On the Wind Sailing

#242: Fredrik Molin is another 30-something out sailing the world on his own terms. We've met several like-minded young people this summer in the Arctic, and it's super inspiring to me to know they're out there - we just gotta look in the colder places apparently. After building a successful career as a sommolier and chef, opening and later selling his own restaurant in Bergen, Fredrik needed a new challenge. With some adventurous (and at times crazy) friends, he taught himself how to sail and then went all-in, buying a 53-foot steel ketch and set out for Svalbard. We met him in Iceland, where Fredrik was on his way home with a young volunteer crew seeking adventure. On the Wind is presented by Rutgerson Marin. And also supported by Adlard Coles, and BRNKL Systems.

#241. Longtime friend of the podcast and ISBJORN'S racing skipper Paul Exner speaks to Andy from opposite sides of the world to talk about living through Hurricane Irma, sailing Solstice to Hawaii, relocating his family, and the challenges that lie ahead with his Modern Geographic expedition business.

Sail offshore onboard our Swan 59 ICE BEAR & our Swan 48 ISBJORN! Spots open in 2019 - go to 59-north.com/2019.

On the Wind is presented by Rutgerson Marin. And also supported by BRNKL Systems and Adlard Coles.

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.

Read more on 59-north.com/icebear.

#240. Mike Beemer is the department chair of the Marine Technology program at Skagit College in Anacortes, Washington. Mike & I were initially introduced by John & Amanda Neal from Mahina Expeditions, who work with Mike on some of their offshore cruising seminars. After trying to connect for over a year, Mike & I finally got to chat about his career. Mike started life as a vagabonding sailor & liveaboard, eventually discovering his passion for teaching. He's since become a sort of evangelical of marine technology, opening up doors for young people and cruisers alike in the field of marine tech. Additionally, Mike leads flotilla's in the summertime up the Inside Passage to Alaska.

On the Wind is presented by Rutgerson Marine. And also supported by Adlard Coles, and BRNKL Systems.

#239. Sigurdur Jonsson is the captain of and brains behind 'Aurora Arktika,' the adventure charter business based out of Isafjordur in Iceland. Mia & I had the privilege of joining Siggi and his crew for their first ski & sail trip of the season in early March, exploring the West Fjords aboard his new boat 'Arktika,' hiking up the adjacent mountains and skiing down to the sea. Siggi's business started with a chance meeting in Isafjordur with none other than Sir Robin Knox-Johnston & Chris Bonington, who had sailed in aboard Sir Robin's Clipper 60 on their way to Greenland for a climbing expedition. Siggi & Robin hit it off, and he later bought the boat - now 'Aurora' - and started his adventures.

On the Wind is presented by Rutgerson Marine. And also supported by Adlard Coles, and BRNKL Systems.

#178 RECYCLED. Rick Tomlinson is one of yachting's most accomplished photographers. What I didn't know before we met, was how accomplished he is as a sailor. Rick was a crew member on four consecutive Whitbread Races, and literally invented the modern concept of onboard reporter. Back in his day, Rick was an integral member of the sailing crew - he took photos onboard as a hobby, on his off-watches, and even developed film in the galley sink offshore! Mia and I traveled to Rick's beautiful studio in Cowes on the Isle of Wight last September to chat about his career.

#238. Friend of the podcast Erik de Jong joins the show for the 4th time. Originally from Holland and trained as a naval architect, Erik eventually built his own steel boat Bagheera in his backyard and sailed it to Nova Scotia, where he relocated, spending winters designing ships and summers sailing to Greenland. He's since completed the Northwest Passage and relocated himself and Bagheera to Alaska, where he now runs expedition charters and scientific voyages in the North. Erik & I spoke about his most recent 'Arctic Mission' expedition alongside adventurer Pen Hadow to sail north into the Arctic Ocean to research climate change and sea ice retreat.

On the Wind is presented by Rutgerson Marin. And also supported by Adlard Coles, and BRNKL Systems.

#237. Brandon Wright is the founder of BRNKL, a Vancouver-based tech startup focused on remote monitoring systems for boats. Brandon & I originally connected on Instagram and immediately hit it off. His sailing, tech & entrepreneurial background ticks all the boxes of my own personal interests, so it was a blast talking to and learning from Brandon about how he got his fledgling business off the ground. He has a background in surveillance, having worked for the US Military in the middle east, creating home systems for Arab sheikhs and more. Brandon's lightbulb moment to start BRNKL came when his own sailboat broke it's mooring in the middle of the night and ended up on the rocks…

On the Wind is presented by Rutgerson Marin. And also supported by Adlard Coles, and Weems & Plath.

#236. Legendary yacht designer Bob Perry is widely considered as the greatest cruising boat designer of his era, creating some of the most iconic boats of the last several decades including the Valiant 40, Tayana 37 & more. Despite growing up in the midwest and far from the ocean, Bob always knew he'd become a designer. He has somewhat of a hippy past, playing in rock bands in the early days while basically talking his way into the industry as an apprentice when he was in his 20s. He's worked alongside some of the greats, and obviously has carved a niche out for himself. This was a long, wide-ranging and really fun conversation I had with Bob about his career, his favorite designs, life after losing his son, and more.

On the Wind is presented by Rutgerson Marin. And also supported by Adlard Coles, and Weems & Plath.

#235. Sara Hastreiter is of course one of the members of Team SCA, the all-female crew in the previous edition of the Volvo Ocean Race. Sara was on the podcast back in 2015, immediately following that Volvo to talk about how she went from horseback riding in Wyoming to sailing in one of the world's premier ocean races. I got to speak with her again in March about what it felt like to be left off the Volvo race this time, her mountaineering expeditions in the Himalayas and her 'Seven Seas, Seven Summits' project, speaking at the Explorer's Club in New York, continuing to race on multihulls around the world, and her goals to inspire young people to follow their dreams.

On the Wind is presented by Rutgerson Marin. And also supported by Adlard Coles, and Weems & Plath.