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In this episode we hear from John Taft about rum running along the coast of Rhode Island during prohibition. Like me, John is a bit of a history enthusiast and when he discovered that the boat that he and his partners had purchased to run mansion tours turned out to be an actual former rum runner, he went down many rabbit holes researching not only the history of the boat, but the history of all the rum running activities off the coast of Rhode Island, Narragansett Bay and beyond.One of the things he discovered was that the boat they had refurbished was the actual boat that was in involved in one of the most horrific and deadly conflicts with the Coast Guard during prohibition.In our talk John weaves the story of this deadly event - also known as the Black Duck Massacre - with the history, routes, logistics and characters involved in the various enterprises.John also provides us with a wealth of information on the design and construction of the various boats that were used in the liquor smuggling operations in the mid to late 1920’s. Near the end of the podcast we talk a little bit about a documentary film he is involved in producing. As he mentions in our talk, the production is on hold at the moment due to covid, but you can sign up to receive updates on their web site: black-duck.org - as well as connect with them on social media.Original music composed by: Nela Ruiz www.instagram.com/nelamusica/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

My guest for this episode is professional sailor, Erica Lush.Erica began sailing at a young age with positive influence from her parents, and followed her passion sailing competitively for her high school and university teams.Erica is also involved in the Maiden Factor. Maiden carried the first all-female crew to sail around the world when Tracey Edwards skippered her in the 1989/1990 Whitbread Round The world Race. Having fallen in disrepair from neglect, Tracy found Maiden in 2015 and set about raising funds to bring her back. Erica talks about her involvement in sailing on Maiden with the foundation in a professional capacity, as well as the mission of The Maiden Factor. We hear about her experiences bringing Maiden through both the Panama and Suez canals in the same year, handling repairs underway and the value of having a bell pepper aboard.She also gives us the background and plan forward for the program, and how COVID has had an impact on that.For many summers Erica has been involved with the 12 Meter charter fleet here in Newport. Last summer Eric captained the 12 meter Weatherly - which had recently sold - and she shares some of her experiences with us. With COVID placing a lot of programs on hold, Erica has delved into the world of double-handed sailing and she shares some insights about teamwork and boat management when there’s just two of you. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Meet Kelsy Patnaude. Kelsy is a Visual-Artist with an M.F.A. in Visual Art from Lesley University of Art and Design, Cambridge, MA. which she earned in 2019. Kelsy also has a B.A. in Studio Art and a Minor in Art History from Salve Regina University here in Newport which she earned in 2012. A professional sailor, Kelsy came to sailing a bit later than some, but has had many great experiences including sailing on a classic gaff-rigged Colin Archer out of Falmouth in the UK; sailing as crew on a classic 12 meter in Newport; sailing aboard classics in the Caribbean; and most recently, racing aboard a Shields she acquired with some friends.Kelsy explains how sailing, the sea and gender roles influenced her art - and ultimately her thesis. That thesis is 'Thalassic: Women, Gender, and the Sublime in Relation to Marine Art.' All of this can be found on her web site kelsypatnaude.com I also encourage you to check out her Instagram account - @kelsypatnaude - which features not only some of her art and photography, but also some of her creative adventures such as being towed on a surfboard from the topping lift of a classic yacht as it sails along, and being towed on a surfboard by a horse running on the beach. Kelsy explains how she conjured up both of these adventures and convinced others to go along with it. