NanoCruising : the small boat cruising podcast (dinghy cruising & trailer sailing)

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The Race to Alaska is one of the most unusual and demanding events in modern sailing: roughly 700 miles from Washington State to Alaska with no engines allowed.

In this episode I’m joined by Jeff Williams, who along with teammate Mike VanHoy will be competing in the next Race to Alaska as Team Snowflakes aboard a 20-foot Tornado catamaran.

Their boat is fast, light, and uncompromising — no cabin, no heater, and nothing separating the crew from the elements except skill, preparation, and determination.

We talk about:

• Why they decided to take on the Race to Alaska
• Preparing a high-performance catamaran for a 700-mile endurance event
• Human propulsion and creative problem solving
• What breaks offshore — and how you fix it mid-race
• The realities of cold water sailing and fatigue

The Race to Alaska attracts some of the most creative and determined small-boat sailors anywhere. This conversation is a great look at the mindset required to take on a challenge where finishing alone is an achievement.

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Seas Your Own Adventure 🌊⛵

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In this episode, I sit down with Luc Mehl, author of The Packraft Handbook, to explore a small craft many sailors may not know much about: the packraft.

At first glance, it’s a lightweight inflatable boat that fits into a backpack. But beneath that simplicity lies something very familiar — self-reliance, route planning, weather awareness, risk management, and the quiet satisfaction of reaching places under your own power.

We talk about:

• What packrafting actually is
• The kinds of environments it opens up
• Why it attracts a certain kind of adventurer
• How small, portable boats change the way you think about distance
• And what sailors can learn from a paddle-powered approach

This isn’t a sailing episode in the traditional sense. But it’s very much about small craft, thoughtful progression, and expanding the definition of what “cruising” can mean.

If you’re curious about adventure beyond the mast — or simply interested in how different small-boat cultures approach risk and exploration — this conversation might surprise you.

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Seas Your Own Adventure 🌊⛵

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In Part 2 of our conversation with the organizers behind three Great Lakes RAIDs, we move beyond introductions and into the deeper questions: how do you design adventure that is challenging — but not reckless? How do sailors grow into events like these?

We talk about designing safety into expedition-style sailing, and how participants can gradually build the skills and confidence needed for bigger water. A recurring theme emerges: small boats are not a limitation — they are often the best training ground.

The discussion ranges from:

• Learning to sail in small craft
• The role of racing as an education
• Why getting on the water early matters more than perfection
• First boats — and whether to build or buy
• And how the internet quietly helped revive and connect the small-boat world

At its heart, this episode is about progression. Not heroics. Not extremes. But steady growth, thoughtful preparation, and the idea that sailing can still be accessible — if we let it be.

If Part 1 asked why these events exist, Part 2 asks how sailors grow into them — and what that means for the future of small boats.

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Seas Your Own Adventure 🌊⛵

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In this episode, I’m joined by the organizers behind three major Great Lakes small-craft adventure events to explore what makes each one unique — and what unites them.

- Eric Miller for the Erie Expedition Challenge and Raid Erie (Facebook ) 

- Jeff McPheeters for the GLEC and RB950 (RB950 Instagram, GLEC Instagram)

- Kelly Trafford with CanAm on facebook

We start with introductions to each event and their raison d’être: why they exist, how they came to be, and what kind of adventure they’re trying to create. From there, we dig into the differences — format, scale, boats, and mindset — and the kinds of people these events tend to attract.

We also spend time on the Great Lakes themselves. The “easy inland sailing” myth comes up quickly, as we talk about cold water, fast-changing weather, big fetch, and why the lakes demand just as much respect as any ocean passage.

This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation, focused on origins, philosophy, and context. Part 2 will go deeper into lessons learned, preparation, and what it’s really like out there when things stop going to plan.

If you’re curious about expedition sailing, small-boat adventure racing, or pushing your comfort zone closer to home — this one’s for you.

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Seas Your Own Adventure 🌊⛵

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In Part 2 of my conversation with John Harris of Chesapeake Light Craft, we wander off the beaten path — and that’s very much the point.

We talk about some of CLC’s more fringe and less-discussed designs, including Autumn Leaves, and why certain boats exist more as ideas, experiments, or personal projects than as polished kits. John shares the designers who shaped his thinking — Philip Bolger among them — and how those influences still echo through his work today.

We also dive into the fascinating outrigger sailing canoe built for Tula’s Endless, what it means to design something truly one-off, and why not every great boat should have plans. Listener questions lead us into a broader discussion about the current small-boat landscape, why we may be living in a golden age of boat designs and accessible plans, and what the future looks like for people who want to build and sail small.

