How I Think About Sailing

By 59 North, Ltd.

What's How I Think About Sailing about?

Andy Schell's evolving thoughts on the technical and philosophical aspects of offshore adventure sailing, including yacht design and outfitting, weather forecasting, sail selection, watch rotations and leadership, emergencies at sea and more. Plus the occasional interview with mentors and contemporaries.

Download our free app to listen on your phone

LAST EPISODE

S3, #9 // 2017 - Sailing to...

03.26.2020

Season 3, #9. In the time of the coronavirus, doing ANYTHING on a schedule right now feels rather quaint. Ironically, today's episode is a conversation with cruiser Doug Weibel about how we at 59 North plan to sail on a ...

How I Think About Sailing episodes:

03.26.2020 S3, #9 // 2017 - Sailing to a Schedule (HaHa!) Season 3, #9. In the time of the coronavirus, doing ANYTHING on a schedule right now feels rather quaint. Ironically, today's episode is a conversation with cruiser Doug Weibel about how we at 59 North plan to sail on a ...
03.05.2020 S3, #8 // 2016 - Racing in the Caribbean 600 Season 3, #8. New intro to an old recording. Andy & Mia start the show and reflect on what it's like ocean racing in the Caribbean 600. Then we play the audio documentary that Andy put together after ISBJORN's first ...
02.27.2020 S3, #7 // 2015 - Introducing ISBJORN Season 3, #7. Almost exactly five years has passed since we bought ISBJORN, our beloved S&S; Swan 48, which remains to this day as the foundation of 59 North. We go back in time today and hear Andy describe the ...
02.20.2020 S3, #6 // 2014 - Racers v. Cruisers Season 3, #6. Andy & Mia reflect on the 2014 Newport to Bermuda Race, which they competed in a J/37. They discuss what they've learned from ocean RACERS that they've applied to their ocean CRUISING passages since 2014. -- Join ...
02.13.2020 S3, #5 // 2013 - Beta Engine Refit on ARCTURUS Season 3, #5. Andy reflects on the refit of ARCTURUS’s engine in Sweden in 2013, when he, Mia & their friend Micah installed a new Beta Marine 16hp diesel. We look back on why we chose the smaller model, why ...
02.06.2020 S3, #4 // 2012 - SV DELOS Trans-At Briefing Season 3, #4. Andy and Mia reflect on their last days on ICEBEAR (with Mia’s nearly-broken ankle). And Andy briefs Brady, Alex and Sean of SV DELOS on what to expect sailing trans-Atlantic from Bermuda to the Azores, a passage ...
01.23.2020 S3, #3 // 2011 - Weather Routing & Mental Prep on ARCTURUS Season 3, #3. Andy looks back at their successful first Atlantic crossing on ARCTURUS and looks at how the weather routing strategies have changed - or not - over the intervening years, and how Andy’s mental aspect of ocean sailing ...
01.16.2020 S3, #2 // 2010 - Failure on ARCTURUS Season 3, #2. Andy reads aloud to Mia a dramatic, and at times embarrasing, journal about their failure to cross the Atlantic in ARCTURUS in 2010, and what they did about it. This is the first episode of our ‘Reflections ...
01.02.2020 S3, #1 // MAJOR Announcement from Andy & Mia Season 3, #1. Andy & Mia record from the cockpit of ICEBEAR in Antigua with not one but two MAJOR announcements. Hold on to your hats, it’s Season 3 of ‘How I Think About Sailing!’ (Happy New Year!) -- Sail ...
03.28.2019 S2 #10 // ICEBEAR 1st Impressions Season 2, #9. Andy & Mia talk about the ups and downs of the first 6 weeks aboard ICEBEAR, the new-to-us Swan 59.
01.24.2019 S2 #9 // Risk Management 3 w. Ryan Ellison Season 2, #9. Part 2 of last week’s chat with former Air Force pilot Ryan Ellison for another talk about risk management. This one is in two parts, so make sure to listen to Part 1 from episode #8 last ...
01.17.2019 S2 #8 // Risk Management Con't w. Ryan Ellison Season 2, #8. Former Air Force pilot Ryan Ellison joins Andy for another talk about risk management. This one is in two parts, so check out the continuation next week on episode #9. See more of Ryan’s adventures on his ...
12.13.2018 S2, #7 // 'Black Swan' Outfitting Revisited Season 2, #7. Andy reads and comments on an piece he wrote almost 5 years ago to the DAY about risk management and black swans. -- How I Think About Sailing is presented by Forbes Horton Yachts. Buy or sell ...