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Meet Kate Wilson Somers, Sailor, Sailing Instructor and Entrepreneur. A life-long sailor, and sailing instructor, Kate has also been involved with the Volvo Ocean Race as support crew for Team Vestas 11th Hour Racing, the America's Cup with Oracle Team USA in 2012-2013, and The Rolex Big Boat Series in San Francisco.At the 24th Annual Providence Boat Show (2017), the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association recognized Kate as the Rhode Island Boater of the Year. Kate received that For the work she did to transform youth sailing programs to keep kids engaged, gain experience on some big boats, and boost and diversify the enrollment in these programs. In accepting the award, Kate chose to dedicate it to all the volunteers who work tirelessly to ensure these programs reach as many as possible.Kate is the Founder & Chief Designer of a marketing and web design company called RisingT Media and Marketing. Kate has worked with many clients including The Herreshoff Marine Museum. Storm Trysail Club, National Sailing Hall of Fame, Confident Captain, and many more. Learn more about Kate by visiting her website: risingt.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Our guest for this episode is Charlie Doane. Charlie is a sailor and sailing journalist. He’s currently the cruising editor for SAIL magazine. Charlie has been writing professionally since 1986 for many publications including New England Off Shore and Cruising World.He’s written two books: The Modern Cruising Sailboat, and The Sea Is Not Full.Charlie is currently working on a new book, a non-fiction biography about Thomas Tangvald - son of Peter Tangvald well known blue water sailor. Charlie gives us a bit of a teaser into the fascinating and tragic story of Thomas Tangvald's life.In addition to his writing, he’s owned four boats:- Crazy Horse, a Pearson Albert 35 yawl- Sophie, a Goldin Hind 31- Lunacy, a Tanton 39 cutter- Lunacy (his current boat) a Boreal 47He has an impressive sailing resume featuring 100,000 miles offshore, 7 Transatlantic passages, and multiple singlehanded passages between the West Indies, Bermuda, and New England.We cover all this and much more in the podcast.Learn more about Charlie and follow along on his web site: Wavetrain.net See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Our guest for this episode is Sailor, Author and Broadcaster Tom Cunliffe.Tom has written for many major sailing publications and currently works with Sailing Today and Classic Boat in the UK. He is the author of over two dozen books - notably the Shell Channel Pilot, Celestial Navigation, and Topsail & Battleaxe.Topsail & Battleaxe tells the tale of the time he retraced the path of the Vikings by sailing his Bristol Channel Pilot cutter, Hirta, from Norway to Iceland, Greenland and on to Newfoundland.Topsail & Battleaxe has now been made available as an audiobook and may be purchased directly from his website: tomcunliffe.comIn addition to his writing and sailing, Tom has been a presenter on a few TV shows in the UK - Boat Yard and another called The Boats That Built Britain which aired on BBC2As we learn in this Podcast, the entire series of Boat Yard is now available on YouTube.Tom also has a YouTube channel with many great videos offering tips, advice and tricks to improve your skills. All of these links can be found off of his website - tomcunliffe.com The website features a new Member’s Club where one can join for a very modest charge and gain access to much more content, as well as participate in an engaging forum.Tom is a real ambassador for boating and has an infectious enthusiasm! He’s a champion of helping the average person of whatever means get out on the water and safely hone their skills. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Our guest for this episode is Sailor, Author and Broadcaster Tom Cunliffe.Tom has written for many major sailing publications and currently works with Sailing Today and Classic Boat in the UK. He is the author of over two dozen books - notably the Shell Channel Pilot, Celestial Navigation, and Topsail & Battleaxe.Topsail & Battleaxe tells the tale of the time he retraced the path of the Vikings by sailing his Bristol Channel Pilot cutter, Hirta, from Norway to Iceland, Greenland and on to Newfoundland.Topsail & Battleaxe has now been made available as an audiobook and may be purchased directly from his website: tomcunliffe.comIn addition to his writing and sailing, Tom has been a presenter on a few TV shows in the UK - Boat Yard and another called The Boats That Built Britain which aired on BBC2As we learn in this Podcast, the entire series of Boat Yard is now available on YouTube.Tom also has a YouTube channel with many great videos offering tips, advice and tricks to improve your skills. All of these links can be found off of his website - tomcunliffe.com The website features a new Member’s Club where one can join for a very modest charge and gain access to much more content, as well as participate in an engaging forum.Tom is a real ambassador for boating and has an infectious enthusiasm! He’s a champion of helping the average person of whatever means get out on the water and safely hone their skills.

