Kayleen VanderRee is a commercial diver by trade and has spent most of her adult life pursuing her love of sailing.

Hailing from British Columbia, we talk about her diving work, what she’s learnt from being captain of her own sailboat, and her personal experiences dealing with frustrations, overwhelm and anxiety in sailing.

Get set for some great adventure stories too. Kayleen sailed her 42’ sailboat to Mexico and back via the Clipper Route, which took 44 days. Most recently she attempted the Race to Alaska with a friend in her Santana 20’ yacht, and shares what it’s really like trying to navigate a treacherous 750nm race from Washington to Alaska, in a non-motorized boat.

To cap off her adventures, we hear about her experience with her partner, taking out second place in The Amazing Race Canada.

In amongst this, Kayleen shares the encouragement she received from her Dad – her greatest sailing mentor, and some of his best life advice.

Join us and be inspired in your own adventures.

Connect via Instagram: @fromsnowtosail

YouTube: All About Spray

Connect with Saltwater Journal:⁠ ⁠@saltwater_journal⁠⁠

Website:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Saltwater Journal⁠⁠⁠⁠

EPISODE NOTES | Kayleen

01:20 Commercial diving

05:40 Mentors

07:11 Sailing with Dad 

08:45 Approaching boat jobs

09:22 Owning and maintaining her own boat

11:19 Figuring it out when things go wrong

13:40 Solo-sailing

14:42 Offshore with Dad

15:30 Sailing from childhood

17:19 Rock climbing

17:56 Current boat

18:50 The Race to Alaska

22:48 Challenges on the race

26:06 The Amazing Race Canada

29:55 Slow is smooth, smooth is fast

33:48 A break from racing

35:19 Giving it a go

37:18 Where to start with mechanics and electrics

38:47 Crossing the continental shelf

40:00 Raw vlogs on YouTube

41:04 Anxiety with sailing

44:22 Strategies for anxiety

46:22 Great advice from Dad

Seven months ago, Rhonda sold everything, ditched land-life, and flew to Sydney to meet up with James and move aboard Triteia — a 30ft (9 meter) 1965 Alberg 30 sailboat.

Rhonda’s now covered more than 1800NM cruising up the east coast of Australia, she’s visited 85 anchorages so far, and is currently preparing to sail to South East Asia, and onwards.

In this episode I talk with Rhonda about how she came to live on the water cruising full-time with James, with one of the best love stories you’ll hear!

We talk about jumping in the deep end to start a new life on the ocean, all the while sharing the journey on YouTube with thousands of followers around the globe.

Rhonda also shares her experience fitting out her own van and solo-travelling for nine months exploring Aotearoa, New Zealand.

If you’ve ever thought about trying van life or dreamed of sailing the world, this episode is for you. Rhonda shares about the realities and personal challenges that come with cruising full-time and living in a tiny space but also her joys on the journey, and encouragement for anyone seeking a life less ordinary.

Connect via Instagram @rhonda.of.triteia @love_grub_galley & @james.the.sailor.man

Youtube @LoveGrubGalley & @SailorJames

Connect with Saltwater Journal ⁠@saltwater_journal⁠

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Saltwater Journal⁠⁠⁠

EPISODE NOTES | Rhonda

1:41 Meeting James & SV Triteia

10:45 Saying yes to staying

13:07 A big adjustment

16:16 Reality vs perception

16:49 An intro to 9m Triteia

18:36 Challenges of boat life 

20:43 Cooking in a small space

21:26 Being adaptable & creative

24:45 Alternative living & vanlife

26:41 Kitting out the van

28:53 Van life vs boat life

31:33 Home on the ocean 

34:55 Nature and travel

37:22 Sailing in NZ & overseas

43:40 Swimming with sharks

45:17 Proud moments

50:54 Learning styles

51:46 Working together

52:27 Imposter syndrome

56:14 Just give it a go

Pip Hare is a world-class single-handed offshore sailor, CEO of Pip Hare Ocean Racing, and one of the most inspiring sailors to follow in the Vendée Globe.

