Sometimes we get the opportunity to sit at the hand of the master and hear first hand what is the best way to do something.

This is one of those moments. 

This episode I read the Appendix of Capt. Voss' book 'Venturesome Voyages' and if that leaves you feeling a little less than interested, don't worry, it's just because you don't' know who Capt. Voss is.

I've got you covered on that too.

If you would like to listen to fantastic stories of sailors in small vessels taking on the ocean in the last 150 years, all selected & read by Chris, check out the 'Mariner's Library'.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-mariners-library/id1710666955

If you would like to check out The Mariner Youtube Channel - we have gear reviews, how to videos, seamanship training videos and on the water reports. Remember to dock your finger carefully on the subscribe button!

https://youtu.be/t0cfY6HqjLA

To support the production of this material please consider heading over to Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/themariner

Questions and Tangents #14 and this episode we continue down the rabbit hole regarding buying a used race boat.

Recap

Last time we discussed this I said, 'Don't do it - unless you REALLY want/ need to do it.'

But as you did it anyway... (which I knew you would...)

This time I'm saying- 'Since you can't take simple advice-;) here's 2 further hours of things to bear in mind.'

I guess #3 (Owing a Race Boat Long Term) is coming soon...

If you would like to listen to fantastic stories of sailors in small vessels taking on the ocean in the last 150 years, all selected & read by Chris, check out the 'Mariner's Library'.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-mariners-library/id1710666955

If you would like to check out The Mariner Youtube Channel - we have gear reviews, how to videos, seamanship training videos and on the water reports. Remember to dock your finger carefully on the subscribe button!

https://youtu.be/t0cfY6HqjLA

To support the production of this material please consider heading over to Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/themariner

This episode I continue this series, following the excellent RYA Sea Survival Handbook, by Keith Colwell.

Today we look at interpreting the specifics of incoming weather forecasts & the importance of 'aids to navigation' in fog.

Jeepers... that reads bad, no wonder Robert Redford died in that movie.

Look it's not bad- It's interesting.. I tell stories & stuff.

Honestly, if you like boats - it's kinda ok

If you would like to listen to fantastic stories of sailors in small vessels taking on the ocean in the last 150 years, all selected & read by Chris, check out the 'Mariner's Library'.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-mariners-library/id1710666955

If you would like to check out The Mariner Youtube Channel - we have gear reviews, how to videos, seamanship training videos and on the water reports. Remember to dock your finger carefully on the subscribe button!

https://youtu.be/t0cfY6HqjLA

To support the production of this material please consider heading over to Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/themariner

In this episode I describe the 6,500Nm race from Punta Del Este in Uruguay to Charleston, South Carolina.  The sailing was nothing to write home about but everything else about that trip was pretty unique.  Terrible toothache required me to create a temporary dental solution at sea but having worked that out my watermaker then stopped working which left me with only two options; stop racing and stop into Brazil to get repairs done or keep racing and head on to Charleston and drink brackish water for two weeks.  If you have been listening to this podcast for a while -you know what I choose ;)

If you have any questions you would like answering please send them to csmthemariner@gmail.com 

If you recognize that creating this content requires hours of effort and you would like to help support for the equivalent of 25cents per episode please visit my Patreon Site and select the $2 per month option.

If you are looking to develop your seamanship skills and take your sailing knowledge & safety to a more advanced level I run an On-Line Seamanship Training Program which gives you access to four 30 minute videos each month that deep-dive into a broad range of subjects from Ropework to Naval Architecture, Electronic Navigation, Sail Trim, Composite Repair. The lessons come out once a week and the minimum commitment to have access to all of them is $20 per month.

I you want to get out on the water on a race, regatta or training voyage you can book any number of trips in the Caribbean, American North East, Europe and even Transatlantic trips; year round with Spartan Ocean Racing & Training

Thanks!

Chris

In this podcast I put on my black turtleneck sweater, horn-rimmed glasses and ask you to lie down on the Mariner couch as we discuss some interesting aspects of psychology and metacognition that can really affect our learning style, our ability to develop advanced hard skills and even perhaps influence our ability to keep ourselves and our crew safe at sea.  

If you have never heard of the Dunning-Kruger effect, the Superiority Illusion, Selective Bias or the Imposter Syndrome prepare to deny everything and declare yourself an above average student!

If you have any questions you would like answering please send them to csmthemariner@gmail.com 

If you recognize that creating this content requires hours of effort and you would like to help support for the equivalent of 25cents per episode please visit my Patreon Site and select the $2 per month option.

If you are looking to develop your seamanship skills and take your sailing knowledge & safety to a more advanced level I run an On-Line Seamanship Training Program which gives you access to four 30 minute videos each month that deep-dive into a broad range of subjects from Ropework to Naval Architecture, Electronic Navigation, Sail Trim, Composite Repair. The lessons come out once a week and the minimum commitment to have access to all of them is $20 per month.

I you want to get out on the water on a race, regatta or training voyage you can book any number of trips in the Caribbean, American North East, Europe and even Transatlantic trips; year round with Spartan Ocean Racing & Training

Thanks!

Chris

In this episode I answer a listener question about who inspires me in sailing and why. I gave this some thought and decided to include only those who truly motivate me at an emotional level rather than just those who's exploits I find noteworthy.

Dame Naomi James, Joshua Slocum, Sterling Hayden & Jean Luc Van Den Heede & the Westabout Circumnavigation Record are who/what I decided upon- some you may know- others not but all are connected to sailing.

I hope you enjoy hearing both why and how I find these people (and this event!) so compelling and how I am able to fuel myself in my life's darker hours by focusing my thoughts on these heroes.

If you have any questions you would like answering please send them to csmthemariner@gmail.com 

If you recognize that creating this content requires hours of effort and you would like to help support for the equivalent of 25cents per episode please visit my Patreon Site and select the $2 per month option.

