The Boat Geeks

The Boat Geeks #22 - Abbey Molyneux (Boat Yard Owner)

Recorded 9.7.24 at the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival

After honing her craft over eight years, learning from one of the top boat builders in the UK, Abbey set out on her own and established her own boat yard outside of Norfolk on the east coast of England.

Recorded on location in the Fisheries Supply "Live at the Wooden Boat Festival Stage" during the 2024 Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival (PTWBF), your hosts Darren and Daeron take a deep dive into the world of boating.

This episode: D&D meet Abbey, an irresistible force of nature! Already known in the UK from her blog writing about her path from apprentice to sought after expert, she started her own boat yard called Abbey Boat Builder three years ago. It was hard work in the beginning. Long hours by herself working seven days a week. But it has paid off. She now has two apprentices and eight contractors working for her. And her yard's work has won awards!

Brought to you by the Boater's Guide, a free mobile app for PNW boaters. Available on iOS and Android devices, The Boater's Guide is information and adventure right at your fingertips, right when you need it. Download for free in the App Store or Google Play: https://www.pnwboatersguide.com/boaters-guide

Instagram: @abbey_boat_builder

Faacebook: #AbbeyBoatBuilder

Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival: https://woodenboat.org/

PTWBF YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCCbRYsT1E2kh7Fui97_wJfw

Northwest Maritime Center: https://nwmaritime.org/

Be sure to like and subscribe, and tell your boating friends! For more information on The Boat Geeks, visit https://www.theboatgeeks.com/

Look for new episodes of The Boat Geeks on the 1st and 15th every month. Be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your boating friends!

The Boat Geeks #21 - Sam Devlin (Devlin Boat Company)

Recorded 9.8.24 at the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival

After attending 46 years in a row, Sam Devlin and his Devlin-designed and built boats are a time honored tradition at North America's largest gathering of wood boat enthusiasts.

Recorded on location in the Fisheries Supply "Live at the Wooden Boat Festival Stage" during the 2024 Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival (PTWBF), your hosts Darren and Daeron take a deep dive into the world of boating.

This episode: The Boat Geeks learn Sam was a commercial vendor at the second annual Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival in 1978. He hasn't missed a festival since! Sam is well known for his distinctive designs, combining traditional lines with his own aesthetics. His shop, based in Olympia, has build more than 400 boats! A great many plying our own local waters in the Pacific NW.

Brought to you by the Boater's Guide, a free mobile app for PNW boaters. Available on iOS and Android devices, The Boater's Guide is information and adventure right at your fingertips, right when you need it. Download for free in the App Store or Google Play: https://www.pnwboatersguide.com/boaters-guide

Devlin Boat Company: https://devlinboat.com/

Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival: https://woodenboat.org/

PTWBF YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCCbRYsT1E2kh7Fui97_wJfw

Northwest Maritime Center: https://nwmaritime.org/

Be sure to like and subscribe, and tell your boating friends! For more information on The Boat Geeks, visit https://www.theboatgeeks.com/

Look for new episodes of The Boat Geeks on the 1st and 15th every month. Be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your boating friends!

The Boat Geeks #20 - Obioma Oji (BlueTree Boat Builders)

Recorded 9.8.24 at the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival

As part of the European Women in Boat Building contingent that came over for the festival, "Obi" brought her expertise in pioneering sustainable wooden boat building in the UK with her new company, BlueTree Boat Builders.

Recorded on location in the Fisheries Supply "Live at the Wooden Boat Festival Stage" during the 2024 Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival (PTWBF), your hosts Darren and Daeron take a deep dive into the world of boating.

This episode: Obi talks with the 2Ds about her experiences in learning boat building after the pandemic caused her to take a break from her interior design position with Ikea. She found working with wood at the famous Lyme Regis Academy in Dorset, England to be regenerative in different ways, including her career. Along with three fellow graduates, Obi founded a new boat building company in England with a focus on sustainable boat building.

