The Bonnie Boat Sailing Podcast (The Bonnie Boat)

Jason Clark and Kirsten Austin are a couple of adventurous Mainers who have been sailing the East Coast since 2013. We talk about crossing to the Bahamas, serial boat ownership, the proper way to prepare lobster, and the inevitable headaches associated with marine toilets. We also shared some good laughs with good friends. Enjoy the episode and Happy New Year!

Interview time! Bryan Rolfe is sailing his 27 foot Albin Vega across the Carribean, bound for Panama, the Pacific Ocean, Polynesia, and ultimately a circumnavigation. We talk about life aboard a small boat, new-old ways of getting weather information offshore, preparing a boat for oceans, the sobering reality of coral reefs today, and much more! Bryan has a very enjoyable and well-produced series of videos on YouTube and can be found there and on Instagram at "The Adventures of Tarka." He is donating all proceeds from his videos to the Coral Reef Alliance, and is an all-around interesting guy. Check it out!

James Elfers is a yacht surveyor, buyer's broker, and the author of "Bluewater Sailing on a Budget." Jim talks with me about insights he's gained through his work as a delivery captain, his experience overseas during the heyday of Taiwanese boatbuilding, and his goal of helping sailors navigate the boat-buying process. We dig into pitfalls to watch out for when looking at boats, strategy for negotiating purchase price, the process of a marine survey, and some special considerations for older boats in particular. Jim's book can be found on Amazon and his surveying business is called Mandalay Marine, based out of the Bay area in California. 

Debbie and Brian have voyaged aboard their 30ft Allied Seawind since 2014, crossing the Atlantic 4 times and sailing down the coast of South America through Brazil and Uruguay. They talk about the gear they installed and modifications they made during a major refit, the challenges and rewards of travelling under sail, and they speak eloquently and earnestly of their experiences at sea. 

Jason Jernigan recently completed a loop of the Delmarva peninsula aboard his Alberg 30 as a shakedown in preparation for an upcoming global circumnavigation. We discuss his approach for sailing solo, the preparations he is making to the boat and his gear, and he offers insight and reflections on his sailing experiences past and present. Jason can be found online on Facebook at Jason's Sailing Adventures.

Emily Greenberg has single-handed her Pearson Ariel down the East Coast- from Lake Champlain, through the Hudson River, down the Jersey Coast and Chesapeake Bay, and into the ICW to Florida. We talk about preparing small boats for long-term sailing, her formative sailing experience on an offshore delivery, the satisfaction of working on your own boat, and the realities of sexism in the sailing world and beyond. She keeps a log of her travels at the always-interesting www.dinghydreams.com and is on Instagram @dinghydreams. Enjoy!

Jared Lawson was the best man at my wedding, is my partner in aquaculture, my long-time musical compatriot, and for purposes of this podcast, a meticulous and enthusiastic fisherman. We talk about fishing Chesapeake Bay, some thoughts for fishing along the ICW, bait and rigging styles, as well as techniques for cleaning fish. Jared shares advice for the rank amateur (me), but also has a breadth of knowledge that will be of interest to anyone with a penchant for dipping a line.

Ryan and I reflect on the ups and downs of returning to shore-side life, our last days on the boat, and lessons learned from 6 months underway aboard a small sailboat. We talk about facing fears and anxiety, our final sail up the Chesapeake Bay and getting our mojo back.

Quick update on where the podcast is headed and some music. 

John Herlig fixed up his 50 year old Rawson 30 “Ave Del Mar” and took her sailing down the ICW, across to the Bahamas, and then off the beaten path a bit, visiting Haiti and Jamaica before returning to Florida. We speak about his thoughts on John Vigor’s “black box” of seamanship theory, nautical superstitions and the allure of travel. John had a podcast on “Boat Radio,” released a few under his own flag, and has an upcoming podcast called "Seabird" that will be released through Cuento.co He can found online at avedelmar.com More recently, having to return home to work, he stored “Ave” on the hard in Green Turtle Key in the Bahamas where she was standing when Hurricane Dorian made landfall. 

Ryan takes the mic! Preparing food aboard "Firefly," dinghy adventures, hard dinghys vs inflatable, and anecdotes and reflections on our Northbound trip up the ICW.

No interview today, just some reflections on an interesting character observed on the water and a quick retrospection on the past year of podcasts. 

Today's episode features Jeffery and Margaret of the Tayana 37 “Bear.” I met Jeffery while we were both crewing, on separate boats, in the Caribbean 1500 in 2016. He and Margaret have been cruising New England during the summers and this past year took off from the Chesapeake offshore to the Virgin Islands. They share their experience in getting the boat ready, some reflections on the appeal and allure of living and travelling aboard a sailboat, and some anecdotes from some of the many places they’ve visited. 

