The Morning Muster Sailing Podcast

What a cool episode this is. We cover a lot of topics and get into some real life saving details that you can take to your own boat and utilize.Deb's goal is to prevent problems at sea. Brian's job is to bail you out when there are no other options. Each guest brings a different perspective on emergencies, how to prevent them, and how to respond.Some of what we talk about:Station BillsEffective DrillsDehydration & Seasickness Helicoptor Rescue in the Skiing MountainsRescuing Diabetic FishermanAssessing PatientsPersonal Locator Beacons AIS vs GPSInReach What to put in the Ditch BagTall Ship ConcordiaLife Raft Life FailuresTall ship Bounty and Yacht Rebel HeartWearing PFD'sReading USCG & NTSB ReportsPan Pan VHF CallsRescuing a Fishing Vessel and Dewatering PumpsMedical MysteriesCold Water AcclimationRescuing a Sailor in the BahamasParadoxical UndressingThis episode of The Morning Muster Podcast is sponsored by:Our friends Katie & Lyall at Sun Powered Yachts  who helped us expand our solar array. They're a SunPower authorized dealer and offer both flexible  panels and fixed frame panels ranging from 50w to 410W. They're super high efficiency solar panels, which means more power in less space. Katie & Lyall are both sailors & have lived off grid for over 8 years. They provide free consultation to help you size and build a DIY system. Check out their website for more info www.sunpoweredyachts.com and use the promocode MORSEALPHA to get 10% off their flexible panels.Music By:Tim Eriksen is acclaimed for transforming American tradition with his startling interpretations of old ballads, love songs, shape-note gospel and dance tunes from New England and Southern Appalachia. He combines hair-raising vocals with inventive accompaniment on banjo, fiddle, guitar and bajo sexto - a twelve string Mexican acoustic bass - creating a distinctive hardcore Americana sound that ranges from the bare bones of solo unaccompanied singing on  Soul of the January Hills through the stripped-down voice and bajo sexto Christmas album Star in the East to the lush, multi-layered arrangements on Josh Billings Voyage, an album of northern roots American music from the imaginary village of Pumpkintown. 

What a fun episode about R2AK and all the ins and outs of racing, sailing, living, pooping, etc...Stage 1 Race start: June 13, 2022, Port Townsend, WashingtonStage 2 Race start: June 16, 2022, Victoria, BCApplication deadline: Tax Day baby! April 15thThe inside passage to Alaska has been paddled by native canoes since time immemorial, sailing craft for centuries, and after someone found gold in the Klondike the route was jammed with steamboats full of prospectors elbowing each other out of the way for the promise of fortune.It's in the spirit of tradition, exploration, and the lawless self-reliance of the gold rush that Race to Alaska was born. R2AK is the first of its kind and North America's longest human and wind powered race, and currently the largest cash prize for a race of its kind.This isn't for everyoneIt's like the Iditarod, on a boat, with a chance of drowning, being run down by a freighter, or eaten by a grizzly bear. There are squalls, killer whales, tidal currents that run upwards of 20 miles an hour, and some of the most beautiful scenery on earth.Our Guests:Katy Stewart has completed the race 4 times. This time she's competing solo.Jeff Oakleaf is a newbie to the race, sailing on Rough Duck with a crew of 4.Jake Beattie is the co-founder of the R2AK.Sponsored By:For over 160 years, Edson Marine has been helping sailors with their sailboat steering systems and making sure they are safe for their adventures on the water. From maintenance and replacement parts for your sailboats steering system and pedestal to premium boating accessories, find what you need to get your sailboat in shipshape. Not every day is full of sun and a light breeze; Edson has your back when the weather turns. Their passion for quality will bring you home safely. For more information on Edson Marine and their products, visit www.edsonmarine.com.Music By: Tim Eriksen is acclaimed for transforming American tradition with his startling interpretations of old ballads, love songs, shape-note gospel and dance tunes from New England and Southern Appalachia. He combines hair-raising vocals with inventive accompaniment on banjo, fiddle, guitar and bajo sexto - a twelve string Mexican acoustic bass - creating a distinctive hardcore Americana sound that ranges from the bare bones of solo unaccompanied singing on  Soul of the January Hills through the stripped-down voice and bajo sexto Christmas album Star in the East to the lush, multi-layered arrangements on Josh Billings Voyage, an album of northern roots American music from the imaginary village of Pumpkintown. 

