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.
David Cross is an author in the midst of writing a book—a large portion of which involves a solo, offshore passage to Brazil. Wanting to get the fundamentals right, David asked if he could turn the tables and interview me about this fictional voyage in order to make it as realistic as possible. Of course I was happy to oblige, and this conversation is the result of our chat. Read more about his book on loansailor.com.
Andy Hesketh, aka Andy H. is the founder of the Odyssey Sailing Festival and host of the Ocean Cruiser's Podcast. Andy lives aboard his Jeanneau Sun Odyssey called VOYAGER and has been sailing full-time for several years. He wasn't always a sailor though, leaving a corporate life behind to pursue wider horizons. I talked to him last fall when he was aboard is boat in Greece.
Happy New Year podcast listeners! Mia & I are back with our somewhat-annual year-in-review show, where we sit down and chat through the highs and lows at 59º North. This one was recorded onboard FALKEN just before the first trip of 2025 was set to depart Portugal. Mia & I discussed everything from new projects coming in 2025 to the successes (and failures) of 2024 as well as our plans as a sailing family. Enjoy!
