Around the Buoy

The Lionfish is native to the waters of the South Pacific and Indian Oceans, but in the 90’s they mysteriously started appearing off the coast of Florida.  With no natural predator, a veracious appetite and the ability to reproduce at a staggering rate, the Lionfish can now be found as far north as Rhode Island and as far South as Brazil, leaving devastated reefs in their wake.  In this episode, we are joined by Nate and Alex of the Lionfish Extermination Corporation and they are on a mission to keep the Lionfish in check so the beautiful reefs of Southern Florida can be enjoyed by future generations.   

The Race to Alaska, a 750 mile Cannonball Run up the Canadian coast, is a simple race: survive the unpredictable weather, navigate whirlpools created from 20kt tidal rips, dodge shipping traffic, and lastly avoid being eaten by bears all with no outside support on an engineless boat. What could possibly go wrong? Adam Cove of Team Wickedly Wildcat is fresh off his record-breaking finish in this year’s race and he joins us for a firsthand account of his experience. From outfitting his 18’ Catboat, sketchy overnight anchorages, and crossing the finish line to ringing the bell, what an adventure!

We are very lucky in New England to have an organization like Mystic Seaport and its Henry B. Du Pont Preservation Shipyard, the first shipyard in the nation dedicated to the preservation of historic vessels, both large and small. Join us on this episode of ATB as we talk with Walt Ansel, Director of the Henry B. du Pont Preservation Shipyard, about their ongoing restoration of one of the last remaining Grand Banks fishing schooners in existence, the L.A. DUNTON.

It's free and who doesn't like free stuff?!

Wreck diving is a perfect mix of maritime history and ocean exploration and that is why we at ATB are fascinated with the subject.  For the past five decades, Eric Takajian has been diving on deepest and most infamous wrecks in the world and at the same time discovering over seventy of history’s most notorious lost ships. From German U-Boats to ocean liners, if it sank on the East Coast of the United States, chances are Eric has dove to find them.  Join us as we talk with Eric about the exhilaration and dangers of a sport that has evolved from a niche hobby into a highly sophisticated and technologically advanced endeavor.

The America’s Cup has always been about pushing yacht design to the limit and embracing changes to keep the sport relevant for future sailors. But over the past 153 years, the teams have been predominantly filled with male crews with opportunities few and far between for female sailors to compete. In a move to change that, the organizers of the 37th America’s Cup have opened the door to the world’s best female sailors with the inaugural Puig Woman’s America’s Cup, a regatta to be sailed in the run up to New Zealand’s defense later on this fall in Barcelona. Late last year, our guest Sara Stone, was announced as a member of the first NYYC American Magic Woman’s team but there has been little time to celebrate because Sara has been keeping busy as a new member the US SailGP team and crewing with the Quantum Racing Team in the highly competitive TP52 Series. We catch up with Sara to talk about her sailing career, what it means to sail into the history books and what’s next.

The expression, “Must Be Nice” is often a dig towards someone else's perceived luck or easy road to success. Whoa, you vacationed in Aspen... MUST BE NICE! Today's guest, Sadie Samuels, might single-handedly change that phrase's definition. Starting at the age of 7, Sadie has made her own luck with an unstoppable drive to catch lobsters. Now with a few seasons under her belt and a few traps over the rail, Sadie's love for lobstering has grown into not only running her own boat, but also owning and operating her own restaurant in Belfast, Maine; both of which are proudly named, Must Be Nice.

Take a listen as we meet Sadie and learn the ups and downs of lobstering DownEast.

Shaw & Tenney has been supplying traditional, heirloom quality oars and paddles since 1858. As the second oldest manufacturer of marine products in the U.S., little has changed over those 165 years. In fact, the company has only been owned by three families until this summer when Neil Gutekunst took the reins. A Marine Corps veteran, Neil is not afraid of getting his hands dirty and we talk to him about all things Maine, paddling and most importantly craftsmanship. Listen in!

With the dawn of the iconic flying boat, Trans-Pacific travel that once measured in weeks by ship could be accomplished in only days. These island-hopping aircraft were passports to worlds that were once only seen in books. Travel is different these days, but there are a handful of dedicated aviators who are keeping that dream alive and their stories are featured in the beautiful film, Flying Boat. Join us as we sit down with the film’s director, Dirk Brawn, to talk about these magnificent machines & their extraordinary pilots.

Liz Wardly has done everything in the world of sailing: World Championships, The Fastnet, Sydney to Hobart and four editions of The Ocean Race. So, what is she doing lining up at the start line of the Atlantic Challenge, the 3000 mile row from The Canary Islands to Antigua? We caught up with Liz in between training rows and prepping for the race to talk about her sailing career and how she is getting ready for her solo row across the Atlantic. Spoiler alert, she is a badass. Take a listen!

After a quick summer break, ATB returned to the studio to find our show was removed from Apple Podcasts. A couple frantic weeks later, we're back and better than ever! Listen here for the whole story.

In case you missed it, check out our latest episode, Ep. 80: Life on Sweet Day.