If you are looking to develop your seamanship skills and take your sailing knowledge & safety to a more advanced level I run an On-Line Seamanship Training Program which gives you access to four 30 minute videos each month that deep-dive into a broad range of subjects from Ropework to Naval Architecture, Electronic Navigation, Sail Trim, Composite Repair. The lessons come out once a week and the minimum commitment to have access to all of them is $20 per month.

I you want to get out on the water on a race, regatta or training voyage you can book any number of trips in the Caribbean, American North East, Europe and even Transatlantic trips; year round with Spartan Ocean Racing & Training

Thanks!

Chris

In this episode I return to the story of my solo round the world race and the exciting conclusion of Leg 3 from New Zealand around Cape Horn to the famous South American race stopover of Punta del Este in Uruguay.  If you want to hear how close a yacht race can be after 3 weeks and over 6500Nm at sea- Tune in!

I also talk radar watch methods for solo sailors, Code Zero's, yacht design for up wind sailing, autopilots & making school boy mistakes at crucial moments in your career!

If you have any questions you would like answering please send them to csmthemariner@gmail.com 

If you recognize that creating this content requires hours of effort and you would like to help support for the equivalent of 25cents per episode please visit my Patreon Site and select the $2 per month option.

If you are looking to develop your seamanship skills and take your sailing knowledge & safety to a more advanced level I run an On-Line Seamanship Training Program which gives you access to four 30 minute videos each month that deep-dive into a broad range of subjects from Ropework to Naval Architecture, Electronic Navigation, Sail Trim, Composite Repair. The lessons come out once a week and the minimum commitment to have access to all of them is $20 per month.

I you want to get out on the water on a race, regatta or training voyage you can book any number of trips in the Caribbean, American North East, Europe and even Transatlantic trips; year round with Spartan Ocean Racing & Training

Thanks!

Chris

This episode I start to discuss what pieces of equipment are 'Must Haves' for me at sea, practically and emotionally.

Whilst shivering in freezing conditions in my new studio 'The Barn', I take you through the unique 'Deck-Assist Belt' I have designed and fashioned for myself over time & the outstanding, one-off, sailing knife kindly made for me by the incredible Rick Marchand of www.wildertools.com .

I also talk about why a Gerber is better than a Leatherman  and how a $5 torch saved two lives in the frigid waters of Newfoundland last year has therefore become part of my 'Super Hero-esque' utility belt!

If you have any questions you would like answering please send them to csmthemariner@gmail.com 

If you recognize that creating this content requires hours of effort and you would like to help support for the equivalent of 25cents per episode please visit my Patreon Site and select the $2 per month option.

If you are looking to develop your seamanship skills and take your sailing knowledge & safety to a more advanced level I run an On-Line Seamanship Training Program which gives you access to four 30 minute videos each month that deep-dive into a broad range of subjects from Ropework to Naval Architecture, Electronic Navigation, Sail Trim, Composite Repair. The lessons come out once a week and the minimum commitment to have access to all of them is $20 per month.

I you want to get out on the water on a race, regatta or training voyage you can book any number of trips in the Caribbean, American North East, Europe and even Transatlantic trips; year round with Spartan Ocean Racing & Training

Thanks!

Chris

In this episode I take a look at the transferable skills sailors possess that could prove useful in the global crisis we are all now facing.

With a unique outlook created by the unusual nature of sailing compared to all other sports, could offshore sailors prove to be a positive force during lockdown and beyond?

I also answer a listener question and reveal my maximum recorded speeds & maximum day's distance sailed and discuss fluid intake at sea- I also give thanks to my first Patreon supporter- 'Sailing Starbuck!'

If you have any questions you would like answering please send them to csmthemariner@gmail.com 

If you recognize that creating this content requires hours of effort and you would like to help support for the equivalent of 25cents per episode please visit my Patreon Site and select the $2 per month option.

If you are looking to develop your seamanship skills and take your sailing knowledge & safety to a more advanced level I run an On-Line Seamanship Training Program which gives you access to four 30 minute videos each month that deep-dive into a broad range of subjects from Ropework to Naval Architecture, Electronic Navigation, Sail Trim, Composite Repair. The lessons come out once a week and the minimum commitment to have access to all of them is $20 per month.

I you want to get out on the water on a race, regatta or training voyage you can book any number of trips in the Caribbean, American North East, Europe and even Transatlantic trips; year round with Spartan Ocean Racing & Training

Thanks!

Chris

In this episode I continue the story of my voyage solo across the Southern Ocean in the Velux 5 Oceans Race.  

In Episodes 6 & 7 of the Podcast I described the massive damage I suffered to my mainsail and how I struggled through to get it fixed and continue racing; Now I conclude the Southern Ocean Leg with the exciting dive towards the Horn followed by a major storm that promises to make my Horn rounding memorable if not traumatic!

I also answer a listener question and explain the difference between an Open 60 & an IMOCA 60 and discuss the pitfalls and delights of having to prepare 5000 Calories a day for yourself offshore.

If you have any questions you would like answering please send them to csmthemariner@gmail.com 

If you recognize that creating this content requires hours of effort and you would like to help support for the equivalent of 25cents per episode please visit my Patreon Site and select the $2 per month option.

If you are looking to develop your seamanship skills and take your sailing knowledge & safety to a more advanced level I run an On-Line Seamanship Training Program which gives you access to four 30 minute videos each month that deep-dive into a broad range of subjects from Ropework to Naval Architecture, Electronic Navigation, Sail Trim, Composite Repair. The lessons come out once a week and the minimum commitment to have access to all of them is $20 per month.

I you want to get out on the water on a race, regatta or training voyage you can book any number of trips in the Caribbean, American North East, Europe and even Transatlantic trips; year round with Spartan Ocean Racing & Training

Thanks!

