147: Matt Rutherford, Paul Exner & Mark Baummer

Episode 147 is a fun one. Back in March, I had planned to do another podcast with Matt Rutherford to get an update on what he’s doing with his Ocean Research Project. As it were, Paul Exner was also in town to speak at a seminar Mia and I hosted in Annapolis. AND, ship’s pilot Mark Baummer was around, and had asked me for some advice to help him plan a passage to Bermuda on his Gemini catamaran. So, the inklings of an idea sprang to life - why not get the three of these guys together, all former podcasts guests, and have a little roundtable chat?

So that’s exactly what we did. Matt invited us over to the house he’s taking care of in Eastport, and we sat around the coffee table in the living room. I got things going with Matt, and the hope was that everyone would kind of just jump in at points and start talking on their own. I was not let down. After a while, Matt, Paul & Mark just kinda started needing out on each other, and MAN was it fun to see! The longer the episode goes, the less you’ll hear my voice, as I just sat back and smiled and watched!

We covered an array of topics, from Matt’s latest adventures, to Mark’s new boat, thoughts on electronics and radar, why Mark as a ship captain thinks required AIS might actually be a bad thing on the Chesapeake and much much more! This is a long and meandering episode, but I think you’ll agree it’s definitely worth your time!
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A quick update on Isbjorn before we get to the show. Thanks to our good friend Pam Wall, she’s safely docked on a canal in Ft. Lauderdale until our trip north which starts May 18. The Cuba passage was a highlight of my sailing and traveling career - and I promise I’ll have an entire episode dedicated to that very soon - and it was great fun to share it with our awesome crew. 

We have one spot left on the Annapolis-Lunenburg passage from July 1-8, so check out the details on that at 59-north.com/offshore. We also just opened another spot for the Caribbean 600 race next February, so if you want to ‘level up’ and do some serious ocean racing, check out 59-north.com/oceanracing for details on that.

Alright, with that, enjoy an awesome roundtable chat with me, Matt Rutherford, Mark Baummer & Paul Exner!

This episode is sponsored by Broadreach, my former employer and one of the coolest sailing jobs I’ve ever had. Aside from being an amazing place to send your kids for an adventurer summer (listen up parents!), they’re on the lookout for skippers and mates to work the upcoming summer season out of St. Martin.  Broadreach is an IYT (International Yacht Training) partner school and offers courses from “Introduction to Yachting” to “Flotilla Skipper”.  Skippers sail and live with students aboard 40-50 ft. catamarans and monohulls.

Broadreach programs are limited to 12 students per program, ranging from 12-31 days, and are led by a team of two to three instructors. Program instructors live and travel with students 24/7 for weeks at a time, so a high level of energy is necessary along with strong leadership and communication skills.

In addition to sailing, instructors are expected to help out with all aspects of the program including supervising students 24/7, managing group dynamics, assisting students with cooking and cleaning duties, completing course paperwork, supporting scuba training and other program activities. This fun and rewarding position requires a strong desire to be a positive role model to students to encourage personal growth and to promote leadership development. 

Contract length varies from two to three months starting in early June through early to late August. Go to broadreachstaff.com to complete the initial job application! 

Broadreach - The World is Yours to Discover!