Pip is only the 8th woman to have ever completed the Vendée Globe – a gruelling solo, non-stop, non-assisted, round the world race which takes place every four years. In 2020, her incredible skill and unrelenting endurance saw her successfully finish in just 95 days. Now she’s back with a new and faster boat, to take on a second Vendee Globe race in November 2024.

Listen in as Pip shares candidly about her sailing journey from living aboard to carving her own path as a professional sailor, now the skipper and CEO of Pip Hare Ocean Racing. Currently in the final stages of prepping her boat Medallia ready to race, you’ll hear about her love of sailing, insights into the Vendée Globe, her strategy, and the technology onboard her IMOCA 60.

Pip is one of the skillful and inspirational athletes in sailing and you’ll hear why I believe she’s one of the most relatable and enjoyable for us to follow and support.

Connect and Sponsor:

⁠
Instagram @piphareoceanracing
Facebook Pip Hare Ocean Racing
X Pip Ocean Racing
LinkedIn Pip Hare
Sponsorship Pip Hare Ocean Racing

Connect with Saltwater Journal ⁠@saltwater_journal⁠

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Saltwater Journal

Episode Notes | Pip Hare

1:44 Medallia refit

3:15 Speed

4:40 Diversity in sailing

5:33 Living aboard 

8:12 Introduction to solo sailing

11:11 Carving a career path

14:50 Making it happen 

16:00 Getting a seat at the table

20:56 An even playing field

23:33 Sailing in the southern ocean 

24:50 Southern ocean weather systems

27:17 Foiling conditions

30:31 Noise onboard

33:00 Being alone at sea

36:29 Love of sailing 

37:00 Sailing conditions

39:37 Relatable content 

42:00 Social media & sharing race content

45:40 Creating a community

49:00 Competition in the Vendée

50:37 Competitor contact during the race

51:51 Strategy going into 2024 Vendée

53:35 Food and treats

55:18 Pip’s book & how to support

56:52 Final race prep

TECHNOLOGY CHAT

58:40 How the foils work

01:00:16 Canted keel, foils and lift

01:02:22 Winches

01:02:49 Autopilot & data points

01:08:15 Mast

01:08:44 Forward facing sonar & AI 

Britt Spencer set a world record as the first New Zealander and female to cross the notorious Cook Strait on a prone paddle board. 

In this episode I talk with Kiwi volunteer surf lifesaver Britt Spencer about endurance paddling, and crossing Cook Strait on a prone paddle board. After battling serious health issues and a year planning and training, the Nelson based Strength & Conditioning Coach made history with the crossing in April this year.

Get set for this one – Britt is inspiring! She talks about adapting to things that go wrong in adventure, how she copes in extreme moments of pain and challenge, in what she calls ‘Dark Mode’. We hear about her joy of being out on the water, what motivates her and the surprising food and drink she fuels her endurance paddles with.

Britt’s energy is infectious, and so is her fresh outlook on life.

Join us and be inspired to challenge your own limits.

Connect via Instagram @brittjayspencer 

Youtube @brittjayspencer 

Connect with Saltwater Journal @saltwater_journal

Website: ⁠⁠⁠Saltwater Journal⁠⁠

EPISODE NOTES | Britt

00:56 Life in Nelson

02:30 Competitive swimming

03:25 Introduction to Surf Lifesaving

06:27 Board chat

08:50 Long distance paddling

10:30 First endurance paddle 

12:15 Dark mode 

14:53 Injury and pulmonary embolism

22:02 Crossing Cook Strait

25:00 Weather conditions

30:00 Setting off

35:24 Support crew

38:00 Great White sharks

40:30 Surprise fuel

42:45 Hitting the wall

45:33 Best team

47:35 Land

51:40 Celebrations

54:03 Paddle X documentary 

56:00 Give it a go

59:59 Future plans

Marybeth is a Canadian Youtube and content creator taking us on outdoor, travel and paddle “advenchas”.