Chris

In this episode I take a look at shouting and the intimidation techniques often employed by skippers who feel it is OK to speak to their crew in a bullying and disrespectful manner.  

I uncover how damaging this is not only to the crew but also to the 'shouter' and the group dynamic on the boat.  I suggest a few tactics that can lower the volume and how to get important actions completed without having to resort to verbal abuse.  

Sailing needs as much new blood and energy as possible in the 21st century- a review of 'traditional' communications methods is in my opinion, long overdue

If you have any questions you would like answering please send them to csmthemariner@gmail.com 

If you recognize that creating this content requires hours of effort and you would like to help support for the equivalent of 25cents per episode please visit my Patreon Site and select the $2 per month option.

If you are looking to develop your seamanship skills and take your sailing knowledge & safety to a more advanced level I run an On-Line Seamanship Training Program which gives you access to four 30 minute videos each month that deep-dive into a broad range of subjects from Ropework to Naval Architecture, Electronic Navigation, Sail Trim, Composite Repair. The lessons come out once a week and the minimum commitment to have access to all of them is $20 per month.

I you want to get out on the water on a race, regatta or training voyage you can book any number of trips in the Caribbean, American North East, Europe and even Transatlantic trips; year round with Spartan Ocean Racing & Training

Thanks!

Chris

In this episode I describe how I overcame disaster and completed 36hrs of stitching to repair my badly damaged mainsail in terrible conditions close to 'Point Nemo' in the Southern Ocean.

When physically and emotionally I am at the end of my tether an unexpected visitor turns my situation around and gives me the catalyst I need to come back fighting.

I also answer a fantastic question sent in by a listener and discuss Spartan's entry in the Ocean Globe Race in 2023

If you have any questions you would like answering please send them to csmthemariner@gmail.com 

If you recognize that creating this content requires hours of effort and you would like to help support for the equivalent of 25cents per episode please visit my Patreon Site and select the $2 per month option.

If you are looking to develop your seamanship skills and take your sailing knowledge & safety to a more advanced level I run an On-Line Seamanship Training Program which gives you access to four 30 minute videos each month that deep-dive into a broad range of subjects from Ropework to Naval Architecture, Electronic Navigation, Sail Trim, Composite Repair. The lessons come out once a week and the minimum commitment to have access to all of them is $20 per month.

I you want to get out on the water on a race, regatta or training voyage you can book any number of trips in the Caribbean, American North East, Europe and even Transatlantic trips; year round with Spartan Ocean Racing & Training

Thanks!

Chris

Halfway between New Zealand & Cape Horn I suffer critical damage to my mainsail between reefs 2 & 3, a 6 ft (2m) tear has opened up in the leech of my mainsail and unless it is fixed I cannot fly the sail and I will not only be last in the race but also in a very dangerous position 1000's of Miles form shore.

Suddenly all thought of competition is forgotten and I am in survival mode as I struggle to deal emotionally and physically with a major repair on deck at 'Point Nemo' the most remote point on the planet in freezing conditions and heavy seas.

If you have any questions you would like answering please send them to csmthemariner@gmail.com 

If you recognize that creating this content requires hours of effort and you would like to help support for the equivalent of 25cents per episode please visit my Patreon Site and select the $2 per month option.

If you are looking to develop your seamanship skills and take your sailing knowledge & safety to a more advanced level I run an On-Line Seamanship Training Program which gives you access to four 30 minute videos each month that deep-dive into a broad range of subjects from Ropework to Naval Architecture, Electronic Navigation, Sail Trim, Composite Repair. The lessons come out once a week and the minimum commitment to have access to all of them is $20 per month.

I you want to get out on the water on a race, regatta or training voyage you can book any number of trips in the Caribbean, American North East, Europe and even Transatlantic trips; year round with Spartan Ocean Racing & Training

Thanks!

Chris

This time I answer the one burning question every sailor needs to know the answer to: Is there some way buying an old race boat is a good idea.

My take? It can be.... BUT ... like getting a tattoo on your face.. you need to be REALLY certain before you commit.

If you would like to listen to serialized stories of the sea, selected and read by CSM, check out the Mariner's Library Podcast; available on all podcast platforms.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-mariners-library/id1710666955

If you would like to check out The Mariner Youtube Channel - we have gear reviews, how to videos, seamanship training videos and on the water reports. Remember to dock your finger carefully on the subscribe button!

https://youtu.be/t0cfY6HqjLA

To support the production of this material please consider heading over to Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/themariner

In this Episode I take you through an overview of Southern Ocean sailing that can be applied to any wild stretch of ocean and any long passage made in those kind of conditions.

Taking my first Southern Ocean leg on the Velux Race as a framework I share observations and learning that came from that 6500Nm, 40 day, solo voyage and the sights and sounds that stick with me from that first nervous foray into the wilder stretches of the world ocean.

From escaping half acre kelp patches that stop the boat to coping with Christmas alone I explain what it is to sail around the bottom of the world for the fist time and share some of the uniques sights that only a handful of people get to see like the huge Albatrosses that hover over the boat for days on end.

As always plenty of personal anecdotes are mixed in with real world practical experience that cannot be learnt in any text book anywhere. If you like offshore sailing or just need a little escape form reality, settle in with a hot mug of coffee and prepare to go on watch once again, with The Mariner. 

If you have any questions you would like answering please send them to csmthemariner@gmail.com 

If you recognize that creating this content requires hours of effort and you would like to help support for the equivalent of 25cents per episode please visit my Patreon Site and select the $2 per month option.

If you are looking to develop your seamanship skills and take your sailing knowledge & safety to a more advanced level I run an On-Line Seamanship Training Program which gives you access to four 30 minute videos each month that deep-dive into a broad range of subjects from Ropework to Naval Architecture, Electronic Navigation, Sail Trim, Composite Repair. The lessons come out once a week and the minimum commitment to have access to all of them is $20 per month.

