Nikki Henderson is no stranger to the 59N family. She’s a skipper, a podcaster, master of the Quarterdeck and a dear friend in the community. But when she signs off from these watches, she doesn’t quit. You likely know that she’s been on heaps of other seafaring adventures, including skippering the famed Whitbread machine, Maiden; the Clipper Round the World Race; and her first attempt at the Race To Alaska with Team Sail Like a Girl. I sat down to talk with Nikki about her second, most recent attempt at the R2AK, its challenges, and what made this one such a successful campaign in what I think is one of the greatest adventure races on earth. Guest-Hosted by Ben Doerr.
Navigating the challenges of parenthood whilst also maintaining an atypical lifestyle — be that of a sailor, adventurer, or anything that doesn’t involve a 9-5 desk job — has been a consistent theme of this podcast. Now the tables have turned. Andy, Mia and August are raising their two boys whilst running a business and working as professional sailors themselves. Hoping to be a parent myself one day, I took the opportunity to put them on the spot to discuss what has surprised them about parenthood, what they wish they had known before taking the plunge, and what advice they have for anyone else dreaming of a similar future.
Pam Wall returns to the podcast, live from her living room in Ft. Lauderdale. Andy sat down to talk to Pam about the treasure trove of memories in her house, how she stays happy and inspirational despite the tragedy of losing her husband and daughter too soon, the relationship she has with her son, how she stays fit at nearly 80, and lots lots more.
Celeste Pomerantz wasn't a sailor until she signed up for a sail & ski trip out of Tromsø, Norway, that was headed north in search of un-skied peaks in Svalbard. The boat was called SOFIE, and was owned and skippered by friend of 59º North, Mats Grimsaeth. I discovered Celeste in the ski film Wavy 2 about the adventure and immediately reached out to her. We talked about sailing in the Arctic, her upbringing in the mountains of western British Columbia, similarities between big mountain skiing and offshore sailing, managing fear, 'imposter syndrome' and her studies in renewable energy.
Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen was the first to reach the South Pole and the North Pole, but his greatest achievement may have been leading the first successful crossing of the Northwest Passage in 1906. Terje Andre Pedersen grew up inspired by Amundsen's great stories of exploration. He has followed his own dreams, and is soon to set sail towards the Northwest Passage in Amundsen's wake with a ship made of wood and a crew made of iron.
#311. Emma Garschagen is the full-time mate on ICEBEAR, taking Mia's place on the boat since Axel was born. She's a lifelong sailor who grew up on the Hudson River and at age 19 got her first boat, a 24-foot C&C where her love for adventure sailing truly began. Since then she's gone on to sail aboard a variety of boats from tall ships to schooners and most recently her dad's 40-footer which she took offshore to St. Maarten last fall. Emma & I sat down in ICEBEAR's cabin in Antigua last week to debrief our passage south, talk about how she wound up on the team and hear her dreams for the future!
#308. Angel Collinson is a pro free skier who comes from a family of pro skiers. She grew up at Snowbird Resort in Utah where her parents were professional ski patrollers. Even her brother John is a pro freakier. You can see them both in Teton Gravity Research films, among other places. Angel is new to sailing but recently bought a steel boat in Maine her and her boyfriend are outfitting for long-term cruising. Angel & I had a long and insightful conversation on managing fear, how backcountry skiing and offshore sailing are related, when to trust your gut instinct, mental health and lots more.
#305. Who better than to discuss heavy weather with than Southern Ocean veteran Susie Goodall, and Spitzbergen explorer August Sandberg! Today's show is adapted from the LIVE video session we held on the topic at the height of the pandemic. We define heavy weather, talk about our favorite tactics and of course tell some harrowing storm stories!
#304. If you've ever spotted a beautiful Pearson 36, crewed by an even more beautiful couple, sailing off their anchor, there's a good chance you'll be in the background of a new video from Sailing UMA. Dan & Kika stopped in Bergen on their way to the Arctic and invited August Sandberg onboard for a chat.
#303. Chris Stanmore-Major has already been twice round the world, as a skipper with the Clipper Race, then solo in the Velux Five-Oceans Race. Now, with over 300,000 offshore miles under his keel, he's attempting to circumnavigate again, this time solo, nonstop and against the prevailing Southern Ocean wind and seas. It's crunch time for Chris' pre-departure refit...support Chris in his RTW attempt through GoFundMe or on his Patreon page.
