Podcasts about West Marine

Mona Sutherland, Head of Performance Marketing at West Marine, joins Will Laurenson to explore the intersection of digital strategy, AI, and ecommerce at scale. With a background at Adidas and Melissa Shoes, Mona shares how West Marine is using AI to improve creative, why video content is crucial for B2B and B2C buyers, and how the brand is thriving despite retail headwinds. They discuss SEO shifts, customer problem-solving, and the practical challenges of marketing 90,000+ SKUs. If you're in performance marketing or ecommerce, this episode delivers tactical depth and big-picture thinking.

Good fans are a necessity when you're cruising in a hot climate. But which one will give you the most air movement for the fewest amps? Summary If you're cruising in the tropics, you'll want to know the best fans for living on a boat in hot weather. My choice is the Caframo, 12-volt, cage-free fan. It moves the most air using the fewest amps.   This fan offers three mounting options, giving you maximum flexibility. We found that it lasted about five years with nearly continuous use in a very hot climate. Replacement parts are affordable and easy to find. It's worth keeping a few extra blades onboard, just in case. We had over a half dozen fans aboard each of our previous boats, some hard-wired and others portable. They were vastly superior to Caframo's other model with blade guards, a lower life expectancy, and a higher cost. Links (Amazon links are affiliate links, meaning that The Boat Galley Podcast earns from qualifying purchases; some other links may be affiliate links): Caframo Two Speed Compact 12v fan (Amazon) - https://amzn.to/3FlRubP Caframo Two Speed Compact 12v fan (West Marine) - https://fave.co/3eakVfz Caframo Two Speed Compact 12v fans, replacement blades and clip (Downwind Marine) - https://store.sandiegomarine.com/products/caframo--ultimate--2-speed-fans-15005.html The Basics of Living on a Boat Course - https://products.theboatgalley.com/products/unwritten-rules All-Access Pass for Boat Galley Courses - https://products.theboatgalley.com/products/all-access-pass Subscribe to the Boat Galley Newsletter! - https://theboatgalley.com/newsletter-signup-2 Click to see all podcast sponsors, past and present. - https://bit.ly/3idXto7 Music: “Slow Down” by Yvette Craig        

Good fans are a necessity when you're cruising in a hot climate. But which one will give you the most air movement for the fewest amps? Summary If you're cruising in the tropics, you'll want to know the best fans for living on a boat in hot weather. My choice is the Caframo, 12-volt, cage-free fan. It moves the most air using the fewest amps.   This fan offers three mounting options, giving you maximum flexibility. We found that it lasted about five years with nearly continuous use in a very hot climate. Replacement parts are affordable and easy to find. It's worth keeping a few extra blades onboard, just in case. We had over a half dozen fans aboard each of our previous boats, some hard-wired and others portable. They were vastly superior to Caframo's other model with blade guards, a lower life expectancy, and a higher cost. Links (Amazon links are affiliate links, meaning that The Boat Galley Podcast earns from qualifying purchases; some other links may be affiliate links): Caframo Two Speed Compact 12v fan (Amazon) - https://amzn.to/3FlRubP Caframo Two Speed Compact 12v fan (West Marine) - https://fave.co/3eakVfz Caframo Two Speed Compact 12v fans, replacement blades and clip (Downwind Marine) - https://store.sandiegomarine.com/products/caframo--ultimate--2-speed-fans-15005.html The Basics of Living on a Boat Course - https://products.theboatgalley.com/products/unwritten-rules All-Access Pass for Boat Galley Courses - https://products.theboatgalley.com/products/all-access-pass Subscribe to the Boat Galley Newsletter! - https://theboatgalley.com/newsletter-signup-2 Click to see all podcast sponsors, past and present. - https://bit.ly/3idXto7 Music: “Slow Down” by Yvette Craig        

AS OPPOSED TO WALMART STORES AND BASS PRO SHOPS....WEST MARINE KNOWS WHAT THEY ARE DOING AND HOW TO PROPERLY TREAT CUSTOMERS. WEST MARINE IS WELL RUN, WELL-MANAGED AND JUST A GOOD RETAIL STORE. THOUGH I AM NOT GETTING PAID TO SAY THIS....I HIGHLY RECOMMEND EVERYONE THAT NORMALLY SHOPS AT BASS PRO AND OTHER MARINE STORES.......GO TO WEST MARINE.