I you want to get out on the water on a race, regatta or training voyage you can book any number of trips in the Caribbean, American North East, Europe and even Transatlantic trips; year round with Spartan Ocean Racing & Training

Thanks!

Chris

In this episode I continue the story of my first serious solo offshore passage and delve into what makes Open 60's such serious offshore racing boats.

I also discuss the near vertical learning curve I had to go through to tame the beast and the distressing results of the emotional pressure I had been under. 

If you have any questions you would like answering please send them to csmthemariner@gmail.com 

If you recognize that creating this content requires hours of effort and you would like to help support for the equivalent of 25cents per episode please visit my Patreon Site and select the $2 per month option.

If you are looking to develop your seamanship skills and take your sailing knowledge & safety to a more advanced level I run an On-Line Seamanship Training Program which gives you access to four 30 minute videos each month that deep-dive into a broad range of subjects from Ropework to Naval Architecture, Electronic Navigation, Sail Trim, Composite Repair. The lessons come out once a week and the minimum commitment to have access to all of them is $20 per month.

I you want to get out on the water on a race, regatta or training voyage you can book any number of trips in the Caribbean, American North East, Europe and even Transatlantic trips; year round with Spartan Ocean Racing & Training

Thanks!

Chris

In this episode I discuss the start of the Velux 5 Oceans Solo Race Around the World.

Safe to say it was not the slick operation you may have perceived if you were standing far enough away on start day.

Nearly crashing into the Canary Islands because I did not set my alarm clock, a huge headsail tears loose and nearly dismasts the boat; close calls with big ships & learning to sleep in 20 minute bursts -it's all here!

If you have any questions you would like answering please send them to csmthemariner@gmail.com 

If you recognize that creating this content requires hours of effort and you would like to help support for the equivalent of 25cents per episode please visit my Patreon Site and select the $2 per month option.

If you are looking to develop your seamanship skills and take your sailing knowledge & safety to a more advanced level I run an On-Line Seamanship Training Program which gives you access to four 30 minute videos each month that deep-dive into a broad range of subjects from Ropework to Naval Architecture, Electronic Navigation, Sail Trim, Composite Repair. The lessons come out once a week and the minimum commitment to have access to all of them is $20 per month.

I you want to get out on the water on a race, regatta or training voyage you can book any number of trips in the Caribbean, American North East, Europe and even Transatlantic trips; year round with Spartan Ocean Racing & Training

Thanks!

Chris

In this episode I discuss how only a few days after getting back from sailing round the world with the Clipper Race I get the opportunity to go Round the World AGAIN: But this time Solo and on an Open 60.

I outline the impossible task I was challenged with to get an older Open 60 that had not been offshore for a long while into fighting shape ready for another lap of the planet- on a very tight budget with almost no skilled assistance all in just matter of 8 weeks!

If you have any questions you would like answering please send them to csmthemariner@gmail.com 

If you recognize that creating this content requires hours of effort and you would like to help support for the equivalent of 25cents per episode please visit my Patreon Site and select the $2 per month option.

If you are looking to develop your seamanship skills and take your sailing knowledge & safety to a more advanced level I run an On-Line Seamanship Training Program which gives you access to four 30 minute videos each month that deep-dive into a broad range of subjects from Ropework to Naval Architecture, Electronic Navigation, Sail Trim, Composite Repair. The lessons come out once a week and the minimum commitment to have access to all of them is $20 per month.

I you want to get out on the water on a race, regatta or training voyage you can book any number of trips in the Caribbean, American North East, Europe and even Transatlantic trips; year round with Spartan Ocean Racing & Training

Thanks!

Chris

In this first episode I talk about how I ended up starting a career at sea: it's not what you might expect!

I was actually over 18 when the realization came that life ashore was not going to be enough for me. I talk about my first ship 'Ji Fung' a brigantine at the Hong Kong Outward Bound School that changed my world forever and set me off on this life of voyaging and adventure. 

If you have any questions you would like answering please send them to csmthemariner@gmail.com 

If you recognize that creating this content requires hours of effort and you would like to help support for the equivalent of 25cents per episode please visit my Patreon site and select the $2 per month option.

If you are looking to develop your seamanship skills and take your sailing knowledge & safety to a more advanced level I run an On-Line Seamanship Training Program which gives you access to four 30 minute videos each month that deep-dive into a broad range of subjects from Ropework to Naval Architecture, Electronic Navigation, Sail Trim, Composite Repair. The lessons come out once a week and the minimum commitment to have access to all of them is $20 per month.

I you want to get out on the water on a race, regatta or training voyage you can book any number of trips in the Caribbean, American North East, Europe and even Transatlantic trips; year round with Spartan Ocean Racing & Training

Thanks!

Chris

AI wrote this description. It added the word 'hypothetical' FYI.

Embrace the unexpected as Chris jests about how sailboats can serve as ideal bug-out vehicles, taking on an interesting twist as he discusses fleeing a hypothetical AI-backed zombie apocalypse. Hear his personal accounts of challenging sailing voyages and learn lessons about readiness and continuous vigilance for potential hazards.

If you would like to listen to serialized stories of the sea, selected and read by CSM, check out the Mariner's Library Podcast; available on all podcast platforms.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-mariners-library/id1710666955

If you would like to check out The Mariner Youtube Channel - we have gear reviews, how to videos, seamanship training videos and on the water reports. Remember to dock your finger carefully on the subscribe button!

https://youtu.be/t0cfY6HqjLA

To support the production of this material please consider heading over to Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/themariner

 This episode dives once more into the seldom-explored realm of life rafts, highlighting the importance of visibility, stability, and utility in survival scenarios.

The discussion includes a thorough examination of rescue measures, the practical usage of survival tools, and alternatives to traditional life rafts. This episode also discusses the importance of emotional management amidst rescue operations, underlining the importance of staying composed and making practical decisions for the best possible survival outcomes.

