simple boat, sailing his Compac 19, refitting a Tartan 27, The Bahamas, Damsel Marine, managing yachts, etc. and what his dream boat would be. I tell a story about my genoa sheets getting caught inside the furled genoa and causing a serious problem, and another about tearing the genoa and heaving-to wrong. Carl tells of making a mistake on the Compac with a bunch of non-sailors aboard, and a favorite moment offshore. Podcast show notes can be found at https://www.paultrammell.com/podcast-season-6 You can support the show through patreon at patreon.com/paultrammell  

Sail Trim Basics with Carl Damm

Gunnar Christensen is entered in the 2026 Golden Globe Race. We talk about his motivations, what he hopes to gain from the race, his competetiveness, preparing mentally and physically, singlehanding and being alone on the ocean, Tapio's book, The Whitbread, the Royal National Lifeboat Institute, sailing full-keeled vs fin-keeled boats, jacklines and tethers, preventers and boom brakes, using an umbrella as a bimini, the Tradewind 35, the Hydrovane, books, music, and more. Shownotes and photos are at https://www.paultrammell.com/podcast-season-6 Support the show through Patreon https://www.patreon.com/paultrammell  

Gunnar Christensen, Preparing for the 2026 Golden Globe Race

  Alan Fishbone lives on his Lord Nelson 35, currently in the British Virgin Islands. He sailed there from New York in December and encountered heavy weather, which we discuss. We also talk about living on a boat, solar power, Lord Nelson sailboats, heavy weather and sailplans, accidental jibes, the Bermuda Triangle, full-keel cutters, boom brakes, the British Virgin Islands, the Hydrovane, driving in reverse and not being able to steer, Puerto Rico Culebra, San Juan, and more. Show notes can be found https://www.paultrammell.com/podcast-season-6   Support through  Patreon 

Alan Fishbone, Heavy Weather in the North Atlantic

Kirsten won the 2022 Golden Globe Race, and became the first woman to win a sailing race around the world by the three great capes, crewed or solo, and the first South African to win an around the world race. Kirsten sailed Minnehaha, a Cape George 36 in the race, which she refit over one year in Prince Edward Island, Canada. Before the race, she worked as a skipper with Skip Novak's Pelagic Expeditions, taking crews to Antartica, Patagonia, South Georgia Island, and the Falklands.  We talk about preparing for the race, her boat, the ten sails she took, maximizing boat speed, different sail combinations, the double-yankee sail, reefing, using a trisail, hositing and dousing the spinnaker, tiller vs wheel, using the Hydrovane, navigational difficulties, getting more in tune with nature when sailing without modern electronics, the mental challenge of calms, rescuing Tapio Lehtinen, beautiful experiences in the race, future plans, and more. Links and photos can be found at https://www.paultrammell.com/podcast-season-6

Kirsten Neuschafer, Winner of the 2022 GGR

Jerome Rand is the host of the podcast Sailing into Oblivion, and author of the book by the same name, describing his solo nonstop sail around the wolrd in Mighty Sparrow, his Westsail 32. This episode is not one of us interviewing the other, but rather a conversation between us. We talk about our boats, reefing, safety, the higher latitudes, cold and fog, wearing a tether or not, sharks, drowing, books, getting rolled by a rogue wave, and much more.  Show notes are at https://www.paultrammell.com/podcast-season-6

Canada Update 2, Newfoundland!

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