Jeremy Cox, Captain of the Lolita fishing team and co-founder of the Mongo Offshore Challenge, shares his fishing journey and the success of their recent fishing trip. The conversation covers topics such as Jeremy's fishing background, the Mongo Offshore Challenge, and their recent catch of a 704-pound blue marlin. They discuss the tournament format, the significance of the catch, and the importance of preserving and studying these fish. Jeremy also talks about the excitement of lure fishing and the thrill of anticipation. The conversation highlights the joy of fishing and the special moments shared with family and friends. The conversation revolves around the experience of catching marlin in the Gulf of Mexico and the importance of sustainable fishing practices. The guests discuss their recent catch of a 700-pound marlin and the challenges they faced during the fishing trip. They also touch on the significance of donating the meat from the catch to charities and zoos. The conversation highlights the love and passion marlin fishermen have for the species and their efforts to protect and conserve them. The guests also discuss the science and research that can be conducted using these rare event species. Additionally, they talk about the process of catching live bait in the Gulf of Mexico and the strategies they use to keep the bait fresh and alive. In this conversation, Jeremy from the Lolita Fishing Team discusses the evolution of live baiting in offshore fishing. He explains how the use of live bait tubes has become a common practice and how it has improved the ability to keep bait alive for longer periods. Jeremy also talks about the importance of fresh and frisky bait in attracting fish and shares tips on handling and caring for bait to keep it in optimal condition. He emphasizes the significance of structure, such as oil rigs, in creating fish aggregating devices (FADs) and attracting a variety of fish species. Jeremy also mentions the potential for future expansion of the Mongo Offshore Tournament to the East Coast and internationally.   Mongo Offshore Challenge East Coast Registration https://www.reeltimeapps.com/live/tournaments/2024-mongo-offshore-east-coast/register   Mongo App: Iphone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mongo-offshore-challenge/id1516755470 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.reeltimeapps.mongo&pcampaignid=web_share   Keywords   fishing, blue marlin, tournament, Mongo Offshore Challenge, Gulf of Mexico, Lolita fishing team, catch, celebration, preservation, marlin, Gulf of Mexico, sustainable fishing, catch and release, fishing tournaments, conservation, live bait, tuna tubes, live baiting, offshore fishing, bait tubes, fresh bait, frisky bait, handling bait, oil rigs, fish aggregating devices, FADs, structure, Mongo Offshore Tournament   Takeaways   Jeremy Cox shares his fishing journey and the success of their recent fishing trip The Mongo Offshore Challenge is a season-long tournament that awards the biggest fish caught in various categories The Lolita fishing team caught a 704-pound blue marlin during the Hurricane Open tournament The catch was celebrated with family and friends, and the fish was donated to science for research purposes Lure fishing provides a unique thrill and anticipation for anglers Preserving and studying these fish is important for understanding their reproduction and population Marlin fishermen are passionate about the species and work towards their conservation and sustainability. Donating the meat from caught marlin to charities and zoos is a way to reduce waste and benefit the community. Catching live bait in the Gulf of Mexico can be challenging, especially during the day when the bait goes deep. Tuna tubes are used to keep live bait fresh and alive during fishing trips. The conversation highlights the importance of responsible fishing practices and the role of fishermen in scientific research and data collection. Live baiting has evolved over the years, with the use of live bait tubes becoming a common practice in offshore fishing. Fresh and frisky bait is essential in attracting fish, and there are techniques to handle and care for bait to keep it in optimal condition. Oil rigs serve as fish aggregating devices (FADs) by providing structure and attracting a variety of fish species. The Mongo Offshore Tournament is a popular fishing tournament that focuses on the Gulf of Mexico, but there are plans to expand to the East Coast and potentially internationally. Transcript: Katie (00:00.206) In today's episode, I'm sitting down with Captain Jeremy Cox as we dive into the Gulf of Mexico blue marlin fishery with big fish stories, tips on how to handle and maximize the health of your bait and why the oil rigs play such a valuable role in the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem. Katie (00:27.886) Welcome to the KDC Sawyer podcast. I'm your host Katie. And today I'm sitting with the captain of the Lolita fishing team. He's also the co -founder of the Mongo Offshore Challenge. Jeremy Cox, thank you so much for taking the time to sit with me today. No problem. Thank you so much for having us. It's my pleasure. Well, we've been talking about doing this for a long time and I'm really glad it worked out the way it did because you guys just had a heck of a fishing trip out of Grand Isle, Louisiana last week, which I really want to get into you guys. Spoiler alert. They caught a 704 pound blue Marlin, but Jeremy, tell us a little bit about you. Where are you from? What's your fishing experience and how did you get to where you are today? so, let's see. I'm, I was born in Maryland. Actually, my, my family's from Maryland. move my. family moved us to Pensacola, Florida back in the early 80s. And so I grew up in Florida. I was raised in Florida. I think I was two years old when we moved to Florida, Pensacola. And man, first fishing memory is like four years old. My brother, JD, which is also co -founder of the Mongo, he's my older brother by seven years. He took me fishing in a lake behind, you know, in our neighborhood behind our lake. caught a bass like the first trip and I was hooked. I was like man this is the thing now I probably pestered him every day after that can we go fishing can we go fishing you know we're going fishing and so that progressed into an addiction of fishing and my mom took me on a fishing charter when I was 10 years old out of Ocean City Maryland and I saw the mate you know back there with us and you know this guy driving the boat which was you know I learned was a captain and and we caught some tuna and I was like, these guys do this for a living? And my mom's like, yeah, this is what they do, you know? And I was like, man, I want to do that when I grow up. So my brother had a baseball scholarship. He went off to college and played baseball and moved to Birmingham, Alabama. And me and him always talked about owning our charter boat. So I got into the fishing industry. Like my first job was first fishing related jobs working at a place called Boaters World. They're out of business now, but. Katie (02:50.766) very like West Marine, it was around for years and it was a big box store for marine supplies and marine sales. So I worked there and figured that'd be a good opportunity to meet other fishermen. So long story short, met other captains and landed a mate job and started mating and me and my brother, that's what we were gonna pursue is our own charter boat career. And you know, I'm skipping a lot of stuff, but Hurricane Ivan hit in 2004 and sort of... hit us back to reality. It's like, man, we saw all these charter boats lose their whole livelihood with their boats getting wrecked and the whole season sort of thrown out the door, at least in our little town. And we're like, maybe that's not the smartest idea for us. We didn't have a lot of money anyway. We wanted to get in those charter boat things. I mean, so I had a lot of friends in the private industry. And we were charter fishing. We were mating and captain. By that time, JD moved down to Pensacola. And we were both mating on different boats. And I did some captain work. started in the private sector. So I was like, man, that's probably the better route, more secure, you know, and then it's, you know, you got somebody else paying for everything and you get paid to go fishing, paid to kick, you know, a lot more waxing and toilet fixing than fishing, but yeah, it's all part of the, all part of it. Yeah. So, but it's awesome. So, you know, that's, that's how I got into the captain, you know, and in that whole time, you know, I was doing sales, you know, I worked for a Long time I worked for a distributor. We sold fish and tackle to tackle stores. And then I was a tackle sales rep for a while. We represented a dial and play Jake and other other brands. And I did that for collectively for about 12 years while I was doing captain work on the side in the private world. I had an orange beach, Alabama and Pensacola, Florida, Destin, Florida. But now currently I run the Lolita to 72 foot Viking out of Destin, Florida. and been working for this family for this is the ninth summer. Great family. They're awesome. Yeah, we're like fam. They treat me to treat us like family and just a great, great time. And yeah, this weekend. So we, we called the art person. Yeah. no, no, no. I haven't interrupted you. Sorry guys. We're not there yet. We're not there yet. No, that's so cool. So are you out of Orange Beach now? Are you based out of Orange Beach now? I'm. Katie (05:15.47) We keep the boat Lolita, we keep it behind Bo Shamps and Destin. That's where we keep the boat year round. That's right, you just said that. No, yeah, we come to Orange Beach a lot. We're sort of a traveling boat in the summertime, so we're rarely home during the summer, but the wintertime's fall through spring, we're parked behind Bo Shamps. We spend a good amount of time in Grand Isle, Louisiana. The owners have a camp there in Grand Isle. Nice. Yeah, so we get to spend, well now it's about two months a year out of Grand Isle. a month in the spring. What two months is that? So we're just getting off of this month. So it's a March, you know, late March to well, actually this year it was early April through early May. You know, we're home in Orange Beach now for some work. So about a month, you know, in the late spring and then a month in a late summer, we used to go there late July and stay through late August. Yeah, it's really good fishing over there that time of year. Yeah. Are you, out of Grand Isle, are you... doing a lot of tuna fishing as well as blue marlin fishing. Correct. Yes, they love to catch tuna and blue marlin, that's pretty much it. That's all they would like to get. We do very little bottom fishing. It's primarily tuna and marlin fishing, which is... I mean, the fishing up there in the northern Gulf for those two species is incredible. And the fact that you've, I mean, you essentially grew up for the most part fishing the northern Gulf of Mexico, right? That's right. That's cool because I'm from Texas, right? That's where I claim as my hometown. But I, my Gulf of Mexico fishing experience is extremely limited. So, I have so many questions for you and I'm really excited to have a Gulf guy on the podcast. we've had South Florida, we've had Kona and now here we go into the Gulf and we're right in that tournament season. Now, do you want to tell me a little bit about the Mongo Offshore Challenge? It's a 153 day. regional challenge, right? That's right. So yeah, so me and my brother was involved in this private world of fishing and tournament fishing. I think our first tournament we fished together was in 2007 on a boat called the Sunset. I fished several tournaments in like 2004, 2005, but JD was able to move down from Birmingham, get out of, he was in natural disaster work as well. And anyway, he, Katie (07:34.382) He was able to fish with me in 2007, our first tournament together on a boat called Sunset. We fished Biloxi and we won it. First tournament we fished together. my gosh. What'd you win it with? 531 Blue Marlin. Yeah, and it caught on the first morning of the first hour of the first morning. is like totally spoiled. Like JD's like, I like this tournament fishing stuff. This is pretty awesome. Yeah. It's always, it doesn't always work out like that, but that was really special. We did it with our best friend and mentor, Matt Dunn, which he's not really in the, in the sport fishing game anymore. He switched over to yacht world and he's doing, you know, he works for, you know, runs a big yachty yacht now, but, Man, so we made a lot of memories fishing. We had a really good run there with him for about six or seven years. Did really well in the golf circuit. And that was right when live baiting was sort of getting really, really popular. We were primarily trollers on that boat, but yeah, that was cool. So. What do you mean primarily trawlers like lures? Yeah, lures. We were, we were lure fishing. We still actually are passionate. I don't know that I would have fell in love with blue marlin fishing if I would have started out just sitting soaking live baits. it's something about the anticipation of rigging the night before the days before. And you got your lures out and you're re -skirting and putting new hook sets on. You're like, maybe that's going to be this color. You know, you got, you know, we need more trawlers. We need more spiked lures. Yeah, you know, going to the tackle store and like, man, we got to buy this one. This is the one. man, look at the head. You know, it's just, I don't know, something about that anticipation and like, you know, the what if they eat this one? yeah, they should eat this one. It's this color. look, it's a dolphin color. We got to match the hatch. I mean, all that stuff is just like fun, you know, rather than feeding them what they eat all day long. Of course they're going to eat a tuna. Of course they're going to eat it. Yeah. It's like, you know, we do it and it works. Katie (09:36.782) We have to do it in time efficient up here. You have to live bait to be consistent. But it's, you know, you're not really tricking them anymore. You know, when you're lure fishing, it feels like, man, it's like bass fishing. I'd much rather bass fish with a spinner bait or a plastic worm than throwing a live shiner out there. They're going to eat a live shiner, but it's just something special about it. And so yeah, it's definitely progressed. We came in when it was... And the northern golf is mainly lure and, you know, in natural baits, you know, you're pulling islander, you know, about who combos is, you know, everybody still pulls and then they work 100%. They work. And that's just, I don't know, something special about, about that. And if we were started out live baiting, I don't know that I would have had the same excitement about it. Now we sort of mix it up a little bit. We do some trolling and we do a lot of live baiting. it's the primarily way we fish up here. We're very, very spoiled. with this Northern Gulf fishery with these old rigs. I mean, you have giant fads everywhere. So they hold fish. We're going to go a little off topic for a minute because I have a lot of questions for you. No, this is great. I love it. You're giving me great content. So in that tournament, so we won that tournament. I'll go back to the Mongo. Obviously, it's why you have us on here. But us tournament fishing, we saw the progress and we're on fast boats. And then we started running the Lolita. I started running that in 2016, and it was a slow Hatteras, a 23 knot Hatteras. And we also, when we first started fishing, there's a lot of express boats. In the early 2000s, in these big weekend tournaments in golf, there's a lot of smaller express boats. There's a lot of slower, you know, Bartrams and Hatteras. And everybody's competing. But as the fleet, you know, got more technologically advanced and bigger horsepower engines. It's a speed race now, so whoever has the fastest boat has more fishing time. And it's a huge, huge deal. We're running 150 to 250 miles one way. So if you're doing that, you know, and you're getting there two, three hours before everybody else, or at least before the slow boats, the slow boats don't really have a chance, you know, unless you get lucky and run over one. So we were like, man, it'd be awesome if there was a tournament that had like a, that would level the playing field that would give them. Katie (11:54.83) Same amount of time for everybody. Doesn't matter how fast you are, how slow you are. If you have a big giant Viking or a little center console, everybody's on a level playing field. And so that's how that progressed, that birth, that idea of like, man, all right, let's just have a season long event and put the lines in. Whenever you leave the dock, you're in the tournament from May 1st to September 30th. So if you can, and we're all about the big fish, Mongo meaning huge. So if you catch a giant fish. between May 1st and September 30th, you can win it. And we count your weights in tournaments, and we count your weights on fun fishing trips. We set up these weigh stations all over the Gulf, and you can go in anywhere. We have 20 weigh stations in the Gulf of Mexico from all the way in South Texas all the way to Naples, Florida. So you go in and weigh your fish, and if you have the biggest fish at the end of the season, you win the pot. Blue Marlin, Swordfish, Tuna, Dolphin, and Wahoo. So yeah, it's really, really fun. We started it five years ago. It had 66 teams that first year and this year. Wow. Yeah. Yeah. And COVID year too, which is crazy. That's a whole nother story. But yeah, our first year we had 66 teams. We have a bit of a network. We've been around, we know a lot of guys. So we were able to call up a lot of captains like, what do you think about this format? Would you fish it? And they're like, yeah, that's awesome. Heck yeah, man. Because you always catch your biggest fish on your fun trips anyway. Yeah. Yeah, typically. I mean, you're going out there for a million dollar tournament and you catch the big one the day before practicing, you know, so now we can celebrate that fish and reward, you know, whoever catches the bigger ones, all kinds of cool things for that format that makes it neat. But yeah, so so that's where it came from. And then now this year is our fifth year we've had a we have 150 teams and over half a million dollars in the pot. That's crazy in the Gulf of Mexico because you guys have branched out to other fisheries now, right? That's right. So we started the East Coast three years ago. This is our third season in the East Coast. We're trying to grow that East Coast. We don't have the network that we have in the Gulf because we grew up in the Gulf. We know everybody. So we're working on growing that network over there, getting some key individuals, key captains on board. But there's already, and registration is still open for the East Coast until June 30th. So teams. Katie (14:12.782) fishing from Cape Cod all the way down to Florida can register for the Mongo up until June 30th and pick which category you want to get in. You don't have to get in swordfish if you don't, if you're not a sword fisherman, just get into mahi or whatever you're fishing for. What's the registration fee? So it's alacarte. So each, each one's different. So the mahi and the wahoo are 500 a piece for the season. That's nothing. You know, we burn in that much an hour out of some of these boats and fuel. So, and then a swordfish is 15, excuse me. Swordfish is a thousand for the season, for the season. yellowfin and big eye are a thousand a piece for the season. And then blue marlin is 2 ,500 for the season. So you'll, if you want to get in all categories, like 6 ,500 bucks for the board. Yeah. And you're in from every time your boat leaves the dock, whether you're fishing two times a year or a hundred times a year, you're, you're in there. And what did the winner of the Gulf of Mexico last year make and what did they weigh on blue marlin? I think their payday was like 130 ,000 last year and it was a 727 pound blue marlin caught in the bluxy tournament. So he won two tournaments with one fish. I love it. I love that. Yeah. A boat called the salt shaker with Captain Dennis Bennett. And I remember that. Believe it or not, they also won the mahi. They caught the mahi in the ECBC tournament and won like another 50 grand with the mahi. So they really cashed in last year. That's so sick. And their mahi was 60 pounds, 59 .9 pounds, 60 pound mahi in the Gulf of Mexico. It was totally unheard of. I haven't seen a 60 pounder. That is massive. I haven't seen a 50 pounder in the Gulf in years. The only fish I've seen that big was in like Costa Rica, Central Pacific. Panama. That's, that's where I've seen the mahi get that even close to that big. But again, my golf experience is pretty limited. Sure. One thing is different, you know, Mongo, golf on that a minute, but we have very big minimums. So there's not a whole lot of fish weighed in the Mongo throughout the season. One, it's a winner take all. So once something huge is on the board, you're not going to weigh in anything smaller anymore. And then our limits are high. Like mahi has got to be 40 pounds to even qualify. Katie (16:31.278) Wahoo's 60 pounds, Yellowfin's 140 pounds. Blue Marlin's 118 inches. Which is like the federal, you guys, the federal minimum is 99 inches. And a lot of tournaments go 112 inches. So it's definitely progressed over the years. Typically last year was 110 for all the tournaments and this last weekend was 112 for this last weekend. Yeah, because people are going in figuring them out