Merrill lives on his Tashiba 36 in a Marina in Boston and runs the business Shipshape, which connects marine contractors and boat owners. We talk about the pros and cons of living in a marina, marina pirates, dating while living in a marina, drunks falling off docks, dinghies, through-hiking the Appalachian Trail, making 1000 origami cranes, shopping for a boat, Shipshape, sailing destinations in New England and Boston, Nova Scotia, Panama, hunting for lost planes in The Bahamas, treasure hunting, writing, running over a red nun buoy in a catamaran, and more!

Tales from the Marina, Merrill Charette

Interviews with offshore sailors and those in the industry sharing exciting stories and useful information so we can better enjoy and better prepare for our own adventures.

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Leisure

  Alan Fishbone lives on his Lord Nelson 35, currently in the British Virgin Islands. He sailed there from New York in December and encountered heavy weather, which we discuss. We also talk about living on a boat, solar power, Lord Nelson sailboats, heavy weather and sailplans, accidental jibes, the Bermuda Triangle, full-keel cutters, boom brakes, the British Virgin Islands, the Hydrovane, driving in reverse and not being able to steer, Puerto Rico Culebra, San Juan, and more. Show notes can be found https://www.paultrammell.com/podcast-season-6   Support through  Patreon 

Alan Fishbone, Heavy Weather in the North Atlantic

Kirsten won the 2022 Golden Globe Race, and became the first woman to win a sailing race around the world by the three great capes, crewed or solo, and the first South African to win an around the world race. Kirsten sailed Minnehaha, a Cape George 36 in the race, which she refit over one year in Prince Edward Island, Canada. Before the race, she worked as a skipper with Skip Novak's Pelagic Expeditions, taking crews to Antartica, Patagonia, South Georgia Island, and the Falklands.  We talk about preparing for the race, her boat, the ten sails she took, maximizing boat speed, different sail combinations, the double-yankee sail, reefing, using a trisail, hositing and dousing the spinnaker, tiller vs wheel, using the Hydrovane, navigational difficulties, getting more in tune with nature when sailing without modern electronics, the mental challenge of calms, rescuing Tapio Lehtinen, beautiful experiences in the race, future plans, and more. Links and photos can be found at https://www.paultrammell.com/podcast-season-6

Kirsten Neuschafer, Winner of the 2022 GGR

Jerome Rand is the host of the podcast Sailing into Oblivion, and author of the book by the same name, describing his solo nonstop sail around the wolrd in Mighty Sparrow, his Westsail 32. This episode is not one of us interviewing the other, but rather a conversation between us. We talk about our boats, reefing, safety, the higher latitudes, cold and fog, wearing a tether or not, sharks, drowing, books, getting rolled by a rogue wave, and much more.  Show notes are at https://www.paultrammell.com/podcast-season-6

A Conversation with Jerome Rand of Sailing into Oblivion

Heather Thomas skippered SV Maiden to victory in the 2023 Ocean Globe Race (OGR), and the crew became the first first all-female crew to win an around the world race. Heather was also the youngest skipper in the race, at 27 years old.  We talk about how she learned to sail and gain enough experience to be chosen to skipper Maiden in the OGR, preparing for the race, using a staysail and storm jib, broad-reach sailplans, the history of the boat, why women are beginning to win sailing races (competing against men), Heather's role and daily routine as the skipper, celestial navigating, foul weather, dealing with calms, the crew's favorite conditions, winning, The Maiden Factor, foul-weather gear, dealing with the cold, advice for young sailors who want to get involved in offshore racing, books, and more. Show notes, links, and photos, can be found here https://www.paultrammell.com/podcast-season-6

Heather Thomas, Winner of the 2023 Ocean Globe Race

Owen Murphy recently crossed the Panama Canal, then sailed to the Galapagos islands, and on to the Marquesas, solo, on his Pacific Seacraft 34. We talk about learning French, Polynesian tattoos, provisioning, cyclones, sailing from Panama to The Marquesas, siglehanding, Owen's Pacific Seacraft 34, spinnaker mishaps and lessons, going up the mast, gooseneck barnacles, climbing the mast at night, the three types of fun, wearing a helmet, boats that sank, securing the anchor at the bow when offshore, whales, transiting the Panama Canal, Owen's dream-boat pick, talking to yourself, and more!

Tales from the Marina, Merrill Charette

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