Boat Radio

A day in the life of a cruising couple. Carolyn Shearlock, husband Dave and poodle Paz live aboard their catamaran, Barefoot Gal. They’re currently exploring The Bahamas. They’ve lived aboard boats for many years and Carolyn’s well-known website, The Boat Galley, is a mine of information that’s popular with cruisers all over the world. One question Carolyn gets asked is: What do you do all day? Well, here’s her answer - a day in the life of Carolyn, Dave and Paz straight from the horse’s mouth. Ever wondered where a boat dog does her business? Can’t imagine what to do when there’s no TV? It’s all in this latest podcast from the inimitable Carolyn Shearlock.

Guests today include Jennifer Miracle, Executive Director of the Tulsa Boat Show, the fourth largest indoor boat show in the US. She’ll be telling Bob about all the exciting stuff coming up on January 30th. Ken Little from the GLOC – Grand Lake o’ the Cherokees – Performance Boat Shootout joins Bob to talk about some big changes planned for next year’s event.

Singer-songwriter Lynn Gaydosh arrived in Sóller nearly three decades ago and quickly established herself on the Mallorca music scene. Singing everything from rock to a cappella harmonies, she has performed at the largest venues and most prestigious events on the island. Though small in stature, Lynn has a BIG voice and she is not shy of using it. She chatted to Shirley Roberts over coffee at Café Sóller in Plaça de sa Constitució.

Chuck and Linda have lived in more countries than any other liveaboard couple we’ve spoken to for The Life Aquatic. They have an apparently unquenchable thirst for adventure and an admirable desire to immerse themselves in a wide variety of native cultures. For more than a decade they’ve been cruising the world and they show no sign of slowing down.

Two shipwrecks in southern Turkey are the dual focus of this latest episode from the brilliant Brandon Huebner. The Cape Gelidonya wreck was discovered first, making it the first ancient shipwreck to have ever been fully recovered from the sea floor. The Uluburun wreck was found later, but it is the oldest shipwreck to have yielded a substantial portion of her cargo along with a portion of her hull. Dr George Bass was the head of both wreck excavations, and the theory he ultimately proposed to explain the ships and their cargo was one that revolutionized the academic community's view of trade in the Late Bronze Age Mediterranean. Were the Uluburun and Cape Gelidonya wrecks both the ill-fated remains of voyages conducted by 'proto-Phoenician' sailors from the Levant? Listen to hear the evidence for yourself.

Three years ago, in a boatyard in Reedville, Virginia, John Herlig stumbled across a tatty old sailboat called Ave del Mar. On the surface, she was in pretty poor shape but her bones were good and John saw great potential.

They might look like something from a science fiction movie but the Redsand Forts were actually built during World War Two as part of efforts to protect shipping in the Thames Estuary. Designed by a civil engineer called Guy Maunsell, the forts consist of seven individual towers, which stand on the sea bed fourteen kilometres off shore. The towers supported large anti-aircraft guns and were home to hundreds of military personnel. Originally, they were linked by walkways but these have fallen into disrepair. Abandoned in 1958, there is now a project to renovate the Redsand Forts with plans to include a luxury hotel, recording studios and possibly a radio station.

Keen to keep cruising as you grow older? Carolyn Shearlock knows just what steps to take. From sitting out rougher weather to installing an electric windlass, Carolyn has plenty of ideas to keep you afloat into your dotage.

This week a guide to the big boat shows coming up in 2017. Bob will be chatting to a number of Lake of the Ozarks marine dealers about next year’s calendar so get your diary out.

Hotel Marina was founded by Maria Frontera’s grandparents eighty years ago. These days it’s a four-star resort but back then guests shared bathrooms and hot water was a treat. As general manager of the hotel and president of the local hoteliers’ association, Maria is about as influential a person as you’re likely to meet down at the Port of Sóller. She’s also a mother of three and step mum to three more! Where does she find the time and energy? To find out, Shirley Roberts joined her on the promenade.