A lovely chat about the life of living, cruising and working. The struggles, the rewards and the freedom.Pat has been on the go for decades! He runs http://wandererfinancial.com — you can sign up and work with him to help realize your financial independence and cruising dreams. Cindy works in the entertainment industry and is making the most of her career while she sails with her family.This episode is brought to you by Edson Marine.For over 160 years, Edson Marine has been helping sailors with their sailboat steering systems and making sure they are safe for their adventures on the water.  From maintenance and replacement parts for your sailboats steering system and pedestal to premium boating accessories, find what you need to get your sailboat in shipshape.  Not every day is full of sun and a light breeze; Edson has your back when the weather turns. Their passion for quality will bring you home safely.  For more information on Edson Marine and their products, visit www.edsonmarine.com.

An in depth discussion with 3 of our students, Daphne, Chris and Brandon plus our mate, Angela and that guy Ben. Teresa hosted and gave us all a hard time. We discuss the camaraderie and the group dynamics aboard a smallish boat and how to feed the diverse dietary requirements. We talk about keeping things organized and the benefits of preparation. We conclude there's alot of value in dividing jobs and maintaining consistency. and that there are always days when things are challenging aboard a boat. There's an “Aha!” moment, when we discuss how there's plenty of wind and fog in Maine. We decided that we all need wax pencils. We recall the feeling of navigating blind in the fog, and then finding the green can that looms silently out of the fog! What a great feeling that is! It's confirmed – Morse Alpha Instructors have a lot of patience! During this expedition we rendezvoused with the Maine Windjammers at the Wooden Boat School and enjoyed sailing amongst them as they dropped sail and anchored together. We wondered why is there always poop talk on boats. Sailing out past the sight of land for the first time. is really spectacular… one of the best experiences of life. The Coast of Maine has beautiful geography and wildlife, and of course – lobster pots! But with constant vigilance you can easily avoid them. In Maine, there's also rocks, lots of them, they're like a minefield. Maine offers a unique experience to pack alot of learning into a short amount of time. We stood anchor watch when the wind picked up in a dicey anchorage. We rotated through the 45 minute watches very effortlessly, and quietly! We used the barometer to keep tabs on the pressure. We triangulated our position with lights ashore and used the radar to ensure we maintained a constant distance off the islands. Angela the mate reconnects with her first schooner, the AJ Meerwald, when we anchored near them one night. After the expedition, Chris & Brandon went back to their boat and were so excited to get out and go sailing with their new found skills and understanding. All of us left with a renewed sense of confidence, and alot of new skills. We actively sailed Rocinante, and time passed so quickly, because we were all so engaged.Produced by Teresa and Ben Carey, Angela McIntyre is our Assistant Producer and the music is by Tim Eriksen, Ben's brother.You can subscribe to The Morning Muster wherever you get your podcasts, or visit MorseAlpha.com. You can also find us on instagram @morsealphaexpeditionsStay Found People!

You can find more information about our guests:Shemaya Laurel's blog www.sailingauklet.com.Adam Cove can be found in instagram @adam.cove.This episode of The Morning Muster Podcast is sponsored by:Our friends Katie & Lyall at Sun Powered Yachts  who helped us expand our solar array. They're a SunPower authorized dealer and offer both flexible  panels and fixed frame panels ranging from 50w to 410W. They're super high efficiency solar panels, which means more power in less space. Katie & Lyall are both sailors & have lived off grid for over 8 years. They provide free consultation to help you size and build a DIY system. Check out their website for more info www.sunpoweredyachts.com and use the promocode MORSEALPHA to get 10% off their flexible panels.Music by:Tim Eriksen

Barry Kennedy has sailed thousands of blue water miles and in the far regions of the world... 2 seasons in Antarctica. He's headed to the Arctic this year aboard his new boat. We're talking a little bit about offshore boats, gear choices, upgrades and the process of upgrading/refitting. We touch on ideas for best boat design for offshore, sail choices, rigging for simplicity, deck layouts, layouts down below, self steering, and more. Plus the difficulty of keeping yourself on track and not get overwhelmed during refits by budget and time.This episode of The Morning Muster Podcast is sponsored by:Our friends Katie & Lyall at Sun Powered Yachts  who helped us expand our solar array. They're a SunPower authorized dealer and offer both flexible  panels and fixed frame panels ranging from 50w to 410W. They're super high efficiency solar panels, which means more power in less space. Katie & Lyall are both sailors & have lived off grid for over 8 years. They provide free consultation to help you size and build a DIY system. Check out their website for more info www.sunpoweredyachts.com and use the promocode MORSEALPHA to get 10% off their flexible panels.Music by:Tim Eriksen