and they're starting to weigh in more and more and more. So they're trying to inch those links up to not take so many of them. And that's one reason we wanted to just pay one place. You know, one, we just wanted to award the biggest fish of the season. And then two, we didn't want to kill a bunch of extra ones. And then typically the blue morn... Actually, I'm trying to think, other than the first year in the Mongo... Every other blue marlin has been caught, or the winner was caught in another tournament. So the first year, the first year was a state record fish caught the day after the, the world cup on July 5th. They were out there for the world cup. They stayed out another day, caught this giant fish. If they would have called in the world cup, they would have won a whole lot more money. Obviously fly usually has, I don't know, well over a million dollars in that, in that world cup pot. But they ended up winning, I think they won like 90 grand or something like that extra. Yeah, that they were. I mean, how cool that you guys are giving that opportunity, you know, like I Drake when we were in Madeira, we saw a real big fish on July 3rd and didn't see it again. But it's just, you know, it's funny how they dance around that date. I feel like those sightings really, really go around the 4th of July. If you guys are wondering what we're talking about, the World Cup is a tournament that's around the world based on your specific time zone on the 4th of July. and we'll have Fly Navarro on for a podcast coming into that. So stay posted. But Jeremy, I guess natural integration. Tell us about your fish this last week. So this last week in the Lolita, the boat I worked for, my owners are gracious enough to get in. They know we put the tournament on. They're totally supportive and supporting of it. It's me, my brother JD and my best friend, Brian Johnson. We were the founders of the Mongo and we also all three work on the Lolita. Katie (18:56.366) So my brother's a mate and Brian comes on for tournaments and it's been just a great team. We all get along so well. And so they're always gracious enough to, hey, we'll get into, you know, we never twist our arm or nothing. They like the idea, they like the format. And so they've got in every year and we've never weighed in on qualifying fish during that time for the Mongo. But this year, our first, actually it's our second trip of the season, but our first tournament of the year. fishing the hurricane open out of Grand Isle, Louisiana this past weekend. And we catch a 704 pounder, which is a nice one. It's 122 inches. It's our biggest one yet. And man, we are so ecstatic. Congratulations. It was money or no money. It's actually sort of special for my owners and my owner's family because they've had a camp on Grand Isle, Louisiana for they call it a camp. It's a beach house and it's nice beach house now, but. It was camp since the 50s, late 50s. This family has had many traditions of going down there and spending time together every summer. And it's been, you know, it's something where everybody can go and be around each other. And it's, they're a really close knit family anyway. And they fish the tarpaulios and fish some other things over the years, but they've never weighed anything huge there in Grand Isle. So this has always been like a dream of theirs. And to do it in Grand Isle just makes it that much more special. We didn't. Like I said, we want some money, but it wasn't about the money. It was about that memory that they got to make with their family members. And they brought their 90 year old grandfather down here to celebrate with us. And he's, you know, yeah, his wife was Lolita. She passed away, but that's had to name the boat after. So he was able to come down and celebrate. And it was just so special. It was really, really cool. And we're able to, you know, not only celebrate that fish and won some money with that fish and. Now we're on the board with the Mongo, which, you know, extra special for me, JD and Brian. I mean, it's really, really cool to be able to do that. But, but you reached out to us and now we were able to donate that fish to science, which is awesome. And we also flayed up a bunch of the meat. Everybody's sharing the meat. We actually, my brother's smoking some up, making some fish dip out of it. Yes. Smoked blue marlin. That's the way to do it. Yep. We got some, some art being made from it. you know, some, the bill and the tail and some prints. And so it's. Katie (21:19.758) It's not a wasted fish, it's a celebrated fish. And now we got, we had kids down there taking pictures with it. It's just inspiring kids. I mean kids, the thing is, is like what a lot of people don't realize is when these fish are brought back to the dock, like the kids that see it, it's such a lasting impression. Because I mean, even for the adults that have never seen anything like that, like to see a creature from the ocean, a fish from the ocean of that size and magnitude and what it takes. to bring something like that in and what type of possibilities there are out there. It just opens so many doors. And I'm really, I was really stoked when I reached out to you, you were all on board about the donating. And next, you guys, the next podcast is gonna be Jeremy Higgs over at the University of Southern Mississippi. And that's exactly who these samples are going to. So Jeremy, I had you like. what we cut the head and we kept some of the innards and we're going to get to age that fish and, and learn a lot about the reproduction and the phases of the fish. So it's blue marlin are females when they're of that size and they're going to get to do reproductive histology on there and we're going to learn a lot about it. And I just think it's so cool that you guys were on board and just sharing that on this podcast is so important because you know, when these fish are brought in, there's so much more that can be done with them than even just. you know, taking the tournament win. Like you said, I love that you're showcasing the celebration of that life. Tell us a story about catching the fish. Like what did it eat? And, yeah, so, we fished some, a very popular area called, we call it the ghetto. it's just, some shallow, well, it's not shallow. It's, it's close to land rigs. I guess you could say it's a, it's a rig that are the floating rigs that are closest to the Alabama line. We're fishing out of Louisiana, but everybody knows the ghetto. If you fish in the northern Gulf Coast, you know it's the ghetto. It's the Rampowl and Petronas and Marlin Rig and Horn Mountain. It's these rigs that's been there for years and years and years. Probably some of the early rigs that were floaters are the ghetto. And they've added on to them. And we got hundreds of rigs that we could choose from. So, ghetto's in the shallower waters. It's about 3 ,000 feet and it's working its way up the bank. And, Katie (23:37.07) I saw some good current in there, like a good eddy being built. We use Hilton's to do our research before we go to figure out exactly what the current's doing, the temperature's doing, and all that. We saw this eddy being formed in there, and I was like, man, it's got some good water pushing in there. Also, Bluefin was still open, so if we accidentally happened to catch one, it wasn't closed yet. It's like, all right, if we get one, we could probably take her home if she ends up. Accidentally, you know eating one of our live baits that we use for blue marlin which they do typically this time of year And then there's huge tune in that area this time of year had some reports today before Several boats catching actually one boat called a 200 pounder another boat called 185 pounder all in this area. Yep And then several boats have caught blue marlin over the last couple days. So I was like, all right, let's go in there most of the fleet's gonna go to greens Canyon another area south of Louisiana and Maybe it won't be as so many boats over there. Anyway, we made the call. Go over there. And the bait's a little hard to catch, a little concern. As we get there, the bait's really, really deep. Typically in the daytime, we're trolling around the rigs, try to catch live bait first to fill up our tubes. At nighttime, you're jigging, using butterfly jigs and whatnot around the oil rigs. They all come to the lights and usually up shallower. And you can jig them all night, fill up your tubes. But in the daytime, you've got to be a little creative and catch them on the troll. There was a lot of different techniques guys used, but they were really deep, really hard to catch. So we were like, all right, at least to the rigs that we stopped at. So we switched over to trolling. That first day we're trolling, nothing. We got to watch another boat that was live baiting catch a couple of fish. So we're like, all right, well, there's fish around. We'll load the tubes tonight and we'll start in the morning and do some live baiting. So we did that. We filled up our tubes at night at a rig and then pulled over to our first stop. It was a drill ship and first bait in the water. It was a porpoise. Porpoise came up and ate our bait and they just, they're so smart. Yeah. They hated this fisherman. They're beautiful, awesome creatures, but they came up. Yeah. You're fishing. Yeah. You don't want when they're eating your bait. They're amazing how they eat it too. They missed the hook. They know where the hook is. They bite it right behind and they just like suck out everything. You just, all you have left on your, on your hook is the head of your bait. And they did that like first, first bait in. Katie (25:57.678) Corpus and I'm marking someone's sonar and like these all look like porpoise to me. So let's let's just go. So we went three miles away to the next rig and there's nobody there. There was like four boats or five boats fishing with us at that first one. So there's multiple reasons why I wanted to leave. So we lit we left one over there and there's only other one ended up being one other boat fishing with us there and marked a couple in the sonar. We hooked one fish, jumped them off within like two minutes. It was a hindsight it was a male. It was a smaller fish. And we found that over the years that that'll happen a whole lot. You'll catch them. You'll catch a small one and you go back and catch the big one or you'll catch the big one and you go back and catch a small one. It seems like they run together this time of year. It's typical to find a big fish with a small fish or multiple. I'm so curious to find out if your fish was spawning. Multiple small fish. A lot of times. So anyway, I marked one, we hooked that one, lost it, put the baits back out, and I saw another mark going over to the rig. So we were using Omniso Nars. Actually, I'm using an MAQ. I love it. It's awesome. So we go over to the rig, put the baits out, drag it over top of it, and I lose the mark. I can't find it. And a lot of times that means they're coming up about to eat your bait. You know, you're in your prop watch or whatnot. Nothing. About five minutes goes by, I mark something else. up ahead of me so we pulled the boat up about maybe a football field's length and there she is. She eats the bait immediately, starts dumping it. What you have like a blackfin or bonita? Yep, that morning all we could call it was blackfin. A little football size maybe about that big. And yeah, Aida immediately dumped a bunch of line. We're using 130 class reels with 130 pound line on there. We do have backing and she... My angler gets in there, Jordan Womack, he fights it for two hours straight. A hot, hard fight. Not a whole lot of jumping, but just a ton of dogging, ton of left and right and down sea, up sea. The fish was crazy. Really, really strong fish. We got one look at it, like two jumps. There's a video we just put up there on Instagram yesterday. You can see the only two jumps. That's the only two times she came out of the water. And she doesn't really look that big in that video. She's pretty far away. And, Katie (28:17.134) We see it's a solid fish, but we get the measurement stick out, like, all right, it might be 112, we'll see. And then two hours into the fight after, he's like, all right, this fish is super strong. It's big. And then she sounds. Sounds all the way down to the bottom, way back into the backing. We're probably a thousand feet out of line in our angler's life. You guys, sounding is when, and correct me if I'm wrong, Jeremy, but sounding is when that fish goes essentially straight up and down and it's deep. Like it's just deep. A lot of times when they do that, we try to, captains call a lot of big blue marlin that try to tag and release them. You're trying to keep them up on top because the worst thing you want is from the sound because they'll die. Typically when they sound that deep, they're stroking out, they're giving out. That's all. If you keep them up top, you can usually tag them really quick and release them and be done. So she sounded and we're like, man, we're in for the long haul now. We're already two hours in, which is a long time. Yeah, usually tagging these fish. If we're tagging the fish, even the big ones, you can get them in 30 minutes, 45 minutes an hour. But anyway, sort of all like defeated after that point. my goodness, we're two hours in, we haven't really saw her again. She's sounded and way back into the backing, our angler is just like totally gassed. He's puking, he's puking all over himself. He's pale in the face. He's like a bodybuilder guy. His arms are shaking, his legs are shaking. So we've got to get him dehydrated, get him cooled down, pouring water all over him. And then the family's just totally around him. The team's just around, like, you're not quitting. You're staying in this. You're going to get this fish. Just totally positive talking, because he's like, I don't know if I can get this thing anymore. Yeah. I mean, he's done his thing. Yeah. So in that. When they do that, and she's done fighting, like she sounds and then it's done, done taking more line. We go to full drag and at that process you got to plane them up. You got to, you know, you're pulling forward, getting a little bit of scope in the line where the line starts coming up a little bit and you're backing down really hard, reeling that slack and then doing it again. So basically what your rod was doing before, the boat's doing now. So the boat's pulling up and then you're reeling down. You're pulling up, reeling down about 40, 50 feet at a time. So it takes another three hours to get that fish. Katie (30:32.782) Hold on, I want to pause you real quick. I really like that you brought up the planing and how it's done because a handful of times when we've been fishing, it's just a really important skill for captains, crews, and anglers to know. A lot of times it can even potentially save a fish. If you have a fish that gets tail wrapped early on in a fight and you're not going to be able to get its head turned. So tail wrapped is when the line's wrapped around the tail of the fish. And if you can't get its head turned, a lot of times that fish is just gonna be swimming down. But if you recognize it early on, if the angler and the captain recognize it early on, you guys can start planing that fish up and get it up to the boat before it dies. Because if it's tail wrapped and it gets pulled backwards for too long, it's gonna asphyxiate because it can't breathe. moving backwards. So planing is a really, really important skill in the field of ethical angling. And then of course, in situations like these where, where you have a deep fish that's just gone. And I mean, also when they're that big, it's really interesting, Jeremy, because when they're that big, it's almost like they can't fight as long as the smaller ones. Like, do you think that that plays a key, like a role in it? And what about the like, how, how warm was the water? I'm just curious. 77. That's pretty cool actually for Northern Gulf. Yeah. It'll warm up. I'm surprised. Yeah. It's, it's, it's been cut off from the loop current that area. So if you go down in greens, it's probably 79 now, somewhere around there. the loop current is probably 80, but you know, this current is down there in greens is probably that, but up, up where we're fishing is still a little cooler because it's sort of been cut off. it's getting most of its water from out in the canyon out to the east of it. And that water is all 76, 77. Is that pretty regular with the seasons? Sometimes that loop current, you look on Hilton's and watch it come up. It'll come up from the Yucatan, make a hard ride over towards Tampa and loop back down. And then off of that northern part, you'll get eddies that'll curl up into that Louisiana, Alabama area. And those eddies are bringing in that nice fresh nutrients that you want. You want that counterclockwise eddy that brings up fish, brings up all the nutrients from the bottom. And you got to... Katie (32:50.926) Clockwise, it's pushing everything down. Altimeter's down and it seems like everything's deeper. But yeah, this time of year, it'll be all sort of weird and squirrely. We always like to fish after a really big storm, like a big south pushing storm. A lot of south wind, southeast wind. Sort of like the pocket and people are familiar with Chubb and down there. Anytime you've got something pushing everything into the shallow water, it seems to get better in there. And that near that shallower water just sort of stacks everything up. So we like doing that. but it was, you know, the, anyway, there's fish in there. There's fish everywhere. People caught fish this weekend all over the place. We were just sort of right place, right time. And then we're capitalized once we did get that fish on, everybody worked together as a good team. And, you know, we didn't make any mistakes. If we would have made a mistake, we would have lost that fish. Cause once we got that fish in the hook was hooked outside end, which is. already hard, you know, you lose them right at the beginning. It's probably when he chased that circle hook, when he was, when he was chasing that blackfin, that blackfin probably swirled around his head weird, got him somehow. And then that hook was hooked to the outside end. So when he came in, you could grab the hook and it just went, doop, it like barely came out. And then we had like two wraps, we had like two wraps around the tail that probably saved us, you know, saved that fish, you know, saved us getting that fish. