At 21-years-old Jasmine Harrison became the youngest female to row solo across the Atlantic. A year later she set a record as the first woman to swim the full length of the British Isles. Currently, she’s participating in the Mini Globe Race, a solo, around-the-world race for 5.8 meter mostly home-built yachts. Before starting the race, Jasmine didn’t know how to sail. We crossed paths in the Marquesas where we discussed her exploits. Follow her progress on the Mini Globe website or her Instagram page.

Andy Schell of 59° North Sailing is no stranger to the Out The Gate podcast. We’d both been wanting to follow up on our last podcast conversation, but hadn’t managed to connect over Zoom. So, when Falken, 59° North's Farr 65, and Dovka both happened to pull into Hiva Oa in the Marquesas the same morning, we took the opportunity to finally sit down and chat. We talked about our respective Pacific crossings, the importance of letting go, and what we’re each looking forward to in sailing, work, and life. This interview can also be found on Andy's pre-eminent podcast On The Wind.

After completing a nearly 3,000 nautical mile passage from Banderas Bay, Mexico to the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia, my crew and I sit down to debrief our voyage. Joining me on Dovka for the 23.5 day ocean crossing was my brother Jon Shaw and my college buddy Tim Field. A few days after arrival, the three of us sat down to discuss the highs and lows of the trip, from a magical manta ray visit to managing the monotony of late night watches. You can relive moments from the passage @SVDovka on Instagram.

Mark Synnott is a professional rock climber and author. He’s climb many first ascents, written a multitude of National Geographic articles and simply put had a ton of bad ass adventures. He took up sailing about 20 years ago, and recently sailed his boat, Polar Sun, through the Northwest Passage on a quest to unlock the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the Franklin Expedition. Mark has a new book about the adventure called Into The Ice. National Geographic also produced a special about his journey called Lost in the Arctic that you can watch on Disney+.

I met 23-year-old Kevin Boyle when he sailed into La Cruz Mexico aboard his Ericson 32 and I took his lines at the dock. Kevin stuck out in the sailing community of La Cruz because of his young age. He reminded me of myself when I went cruising in my 20s and I really wanted to talk to him about his experience cruising a young person and seeing how he made that happen. He’s currently crossing the Pacific from Mexico to the Marquesas and I’m hoping we can reconnect in French Polynesia.

Tim Carden is not new to adventure, having ridden his motorcycle solo all over the world. But, he is relatively new to sailing and he’s planning an audacious journey in his trailerable 27-foot trimaran. He’s planning to drive his Corsair F-27 south from his home in Albuquerque, NM, to launch it in the Sea of Cortez. From there, he’ll sail solo down the Sea of Cortez, out across the Pacific to French Polynesia, north to Hawaii and then back to California. He’ll do all this without fossil fuels, having converted the boat to electric propulsion and electric cooking. You can follow Tim’s journey on Instagram at Manta_On_The_Sea.

Heather Richard is a skilled sailor, an exceptional teacher, a great storyteller, and a kick-ass mother! As a high school graduation present for her son, they double-handed in the Pacific Cup Race to Hawaii, aboard the boat on which she raised him! Heather and I talk about prepping for this race, the crossing, and the long sail back. We discuss why she’s decided to sell her boat and what she’s looking for next. After hearing her story, you can sail with Heather at Fine Day for Sailing.

Raffi Patatian is one of the most conscientious, careful, and knowledgeable sailors I know. He set off for Mexico aboard his Hallberg Rassy 43, Wind River, in the fall of 2023. Since then, he has sailed many miles down the West Coast and across the Pacific Ocean, mostly singlehanded. He’s an entrepreneur who ran his own IT business in the Bay Area before heading off cruising. Raffi and I caught up at his Sausalito home when he briefly returned from Fiji to pick up some boat parts.

Jamie and Behan Gifford have been sailing their Stevens 47, Totem, around the world for more than a decade. They raised three children aboard but are now empty nesters, planning the next chapter of their cruising life. Lauren and I joined them aboard Totem to discuss life afloat, upgrades to their beloved boat, their successful coaching business, and their upcoming sailing plans. (Photo by Jill Hearne)

Jon Bilger is the director and founder of PredictWind. Jon founded the company after working on forecasting for the Alinghi Americas Cup team. The technology has revolutionized accessibility of weather forecasting and routing for both racers and cruisers. I talk to Jon about his own sailing background, how he developed Predict Wind, some new exciting tools - like 100 meter accuracy tidal current modeling for San Francisco Bay - and more.