A fun episode with a great group if sailors who shared a special expedition from Bermuda to Rockland in July 2021 with us. We talk real candidly about about romance of life offshore and the challenges, like waking up for watch, heaving-to so close to land, using the head, cooking underway, going to sleep, steering in big swells, and dodging lightening. Real people, real sailing. This episode is sponsored by: Our friends Katie & Lyall at Sun Powered Yachts who helped us expand our solar array. They're a SunPower authorized dealer and offer both flexible  panels and fixed frame panels ranging from 50w to 410W. They're super high efficiency solar panels, which means more power in less space. Katie & Lyall are both sailors & have lived off grid for over 8 years. They provide free consultation to help you size and build a DIY system. Check out their website for more info www.sunpoweredyachts.com and use the promocode MORSEALPHA to get 10% off their flexible panels. Music by: Tim Eriksen

We dive deep into the boat selection process with Pippa Turton and Mike Firestone. We consider and discuss: what makes a good first boat, what size makes sense, considering cruising plans and goals, assessing your own skills, budget considerations, sailing before refit,  priority features, and more.Pippa Turton is a long time RYA sailing instructor, who's sailed thousands of miles on a variety of boats in Europe and Caribbean. She currently runs Girls Go Sailing aims, which aims to build confidence in female sailors through good training, and experience. Mike Firestone is a marine surveyor, who's been in the business for decades. He's sailed many boats and surveyed thousands more! Episode is sponsored by Beta MarineFor over 20 years Beta Marine has been providing smooth, reliable marine diesels. These are 100% mechanical engines, built on the Kubota block, with widely available parts and a 5 year warranty. Beta Marine USA has a new online parts store; plus: saildrives, alternators, custom mounts and feathering props. betamarinenc.com Music by Tim Eriksen 

Guests:Rob Parker • Vancouver 36Dorothy Mammen • Oyster 43 & Beneteau 423Sponsor:Fiorentino Para-AnchorFiorentino makes smart products that slow or stop your boat's drift during a storm or mechanical failure at sea. They have an improved parachute anchor and a Shark Drogue which can be used as either a speed limiting drogue or for emergency steering. We've tested both aboard Rocinante, when we were doing emergency preparedness drills. They were easy to store and deploy, and super stout. And, Fiorentino is offering discount if you mention the Morning Muster Podcast.Music:Tim Eriksen, Ben's Brother.

The Morning Muster is produced by Morse Alpha LLC. We offer rigorous coastal and offshore sailing expeditions for beginners and experienced sailors. Our expeditions are the perfect training for people who want to cruise offshore, or sail the world. Find out more at morsealpha.com.Drake Paragon Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpfax0gLoUZMqw-ROxX77YwNovara Website:https://www.sy-novara.comThis episode is sponsored by: Outland Hatch Covers. Outland makes next-gen hatch covers made from PVC that protect your hatch-acrylic from harmful UV damage and help keep the cabin cool. They're also super easy to put on and take off. We've got Outland Hatch Covers on all our hatches and even all the ports in the cabin and hull. We love them. Check out outlandhatchcovers.com for more info.Music by Tim Eriksen: timerksenmusic.com

The Morning Muster is produced by Morse Alpha LLC. We offer rigorous coastal and offshore sailing expeditions for beginners and experienced sailors. Our expeditions are the perfect training for people who want to cruise offshore, or sail the world. Find out more at morsealpha.com.Find out more about the Marion Bermuda Race:marionbermuda.comThe US Sailing Online Safety at Sea Training for the Offshore Safety at Sea Certificate:shop.ussailing.org/offshore-online-sas-2-code-pack.htmlThis episode is sponsored by Scanmar Marine. Scanmar designs and manufactures high quality cruising products for both power and sailing vessels. For more info, check out scanmarinternational.comMusic by Tim Eriksen: timerksenmusic.com