On-board safety measures and the knowledge to operate them is critical. Learn about the meticulous safety checks every sailor should regularly perform, ensuring your gear is well-maintained and usable during emergency situations.

Much more than just possessing the right equipment is discussed in this episode too - the need to maintain hope, emotional strength, and practice expectation management are highlighted as integral parts of survival equation

Join us for insights on marine rescue operations, communication with rescuers, situational awareness during the rescue process, and how to effectively balance safety with morale.

Last but not least, we discuss the complexities of interacting with rescue helicopters and the importance of understanding their communication language- all with an aim to leave our sailors well-equipped for dire circumstances.

If you would like to listen to serialized stories of the sea, selected and read by CSM, check out the Mariner's Library Podcast; available on all podcast platforms.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-mariners-library/id1710666955

If you would like to check out The Mariner Youtube Channel - we have gear reviews, how to videos, seamanship training videos and on the water reports. Remember to dock your finger carefully on the subscribe button!

https://youtu.be/t0cfY6HqjLA

To support the production of this material please consider heading over to Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/themariner

This episode we wrap up our look at surviving in a life raft.  What is plainly apparent from this six episode deep dive on the life raft is that there is LOADS of information to know, to give yourself and your crew mates a decent chance of survival.

If you would like to listen to serialized stories of the sea, selected and read by CSM, check out the Mariner's Library Podcast; available on all podcast platforms.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-mariners-library/id1710666955

If you would like to check out The Mariner Youtube Channel - we have gear reviews, how to videos, seamanship training videos and on the water reports. Remember to dock your finger carefully on the subscribe button!

https://youtu.be/t0cfY6HqjLA

To support the production of this material please consider heading over to Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/themariner

Episode 100 and a new bight-sized (!) format to increase the subjects I can get too and allw me to speak about things that maybe somewhat off topic in a pure sailing show...

This week: 

1. Did Josh Slocum die when they said he did?

2. Heaving-to in a race boat.

3. Connecting with sailors from history through their accounts.

4. The podcasts numbers get a hearty increase.

5. Sailing boats as bug-out vehicles.

If you would like to listen to serialized stories of the sea, selected and read by CSM, check out the Mariner's Library Podcast; available on all podcast platforms.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-mariners-library/id1710666955

If you would like to check out The Mariner Youtube Channel - we have gear reviews, how to videos, seamanship training videos and on the water reports. Remember to dock your finger carefully on the subscribe button!

https://youtu.be/t0cfY6HqjLA

To support the production of this material please consider heading over to Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/themariner

Water, water everywhere: and not a drop to drink.

When there are only a few pints of water to drink in the life raft and no indication of immediate rescue, it is essential for the life raft leader (who is not also necessarily the captain of the lost vessel) to immediately become extremely smart about water usage, water collection and the problems inherent in limiting humans access to water.

And all that, BEFORE dehydration robs all of the survivors of the mental and physical capacity to help themselves.

If you would like to listen to serialized stories of the sea, selected and read by CSM, check out the Mariner's Library Podcast; available on all podcast platforms.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-mariners-library/id1710666955

If you would like to check out The Mariner Youtube Channel - we have gear reviews, how to videos, seamanship training videos and on the water reports. Remember to dock your finger carefully on the subscribe button!

https://youtu.be/t0cfY6HqjLA

To support the production of this material please consider heading over to Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/themariner

This episode we continue our in-depth look at chapter 7 of Keith Colwell's Sea Survival Handbook, specifically entering a liferaft and the vast amount of actions there are to remember and take to make the most out of the meagre opportunity such a craft offers survivors.

If you would like to listen to serialized stories of the sea, selected and read by CSM, check out the Mariner's Library Podcast; available on all podcast platforms.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-mariners-library/id1710666955

If you would like to check out The Mariner Youtube Channel - we have gear reviews, how to videos, seamanship training videos and on the water reports. Remember to dock your finger carefully on the subscribe button!

https://youtu.be/t0cfY6HqjLA

To support the production of this material please consider heading over to Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/themariner

In this episode I continue the ABC of sailing, with the letter J. and 'J is for Jargon'

This time I look at the history, benefits and disadvantages of all the jargon used in sailing and take a look at the entries in the J section of the 1952 volume, 'Mariner's Dictionary' that help to underline just how dense, granular and historically-rooted many of the words used in sailing really are, and how nonsensical it is to make language a barrier to teamwork on a vessel at sea.

If you would like to listen to serialized stories of the sea, selected and read by CSM, check out the Mariner's Library Podcast; available on all podcast platforms.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-mariners-library/id1710666955

If you would like to check out The Mariner Youtube Channel - we have gear reviews, how to videos, seamanship training videos and on the water reports. Remember to dock your finger carefully on the subscribe button!

https://youtu.be/t0cfY6HqjLA

To support the production of this material please consider heading over to Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/themariner

In this episode we discuss Youtube viewer questions relating to:

1. Over rides on winches, how do they happen, how to avoid them and how to deal with them when they appear anyways.

2. Operating winches on boats with awkwardly mounted equipment  (Swans!)

3. Finding gloves that keep you warm and dry. (Hint- the answer is NOT gloves!)

If you would like to listen to serialized stories of the sea, selected and read by CSM, check out the Mariner's Library Podcast; available on all podcast platforms.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-mariners-library/id1710666955

If you would like to check out The Mariner Youtube Channel - we have gear reviews, how to videos, seamanship training videos and on the water reports. Remember to dock your finger carefully on the subscribe button!

https://youtu.be/t0cfY6HqjLA

To support the production of this material please consider heading over to Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/themariner

So, after all your best efforts to prevent a Man Overboard Situation now your crew are in the water, and they are relying solely on you to not only come and find them; but also to do it in heavy seas, high winds and at night. 

Shit.

Let's explore the options when all hope appears lost, when only brute strength and the spark of ingenuity may be all you have to get the job done.

