It’s been a while since I last recorded an episode. A friend put it perfectly the other night — I’ve been “down below, sheltering.” There’s been a lot to deal with, but I’ve come through it.

Right now I’m lying alongside in Cherbourg, France, aboard Osprey — our 85-foot maxi — with a brand-new mainsail, surrounded by some of the best sailors and sailing service providers in the world. Ahead of us is a single, clear task over the next month: to sail solo to the Caribbean and, in doing so, qualify for the Global Solo Challenge.

This episode is about getting caught up — where I’ve been, what’s happened — and setting the stage for what comes next. Because the story that’s unfolding now is, without question, the most interesting sailing story I’ve ever told.