I'm stoked to catch up with Marybeth to chat about her love of paddling, travel, wildlife encounters, and her super entertaining videos to motivate us to get outdoors. 

Listen in for beginner advice on how to choose the right paddleboard for stability, tips for balance, and staying safe on the water. And if you’re hesitant to try a SUP or you’re embarrassed to fall in – we’ve got some encouragement for you!

Marybeth shares about her life by the Great Lakes in Ontario and going on backcountry adventures. We chat about paddling with huge ‘gators, and the joy of stalking beavers in her hometown backyard known as Coote’s paradise.

She also gives insights into her journey as a Youtube creator and her mission to encourage more play in life. 

Connect via Instagram @paddleadventurer

and watch Paddle Adventurer on YouTube

Connect with Saltwater Journal @saltwater_journal

Website: ⁠⁠Saltwater Journal⁠

EPISODE NOTES | Marybeth

1:06 Hometown

1:34 Journey into paddling

3:52 Choosing the best paddle board 

5:53 Size and stability

6:57 Do it your way

8:32 Backcountry portaging

14:00 Pumping inflatables

16:46 Florida alligators

18:41 Marybeth’s mission

20:27 Backyard paddling

22:09 Beavers

23:56 Life in the outdoors

25:42 YouTube journey

29:00 Beginner advice

31:32 Winter paddling

35:00 Tips for balance

38:07 Moose

39:00 Future adventures

39:44 Magic of paddling

In this episode I talk with Alice Baker and Courtney Te Whiu - two great Kiwi mates who worked their way into the world of boat crew and luxury superyachts having the time of their life in dream destinations.

With 12+ years of combined experience, and all the what to-do’s and what not-to do’s, they founded the New Zealand Superyacht Academy with internationally recognised courses to kick-start graduate’s superyacht careers.

Listen in to get all the goss on what it takes to find work onboard, perks of the job, what a captain’s looking for in crew, and how much it’s really like ‘Below Deck’.

Travel, fun, money and a whole lot of hard work – find out how it started for these two, and what you’ll get from joining the superyacht academy.

If you’re keen to link in with a network of incredible supportive boaties exploring the world on superyachts – get in contact with Alice and Courtney

Connect via Instagram @nzsuperyachtacademy

and visit New Zealand Superyacht Academy

Connect with Saltwater Journal @saltwater_journal

Website: ⁠Saltwater Journal

EPISODE NOTES | New Zealand Superyacht Academy

1:10 Early days

2:35 Starting out as crew

5:41 Dockwalking

7:40 The allure of boating

9:30 Surprises of the industry

13:20 Guest & owner experiences

16:40 Prepared for any scenario

17:15 Crew culture

17:50 Below Deck

18:56 Personality & skills

21:00 Perks of the job

23:50 Opportunities

24:11 Age & career

27:15 Roles onboard

27:08 The Academy 

31:00 Community support

32:23 Internationally recognised courses

33:30 Specialist industry leaders

36:44 STCW

38:41 Student success

41:00 Caviar

43:21 Wealth management

46:32 Yachting & parenthood

48:51 Where to sign up

In this episode I talk with Renee Taylor, a speech-language therapist and freedive instructor who founded Salt Aotearoa in Aotearoa, New Zealand. 

Renee shares her personal journey to experiencing freediving as rongoā Māori and its role as a healing practice; with the ocean supporting a deep level of mind, body and spiritual well-being. If you’re stressed and burnt out, keep listening!

We chat about the kaupapa of Salt Aotearoa and creating a safe space for wāhine to transform their lives by learning to freedive, spearfish, and collect kaimoana.Today we’ll find out just how easy it is to get into freediving, and how good it is for us.

And you’ll hear Renee’s beautiful baby during this episode, who wanted a wee chat too!

Join a freediving or spearfishing course with Salt Aotearoa and experience more life underwater.