It’s a thoughtful, wide-ranging conversation about curiosity, restraint, and why small boats continue to invite big ideas.

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Seas Your Own Adventure 🌊⛵

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Chesapeake Light Craft (CLC) has been shaping the world of small boats and home boatbuilding for more than three decades. In this first of two episodes, I sit down with John Harris, founder of CLC Boats, to explore how a passion for small craft turned into one of the most influential boatbuilding companies in the world.

We talk about the early days of CLC, the challenges of building a niche business, and why small boats have always been at the heart of John’s work. John shares insights into the different kinds of boatbuilders he designs for, how CLC supports first-time builders, and what truly makes a good small-boat design — beyond just performance or looks.

Of course, we also dive into one of CLC’s most iconic designs, the PocketShip, and why it continues to resonate so strongly with sailors drawn to capable, human-scale cruising boats.

This episode is part business story, part design philosophy, and part celebration of small boats — and it sets the stage perfectly for Part 2.

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Seas Your Own Adventure 🌊⛵

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What happens when a bold small-boat idea finally leaves the dock?

In this follow-up conversation, Perry returns to NanoCruising to share the results of real-world sea trials of his Ocean-Capable Small Sailboat. After months of building and planning, the boat has now logged serious miles offshore, offering honest feedback that no design software or dockside discussion can replace.

We talk about how the boat handled in open water, what stood out once conditions became real, and how sea trials shape the next round of decisions. Perry reflects on the balance between ambition and practicality, why testing matters more than opinions, and how incremental refinement is part of designing a capable small cruising boat.

This episode is a thoughtful look at experimentation, learning by doing, and the mindset required to turn unconventional ideas into seaworthy reality — a conversation that will resonate with designers, builders, and anyone curious about pushing small boats beyond the expected.

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Seas Your Own Adventure 🌊⛵

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In this episode, I sit down with Graham Byrnes of B & B Yacht Designs—the designer whose Core Sound 17 became a legend in small-boat adventuring. Graham shares his early days growing up and sailing in Australia, how meeting his wife led him to the United States, and the origins of B & B Boats.

We dive into his first WaterTribe Everglades Challenge and his second attempt—the now-famous 2006 race where he shattered the course record. Graham explains the design principles that made the Core Sound 17 such an unusually capable expedition boat, why the cuddy version differs in important ways, and what he’s learned from the many adventures his boats have taken sailors on.

He also offers practical advice for small-boat cruisers—especially his core belief: be prepared.

A great conversation with one of the most influential designers in modern small-craft sailing.

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Seas Your Own Adventure 🌊⛵

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In this episode, I’m joined by Geoff Macqueen — sailor, adventurer, and author of Cruising Wild, his newly released account of circumnavigating Tasmania in his self-built Welsford Houdini dinghy.

Geoff takes us deep into the story behind his boat, the spark that led him to attempt a Bass Strait crossing, and the moment everything went wrong: an unexpected capsize in notorious waters, and the detailed, honest retelling of how he recovered and kept going.

We talk about:

• Building a Houdini and preparing it for real-world adventure
• The reality of crossing the Bass Strait in a 13-foot open dinghy
• The capsize — what caused it, what he learned, and what every small-boat sailor should know
• How the idea for a full circumnavigation of Tasmania took hold
• Navigating the west coast — wild, exposed, often uncharted, and unforgiving
• The mental game of being alone, waiting out weather, and deciding when to push on
• Why Geoff now enjoys cruising in company, and what small boats offer that bigger boats can’t

It’s an honest, insightful conversation about adventure, risk, resilience, and the special joy of traveling slowly in a tiny sailboat.

If you’re drawn to dinghy cruising, expedition sailing, or stories of perseverance in the wild, you won’t want to miss this one.

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Seas Your Own Adventure 🌊⛵

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In this special episode, we talk with Serge Testa, the Australian sailor who set a world record by circumnavigating the globe in an 11-foot boat — the Acrohc Australis. Serge shares how he designed and built his tiny aluminum yacht, what life was like during his 500-day voyage, and the lessons learned from years at sea.

We also hear from his wife, Robin, who offers her candid perspective on the man behind the record — a true doer who fixes problems as they come and keeps moving forward.

Serge also tells us what came after the Acrohc Australis — including building bigger boats, new adventures, and why small-boat sailing still holds a special place in his heart.

A timeless conversation with a sailor whose story continues to inspire adventurers around the world. 🌊

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Join the conversation: Facebook group Mailing list Patreon

More at: www.nanocruising.com

Seas Your Own Adventure 🌊⛵