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, because if it would have been hooked outside in and he sounded and we'd just been pulling him up like this, it would eventually just work this pulled it out because it just and then she would have died in vain. Yeah. And then it starts with ater and nobody got to celebrate. Yeah. All that. So yeah, it was really special the way it worked out. So many so many things worked in its way. It was a blessing for sure. Were y 'all surprised when she came? when y 'all got her up and she was 122 inches long? Yes, well, actually she popped up way far away. So, you know, we're playing in and once you get them up, you're playing in a dead fish up from that deep. Once you get up to like 200 feet above that thermocline, they'll just pop up and she popped up. Interesting. Yeah, she popped up probably 200 feet away. And so when she popped up tail first, we probably we knew that she was probably tail wrapped, but we didn't know it popped up tail wrap. Our hearts sort of sank. man, I hope she ain't like a 400 pounder, you know. Katie (35:07.438) come up tail up tail up. And then we, you know, now this is all sort of sucks, you know, we don't, we don't win nothing. And you know, we just killed a smaller fish. So she popped up tail up and we saw the tail sticking out of the water and we're getting back and down, back and down to the fish that JD can grab the leader, pull her over and the tail gets bigger and she gets longer. And we're like, okay, all right. And then JD gets her boat side and we're like, holy moly. Nobody says anything to each other until we, until we get her, you can watch that video. We're getting her in a boat. Brian and Ryan, the owner, start pulling her to boat and they get her in and then everybody's like, whoa. You know, we didn't want to say anything. Exhale. Yeah, exhale. And then we measured her. Yeah, we knew she was big and then we measured her and now she's a mongo. You know, now she's over one eighteen. We're like, yeah, we're high five. And it was so awesome. It was very, very special. We've killed it. We've killed a fish with these owners a few years ago, but it wasn't a mongo. It was like a five forty or five. 30 or something like that we caught in Blocsie. Which length was approximately? It was like 112, 113 I think was the length. Yeah you guys 118 is a really damn big fish. Yeah. Like it's a big fish. A special fish. In 122. Yes. Exactly. Exactly. And I, in the video, I mean it looked like you guys didn't even have a flying gaff out. Like you all just had your tuna gaff. Yeah we did have a flyer out. We decided we didn't need it once we got boat sided and we just stick it. regular stick gaff in there, straight gaff. And we did that and then we'd just get a new surround her, around her bill and then we were able to sort of guide her in that way. But yeah, it worked out really, really good that way. It was cool. It was very, very special fish. And then now it's like the dilemma of, all right, did we stay out here? The fishing's good. We ain't got a tuna yet. We came out here for a big tuna too. And we made the decision of going on in. So we... because we're in the Mongo. Because now we're gonna lose, we didn't want to lose any weight. And we wanted to explain how you lose weight. So a lot of times on the deck, they'll just lose weight. They're losing fluids the whole time, blood and other things. And we didn't have that many holes in her, but we had a couple of holes in her. A lot of times they'll just lose weight sitting on the deck. And it kept on going through our minds like, man, if she is a Mongo, she's still got, we got all season for 88 teams to try to beat her. Katie (37:30.414) But if we lose by like two or three pounds, we're going to be hitting ourselves in the face for not taking it. It's only three hours away to the weigh station. So it's a fast boat. So we go. And our plans are to come out either later that evening or that night and try to get a tuna. And we get in. We have a couple of mechanical issues I'm a little nervous about. So we decide not to go out. We just hung her up. We're 700 pounds. We're all having a great time. to see if somebody else can beat her. So nobody else beat her and we won that weekend tournament, which we're super excited about. And then, congratulations. See what happens in the market. Now it gives us a little bit later. You know, it was the 118 everybody was shooting for now it's a 700 pounder set by shooting for. So what is that? I don't know. It could be a 118, a really fat one, but typically probably, you know, that probably is going to save a few fish of being killed is in our thoughts, unless it's in a weekend tournament, you know, if it's on a fun trip, they're going to think twice about killing if it's. you know, 600 pound or something like that. So, yeah, that's cool. Which is really cool. Yeah. Question, what are some like when you're bringing a fish back to the dock and you want to make sure that it's not losing weight, like what are, what are ways that you can help mitigate that? Like, do you have any techniques that you or tips that you want to share? Yeah. So, at least knowledge that I've learned from, from other captains is, we haven't done it yet on. on length, but to keep length you want to keep them wet. Not necessarily cold, but wet to keep their length. So a lot of weekend tournaments, it might be 110 and you have 112 sitting on the deck. Two days later, that thing could be 110, you know, or 109. They could lose an inch or two pretty easily. And there's plenty of stories of guys catching a legal fish and getting back to dock and it's not legal anymore. So that's a bummer. So a lot of captains... found that you keep them wet with towels and that'll keep their length. Not sure about the way that is. Yeah. Is like their skin will shrink up. That skin is so it's very similar to Wahoo skin. Right. And even though the scales are different, very different, but it'll like it'll shrink up as it dries. So keeping them wet will keep them. There's like a lot of like. Katie (39:54.99) ends and outs of it, right? Like I just, okay. So just to clear the air here, I haven't been a really around fisheries that kill fish. you know, my blue Marlin, my predominant blue Marlin experience was in the fat fishery of Costa Rica, which is all catch and release because they're small fish. And then, we were fishing in Madeira for the big one, but we never saw her. So I've heard a lot of stories and like, of fish like coming back to the dock and people saying they were stretched, fish coming back to the dock, people saying that they, you know, put water in their bellies or whatever. what, like there's, there's definitely things you can and cannot do to keep these fish the way they should be as well as like the word mutilation. Can you, can you expand on that for me? Yeah. So in our tournament, in the Mongo, we def on a weekend tournaments. So say you catch your fish in a weekend, we defer to that tournament. So if it's dequeued in that weekend tournament, it's dequeued in the Mongo. If it counts, it counts. In our rules, we do Spirit of IGFA. So mutilated fish are not counted. Mutilation is something that impairs its ability to fight, its ability to swim. So if you back over it a little too hard and chop its tail off or chop something up with your propellers, it's not going to count. It's part of the game. It's shark bit. It's not going to count. We accept cookie cutter sharks because that could have been done months or years ago. Cookie cutter sharks will take like a little round bite out. You'll catch a swordfish and it'll have several of them in there a lot of times as cookie cutter sharks. So we'll accept those, but yeah, if it's a five tiger or something on the way up, then we don't count that. We count that as a mutilated fish. Unless that tournament that you're fishing in accepts it. then we'll count it because we defer to them. But yeah, I mean, you know, people have, yeah, we hear those stories too. I mean, same thing in the freshwater world, people putting leads in their stomachs and, you know, all kinds of stuff to try to win. So we, in the Mongo, we have some checks and balances in there. Sometimes we have the ability to cut that fish open at the dock and check its innards. And we have to have two witnesses that weren't on the boat to witness you weigh that fish. And... Katie (42:19.758) lie detector test for the winners. So we have some things built in to try to keep the confidence high that somebody isn't going to cheat. And a lot of it's peer enforced. If you're in this private industry of sport fishing and you're caught cheating, you go find another career. Yeah, you're not going to get another job. After your black eye, bloody nose heals, go find another job. you don't want to, nobody's going to accept you if you get caught cheating. So it's a lot of it is peer enforced, at least that fear of, you know, so hoping, you know, somebody that didn't want to go on their morals, there's some fear involved as well of getting caught cheating. So, you know, not saying people don't try, but we, we, we try to build some safe, some safe holds in there to keep people from doing it, at least thinking twice. Yeah, that's great. But yeah, and we like to keep them cold. You know, if they're big, big enough fish to weigh, the weigh in, we want to, try to donate that meat. So we like to keep them cold, wrap them up in a fish bag, put as much meat, much ice in there as you can, keep them wet as well. If you keep them bad and cold, he's going to stay long and you're going to get some meat and you can donate out of it. And people eat them in Hawaii all the time. They eat them in all these other islands all the time. I mean, it's not like the best table fare. It's not like we're going to, I'm, you know, let's go catch them all in a day so we can feed the family. But if you do catch them all in a day, she dies. It is edible. We have some especially smoked. Like we really like it. I've smoked Marlin on a bagel. Yeah. Yeah. I've had some smoked taco or some fish taco, Marlin tacos or they're fine. Yeah. You can dress it up and it's totally edible meat. but, we have some, some charities that we sit that we work with and the golf, golf coast, feeding the golf coast and different charities like that. that if a fish does come in the mongo and wait in one of our waste stations, we have outlet to get rid of that meat. A lot of times you'll have to flay that meat up and bag it up, but that's not a big deal. And then you just put those bags in the freezer or wherever and we'll have those cherries come up and pick it up. And they'll donate it to, if it's edible for human consumption, they'll donate it to some homeless shelters and whatnot, but also some zoos and things like that will take it for their tigers and their different. Burning sanctuaries. Yep, yep. So there, you know. Katie (44:38.158) alligator farm. How cool that you guys have like have thought all that yeah alligator farms for sure thought all of that out at your way stations like okay when we bring this fish back like I just love that you're obviously so sustainably minded. Yeah yeah yeah future conservation minded you know it's making choices you know make make your choice because if you want your kids to do this you know try to take some responsibility you know. Nobody loves Marlin more than Marlin fishermen. There's a bunch of fish huggers out there. Why in the world are you killing a fish? my goodness, neanderthals. Well, nobody loves them more than we do. I feel like we've hugged more Marlin. Yeah, we've hugged way more Marlin than y 'all have. And nobody raises more. Nobody raises more money to protect them, to research for them. We buy fishing licenses. That money goes to help all of it. So I love it when people... And the money we put into the communities. Yeah, I love it when people in all the comment sections, they all have an opinion and you go look them up and they're living in Iowa somewhere and never even seen a blue marlin. They have no idea what they're talking about. So nobody loves marlin more than marlin fishermen. We want them around. And yes, we try to take efforts to promote. people want them around more. We kill a few extra fish a year, but all under that minimum. We're allowed 250 per year. National Marine fisheries, white and blue marlin, and if there's an extra three or four killed in the mongo, and they're all huge fish, and they're all celebrated and all that, I think it's good. I don't think it's hurting anything. If anything, it's helping the industry, all the money that's raised from marlin fishermen, bringing new little junior anglers into it. Like you said, with... Like you said, with kids taking photos and stuff like that at Grand Isle this past weekend, there was a line of people, like literally after we took our photos, our team photos, there was like a line, like a single line of probably 15, 20 people waiting to take their picture with this fish that they only know who we are. They don't, you know, they're gonna take a picture with this fish so they can send it to their family members. I mean, very, very cool. Look at this. Yeah, so cool. Yeah, very cool. Did you even know this animal existed out there? Right. Yeah, and also like this, you know, Katie (46:54.286) Another way giving back to the fishery and the communities is the science. The science we're getting from it. These fish are known as rare event species and you and I can both testify to that. And they're really hard to get. They're very expensive to go after. And the scientists, the schools that are studying them to make sure that they are sustainably managed, that they are cared for correctly, that they are going to be in the lives of our children and our children's children in the future. they don't have the funding to be able to catch them themselves. And the fact that we have fishing teams that want to bring them back and take integrity and donate responsibility and donate these specimens to the science labs. I mean, USM was so stoked on y 'all's fish. Like it was, they were just so excited. USM, the Bill Fish Foundation, they were just really excited. So like you said, no one loves marlin more than marlin fishermen. It's just, it's a fact. exactly. And really cool fish. Yeah. And I've, I've even heard of people like, you know, we don't catch them as big as they, you know, y 'all are killing the stock. Well, think of all the records has been set in the last couple of years. All right. So last year, the biggest fish that's ever been recorded in the Gulf of Mexico was called in October, 1145 pounds. I see three years ago. Yeah. And days after he's one of our boys, he's one of our boys. He's, he's like one of the original supporters of the Mongo. Captain Chris Moat, he's an amazing fisherman loves blue morn fishing is really really good at it and Man, that would have been so special if it was caught two weeks prior to that. But yeah, so Yeah, so that's a golf record. I mean biggest one in the golf And then what what was Duffy's fish like four years ago the you know, 1 ,100 pounds caught in Maryland? All right, and then two years before that, Big Rock had the biggest ones ever caught in Big Rock. I mean, we're, the fish are still here. They're good. You know, we need to continue to take care of them and grow them, but they're not, we're not, we still have those old man in the sea photos. That's what the Mongo logo is about is staying inside that amazing fish. Well, there's proof that they're still out there. I mean, that just proved it. So yeah. That's so cool. I want to get into the live baiting. Katie (49:19.534) I want to get into why it's challenging to catch live bait in the Gulf of Mexico. So when we were in Costa Rica, I keep bringing this up, but we were bait and switch fishing predominantly, which you guys, that's teaser fishing. And if a fish shows up behind the teaser, we take the teaser away and then we present them with a dead bait with a circle hook in it. Right? And then we generally get a really active aggressive bite. It's a good feed, good hook set. That's all she wrote. But we were catching our bait out there. It was Bonita and they're prolific. They're just prolific. And I've heard that catching bait in the Gulf of Mexico is a very different experience. You've already touched on how the bait was real deep on this last trip and y 'all were struggling on catching bait. A lot of times you guys will have a little bit of an easier time catching bait at night, but then you're catching bait at night and losing some very valuable sleep. as well as, you know, those bait, they go deep during, during the day because the water can get so warm. So let, can you, can you give us a little bit of Intel into how you keep your tuna tubes, what tuna tubes are and how you keep them full and what your, your best care and strategy tips are? Yeah. So that's definitely progressed over the years. I remember live baiting in like 2005 and six, somewhere around there was my first time. was fishing on a boat with a really experienced captain that was really, really good at it. And they didn't even have tubes yet, but he live baited a lot. So he basically catches bait, put it right back out. Might even get a little creative and catch a bait and keep them close on a little leash in the water. Literally, that's your live bait tube, just keep them in the water on like a little leash with a little hook through his or a clip through his nose. Whatever, get creative to keep at least one in the quiver, to put one back out. But there's... caught a lot of fish by catching them and then hooking them up, putting them right back out and then doing well that way. But obviously if you can have a quiver of baits so when you get sharks or a barracuda eats it or a porpoise eats it, now you got to go catch more bait again. So now became the tuna tube. So it started out with boats getting two or three on there and now you'll have boats with 20 on there. We have 16 on our, so obviously the more tubes you have. Katie (51:46.094) The more bait you can have, the longer you can go without having to go try to catch bait again. So 16 tubes, man, that's been a whole progression as well of how do you keep 16 fish alive? So you have to have a lot of water flow. So there's a lot of techs and all kinds of science and mechanics and figuring out how much flow and how to get the best flow. And do you want bubbles and not bubbles? And where do you put your through hole? I mean, there's so much that goes into it. And every boat's different and all that. So anyway, over the last five or six years, it's very common to buy your boat. If you're building a brand new boat, say Vikings building your boat, and you can get your tubes installed at factory or right, you know, maybe you'll refit it when you get it down to South Florida. And there's a couple of guys that specialize in that and they'll refit your boat before you even go pick it up. You go pick up your boat and you got your sonar and your tubes. And those are primarily golf boats. Golf boats, we have tubes. If you don't have tubes, you're probably not fishing in the Gulf. So not competitively. Yes. And there's a lot of guy dredging now doing phenomenal. The guys that are really good at dredging still catch tons of fish, but a lot of that's on standups. Are you going to kill that? Those are your tag release guys. So the guys that are trying to catch the big one are live baiting primarily. And then you want them on a circle hook rather than have them on a J hook. because man, all the things didn't go wrong with a J hook. So, circle hook is a really good way of catching a big fish and being able to fight it through and land it. So, yeah, so typical day is, you know, if we're showing up, you know, tournaments leaving in the Gulf, you're leaving at like 10 a 11 a you're running out to your oil rig that you've picked, or you might stop on the way, some guys stop on the way at some bottom spots and pick up some bonito. A lot of times the bonito will hold up over a natural reef. or a shallow water oil rig and picking up some bonitas first. Bonitas are usually shallower where we live and as you get out you'll start getting to the black fin and the yellow fin and there's some skipjack and things like that. Yellowtail, or not yellowtail but rainbow runners. Things like that you can catch out there too. But you're trying to catch them trolling. Some people fish on the surface for them. The guys are figured out the getting deep, getting creative. Katie (54:07.502) how to get down deep with planers or downriggers or whatnot to get down deep to where they're at. And then all kinds of different things you can catch them on, little squid imitations or minnow limitations or spoons and all kinds of different ways. You're making them on daisy chains and figuring out a way to get those fish to eat, those little baits, and then you're bringing them up, putting them in your tubes. Once you get your tubes full, you go fishing. And then some guys, while they're fishing, they got a guy on the bow with these sea keepers. That's a whole nother thing. You got a guy, these sea keepers, if it's relatively calm, they're up there casting the popper, casting little plugs, little jigs to try to catch. You got one guy who's just a bait fisherman on your bow while everybody's fishing in the back. Try to continue. That's how important the bait is. You got to have that fresh bait. So yeah, you load your baits and then you're fishing, looking with sonars. Before sonars, we just all... stayed up on the up current side of the rig. A lot of times that up current side is where the marlins will be because the school of tuna typically swims around in circles on the up current side. My theory is it's easier for them to get back to safety. If they got to swim down sea to get back to safety, it's a lot easier than having to swim up sea to get back to safety. It's like a bass or anything. Yeah, it's like a minnow or anything else. or a reef fish, they're gonna swim back. So the upcurrent side will be the busy side. That's where most of your tunas are. That's where most of your predators are is upcurrent of them. So now it's easier for them to catch fish if they're swimming down sea versus having to swim into the current. That's how I figured it. So yeah, so that's the way we used to do before sonar, but now sonar's changing the game. Now it used to be, all right, and I'm gonna sit there with baits on the water while I'm sonar fishing, looking for something to troll over at two knots, my live bait's over to that mark. But now a lot of guys aren't even putting a bait in the water until they mark a fish because they've gotten so confident in their sonar abilities to find that fish. Don't even put a bait out until they're right on top of that fish. All right, deploy. Put your baits in the water. There he is. A lot of guys are getting really good at doing that. You can tell who's good at doing that. Wow. Just watch three tournaments. And if a guy's winning or placing in each one of those three or two of those three, Katie (56:16.27) that guy is a really good sonar fisherman because that's what he's doing. He's not waiting on chance and you know, just maybe official swim by this current side. He's, he's literally feeding that fish. It's almost like teasing that fish, but you know, you don't have to tease them. Just drop a bait on it and he'll come up and eat it. Cause I think the prop wash and all that makes them think that the feeding friends of the year, whatever, at least they're paying attention to what's going on with that prop wash up there. Yeah. So it's definitely progressing. It's, it's changed. It's like every five years something different and people are getting really good at that and then five years have changed and it's something people get really good at that. But that's the thing now, the successful captains that are, especially with numbers of fish are doing is not even putting a bait in the water until. So now you don't have to bait fish near as much because you're not killing so many baits. You're not wasting them whether tiring them out or you're getting shark aid or we get a lot of sharks, a lot of barracus, a lot of porpoise around them. these rigs too. So yeah, so daytime you're trolling for them, playing in whatever you got to do. At nighttime you're jigging and jigging is pretty easy. Once you find them, at nighttime you can load your tubes and usually 30, 45 minutes you'll have some bite, you know, you'll have some eating by sharks and whatnot. Sometimes it's frustrating, if it's really rough it's sort of hard to hold up sometimes. But yeah, loading them up and then you're ready to go and definitely lose some sleep. Some guys are bringing an extra guy, just like a night driver. You know, that way he's fresh, doesn't at least not run into the rig in the middle of the night, 3 a trying to hold