Guests:Emily Whebbe of Sailing the BakeryJohn Kretschmer, offshore junky, fantastic story teller, author, educatorSponsor:Fiorentino Para-AnchorFiorentino makes smart products that slow or stop your boat's drift during a storm or mechanical failure at sea. They have an improved parachute anchor and a Shark Drogue which can be used as either a speed limiting drogue or for emergency steering. We've tested both aboard Rocinante,when we were doing emergency preparedness drills. They were easy to store and deploy, and super stout. And, fiorentino is offering discount if you mention the Morning Muster Podcast.Music:Tim Eriksen, Ben's Brother.Rough Outline:What's your food philosophy?! When you're eating your best, you're eating your best! How to store food for a passage with 6 people aboard. We try to remove as much trash as possible and get rid of the styrofoam, and plastic packaging. We like to pre-freeze our meat. But we don't bother removing labels on cans, but we don't even buy that much canned food. How do you balance how much produce to bring and know how much to buy before it goes bad? We generally eat all the produce first. We like using inventory lists and a menu to help keep track of what we have. But early on in the passage, theres more seasickness. Day 1 is usually pasta, because it's easy on the belly. The next few days are tacos with rice and beans and various toppings, depending on how you are feeling. But rice and beans and tortillas are usually pretty good options for seasickness and settling stomachs. John likes to plan out meals, and has it all worked out in his head, and cooks during his passages.Cooking in the galley is a nice time to just chill and putter around in a little galley-oasis! We all seem to enjoy cooking in the galley. It's always a good idea to have a few super easy options on the menu for those days you just don't feel like cooking. The watch schedule plays an important part in how you schedule your meals. But often times we keep meals aligned with watch changes. And it's important to establish a routine with food. It helps people get over the seasick hump. In general, its good to push good healthy meals pretty hard in the beginning. Not eating, doesn't help you adjust. When you lose your eating routine on land and just climb into a bunk, you're more prone to seasickness.Captains hour on board Quetzal. Your life on the boat should reach a state of happiness and well being thats equal to your life on land. It tends to relax people, and start to tell stories. It's an equalizer. Theres different levels of experience, and it's easy to feel intimidated. When everyone starts telling their own stories, Captains hour gives you time to tell your story. And having a glass of wine sometimes help that. And the goal is to help people find their groove. The time between point A and B is what it's all about. It's a very self regulating thing. You're generally so tired and trying to get yourself together, you don't abuse it. There's no peer pressure. And there's often plenty of club soda with lime!What we're talking about is food rituals. What do you keep aboard for the ritual? It's great tp keep treats on board - like fancy olives! If all else fails, we have olives. But Emily loves dessert, and her 9 year old loves em too! A treat offshore at the end of the day is a great ritual. John is always selling people on things like canned Octopus from Spain. But it was profoundly disappointing! Teresa like to sneak treats into Bens duffel bag and fills his water bottle with fizzy water! One day we decide to eat everything on the boat before we went shopping again. To help clear out the lockers. Newfoundland and Labrador is depressing how poorly and unhealthy they eat there. The vegetable selection is pretty much limited to potatoes.There's a lot you can do with a can of tomatoes or chickpeas toward the end of a passage. Creativity is important as the fresh food disappears. There was a french family with 40 cabbages in the bilge. How long can we go without shopping? Emily went 5 weeks without shopping. Kale and cabbages were lasting forever, and it became a competition with myself to see how long we could go.

Vocabulary:Sailing a Barge: leaving the dockVessel Traffic Control: provides active monitoring and navigational advice for vessels in particularly confined and busy waterways.Episode is sponsored by Beta MarineFor over 20 years Beta Marine has been providing smooth, reliable marine diesels. These are 100% mechanical engines, built on the Kubota block, with widely available parts and a 5 year warranty. Beta Marine USA has a new online parts store; plus: saildrives, alternators, custom mounts and feathering props. betamarinenc.com Music by Tim Eriksen 

The Morning Muster is produced by Morse Alpha LLC. We offer rigorous coastal and offshore sailing expeditions for beginners and experienced sailors. Our expeditions are the perfect training for people who want to cruise offshore, or sail the world. Find out more at morsealpha.com.You can find out more about the guests on this episode:Rick Miller https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-miller-36512aa/Chelsea Carson https://www.sea-tactics.com/You can download Chelsea's Free Weather Resource Guide at www.sea-tactics.com where she also has online weather courses available and currently happening. You can also find her on Instagram @Sea_Tactics or Facebook @SeaTacticsThis episode is sponsored by: Outland Hatch Covers. Outland makes next-gen hatch covers made from PVC that protect your hatch-acrylic from harmful UV damage and help keep the cabin cool. They're also super easy to put on and take off. We've got Outland Hatch Covers on all our hatches and even all the ports in the cabin and hull. We love them. Check out outlandhatchcovers.com for more info.Music by Tim Eriksen: timerksenmusic.com

