Listen as Giselle and Clif, aboard sailing vessel Sedna, make their way from Mexico to the Marquesas, on their first ocean passage. Episode includes the interview clips of fellow Pacific sailing couples as they reflect upon the highs and lows of passage-making. Cruising vessels featured include S/V Bravo, Ripple, Summer, Merrion and Tioga. Music featured in this episode includes two pieces by Dan Kirkwood of Obiwan Coyote, Les Hayden and Vagabond Mantra. Dan lives in Juneau, Alaska, just released a brand new title album with his group, and their music can be found on iTunes, Spotify and Bandcamp.

There is a brief section of podcast “bloopers” at the end of this episode that contains some explicit sailor talk.

While interviewing female sailors in La Cruz Mexico, one common thread emerged: the quest, or need for community. Embracing the cruiser lifestyle often equates to leaving behind the ones your love, those building blocks that make up what we call home. Home and friendship is a relative term when you live your life on the sea, but that doesn’t stop these women from seeking those same connections wherever they drop the hook.

-

Thank you to the women who interviewed for this episode, including Katring Leona, Lou Issac, April on S/V Westy, Hillary on Varuna, Linda on Nomi and Mel of Bravo. Your heart-felt words are much appreciated.

-

Music featured in this episode include “Beer in Jars,” and “Olivia,” by Anna Lynch, “Want,” by Les Hayden (CC BY-NC-ND-4.0), and “Alleyways,” by Vagabond Mantra. For more details on Creative Commons Licenses, please visit my website at sednastories.com.

-

Interested in following Giselle and Clif’s journey aboard Sedna? Visit our website for follow our Instagram photo feed: whywespinyarns.

In this mini-episode of Why We Spin Yarns, I interview Jeanne Socrates, the oldest woman to ever circumnavigate the globe single-handed: totally alone and non-stop. Her accomplishments as a female solo-sailor are impressive, but I was more interested how she got to this place of attempting record-breaking voyages. After the sudden passing of her husband in 2003, she took on their boat and their dream, by herself, and continued onward.

Music in this episode includes pieces by Les Hayden ("Fish to Swim," and "Ophelia") Free Music Archive -CC-BY-NC-ND; "No Home In This World," M Shanghai String Band, Free Music Archive, CC BY-NC-SA

More information on Jeanne and her circumnavigations, visit her website at svnereida.com. Want more sailor stories? Visit my website for other audio clips, stories and blog entries following S/V Sedna as she crosses the Pacific Ocean.

The second full episode of Clif and Giselle's journey aboard sailing vessel Sedna. Sedna finally gets in the water and begins her first leg of their journey, making the passage from Guaymas to Puerto Vallarta. Tidbits from the long sailing passage lead into reflections from featured cruisers Bruce, on Scuttlebutt, Mike, on Compass Rose, and others.

Music included in this episode: "Got It Figured Out" Vagabond Mantra; "Same Old Moon" M Shanghai String Band CC BY-NC-SA; guitar improvisations by David Reed of Juneau, Alaska, and locally recording musician Salomon Kanafany.

Welcome to the first mini-episode, or "Single-Thread," of Why We Spin Yarns. Single Threads will be episodes, disperced throughout the season, that focus on individuals we meet who live their lives on or around the sea. For this first Single-Thread, I interviewed Leiv Poncet, a single-hander from the Falkland Islands, who travels aboard his steel boat Peregrine. Leiv was raised aboard a 50' steel schooner, so has been cruising for most of his life. He is currently sailing from La Paz, Mexico to the Falklands, via the Gambiers, in order to complete his full transit of the Pacific Ocean.

Voices in this episode include Bruce on Scuttlebutt, Leiv (of course), and you'll also hear my husband Clif. We interviewed Leiv in the cockpit of our boat while she was on the hard in Guaymas, so pardon the tad bit of road noise from the highway beyond the yard.

Music featured in this episode includes: "All Do Time," "Alleyways," and "Drink and Steal" by Vagabond Mantra; "Witchcraft and Fireworks," by Les Hayden; ukulele ambiance by Monplasir, and "Shift of Currents" by Blue Dot Sessions. See my website for full Creative Commons Licenses.

Interested in learning more about Sedna, and the Why We Spin Yarns Podcasts, visit our website at www.sednastories.com.

Our journey begins in Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico, where sailing vessel Sedna is patiently waiting to be placed in the water. Hear the sounds and stories from both sailors and staff alike that spend part, or all of their cruising season in this funny, little, dirt-limbo-land for boats. 

Cruisers featured include: Ty and Hilary on Varuna, Bruce on Scuttlebutt, Ron and Diane on Batwing, Nick and Ica on Serendipity, and more...

Theme Music: "All Do Time" by Vagabond Mantra. Special thanks to this Brooklyn based band that have graciously allowed for their use on their tunes on the podcast. Check them out on iTunes, or Bandcamp.

Other musical credits:

"All Do Time" Live Version, Vagabond Mantra

"Alleyways", Vagabond Mantra

"Floating Temple" (ukulele), Monplaisir, from Free Music Archive.org, CC Public Domain

"Tahiti", Tapes and Tubes, from FreeMusicArchive.org, CC BY NC

_________

For more stories, sounds and adventures, visit sednastories.com. And sailing words of wisdom to share or cruising stories of your own? E-mail us at [email protected].

It's here! The preview for Why We Spin Yarns. Listen to the stories of sailors and follow the journey of Clifton and Giselle, a couple of young sailors preparing for their first ocean crossing. Special thanks to Bruce on S/V Scuttlebutt, Mike on Compass Rose, Hillary and Ty on Varuna, and the Brooklyn-based band Vagabond Mantra, graciously providing the use of the their tune "All Do Time."

Subscribe to have the first access to Episode 1: The Yard, coming soon, once we finish installed our thru-hulls. Visit our blog and podcast website: www.sednastories.com, for more stories and photos.