If you would like to listen to fantastic stories of sailors in small vessels taking on the ocean in the last 150 years, all selected & read by Chris, check out the 'Mariner's Library'.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-mariners-library/id1710666955

If you would like to check out The Mariner Youtube Channel - we have gear reviews, how to videos, seamanship training videos and on the water reports. Remember to dock your finger carefully on the subscribe button!

https://youtu.be/t0cfY6HqjLA

To support the production of this material please consider heading over to Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/themariner

Continuing with the lunchtime recording sessions (while my two year old is having his nap (!), this time we are looking at what happens after you have made the decision to leave the vessel due to fire, sinking, collision etc.

This begins with getting into the liferaft of course, but quickly escalates into a whole new kind of seamanship, as you and the other people in the raft have to start to work together to get other survivors out of the water, stay alert to external threats that may damage the raft, and deal with such realities as opening the door regularly to vent C02 & deciding how to use the sea anchor to manoeuvre around the debris field.

If you would like to listen to serialized stories of the sea, selected and read by CSM, check out the Mariner's Library Podcast; available on all podcast platforms.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-mariners-library/id1710666955

If you would like to check out The Mariner Youtube Channel - we have gear reviews, how to videos, seamanship training videos and on the water reports. Remember to dock your finger carefully on the subscribe button!

https://youtu.be/t0cfY6HqjLA

To support the production of this material please consider heading over to Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/themariner

In this episode we continue the brilliant RYA Sea Survival Handbook by Keith Colwell

This time we are looking at Abandoning Ship!, words that should drive an icy spear into any good skippers heart!

This section of the book will take a few days to cover and I am doing this while snowed in (with a two year old) during the worst winter storm in Nova Scotia in 20 years .. So, apologies if the audio is not as engineered as normal!

If you would like to listen to serialized stories of the sea, selected and read by CSM, check out the Mariner's Library Podcast; available on all podcast platforms.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-mariners-library/id1710666955

If you would like to check out The Mariner Youtube Channel - we have gear reviews, how to videos, seamanship training videos and on the water reports. Remember to dock your finger carefully on the subscribe button!

https://youtu.be/t0cfY6HqjLA

To support the production of this material please consider heading over to Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/themariner

This time we are looking at Abandoning Ship!, words that should drive an icy spear into any good skippers heart!

This section of the book will take a few days to cover and I am doing this while snowed in (with a two year old) during the worst winter storm in Nova Scotia in 20 years .. So, apologies if the audio is not as engineered as normal!

If you would like to listen to serialized stories of the sea, selected and read by CSM, check out the Mariner's Library Podcast; available on all podcast platforms.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-mariners-library/id1710666955

If you would like to check out The Mariner Youtube Channel - we have gear reviews, how to videos, seamanship training videos and on the water reports. Remember to dock your finger carefully on the subscribe button!

https://youtu.be/t0cfY6HqjLA

To support the production of this material please consider heading over to Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/themariner

Questions and Tangents ! As always I get to talk about kinda whatever I want in these episodes, and this week it's a newspaper article from 1974 that's got me excited- I think when you hear about 'The Orgy of Destruction outside Barnstaple' you too will be excited.

A little shorter this week as we haven't done one of these for a long time and I am short of questions to answer- if you could help me out with that I would appreciate it!

If you would like to support the production of these podcasts please consider heading over to patreon.com/themariner.

The Youtube channel has just hit 5k subs!  If you haven't already please go and subscribe- it would make a massive difference- just look up CSM The Mariner!

This episode we continue reviewing the excellent, RYA Sea Survival Handbook by Keith Colwell with a look at the psychological tactics that must be employed to get you past circumstances that may be life and death in the very real meaning of the phrase.

If you would like to hear more exclusive sailing content, head over to https://www.patreon.com/themariner and there, for $5 a month you can not only support the all the Mariner content, but also receive a free daily sailing audio book episode, and an extra weekly Mariner podcast episode, both exclusive to Patreon.

There's also the chance to pose your own questions on the weekly 'Questions & Tangents' Mariner episodes and get the answers you need to you most troubling sailing conundrums-! 

See you there! 

Continuing the ABC of basic sailing concepts series, I take a look in this episode at the modern revolution in information collection, exchange and processing on board the modern yacht. 

So, step away from your Scrimshaw, put down your sextant and lend me your shell-like because you are not going to believe what is possible on a phone in the middle of the Atlantic these days.

This episode is the first I am going to do about the Global Solo Challenge Race that I intend to join in early December. 

I'm still a little way off on the last funding to get the project over the start line but I figure its best to throw myself in completely and go for broke rather than tippy toe around the edges any longer.

Presently, my Open 60 Falcon is 95% read to go, I have time available to complete my qualifier (A Transat) and most importantly I have a solid chance at winning.

My GSC start date is December 9th 2023.

* If you have any ideas about my mixing elbow for a Yanmar 3JH2-TE engine or anything else that might help get Falcon to the start of the Global Solo Challenge, please email me at csmthemariner@gmail.com

* Sponsorship/ donations to Paypal: csmoffshore@gmail.com

* If you want to access more content and show support for this podcast please join me at: www.patreon.com/themariner 

* If you want to hear me reading sailing stories that I have chosen as being beneficial to developing seamanship skills, please look for 'The Mariner's Library' wherever you get your podcasts.

It's been a long time since I published a podcast and I finally I found after many, many attempts that the only way to get back on the horse was to just record whatever came out of my mouth for an hour and we can pick the bones out of it later.

In this episode I talk about what has been happening for me in 2023, I talk about the Global Solo Challenge Race coming up in December and answer a great question that was sent to me earlier this year about being the skipper of a vessel at a young age.

Regular programming will commence forthwith.