Connect with Renee on Instagram @saltaotearoa

Connect with Saltwater Journal @saltwater_journal

Website: Saltwater Journal

EPISODE NOTES | Renee Taylor

01:00 Family and motherhood

2:06 Speech therapy and the toll of death in daily life

04:06 Unsafe cultural spaces and journey into freediving

05:50 Being wāhine in the freediving world

11:26 Joy of the beginner experience

14:09 Being underwater: scuba and freediving

14:43 Benefits of freediving 

16:21 Supporting reconnection 

20:20 Dangers of freediving

23:50 Collecting kai 

25:12 Addiction of spearfishing

26:00 Shore diving

27:30 CPR

33:00 How to get involved

35:10 Freediving and pregnancy

Te Reo Māori 

Aotearoa - New Zealand

Hauora - health

Kai - food

Kaimoana - seafood

Kaupapa - purpose

Kōrero - conversation

Moana - sea, ocean

Māoritanga - Māori way of life

Taiao - natural world

Wānanga - meeting to share learning and knowledge

Wāhine - women

Whānau - family

Lisa Blair is an Australian solo-sailor, world multi-record holder, climate activist and lover of the Southern Ocean.

In this episode Lisa talks with us about her new feature documentary Ice Maiden – the story of her epic 2017 voyage to set a record-breaking circumnavigation of Antarctica. 

She shares her insights into the terror and beauty of surviving multiple near-death experiences; how she faces fear, her resilience and mental preparation, and the impact of documenting her adventure in her new feature documentary.

Lisa was a joy to talk with – with so much enthusiasm given she was recovering from setting a new solo-sailing record from Australia to New Zealand! I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did – and look forward to seeing the film.

Ice Maiden premiers at the Doc Edge Film Festival in Otāutahi Christchurch 19 June 2024.

Get tickets to the DocEdge Film Festival

Follow Lisa’s journey at upcoming solo-sailing record attempts at Lisa Blair Sails the World

Episode Notes | Lisa Blair

01:30 Ice Maiden the film

3:38 Facing fear

6:00 Leaving Cape Town for winter conditions in Antarctica

7:14 Trauma in the southern ocean

8:50 Resilience and reframing thoughts when shit hits the fan

10:35 Visualising worst case scenarios

12:11 A love of the southern ocean 

14:14 What solo sailing is really about

15:18 Breaking down assumptions 

16:00 The approach of solo-sailing for a record

18:54 Self-steering and self-preservation

19:58 Electrical issues and bailing for life 

20:44 Is there any comfort onboard

Read more on Lisa Blair at Saltwater Journal

Share this episode via Saltwater Journal

Nathaniel C.T. Jackson is an award winning film Director and Producer at Jackson Speed.

In this episode we talk with Nathaniel about the making of Jackson Speed’s upcoming feature film called Ice Maiden, which documents the story of Lisa Blair’s harrowing 2017 Antarctic circumnavigation.

We talk about the epic resilience of Lisa facing near-death experiences; challenges of recreating de-masting scenes from the southern ocean, cinematic style, music,  film-making decisions with co-director James Blannin-Ferguson and the endeavour of producing a feature documentary.

I really enjoyed Nathaniel's insights into the world of filmmaking, and behind-the-scenes candour which gives so much extra depth to watching Ice Maiden. New Zealand listeners - I’m sure you’ll agree with us staking a claim on his Kiwi talent!

See more of Nathaniel’s work at Jackson Speed

Ice Maiden premiers at the Doc Edge Film Festival in Otāutahi Christchurch 19 June 2024.

Get tickets to the DocEdge Film Festival

Follow Lisa’s journey at upcoming solo-sailing record attempts at Lisa Blair Sails the World

Listen in to wholesome convos with inspiring people getting out on the water for great adventures and loving it. Whether it's sailing, freediving, paddleboarding or floating on a pink flamingo - if it brings you adventure, travel and freedom on the water - we'll talk about it.

Follow along and dip your toes in!