My guest for this episode is Marcello of La Gondola Providence, Inc. Marcello is the second owner of the business who came to the job during his college years. He’s very well traveled and extremely knowledgeable about the culture, history and construction of the Venetian Gondola. Marcello gives us his history with the company, how he met the original owners, and where he’s taken it. In addition to the experience on the water and the construction of the boats, we also talk about the singing and musical components to this experience.You can learn more about Marcello and his gifted team by visiting gondolari.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This is a bit of a diversion from the normal podcast episodes I do. Given all that’s going on right now, I thought we’d check in with Capt. Tim Mills, Harbormaster for the City of Newport, and find out what to expect when we take to the water this summer. Tim gives us the latest information on quarantine rules for boaters, restrictions on use of facilities, launches and boat ramps.Tim reminds us that the City of Newport and his office is fully in sync with the direction that is coming from the Governor's office, and as such, some of what he says here might change or be extended.If you’re interested in learning more about Tim’s career and his personal and professional experiences, feel free to check out episode 20 from July 1st of last year. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Latest podcast available now. Meet Kate Masury, Program Director for the non-profit Eating With The Ecosystem. If you love seafood or just want to expand your knowledge of what’s available to us, this podcast is for you. Eating With The Ecosystem was founded in 2014 with a mission to “promote a place-based approach to sustaining New England’s wild seafood, through flourishing food webs, healthy habitats, and short, adaptive seafood supply chains.”Kate tells us about the cookbook the organization has for sale, the dinners they host, their food boat mobile seafood kiosk, and explains their Citizen Scientist and Eat Like a Fish programs. We also talk about the benefits of eating a variety of local species, focusing on a place based selection of seafood and the importance of supporting local fisherman.Be sure to visit www.eatingwiththeecosystem.org to learn more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Daniel Forster is a world renowned marine photographer who has had his work appear in every major yachting magazine in Europe, the USA, New Zealand and Australia. Two of his images have appeared on the cover of Timemagazine - once in 1987 featuring Dennis Conner; then again in 1995 featuring Team New Zealand.Born in Switzerland, photography was introduced to Daniel at a young age through his family. Daniel attended a technical school for photography that offered an apprenticeship program which provided one of many early steps that lead to his career as a freelance photographer.Daniel has covered every America’s Cup race since 1977, and will continue this streak by covering the next America’s Cup Races in New Zealand in 2021. Daniel has also photographed the Whitbread and Volvo Ocean Race starts and finishes, as well as sailed on the Uruguay to England leg of the Whitbread in 1986 aboard the UBS Switzerland maxi yacht where he served as both crew member and photographer.In addition to covering racing, Daniel’s work has taken him to Cape Horn, The Beagle Channel, the Galapagos and the Amazon. He’s also been commissioned by owners of yachts to document in book format their participation in major sailing events.We talk about all this and more. Daniel has a great sense of humor and wonderful approach to his pursuit. Learn more by visiting his website - danielforster.com He also has active instagram and facebook profiles. You may find links to those accounts from his facebook page. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nat Benjamin, along with his partner Ross Gannon, and a talented crew have built over 70 boats - mostly of his design - and repaired and rebuilt many others. A visit to the Gannon & Benjamin Marine Railway is a step back in time. It’s a place where classic wood boats are restored, repaired and built new using nothing but traditional materials and methods. The people who work there have a special appreciation for craftsmanship. In a world where material things are designed on computers, assembled by robots or punched out of a mold with little human contact, it’s refreshing to visit a place where beautiful boats are crafted by hand from design to launch.The Gannon and Benjamin Marine Railway has featured prominently in magazines such as: Classic Boat, Cruising World, Wooden Boat, Sail, Men’s Journal, Soundings and Architectural Digest. They have been featured in print news stores from the Vineyard Gazette and Cape Cod Times to the Boston Globe and The Wall Street Journal. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This one’s for the adrenaline junkies out there, present company included. My guest is Dave Lussier. Dave is a long-time competitive multi-hull sailor of catamarans and trimarans who has recently found a new passion: Blokarting or land yacht racing. Blokarts come from New Zealand and haven’t caught on in the US as they have in other countries. A Blokart is a 3-wheeled kart with a free-standing sail that resembles one from a windsurfer, and is often sailed on dry lake beds, beaches at low tide, or abandoned runways. Dave talks us through how he got into the sport, and what it’s like to sail one of these. He also tells the story of how he came to be the current speed co-record holder along with seasoned Blokart racer Scott Young, a record they set together while racing at Ivanpah - the dry lake bed in California’s Mojave desert. The speed they achieved at that event was a staggering 77.7mph! If any of this interests you, or you just want to understand more about Blokarting, you can easily find videos on youtube, or visit the official Blokart website at blokart.comAnd if you’re on social media, Dave has a facebook presence for those in the New England area who want to get involved. That group is called New England Land Sailors.And finally, in an unrelated coincidence, Dave was my second podcast guest in a row who's been to the North Pole. Capt. Breezy went on an expedition, and Dave went on a nuclear submarine in 2001 and 2003. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