If you have any ideas about my mixing elbow for a Yanmar 3JH2-TE engine or anything else that might help get Falcon to the start of the Global Solo Challenge, please email me at csmthemariner@gmail.com

If you want to access more content and show support for this podcast please join me at www.patreon.com/themariner 

If you want to hear me reading sailing stories that I have chosen as being beneficial to developing seamanship skills, please look for The Mariner's Library wherever you get your podcasts.

This episode I thought I would share with you an interview I did month or so ago with Paul Trammell on his wonderful podcast 'Offshore Sailing and Cruising '.  It was great to chat to Paul and learn about his sailing to date, but as this was an interview I was doing for him introducing myself to his audience we will have to wait for a future date to really get to know Paul more. As by the end of this show we had agreed to go sailing on the Open 60 sometime soon- that might be quite soon!

Apologies to the audiophiles listening (Bill Mead!) I had to use Paul's recordings completed over Skype as my own recording was so terrible as to be painful to mine own ears.  Trust me, this is the lesser of two weevils ;)

If you would like to hear more exclusive sailing content, head over to https://www.patreon.com/themariner and there, for $5 a month you can not only support the all the Mariner content, but also receive a free daily sailing audio book episode, and an extra weekly Mariner podcast episode, both exclusive to Patreon.

There's also the chance to pose your own questions on the weekly 'Questions & Tangents' Mariner episodes and get the answers you need to you most troubling sailing conundrums-! 

See you there! 

The features that make 'The Perfect Boat' are an area of sailing that walks the narrow line between philosophical & scientific truth. 

Historically it is also beset by sailors claiming dead cert, bald-faced objective truth for their strongly held and decidedly subjective opinions.

In this new section on The Mariner, I will be interviewing sailors from across the sailing industry and asking them one very simple question 'What's your Perfect Boat'?

To start the series off I am reading from William Washburn Nutting's book 'The Track of the Typhoon' and sharing with you some of his ideas. 

Nutting's was a journalist writing for Motor Boat & Yachting Magazine and was a knowledgeable, 'sailor's  sailor'.

I hope you agree that although his book was published 100 years ago, his ideas & dreamy-eyed passion for his design, could be reproduced in any yacht club bar any day of the week in 2022.

As William 'gave me the idea',  for this series, I think it's appropriate that he gets the first shout on the subject. 

To join my Patreon community (growing fast!) please go over to https://www.patreon.com/themariner and there for $5 a month you can hear the rest of the book and many others just like it.

If you would like to send me your top three features for your Perfect Boat- remember to tell me what you would be using the boat for and how many people it would be for and I will read your ideas out on the podcast.

Write to me at: csmthemariner@gmail.com

We've all done it, taken a quick nip onto the foredeck just do ' that thing' and suddenly we find ourselves realizing one wrong move and we are toast. 

This episode looks to try to reconcile that kind of risk-taking to the garbage can and promote instead a deep instinctual suspicion that the sea does not actually care about you, is in no way impressed or 'wow'd' by your skill set and will take every opportunity you give it, to wipe you off the deck of you boat if it can and off the face of the earth, if you are not able to regain the safety of the vessel quickly. 

Join me for a sobering, but not necessarily melancholy look at preventing a Man overboard situation.

If you would like to listen to fantastic stories of sailors in small vessels taking on the ocean in the last 150 years, all selected & read by Chris, check out the 'Mariner's Library'.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-mariners-library/id1710666955

If you would like to check out The Mariner Youtube Channel - we have gear reviews, how to videos, seamanship training videos and on the water reports. Remember to dock your finger carefully on the subscribe button!

https://youtu.be/t0cfY6HqjLA

To support the production of this material please consider heading over to Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/themariner

I found an interesting document on a pen drive over the weekend- given to me by the organizers of the Velux 5 Race  10 years ago, it was a series fo notes prepared by the Race Officers after discussing with Alex Thompson and Mike Golding, Mike's fantastic rescue of Alex in the Southern Ocean in 2006. 

At first the notes seemed a little wandering, but I think you will agree when I read you Mike's account of the rescue that these notes come hard won, and well considered- you tell me what you think!

After centuries of sailors, praying and hoping for a 'magic button' with which to save their lives far from shore on the briney deep, we are now in the 21st century in the enviable situation of having just that built into all newly built VHF and SSB units.  

The incredible functionality of the DSC button and all the other modern electronic life saving devices available, remains somewhat hidden for many sailors however, behind a raft of acronyms, a confusing plethora of device specifications and a shrewd suspicion of the actual benefits of such 'witchcraft'.  

The truth is though, that the 'Global Maritime Distress and Safety System' (GMDSS) is available for all mariners, whether gunk-holing along the coast or crossing oceans.

In this episode we will dig into the incredible technology available to allow you to call for help, if you should be unlucky enough to find yourself in 'Grave & Imminent Danger'.  

If you would like to support the podcast or develop your seamanship skills and overall safety at sea, please consider joining my Patreon community at:

https://www.patreon.com/themariner 

Questions & tangents returns for the last time in 2022 and I have lots to get through, questions I cover this episode range from Man Overboard recovery systems I don't know about to Mainsail reefing systems I don't know about to the safety of smaller boats in heavy conditions which is definitely something I don't know about. 

Plenty of targets and confusion as always- and maybe even some answers to your questions - if YOU have a sailing question or conundrum you would like considering by myself and the Mariner community please write to me at csmthemariner@gmail.com and I will try to help out!

If you would like to support the podcast or develop your seamanship skills and overall safety at sea, please consider joining my Patreon community at:

https://www.patreon.com/themariner 

Liferafts are probably the least understood part of the safety equipment on a modern yacht- sure you know where it is (probably), what it does (maybe) and almost certainly what it cost (!) but have you seen YOUR life raft inflated? Have you had extra equipment added to the safety pack inside the raft that could be essential to you in an emergency? Is your raft good for coastal work or offshore voyaging - or is it just the cheapest you could get to satisfy the rules?  All these questions and more will be unpacked this episode as we continue our deep dive into Keith Colwell's excellent RYA Sea Survival Handbook.