Leveraging the next generation's digital skill sets, comfort with technology and innovation is key to the Marine Corps' vision for its future software-savvy workforce. Lt. Col. Charlie Bahk, director of the Marine Corps Software Factory launched last year, tells GovCIO Media and research at AFCEA West that “all you have to do is just kind of get out of the way a little bit.” Bahk also discusses the evolution of the Marine Corps Software Factory as it nears its one-year anniversary, challenges he foresees in developing software capabilities for warfighters and the value of collaboration and resourcefulness in software development.

Parkside Marketplace, a 52,948-square-foot shopping center on West Broad Street across from Innsbrook, has been sold by Washington, D.C.-based Stavins & Axelrod to Northpond Partners for .35 million. It is the first acquisition made by the new 0 million evergreen investment vehicle focused on retail centers in the Southeast and select Sunbelt markets. The shopping center is 98% leased to a diverse mix of tenants that includes West Marine, Five Guys, AT&T, and M&T Bank. The 26 tenants have an average tenure of 15 years. “We've been pleasantly surprised by the number of potential centers available to our new fund....Article LinkSupport the show

Ken interviews Jeanne Jackson for this Flight of The Retail Pilot.Jeanne P. Jackson is CEO of a private equity and consulting firm that she founded in 2002, MSP Capital. In 2018, she retired from Nike, Inc. after 16 years, serving first as a Board member for 7 years, then stepping into successive roles inside the Company as President, then Senior Advisor to the CEO. She recently retired from the Board of Directors of McDonalds, Inc., where she served since 1999, holding positions as Chair of the Compensation Committee, Chair of the Finance Committee, and member of the Governance Committee. She also recently retired from the Board of Kraft-Heinz, Inc., having served with Kraft Inc., since 2012, through the sale to a Warren Buffett/3G led Heinz, and staying with the combined Kraft Heinz entity until her retirement in May. She served on the Audit Committee and the Corporate Governance Committee. She serves currently as Director for Monster Beverages, Inc., and Delta Airlines,Inc., on both Finance and the People and Compensation Committees. In the past, Ms. Jackson has also served on the Boards of Nordstrom, Inc., Nike, Inc., Harrah's Inc., Motorola Mobility Inc. (through its sale to Google), Williams-Sonoma, Inc., CRS Inc., and West Marine, Inc. Ms. Jackson has previously served as the Chief Executive Officer and President of Wal-Mart.com USA, LLC , President and Chief Executive Officer of Banana Republic, a Division of Gap, Inc., while simultaneously as President and Chief Executive Officer for Gap Inc.'s Direct division. Prior to Gap, Inc., Ms. Jackson held various retail and consumer Brand management positions with Victoria's Secret, The Walt Disney Company, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Federated Department Stores.Ms. Jackson has served on the Board of Advisors of the Harvard Graduate School of Business, and University of California, Irvine Merage School of Business. She is the Past President of the United States Ski and Snowboard Foundation Board of Trustees, and served on numerous Community Boards. She is currently a member of the International Women's Forum of Las Vegas, and has, in the past, been recognized by Business Week as “One of the Year's 25 Best Managers,” by Fortune as one of “The Most Powerful Women in Business,” and by Ad Age as one of “The Most Powerful Women in Sports.” Ms. Jackson holds a BS from the University of Colorado, and an MBA from Harvard's Graduate School of Business Administration.Key takeaways from the podcast highlight Jeanne Jackson's impactful career in retail, showcasing her leadership skills, strategic thinking, and contributions to transforming and growing iconic brands.1.    Transformation of Banana Republic: Jeanne Jackson reflects on her leadership at Banana Republic, where she took the brand from being perceived as a stepchild to becoming a formidable brand within the Gap portfolio. This transformation involved assembling a high-quality team and pushing against opposition to lead the brand into the e-commerce space.2.    Transition to Retail Career: Jeanne's journey into retail wasn't initially planned. She had intended to enter the consumer packaged goods industry but was convinced by someone in the retail sector, Frank Arnone, to explore a career in retail. This encounter shifted her trajectory, leading her to successful roles at various retail companies.3.    Learning and Leadership Development: Jeanne attributes her leadership skills to lifelong learning and accumulating experiences. From her early exposure to extemporaneous speaking in high school to her experiences in business school, including the Harvard Business School method's case study approach, she developed the ability to assimilate data quickly and make decisions convincingly.4.    Selecting Board Positions: Jeanne shares her approach to selecting board positions, emphasizing a deep understanding and passion for the brand. She believes in contributing meaningfully to the boards she joins, bringing strategic thinking, leadership, and a clear path to impact. She emphasizes the importance of diversity in the boardroom.5.    Career Highlights at Banana Republic and Nike: Jeanne expresses pride in her work at Banana Republic and Nike. At Banana Republic, she played a crucial role in turning the brand into a significant player within the Gap portfolio and was an early advocate for embracing e-commerce. Her time at Nike involved joining the company's board and later leading the direct-to-consumer business, significantly impacting the company's trajectoryin that space.6.    Consumer Focus from Disney: Jeanne Jackson highlights the importance of consumer focus, a core competency she developed during her time at Disney. The strategic work at Disney emphasized understanding how consumers felt about the brand, their interactions, and motivations. This consumer-centric approach became foundational in her subsequent roles at companies like Victoria's Secret, Banana Republic, and Nike.7.    E-commerce Motivation: Jeanne Jackson explains the motivation behind embracing e-commerce during her time at Nike. She observed the high consumer demand in San Francisco, attributed to the availability of broadband. Recognizing that consumers would want to buy products online, the decision was made to meet consumers where they were and be ready for a broader audience as broadband adoption increased nationwide.8.    Technology as a Base Level: According to Jackson, technology is a crucial aspect of any business strategy, especially in the realm of e-commerce. She emphasizes that technology is a baseline requirement for running a successful e-commerce business, covering aspects like quick checkout, easy navigation, and efficient inventory management.9.    AI in Retail: Jeanne Jackson acknowledges the significance of artificial intelligence (AI) in retail. She anticipates that AI will bring another level of capability to the retail industry, and those who neglect its integration may miss out on valuable opportunities. The discussion also touches on the potential impact of AI on job roles, with Jackson suggesting that while some roles may be replaced, there could be opportunities for higher efficiency and smarter use of human resources.10. Evolution of Retail: The conversation delves into the evolving landscape of retail, with a focus on digitally native brands. Jackson expresses excitement about these brands that have captured consumer attention, especially those that emerged or gained momentum during the pandemic. The discussion highlights the changing strategies of brands, including considerations of omni-channel approaches and the exploration of various channels to reach customers, even mentioning the challenges and uncertainties associated with selling on platforms like Amazon.