Brought to you by the Boater's Guide, a free mobile app for PNW boaters. Available on iOS and Android devices, The Boater's Guide is information and adventure right at your fingertips, right when you need it. Download for free in the App Store or Google Play: https://www.pnwboatersguide.com/boaters-guide

BlueTree Boat Builders: https://bluetreeboatbuilders.com/

Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival: https://woodenboat.org/

PTWBF YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCCbRYsT1E2kh7Fui97_wJfw

Northwest Maritime Center: https://nwmaritime.org/

Be sure to like and subscribe, and tell your boating friends! For more information on The Boat Geeks, visit https://www.theboatgeeks.com/

Look for new episodes of The Boat Geeks on the 1st and 15th every month. Be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your boating friends!

The Boat Geeks #19 - Jesse Wiegel (R2AK, Seventy 48, and WA360 Race Boss)

Recorded 9.6.24 at the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival

Jesse stops by the tent to announce the "all new" WA360, brought back by the Northwest Maritime Center for 2025.

Recorded on location in the Fisheries Supply "Live at the Wooden Boat Festival Stage" during the 2024 Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival (PTWBF), your hosts Darren and Daeron take a deep dive into the world of boating.

This episode: Jesse is The Boat Geeks first repeat guest. In episode #2 Jesse discussed all things Race to Alaska with Daeron and Darren. This visit he announces why the WA360 has been brought back for 2025, and talks about the reasons behind the decision. As you'll see, there is a great deal of excitement for this unique race! Also known as a "spawn of R2AK..."

Brought to you by the Boater's Guide, a free mobile app for PNW boaters. Available on iOS and Android devices, The Boater's Guide is information and adventure right at your fingertips, right when you need it. Download for free in the App Store or Google Play: https://www.pnwboatersguide.com/boaters-guide

WA360: https://nwmaritime.org/nwmc-events/races-cruises/wa360/

Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival: https://woodenboat.org/

Maritime Center YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCCbRYsT1E2kh7Fui97_wJfw

Northwest Maritime Center: https://nwmaritime.org/

Be sure to like and subscribe, and tell your boating friends! For more information on The Boat Geeks, visit https://www.theboatgeeks.com/

Look for new episodes of The Boat Geeks on the 1st and 15th every month. Be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your boating friends!

The Boat Geeks #18 - Richard Lauridsen (Chief Operating Officer, Hawaiian Chieftain) Recorded 07.23.24

As an educator and sailor, Richard became enthralled with tall ships the day he saw the Lady Washington emerge from a shroud of fog while sailing in the San Juan Islands. He combined his love of teaching and sailing by first becoming a sailing instructor, then an educator and crew with Gray's Harbor Historical Society when they operated both the tall ships Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain. Today he's developing educational programs for the Hawaiian Chieftain's new lease on life.

Recorded aboard their floating studio in Port Townsend, WA, in the heart of the Pacific Northwest, Daeron and Darren take a deep dive into the world of boating.

This episode: Daeron and Darren learn about Richard's background and the recent three-year restoration process the Hawaiian Chieftain went through in the Port of Port Townsend's Boat Haven boatyard. Having witnessed the sad state of affairs when the Chieftain was first on the hard, the two Ds are summarily impressed with the near total restoration of the venerable tall ship from Hawaii. As a bonus, they got to enjoy a day sail aboard the ship on Admiralty Inlet. The video begins at the 32:00 minute mark of the episode.

For more information on the Hawaiian Chieftain: https://www.sailhawaiianchieftain.com/

To schedule Day Sails, Sail Training, or Special Events: https://www.sailhawaiianchieftain.com/sailing

The Boat Geeks are brought to you by the Boater's Guide, a free mobile app for PNW boaters. Available on iOS and Android devices, The Boater's Guide is information and adventure right at your fingertips, right when you need it. Download for free in the App Store or Google Play: https://www.pnwboatersguide.com/boaters-guide

Look for new episodes of The Boat Geeks on the 1st and 15th every month. Be sure to like and subscribe, and tell your boating friends! For more information on The Boat Geeks, visit https://www.theboatgeeks.com/

The Boat Geeks #17 - Betsy Davis (Executive Director, Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding)

Recorded 06.26.24

Betsy has been at the helm of the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding for many years, and has helped chart tremendous growth and expansion including the new Marine Systems Program. She also happens to own the classic MV Glory Be, a 110-year old piece of Pacific NW history.

Recorded aboard their floating studio in Port Townsend, WA, in the heart of the Pacific Northwest, Daeron and Darren take a deep dive into the world of boating.