If you would like to support the podcast or develop your seamanship skills and overall safety at sea, please consider joining my Patreon community at:

https://www.patreon.com/themariner 

At 0904 on the 6th December 1917 a massive explosion ripped through Halifax, Nova Scotia instantly killing 1600 people, injuring 9000 and destroying the city wholesale. The blast displaced 20,000 souls who then had to deal with a deep winter blizzard over the next few days. It was to say the least a catastrophe and still ranks as the largest non-nuclear explosion created by man. How did it happen?  Through a simple disregard for the International Collision Regulations and an unbroken series of 'red flag' events that caused to ships to have a slow speed collision.  That one of the vessels was carrying af all cargo of munitions bound for the war in Europe would not be realized, until 20 minutes after the collision an explosion equivalent to 2.7 Kilotons of TNT left a scar on the city and on the psychology of it's inhabitants that would still be felt now, 105 years later.

This podcast was recorded at 0900 on the 6th December 2022

If you recognize that creating this content requires hours of effort and you would like to help support for the equivalent of 25 cents per episode please visit my Patreon Site at https://www.patreon.com/themariner and select the $5 per month 'crew' option.

If you have any questions please send them to: csmthemariner@gmail.com 

Although we have had a few false starts with a round the world sailing project since the podcast began in early 2020- I think everyone will recognize that trying to make any kind of big plans during Covid has been basically impossible.  We got close with the Ocean Globe Race entry in 2021, only to have the Race Committee cancel the race division we were entered into!

I am therefore, extremely excited to be able to report that I have entered the 'Global Solo Challenge' which will set off from La Coruna in Northern Spain at the end of 2023.

This is to be a 'pursuit' race which means the smaller boats (36ft!) set off first in September 2023 and then 2 months later in December, the quickest boats (of which we will be one) start racing.

Once all the boats are on the water the first to the finish line -across the entire fleet- is the winner!  It's a new and unique format for a round the world race, and I for one cannot wait to be involved.

If you want to support the podcast or my Round the World campaign in the GSC hop over to Patreon and sign up to join the crew.  https://www.patreon.com/themariner.

In this episode we investigate handling lines- a wide and varied subject that tests my abilities to stay on subject and not launch into exponential tangents!  I try to make the case for not just doing things 'as they have always been done  historically' particularly with regards to storing rope, and to be sympathetic to the needs of a new generation of rope types that require different husbandry both when working and when being stored. In trying to stay on point I look at the major line handling stations on the boat and talk through the skills required to be safe and effective. Finally I take a brief look at mooring and anchoring and the specific challenges these line handling situations create.

If you recognize that creating this content requires hours of effort and you would like to help support for the equivalent of 25 cents per episode please visit my Patreon Site at https://www.patreon.com/themariner and select the $5 per month 'crew' option.

If you have any questions please send them to: csmthemariner@gmail.com 

Questions & Tangents is your opportunity to get to the bottom of those nautical problems that keep you awake in the middle of the night such as, 'Is electronic log keeping really a Thing'? & 'Which boat would Chris have if money and maintenance were not an issue?'

You guys lay awake at night thinking about some weird things... but its my pleasure to share my answers- if you can stand the tangents!

Just before you go....

If you recognize that creating this content requires hours of effort and you would like to help support for the equivalent of 25 cents per episode please visit my Patreon Site and select the $5 per month option.

If you want to get out on the water on a race, regatta or training voyage you can book with me here: Spartan Ocean Racing & Training

If you have any questions please send them to: csmthemariner@gmail.com 

Cheers,

CSM

Another on deck report! This time passing through islands just before I arrive in Iceland. It’s super light winds, flat seas and a rare opportunity to chat and appreciate the scenery as we transit within a few hundred meters of sheer stratified cliffs- Iceland at it’s best:)

Patreon On-Line Seamanship Course

If you would like to develop your seamanship skills and overall safety at sea- check out the options to receive the regular Seamanship Training Videos, extra podcast and YT content over on my Patreon page. 

Check out The Mariner Patreon Page here https://www.patreon.com/themariner 

The loss of Colin Golder from his boat 'Morgan of Mariette' in the 2022 Newport Bermuda Race shocked the race officers and participants alike. In this episode, in an effort to learn from this incident, and in so doing memorialize Colins' memory, I go through the incident report prepared by US Sailing and attempt to distil what lessons I can with the intention of increasing the sailing community's understanding of what was done correctly, what could have been improved and discuss how ongoing Safety at Sea training could be modified to help prevent similar accidents in the future.

Patreon On-Line Seamanship Course

If you would like to develop your seamanship skills and overall safety at sea, check out the options to receive the regular Seamanship Training Videos, extra podcasts and YT content over on my Patreon page.

Check out The Mariner Patreon Page here https://www.patreon.com/themariner 

Today is the day of the solar eclipse across North America, the only one that will touch the continent until 2024 (when only three states will experience totality) therefore: Happy Solar Eclipse Day!

I thought I would put a few thoughts down relating to the historical and scientific history of solar eclipses to give you Dad's EVEN more to amaze and thrill your kids with.... as you always do.....

Once I push the button on this I am off outside to watch the partial eclipse we will experience here in Nova Scotia with three generations of my family- a first for me and something I am very much looking forward to!

If you would like to listen to fantastic stories of sailors in small vessels taking on the ocean in the last 150 years, all selected & read by Chris, check out the 'Mariner's Library'.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-mariners-library/id1710666955

If you would like to check out The Mariner Youtube Channel - we have gear reviews, how to videos, seamanship training videos and on the water reports. Remember to dock your finger carefully on the subscribe button!

https://youtu.be/t0cfY6HqjLA

To support the production of this material please consider heading over to Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/themariner