My guest for this episode is Capt. Breezy Grenier. Capt. Breezy served in the US Coast Guard, has degrees in Geology and Geological Oceanography, and minors in Marine Biology and Marine Archeology.In addition to being a licensed captain, she’s a scuba instructor, snowboard instructor, sailor, cook, surfer, teacher, lecturer and world traveler.She’s sailed to Bermuda, and by the time this podcast is published, she will have completed a transatlantic and the Fastnet Race.We talk about her travels, past expeditions and plans for future ones, as well as some of the educational models she’s created. Those include Scientists are Super Hero's and Eco Elders.To learn more about her and some of the things we talk about in this podcast, visit her website: breezyseas.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This is a special excerpt from a much longer episode which will be published at a later date. In this conversation, Joe shares a bit about his involvement with the 12 Metre Worlds currently taking place in Newport, Rhode Island. Joe talks about his involvement, the impact of the Warrior Sailing Project, and the overall atmosphere of the event. Joe is also my first repeat guest. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Learn about the person in charge of the crew that keeps the City of Newport's harbor assets in top form. Capt. Tim Mills has spent his life on the water which has included, sailing and racing with family and friends, working on a NOAA ship and owning and operating his own boat and mooring business - where he also wound up getting involved in marine archeology. Now the full time Harbormaster for the City of Newport, RI, Tim joined me to talk about all of that as well as get some insight and his perspective on some of the changes that we’ve seen around Newport Harbor over the years. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

My guest for this episode is Andy Green. Some of you may recognize Andy’s voice - particularly if you followed the Volvo Ocean Race visit in Newport - as he was the commentator for that event. Andy has also been a commentator for the America’s Cup World Series and the London 2012 Olympics. In addition to his role as commentator, Andy is an active life long sailor who will be participating in the 12 Metre Worlds this summer in Newport. And like a few other past guests, Andy arrived to record the podcast fresh off a night of racing Shields in Narragansett Bay.We cracked open a few cold ones and talked about all of that and more. And at one point my wife chimes in with a few good questions that range from the technical aspects of his role, to what it’s like as a fellow expat living in Newport. You can learn more about Andy and his work by visiting: http://www.britishracinggreen.co.uk See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

My guest for this episode is former New York Times columnist Barbara Lloyd. Barbara covered Sailing, Skiing and other sports, as well as writing a gear column for the New York Times.But Barbara has humble roots here at home with the Newport Daily News. It was at the Newport Daily News where she began as a cub reporter. Barbara honed her skills covering the America’s Cup races and interviewing sailors, including Ted Turner and Dennis Conner.Her nomadic lifestyle, free spirited nature and hard work allowed her to live in and travel to spectacular places around the world. At a time when men dominated journalism, Barbara ‘leaned in’ to a man's world and faced few obstacles to her success. Her journalistic integrity and determination earned her the respect of her editors and peers alike.We had a great chat where she recalls some of the more memorable and poignant times in her life, as well as some humorous tales … including being pranked by Sir Richard Branson; the value of a quality piece of hand fruit while in rough conditions off shore; a funny story about an airborne skateboard in an apartment; and a somewhat domesticated Bobcat named Toma.Barbara recently published a book - which I recommend to any one who follows sailing, skiing, journalism and adventure.That book is called “Heart of the story - Notes from a reporter’s free-spirited life” and you can find it on amazon.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

My guests for this episode are Denis and Allie of Mr. Badger & Co. Mr. Badger is their 41’ Concordia yawl. We recently got together and cracked open a few beers while they shared their tale of how they came to own Mr. Badger. But that wasn’t the only tale. Denis boasts an impressive sailing résumé and both are well traveled. It’s a wide-ranging chat that covers: sailing the Greek islands; an unsuccessful attempt at purchasing a schooner; sailing a Carriacou Sloop thousands of miles; environmental stewardship; and how a great experience aboard can be transformative. Learn more about Denis, Allie and Mr. Badger at www.mrbadger.co See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

My guest in this episode is Anne Vandromme-Hood. Anne is a partner and leading force behind the publication, Yacht Insider’s Guide. Originally from Paris, she spent much of her time sailing out of Brittney with her family on a variety of boats. Anne is also an avid windsurfer who brought her gear along with her as she pursued crew positions on charter yachts.Her time spent working professionally on yachts lead her from crew, to chef, to shoreside management in Martinique, and now a publisher in Newport, Rhode Island.She’s an animal lover and activist, a steward of the environment, and a supporter of many organizations that work to make the world a better place.  Anne lives a very examined life and thoughtfully governs her actions so that they remain aligned with her principles. A few of the worthy organizations she mentions in the podcast are: Sailors for the Sea; Clean Ocean Access; Save The Bay and Clean Bays. She also tells a wonderful story about a dog from Martinique finding a new home as a direct result of an article she wrote on the Nicholson Yachts blog. I enjoyed talking with Anne and and you can learn more about her, and the publication, by visiting yacthinsidersguide.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.