This episode: Daeron and Darren are amazed at the life (or, as Betsy puts it, the "nine lives") of 'Glory Be', a 1914 bridgedeck cruiser built by the grandfather of the Grandy Boat Co. in Seattle, WA. After an eventful first few years, 'Glory Be' settled in as a typical family cruising boat. That is until 2002 when she burned and sank in a marina fire! Hear Betsy describe the incredible scenes in the aftermath, as well as the three-year restoration process.

Betsy is the Executive Director of the famed Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding in Port Hadlock, WA. Founded in 1981, the School has taught wooden boatbuilding and marine systems skills to more than 1,600 students from around the world. They offer a full-time 12-month Associate of Occupational Studies (AOS) degree in Wooden Boatbuilding; a 9-month diploma program in Marine Systems; and 5-day Intensives in Marine Electrical, Corrosion, Diesel Engines, Plumbing, and Outboard Engines.

For more information on the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding: https://nwswb.edu/

Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@UCkXxrnlmi9LrlrKa5bvGmFg

John Sabella (Producer of "Throwbacks to a Golden Age of Northwest Boats"): https://www.youtube.com/@UCyddKlRAFc4ZNE-NA0mX-_g

The Boat Geeks are brought to you by the Boater's Guide, a free mobile app for PNW boaters. Available on iOS and Android devices, The Boater's Guide is information and adventure right at your fingertips, right when you need it. Download for free in the App Store or Google Play: https://www.pnwboatersguide.com/boaters-guide

Look for new episodes of The Boat Geeks on the 1st and 15th every month. Be sure to like and subscribe, and tell your boating friends! For more information on The Boat Geeks, visit https://www.theboatgeeks.com/

The Boat Geeks #16 - Rick Henson (ValvTect/MRT Products)

Recorded 05.29.24

As Regional Sales Manager for ValvTect Marine Fuels, Rick knows a lot about the gas and diesel we put in our boats.

Recorded aboard their floating studio in Port Townsend, WA, in the heart of the Pacific Northwest, Daeron and Darren take a deep dive into the world of boating.

This episode: The two Ds, who have always used ValvTect fuels in their vessels and outboards, learn exactly what makes ValvTect a superior product for boats. Throw in our Pacific NW climate, and good fuel becomes even more important. That holds true whether you use your boat frequently or it sits at the dock for extended periods.

For more information on ValvTect Marine Fuels: https://www.valvtect.com/markets/marine-fuel-products/

Locate a ValvTect Fuel Dock: https://www.valvtect.com/certified-valvtect-marinas/

The Boat Geeks are brought to you by the Boater's Guide, a free mobile app for PNW boaters. Available on iOS and Android devices, The Boater's Guide is information and adventure right at your fingertips, right when you need it. Download for free in the App Store or Google Play: https://www.pnwboatersguide.com/boaters-guide

Look for new episodes of The Boat Geeks on the 1st and 15th every month. Be sure to like and subscribe, and tell your boating friends! For more information on The Boat Geeks, visit https://www.theboatgeeks.com/

The Boat Geeks #15 - Kevin Ritz (ABYC Master Technician)

Recorded 05.23.24

Kevin, an ABYC Master Technician and Marine Systems Program Director at the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding, turned his own family tragedy into a mission to prevent other tragedies and save lives. After losing his son to Electric Shock Drowning in 1999, he became a world renowned expert in marine electrical systems and founded the Electric Shock Drowning Prevention Association.

Recorded aboard their floating studio in Port Townsend, WA, in the heart of the Pacific Northwest, the two Ds take a deep dive into the world of boating.

A personal message from Daeron and Darren regarding this episode: This is our 15th full podcast and 100th video, and we don't think we'll ever do another one this important. When we started The Boat Geeks, education was the driving force. Both in terms of educating other boaters and ourselves. In this show, we discuss with Kevin what happened to his son Lucas and the causes of Electric Shock Drowning (ESD) starting at the 29:30 mark of the video. Leading up to that, we get to know Kevin and his background, as well as his boat and current position as Marine Systems Program Director at the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding in Port Hadlock, WA.