Back in 1993, Don Alvarez was an auditor with Deloitte's San Francisco office when specialty retailer and coveted client company West Marine went public. For Alvarez, the day began with WM's management explicating the novel steps behind pricing its offering, which was followed by the requisite trip to a Bay Area printer. The long day turned into a long night, so there was little hesitation on Alvarez's part when West Marine's CFO offered him a lift back to the accounting house's office.  Still, the night would turn out to have even more to offer the young auditor. Alvarez remembers that as they were arriving in downtown San Francisco at about 2:00 a.m., WM's CFO suddenly pulled his car over to the curb and turned to him.    Recalls Alvarez: “He looked at me and said, ‘I am now the CFO of a public company and I have no talent in my organization with public company experience—will you come and work for me?'”  Looking back, Alvarez reports that he did not hesitate to issue a “yes” right on the spot, which was a welcome reply that put in motion a formal job offer that allowed him to land inside the retailer's controller office in the following January. Of course, the retail landscape was about to be altered as Amazon (established in 1994) and other shopping destinations began to appear online.   “I heard Amazon coming, loud and clear,” notes Alvarez, who would exit WM in 2007 to step into the CFO office at a dotcom retailer known as FatBrain.com. “We were selling technical reference books on the Internet, whereas Amazon was selling all books,” remarks Alvarez, who adds that he was only 32 when he became FatBrain.com's 30th employee hire. “We were told that we would be taking the company public in 18 months, and instead we took it public in about nine,” comments Alvarez, who still marvels at the notion of an economy where capital seemed to be available around every corner. Says Alvarez: “I remember being chastised by a venture capitalist because I was too prudent with money—he gave me a lecture on how these were unprecedented times and all that we needed to do is spend, spend, spend.” –Jack Sweeney

KGMI's Joe Teehan talks to Dave Tucker from the Industrial Workers of the World about workers at West Marin in Bellingham deciding to unionize.