The Morning Muster is produced by Morse Alpha LLC. We offer rigorous coastal and offshore sailing expeditions for beginners and experienced sailors. Our expeditions are the perfect training for people who want to cruise offshore, or sail the world. Find out more at morsealpha.com. You can find out more about the guests on this episode:James Tomlinson samingosailing.comRichard Gordon-Rein svdarwind.blogspot.comThis episode is sponsored by Scanmar Marine. Scanmar designs and manufactures high quality cruising products for both power and sailing vessels. For more info, check out scanmarinternational.comMusic by Tim Eriksen: timerksenmusic.com

Biz Wallace (she/her) is a captain, artist, waterwoman, and activist. Originally from North Carolina, Biz has spent the last ten years sailing professionally around the world. She has a BA in Design from USC and holds her 100 ton USCG captains license, commercial able seaman endorsement, and is a certified lifeguard and rescue diver. She volunteers for several climate justice organizations and is an outspoken advocate for the inclusion of BIPOC women in maritime. You can find out more at Biz's website: bizwallace.comJesse Weigel  started sailing about a decade ago as an intern aboard a schooner in Washington state. After that, he went full fledged into the tall ship world, sailing on schooners on both the east and west coasts. He did some transatlantic square rigged time, and various small boat program work in my hometown of Port Townsend, Washington. He spent a few summers as a watch officer for Hurricane Island Outward Bound both in Maine and Florida. His last tall ship contract was aboard the Dutch sail training vessel Gulden Leeuw, sailing with the Canadian program class afloat. He prefers to teach sailing as a vessel towards self discovery and teamwork rather than for the sake of sailing (although that is a very worthy cause!) Episode is sponsored by Beta MarineFor over 20 years Beta Marine has been providing smooth, reliable marine diesels. These are 100% mechanical engines, built on the Kubota block, with widely available parts and a 5 year warranty. Beta Marine USA has a new online parts store; plus: saildrives, alternators, custom mounts and feathering props. betamarinenc.com Music by Tim Eriksen 

Captain Dan ran a windjammer in Maine for many years, and then worked on tugboats in Maine and New England. Captain Julia Carleton has worked for Hurricane Island Outward Bound and aboard educational schooners from Maine to the Caribbean. They both have extensive fog and night travel experience, and share with us some insight into staying safe and the seamanship protocols they follow.The Morning Muster is produced by Morse Alpha LLC. We offer rigorous coastal and offshore sailing expeditions for beginners and experienced sailors. Our expeditions are the perfect training for people who want to cruise offshore, or sail the world. Find out more at morsealpha.com. This episode sponsored by Fiorentino. Fiorentino makes smart products that slow or stop your boat's drift during a storm or mechanical failure at sea. Find them at para—anchor.com. 

The Morning Muster is produced by Morse Alpha LLC. We offer rigorous coastal and offshore sailing expeditions for beginners and experienced sailors. Our expeditions are the perfect training for people who want to cruise offshore, or sail the world. Find out more at morsealpha.com. Steph & Glenn are both super passionate about sailing and living their dreams. They each set out last year for an extended cruise aboard their boats, a mono and a cat respectively. We hear some of their stories from the first passage they made, some of the things they did right, and how they would have done some things differently. An educational and inspiring discussion.This episode is sponsored by Outland Hatch CoversOutland makes next-gen hatch covers made from PVC that protect your hatch-acrylic from harmful UV damage and help keep the cabin cool. Music by Tim Eriksen 

The Morning Muster is produced by Morse Alpha LLC. We offer rigorous coastal and offshore sailing expeditions for beginners and experienced sailors. Our expeditions are the perfect training for people who want to cruise offshore, or sail the world. Find out more at morsealpha.com. You can find out more about the guests on this episode:Jamie Gifford of Sailing TotemAndy Cross of Rolling with YahtzeeThis episode is sponsored by Scanmar Marine. Scanmar designs and manufactures high quality cruising products for both power and sailing vessels. For more info, check out scanmarinternational.comMusic by Tim Eriksen: timerksenmusic.com