Electric Shock Drowning claims new victims every year, most recently claiming an 18-year-old in Virginia on July 4th ( https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/07/08/jesse-hamric-electrocuted-smith-mountain-lake-virginia/74329714007/ ). What makes it even more heartbreaking is it's an otherwise avoidable tragedy. It is our sincere hope that this video helps spread awareness about ESD, and that it might help save lives.

For more information on the Electric Shock Drowning: https://www.electricshockdrowning.org/

Electric Shock Drowning Educational Resources: https://www.electricshockdrowning.org/esd-resources.html

U.S. Coast Guard Study mentioned by Kevin: https://www.electricshockdrowning.org/uploads/4/8/5/6/48564375/uscg_grant_2008.226165406.pdf

Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding: https://nwswb.edu/

The Boat Geeks are brought to you by the Boater's Guide, a free mobile app for PNW boaters. Available on iOS and Android devices, The Boater's Guide is information and adventure right at your fingertips, right when you need it. Download for free in the App Store or Google Play: https://www.pnwboatersguide.com/boaters-guide

Look for new episodes of The Boat Geeks on the 1st and 15th every month. Be sure to like and subscribe, and tell your boating friends! For more information on The Boat Geeks, visit https://www.theboatgeeks.com/

The Boat Geeks #14 - Harley Matlock (United States Coast Guard)

Recorded 04.23.24

Master Chief Harley Matlock, Officer in Charge of the USCG Cutter Osprey home ported in Port Townsend, has been in the Coast Guard for 28 years!

Recorded aboard their floating studio in Port Townsend, WA, in the heart of the Pacific Northwest, your hosts Darren and Daeron take a deep dive into the world of boating.

This episode: As an 18-year old fresh out of high school, Harley joined the United States Coast Guard and immediately fell in love with the job. Having grown up around his Dad's ship yard, and having his own boats since age 8, it's no wonder the Coastie lifestyle suited him. He started out on an old 82' Point Class Cutter based out of Pensacola, FL and had some memorable missions. Now on his third tour of duty in the Pacific NW, Harley commands the 87' USCGC Osprey operating in Sector 13.

The views expressed in this episode belong to Master Chief Harley Matlock and should not be construed as the views of the U.S. Coast Guard.

For more information on the United States Coast Guard: https://www.uscg.mil/

The Boat Geeks are brought to you by the Boater's Guide, a free mobile app for PNW boaters. Available on iOS and Android devices, The Boater's Guide is information and adventure right at your fingertips, right when you need it. Download for free in the App Store or Google Play: https://www.pnwboatersguide.com/boaters-guide

Look for new episodes of The Boat Geeks on the 1st and 15th every month. Be sure to like and subscribe, and tell your boating friends! For more information on The Boat Geeks, visit https://www.theboatgeeks.com/

The Boat Geeks #13 - Mark Bunzel (Publisher, Editor)

Recorded 04.12.24

Mark Bunzel has been traveling from Olympia to Alaska every Summer for the last 13 years updating the Waggoner Cruising Guide. This year marks the 30th Anniversary of the Waggoner.

Recorded aboard their floating studio in Port Townsend, WA, in the heart of the Pacific Northwest, your hosts Darren and Daeron take a deep dive into the world of boating.

This episode: In 2011, Mark purchased Fine Edge Publishing from founder Robert Hale. Published annually by Fine Edge, the Waggoner (often referred to as the "NW Cruising Bible") is the go-to guide for most Pacific NW boaters. Aboard his trusty Tollycraft 30, Sea Raven, Mark puts a couple thousand miles under his keel every year visiting as many marinas and anchorages as possible along the way. Associate editors Leonard and Lorena Landon also travel the northwest extensively, adding even more detailed information to the guide.

Want to win the 30th Annual Edition of the Waggoner Guide used in the show? Stay tuned at the end of the podcast to learn how to enter.

Waggoner Cruising Guide: https://www.waggonerguidebooks.com

(You'll also find Ports and Passes, the Current Atlas, the Exploring Series, Dreamspeaker Series, and more at https://www.waggonerguidebooks.com)

Look for new episodes of The Boat Geeks on the 1st and 15th every month. Be sure to like and subscribe, and tell your boating friends! For more information on The Boat Geeks, visit https://www.theboatgeeks.com/