12.06.2018 S2, #6 // Risk Management with Ryan Ellison Season 2, #6. Former Air Force pilot Ryan Ellison joins Andy to talk about how practices from aviation can help us sailors better manage risk offshore. See more of Ryan’s adventures on his YouTube Channel “Ryan and Sophie Sailing.” -- ...
11.29.2018 S2 #5 // Arctic Reflections w/ Mia & Andy Season 2, #5. Mia & Andy reflect on a summer above the Arctic Circle.
11.15.2018 S2, #4 // Watch Schedules, Conflict Resolution, & More! Q&A Season 2, #4. Mia joins Andy on today’s show to answer listener questions about watch systems, crew conflict resolution, shoreside learning and more! -- How I Think About Sailing is sponsored by Forbes Horton Yachts. Contact Forbes & see his ...
11.08.2018 S2 #3 // Crossing the Gulf Stream Season 2, #3. It's that time of year again - as a whole bunch of boats head south from the east coast of the USA, Andy revisits how he thinks about getting safely across the Gulf Stream. -- How I ...
11.01.2018 S2, #2 // Reefing Q&A Season 2, #2. Andy & Blake Aslin - aka ‘Billy Big Rig’ - talk reefing systems and reefing procedures. -- How I Think About Sailing is supported by Forbes Horton Yachts. In the market for a boat? Have one to ...
08.23.2018 S2, #1 // "You're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat" Season 2, #1. Chief Brody from JAWS was right - we ARE gonna need a bigger boat! Introducing 'ICE BEAR,' our German Frers-designed Swan 59, and 59 North's 2nd boat. Andy tells the whole story. Check out the new boat ...
05.03.2018 #11 // Departure (Season 1 Finale) #11. You can only prepare for so long. Eventually, you gotta just go.
04.26.2018 #10 // Mario Vittone on Why 'Experience' is the Wrong Argument #10. Mario Vittone, former USCG Rescue Swimmer, records a special episode just for HITAS listeners on why 'experience' in the wrong argument when it comes to safety at sea. -- Our 2020 Passage Calendar is live! Go to 59-north.com/2020 to ...
04.24.2018 #9 // Refitting Isbjorn #9. Andy talks about Isbjorn's big refit and the 70-mile shakedown cruise he and Mia did up the west coast of Sweden. Special thanks to Helly Hansen for inviting us to their event; and to Isbjorn crewmember Karl for composing ...
04.19.2018 #8 // Crew Management #8. Andy answers emailed questions from August & Rick on crew management & selection and watch rotations offshore.
04.05.2018 #7 // Crew Leadership, Drogues & MOB: Listener Q&A w/ Chris Hartnett #7. Crew Leadership, Drogues & MOB. Listener Chris Hartnett calls in for a Q&A; about his upcoming trans-Atlantic via Newfoundland and England. -- Send in your own questions or schedule a call with Andy by donating to the podcast at ...
03.29.2018 #6 // Sail Design #6. Sail design. Andy helps his friend Kristoffer design a bluewater mainsail. AND, we round out the episode with a talk by Isbjorn's sailmaker Chuck O'Malley (of Chesapeake Sailmakers & Elvstrom Sails) from a few years back in Annapolis. Donate ...
03.22.2018 #5 // iPad Navigation #5. iPad Nav. Andy answers listener Richard Shaw's question on how to setup and use a dual-iPad navigation system on the boat. Rich is an airline pilot and in fact uses a similar iPad-based system in the cockpit. Andy talks ...
02.22.2018 #4 // Boom Preventers #4. Preventers. Andy answers a question from former Isbjorn crew Dan Levine about what to do when you accidentally jibe with a proper preventer attached. -- Sail offshore with Andy & Mia on their Swan 48 Isbjorn! Go to 59-north.com/offshore ...
02.15.2018 #3 // Ask us Anything #3. Andy & Mia answer listener questions on things like mono- versus multihulls, swing keels, meals onboard, books, how to be a leader and more!
02.08.2018 #2 // Weather Forecasting #2. Weather. Andy talks about the three sources of weather he and Mia use to make their passage plans on Isbjorn.
02.01.2018 #1 // Pacific Crossing Q&A #1. Q&A; with Andy Schell & Cam Deyell, as Cam prepares to cross the South Pacific in his classic Beneteau.
01.29.2018 How I Think About Sailing Andy Schell's new podcast. The title says it all! Music by Storm Weather Shanty Choir.