Khiara and Adam are sailing the Caribbean aboard their Tayana 42 the "Millennial Falcon." They sailed from the West Coast of Florida island, hopping down to Grenada in their first season, and I spoke to them while they were at anchor in St Martin. We talk about their boat buying process, some of the challenges they’ve faced, and the lure of living on the water. They also have an excellent YouTube channel where they’ve been documenting their travels and can be found on their website as well at https://sailingmillennialfalcon.com/ 

Breena and Spencer Litzenberger have been sailing on both coasts for the past 6 or 7 years aboard a number of different boats- they’ve sailed in the pacific northwest aboard a plywood trimaran, through the Bahamas aboard a few different vessels, and up from Gueatemala to Florida aboard an old steel Bruce Roberts Spray. They also host a hilarious podcast called Litzenberger’s Sailing Podcast where they talk about about buying and selling boats, the realities of living aboard, and their adventures under sail. For this episode they turned the tables on yours truly, so head check out their podcast for the first half of this conversation. They also have a TouTube channel called "Sailing with the Litzenbers," and they are currently trying to sell off all their worldly possessions to try and get into their next boat. Check it out eh?

Sean D'Epagnier has been sailing the world aboard his engine-less Bristol 27 "Alexandra" for the 8 years. Heading west from California and Mexico, he crossed the Pacific, the Indian, and the Atlantic Oceans with many fabled landfalls along the way. He is also the creator of Pypilot- an open source marine autopilot designed to make autopilots more affordable, modular, and collaborative in the spirit of OpenCPN, a project he is also involved in. 

Jeffrey Wettig is the host of the "Shooting the Breeze" sailing podcast. Jeffrey is one of the original sailing podcasters, and is all-round interesting guy. We talk about some of his sailing adventures on Chesapeake Bay, some lessons he’s learned through owning a number of different boats, our thoughts on the future of the used sailboat market, and some sailing goals and aspirations. Jeffery has been a big inspiration for me, and I’ve been a longtime fan of his podcast, so it was really cool to be able to speak with him. Enjoy!

Clay and Ally sailed their Catalina 27 “Soultide” down the ICW from Virginia to the Florida Keys. They have an inspiring story and relate some funny anecdotes about their days living aboard. We reminisce about meeting down in Key Largo, dodging mosquitos, running from the cold, learning how to work on engines, and the adjustment back to living ashore. Clay and Ally are musicians, built their own house, have recently acquired a 50 year old Columbia 36, and we are fortunate to count them among our friends. Enjoy the episode!

No interview today- some reflections on crewing in the Caribbean 1500 in 2016 and an inappropriate Christmas tune at the end. 

A retrospective of the past year's interviews.

Fiona McGlynn and Robin Urquhart are the editors of Waterborne, an online magazine featuring millennial voices in sailing. They sailed their Dufour 35 “MonArk” from Vancouver, BC, across the Pacific to Australia, via Mexico, the Marquesas, and Tuamotus, to name a few. They share their thoughts on sailboat arbitrage, the dangers of sleep deprivation and importance of finding a watch schedule that works, millennial participation in sailing, the orthodoxy of sailing culture, as well as the creation and goals of Waterborne. 

Stay safe and healthy everyone!

Daily rituals, wildlife of the ICW, interesting nav aids, motorsailing, and running aground!

Ignoring the hype, hanging out in Oriental, navigating "Firefly," and rowing about singing sea shantys. 

Our crossing strategy, what went wrong, what we would do differently, and reflections on sailing. 

Type-A personalities afloat, approaching Charleston by water, Ryan and Chris reminisce, meeting great people, and being insulated from the "real" world.

Building a plywood dinghy, the real challenge of setting off to go sailing, sweating out Hurricane Joaquin, and getting ready to shove off!

An abyssal journey through inner space. 

Ben and Teresa Carey of Morse Alpha Expeditions have been professional sailors and educators for their entire adult lives. From schooners and open boats in Maine, to singlehanding their respective boats up and down the East Coast, to their current business of coastal and offshore sail training, Teresa and Ben have varied and deep sailing experience which they kindly share in this podcast. We talk about knot-nerdery, the characteristics of a good leader, boat selection, and much more. Morse Alpha can be found online at http://morsealpha.com/

Meeting a sailing hero, fog on St. Andrew's Sound, a rough night on anchor, good times in St. Augustine, and being accosted by US Customs and Border Patrol!

Navigation errors and the wrong way to re-fuel underway. Perfect Chesapeake Fall days, the industrial beauty of Hampton Roads, the Dismal Swamp Canal, and the measured pace of travel by boat. 

Clear water and easy sailing on Biscayne Bay! Palm trees and mosquitoes in the Florida Keys. A soliloquy on all things anchoring- anchorage hi-jinks, anchoring etiquette, anchoring politics in Florida, and dragging anchor in high winds.

Exploring the Florida Keys, meeting interesting characters, beers of the ICW, and Land-sickness x 2!

After a two year refit, "Firefly" swims again! Some thoughts on nautical traditions, fun times learning how to dock, and sea poetry?

A Baptism on the shores of Snow's Cut, rescuing a hapless canoeist, tidal currents, and our anchoring set up.

Hey Folks, no new episode this week. I'll be back next week and publishing bi-weekly after that. Thanks!

Learning how to heave-to while reefing the main, dolphins on our bow, hit 8.3 knots while surfing downwind, attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion.

#1- Lessons learned from a two-year refit, and an intro to the podcast. 

Setting up "Firefly's" solar system, composting heads, a neighboring boat drags into us, and sailboats as the original solar powered vehicles. 

Bridge-hell, catching some fish, meeting new friends, and celebrating Ryan's birthday in Ft. Lauderdale.