In der Mittagsfolge sprechen wir heute mit Christoph Jenny, Co-Founder von Planted, über die erfolgreich abgeschlossene Series-B-Finanzierungsrunde in Höhe von 70 Millionen Euro. Planted stellt Fleisch aus alternativen Proteinen her und verwendet dafür einen neuartigen Biostructuring-Ansatz, der Proteinstrukturierung und Biotechnologie kombiniert. So können alternative Proteine in jeder Größe, Form sowie Faserung hergestellt werden, sodass selbst größere Fleischstücke mit komplexer Struktur, Textur, Saftigkeit und Zartheit in der Produktpalette zu finden sind. Die biostrukturierten Proteine könnten laut der Vision des Startups zukünftig tierisches Fleisch in Bezug auf Geschmack, Nachhaltigkeit, Gesundheit, Produktivität und Preis schlagen. Planted verwendet ausschließlich natürliche Zutaten und verzichtet auf Zusatzstoffe. Alle Produkte werden in einer transparenten Glashaus-Produktion in Kemptthal produziert. Die Produktionskapazität liegt hier mittlerweile bei einer Tonne Fleisch pro Stunde. Neben der Schweiz ist das Fleisch auch in Deutschland, Österreich, Frankreich, Italien und in Großbritannien in Restaurants und im Einzelhandel erhältlich. Zudem liefert Planted über den eigenen Webshop europaweit an Endkundinnen und -kunden. Das FoodTech wurde im Jahr 2019 als Spin-Off der Eidgenössischen Technischen Hochschule von Christoph Jenny, Eric Stirnemann, Lukas Böni und Pascal Bieri in Zürich gegründet. Mittlerweile beschäftigt Planted mehr als 65 Mitarbeitende in den Bereichen Forschung, Technik und Produktentwicklung. Das Jungunternehmen belegte 2021 den ersten Platz bei den TOP 100 Swiss Startup Awards. In einer Series-B-Finanzierungsrunde hat das Schweizer Startup nun 70 Millionen Euro unter der Führung von L Catterton eingesammelt. Seit 1989 haben die Fonds von L Catterton mehr als 250 Investitionen in dem Bereich der Konsumgüter getätigt. Das verwaltete Vermögen des Wagniskapitalgebers liegt bei rund 30 Milliarden US-Dollar. Zum Portfolio gehören u.a. Better, PatientPoint, Dragonfly, Canida, Ganni, Pinarello, Truck Hero, West Marine, Ideal Image, Alliance Animal Health, Kodiak, Bartaco, John Hardy, Bliss, Dentalcorp und Birkenstock. Planted möchte mit dem frischen Kapital die Einführung einer neuen Produktlinie für sogenannte Whole Cuts, wie beispielsweise einer pflanzlichen Hühnerbrust, sowie die weitere internationale Expansion und die Erhöhung der Produktionskapazität vorantreiben. One more thing wird präsentiert von OMR Reviews – Finde die richtige Software für Dein Business. Wenn auch Du Dein Lieblingstool bewerten willst, schreibe eine Review auf OMR Reviews unter https://moin.omr.com/insider. Dafür erhältst du einen 20€ Amazon Gutschein.

6 places other than the big marine store names that we've found excellent materials for boat projects.  Links (Amazon links are affiliate links, meaning that The Boat Galley Podcast earns from qualifying purchases; some other links may be affiliate links): Defender  West Marine  Hamilton Marine Fisheries Supply  Jamestown Distributors  Blog post on Using Ebay Successfully  Hodges Marine  GPS4US  Home Depot  Lowes  Nica email  Carolyn email  Subscribe to the Boat Galley Newsletter!  Today's episode of The Boat Galley Podcast is sponsored by TeakGuardProducts.com. Looking to refinish your boat's teak with a minimum of mess and fuss? Look no further! Our non-toxic, water-based formulas for cleaning and finish will turn your teak from dingy to sparkling in no time. Use coupon code BG20 for 15% off your order of $50 or more. TeakGuard - admire your teak with less maintenance. Click to see all podcast sponsors, past and present. Music: “Slow Down” by Yvette Craig  

On this fishing report, Joe Baya talks fishing with some of the best anglers on the Florida Panhandle. This week, our expert contributors are Brandon Barton, Capt. Adam Peeples, and Blake Nelson. Plus, Butch Thierry, host of the Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report, join the show to talk with Erik Rimblas, the Regional VP of West Marine, as he explains products and habits to manage seasickness. Enjoy the show. This Report is Presented By: Angelo DePaola - The Coastal Connection - eXp Realty Check Out The Best Regional Fishing Tournaments on Fishing Chaos Sponsors: Boaters List Photonis MB Ranch King Blinds Hunting Exchange Fishing Chaos Buck's Island Hilton's Real-Time Navigator Test Calibration Dixie Supply / Baker Metal Works SunSouth Fishbites Great Days Outdoors Killerdock National Land Realty

On this report, Butch Thierry and guest co-host Patric Garneson talk Lower Alabama fishing tips and tales with some of the best anglers on the Alabama Gulf Coast. Our expert contributors this week are Capt. Bobby Abruscato, Capt. Dusty Hayes, and Capt. Kendall Annan. Plus, Joe Baya, host of the Northwest Florida Fishing Report, joins the show to talk with Erik Rimblas, the Regional VP of West Marine, as he explains products and habits to manage seasickness. Enjoy the show. This Report is Presented By: Angelo DePaola - The Coastal Connection - eXp Realty Check Out The Best Regional Fishing Tournaments on Fishing Chaos Please subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts and if you'd like us to email you the podcast, just head over to greatdaysoutdoors.com/asfr, and we'll send you the new show each week. Check Out The NEWEST WAY To Get Your Fishing Reports: TEXT "fishing" to 314-665-1767 Keep Whackin'em! //////////// Sponsors: Buck's Island Marina MB Ranch King Blinds Test Calibration Photonis SunSouth Dixie Supply & Baker Metal Works CCA Alabama Angelo Depaola EXP Realty "The Coastal Connection" KillerDock Fishbites National Land Realty- Gulf Coast Office Hilton's Offshore Charts Great Days Outdoors Foster Contracting

This week's host, Ryan Foland, is joined by Chuck Hawley to discuss being a first-timer, safety tips, and the joys of sailing. Chuck was Chairman of the US Sailing Safety-at-Sea Committee, has sailed over 40,000 miles on a range of vessels, and worked for West Marine for over 30 years. Hear how to approach your first offshore race, why it's okay to be intimidated, how to find your community of sailors, West Coast vs. East Coast sailing, and how Chuck turned a depressing race into a joyful journey. Learn more by checking out the Safety-at-Sea Committee or emailing Chuck

Capt. Carlos (Founder of Marea Fishing Gear), shares his insights and how to follow your passion and begin building a brand in the fishing industry. After numerous years in working with major speciality retailers & publications such as Bass Pro Shops, West Marine, and Florida Sport Fishing Magazine, Carlos happily provides some of the key factors and decisions that can lead you to ultimate fishing & life happiness. Click the links below to our other channels and stay connected! Marea Fishing Gear Youtube Instagram Facebook --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/marea-gear/support

Ashlee Aldridge has helped many huge companies like DSW, Restoration Hardware, West Marine, and Zales grow and implement new strategies. Now, she's turning her focus to smaller businesses. Managing Partner & CEO of Reach Partners, Ashlee is spearheading the reachXOD program to bring transformational business advice to contractors big and small.

Today's guest is Bruckner Chase. Bruckner is an internationally recognized ocean advocate and professional waterman. He's also an accomplished ultra-endurance athlete whose athletic career spans the most challenging events in water and on land. His 25-mile swim across Monterey Bay in 2010 launched both the BLUE Ocean Film Festival and his own career committed to moving others to sustainable action that benefits our oceans. Prior to this commitment to bettering our oceans, Bruckner was a corporate executive who worked in international project and brand development for companies such as Abercrombie & Fitch and West Marine. Today, as founder and President of the Bruckner Chase Ocean Positive non-profit, him and his team designs, develops and implements innovative and inspiring ocean adventures and programs that connect individuals and communities around the world to our oceans. His work has taken him all over the world from the Jersey Shore to Poland and the American Samoa. In this interview, we get into how he's adjusted to the pandemic, how he went from almost drowning twice as a kid to becoming a passionate ocean advocate, his 25-mile Monterey Bay swim, and the awesome work he does with his non-profit. Timestamps 00:02:32 How he's been adjusting to the pandemic 00:11:11 Relooking at the "why" behind your training 00:12:40 Growing up in Memphis, Tennessee 00:17:30 Finding his passion for the ocean 00:20:50 His corporate career 00:24:41 Deciding to leave the corporate world 00:25:26 His 25-mile Monterey Bay swim 00:35:03 His meditation practice 00:39:05 Biggest takeaways from his 25-mile swim 00:41:06 Surf lifesaving sports 00:47:58 His work with his foundation 00:52:55 NOAA Agency 00:57:31 His work in the American Samoa 01:02:18 Biggest misconceptions around ocean safety 01:07:38 What does it mean to be a waterman? 01:08:45 Ultimate vision for his non-profit 01:10:37 His daily routine 01:12:42 His driving force 01:14:33 Words of wisdom around taking care of our oceans

Merritt Mattheson, candidate for City of Stuart Commission, Group 3AboutMartin County native. Proud father and husband. Devoted civil servant.BiographyI am a proud life-long resident of Martin County and a multi-generational Florida native. My parents relocated to Martin County from Miami, following in the footsteps of my great-uncle Bill Matheson, who had settled in Palm City in the 1950s. I was born at Martin Memorial Hospital and raised in Palm City. I was privileged with an upbringing that allowed me to enjoy the aspects of this community that make it special: natural beauty, good schools, quiet neighborhoods and close-knit communities.My first great love was the sea. I have been an avid fisherman for as long as I can remember. As a young teenager, I also began scuba diving and surfing. Growing up along the South Fork of the St. Lucie River, I've witnessed first-hand the devastation caused by the discharges from Lake Okeechobee. My love of nature was not isolated to aquatic ecosystems. I spent many days exploring, camping, fishing and hunting in the wild hammocks, savannas, creeks and wetlands of western Martin County and beyond.I attended the University of Colorado Boulder where I studied Environmental Biology. In 2003, I earned my captain's license. After college, I settled in Maui, Hawaii, where I worked as a charter fishing boat captain. It was during this time that I discovered I have LHON, a rare hereditary condition that degenerates my optic nerve. There is no treatment for the condition. Within a year, I became legally blind.I moved to the City of Stuart in 2010 with my wife, Chelsey, whose own family ties to Martin County stretch back more than 100 years. Since returning to Florida, I have worked for West Marine in Stuart as the Fishing Manager. I have also purchased and managed investment properties. I currently serve on the LPA advisory board for the city. Though my disability prevents me from continuing to run charter fishing boats, I am still able to do some work as a saltwater fishing guide for friends and clients who own their own boats. My wife and I are now raising a daughter and a Jack Russell Terrier. We have another child expected at the end of August.Though I left Martin County in my early twenties to gain an education and explore the world, I was drawn back here when I knew it was time to settle down and raise a family. My roots here are deep. I am grateful to the generations before me who worked hard to preserve the small-town charm of Stuart, and I am ready to make my own contribution to ensure that my children are able to enjoy and appreciate it the way I did.https://www.facebook.com/mathesonforstuart/

Freelance photographer. Specialized genre includes on, off and above-the-water locales and venues. A native of Northern California (Lake Tahoe and the San Francisco Bay area), Steve also travels within the Pacific Northwest (Seattle and Portland environs.) Steve works on behalf of WEST MARINE, TRAVELERS INSURANCE and for publications such as SAILINGWORLD, YACHTING, SAILINGSCUTTLEBUTT, T2P.tv. His portfolio features unrivaled imagery of the classic wooden speedboats of Lake Tahoe, America's Cup Regattas, San Francisco Rolex Big Boat Series, Key West Race Week, Miami Sail Week.Be sure to subscribe, rate and review! Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ScintilliansBuy us a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/offshoreexplorerEpisode links: H20Mark: https://www.h2omark.com/Buy Steve's art: https://steven-lapkin.pixels.com/More of Steve's work: https://www.turningart.com/artist/steven-lapkinThunderbird Lodge: https://www.thunderbirdtahoe.org/Thunderbird Yacht: https://www.thunderbirdtahoe.org/index.php/yacht-historyRiva Yacht: https://www.riva-yacht.com/en-us/Lake Como: https://lakecomotravel.com/lake-como-italy/Lake Tahoe Boat Tours: https://www.laketahoe.com/top-10-tahoe-boat-tours 

Laura Elaine Sympson joins me for Episode #12 to discuss what's to come in this year's holiday season. With businesses struggling with COVID-19, these are challenging times, but this is the podcast we all need right now.  Laura brings her decades of experience from the earliest days of E-Commerce through to her time with retailers such as Eddie Bauer, Office Depot, West Marine, and Dick's Sporting Goods.

Ryan Nelson has loved being on the water from a very young age. As a kid he cobbled together logs, a pole, and some fabric into a sailing raft. Today, as the owner and operator of Rogue Rigging, he’s still working on boats - and loving it. He spent nearly a decade rigging for West Marine before striking out on his own. I sat down with Ryan in his rigging shop at the Berkeley Marine Center and we talked about his business, his four boats, and his passion for racing on San Francisco Bay.

Wow! What an episode! We brought on fish finder expert Neal Combs (the guy who trains Bass Pro and West Marine about fish finders and marine electronics) to discuss everything you need to know about fish finders/bottom finders/bottom machines. Neal shares the top mistakes he sees anglers making when it comes to using their fish finder, his favorite marine electronics, and more. Enjoy!

Tom Brose took a trip to Santa Cruz in 2005 to check out something called CrossFit. He trained alongside some of the earliest CrossFit legends, and learned directly from CrossFit founder, Greg Glassman. The intensity stunned him and the insights transformed his view of fitness. But what impressed him the most was the community. Tom has kept this in mind running his affiliate, and the people around him gush about what an amazing community of coaches and members he has built. We get to hear how Tom discovered CrossFit, what the early days were like, and how CrossFit DC has evolved over the years. For more info on Tom, check out CrossFit DC, or follow them on Instagram and Facebook. People, Organizations, and Stoner Sports mentioned in the episode:[02:58]  Tom’s CrossFit origin story[03:20]  Dragon Door Message Board[04:49]  Pavel Tsatsouline[04:58]  Greg Glassman[09:10]  The Brand X Method[09:21]  Grace[09:40]  Fran, Josh Everett[10:04]  The Kipping Pull Up[10:43]  L1 - CrossFit Level 1 Certificate Course[11:08]  Greg Amundson, Eva T[12:30]  Nicole Carroll[12:35]  Tom describes his first gym space, AKA The Alley[12:43]  West Marine, for ropes in the early days[13:12]  Bill Henniger, founder of Rogue Fitness[13:20]  Concept2[13:30]  Club One[16:50]  CrossFit DC[16:37]  CrossFit Chupacabra[18:00]  Tom was more interested in Punk Rock than team sports growing up[22:34]  Tess! Territory Foods[24:21]  Tom talks about his Mentor Program being his proudest achievement[24:35]  CrossFit Regionals, USA Weightlifting's American Open[28:03]  Ultimate, don't call it Ultimate Frisbee[28:08]  Tom insinuates that Hacky Sack is a stoner game and not a sport, the internet disagrees. See also Freestyle Footbag [29:36]  Mike Rutherford[29:50]  Bad programming decisions - Kelly: Tour du Fran; Tom: Super Bowl of Suffering[30:28]  Pain Storm, Brand X, CrossFit Central Scotland[31:18]  Remembering the In-N-Out phase: keeping a burger down while completing a WOD. And also, SFCF’s Cinco de Mayo challenge: row 500m and then chug a beer. We can file these under bad programming decisions as well.[33:20]  What would Tom go back in time and tell himself?[38:05]  What’s next for Tom[41:19]  Tom’s digits and socials

Selecting the right vertical jig assist hook is very important. In this podcast I share my personal experiences with using both Braided Dacron and Kevlar Assist hooks. Braided Dacron Assist Cord Below are my reasons for the for why I discontinued using Vertical Jig Braided Dacron Assist Cords When vertical jig fishing the wrecks off Key Largo I want to be 100% confident that when I set a the hook when target Mutton Snappers and Groupers when using a vertical jig that my hook setting effort is being transferred fully to the vertical jig. I did not have this confidence when using a Vertical Jig rigged with a Dacron Assist Hook. When it came to the hook sets with the braided dacron assist, I felt the hook sets were not good when I was using Dacron assist cords as the stuff is pretty limp and does not command the hook very well, I personally felt it was tough to drive the hook into the jaw of a Grouper or Mutton Snappers for a good hook set. Very water absorbent which leads to breakage. The salt water eats away at the Dacron. After the end of each vertical jig trip I wash every jig in the sink throughly at my house. I found that this did not help extend the life of a Dacron Assist Cord. . Dacron has significant stretch, which leads to unnecessary line failures and break offs. Because the assist cord is rigged to the solid ring and braided Dacron is soft it tended to tangle a lot, the assist would constantly get wrapped around the leader and it would hang up on the jig, the assist split and solid rings. What a nightmare!  A lot of guys band aid this by adding shrink wrap over the Dacron, which is additional step. The Williamson Brand Jig, cheap dacron covered with shrink wrap to make it look appealing to the consumer. Yes it adds a layer of protection, but for only a couple vertical jig fishing trips.  I am not a fan of added shrink to assist cords because the stuff tears up. This allows for water to enter the small tears. The water gets trapped between the shrink and the dacron. Even if you are thoroughly cleaning your jigs at the end of day, you still can not clean the salt water trapped between the cord and heat shrink.  The cord is basically rotting inside shrink.  All it takes in one little nick from a little Tuna or Amberjack to create a tear. Go out a couple weeks later, the assist cord appears to look OK because all you see is the heat shrink, you can not actually inspect the interior cord itself because it is covered in the heat shrink. Kevlar Assist Cord I am currently using high quality Red Kevlar Assist Cord.  We purchased our Red Kevlar Assist Cords in bulk directly from a manufacture.  Before manufacturing the Kevlar we approved quality samples as I wanted to make sure the Kevlar was correct and my quality expectations were met. I was very happy with the process and now I have enough Kevlar Assist Cords to last me many years.   There are many different grades of red kevlar, so be careful when purchasing Kevlar at a lower price point online. Below are my reasons why I prefer Kevlar Assist Cords for Vertical Jigs. More abrasion resistant than Dacron. It commands the hook well because it is stiff and has no memory.  My client hook up rates sky rocketed after I made the change from Dacron to Kevlar. Since I made the switch to Kevlar I am much more confident in the vertical jig hook sets. Kevlar does not like UV light or salt water, but when compared  to Dacron my personal opinion is that Kevlar is better at fighting off these environmental elements than Dacron and do feel Kevlar It has much longer shelf life than Dacron. New Assist Cord Material I am Testing I also wanted to share this other material I am using to make assist hooks with that is killing it. I heard a few guys were using this stuff to make their jigging assist cords with, plus knew the stuff was bad ass because I have put it through hell over the past 2 years in other applications using it as outrigger line, chum bag line, bait pen line.  I was confident it would perform very well as an assist hook, so I made up a few to try out. Extremely happy. I heard that a few hard core vertical jig fisherman started using this material so I decided to put it through a trial phase. I am using New England Rope 1.8mm Micro Dynema Syperline, 350lb breaking strength. It has fairly decent salt water absorption resistance, no memory  superior abrasion resistance, extremely strong, hard to cut, commands the hook well, UV resistant, holds up in the heat, ties easily, has a little stretch. https://www.westmarine.com/buy/new-england-ropes--spyderline-micro-dyneema-braid-by-the-spool--P002_071_002_515?recordNum=46 New England Rope Soft Micro Dynema Syperline Manufactures Specifications  This spiderweb sized, high-performance line has a Dyneema SK-75 core inside a polyester double braid cover that provides superior strength for its tiny diameter. It is flexible, yet firm enough to be led through small leads, micro blocks and purchase systems and is also a great choice as sail ties for the performance Opti sailor. Key Features Available in spools of 50', 75' and 100' 1.8mm (5/64") diameter on a 100' spool and 350 pound breaking strength 2.8mm (1/8") diameter on a 75' spool and 1,250 pound breaking strength 3.8mm (5/32") diameter on a 50' spool and 1,860 pound breaking strength Best Use: Performance dinghy cascade systems, control lines, small one design cunninghams, traveler lines, vang systems, trapeze lines, outhauls, topping lifts, halyards, and twings Construction: Double braid Cover Fiber/Construction: Polyester braid Core Fiber/Construction: Dyneema SK-75 braid Stretch: 1.6% at 20% of breaking strength Buy the stuff in bulk for $29.00 from West Marine it comes in spools of 50’, 75’, and 100’ I will put the link up in my show notes.  Comes in a few colors to choose from. Take Care of Vertical Jigs To Extend the Shelf Life Remember after a day of fishing, make sure to wash all your vertical jigs throughly. To extend the life of my vertical jigs I wash each vertical jig(main body, hardware and the assist cords) after each fishing trip in my kitchen sink at home in hot water and Dawn Dish Soap.  If there is one thing I took away from organic chemistry labs in college, was hot water is the only thing that really works to dissolves salt particles safely without using harsh chemicals that can ruin you jigs.  Hot water is your best friend when it comes to removing salt particles from all your critical fishing gear, including those expensive reels and fishing rods.  Water from a hose does not throughly remove all the salt. New Vertical Jig Hook I am Testing Currently I am testing 3X Owner S-Double Size Hooks with Super Tin Finish. I have always liked the Shimano Wax Wing Vertical Jig Hooks, these are the same hooks(fang hooks). Stay tuned for results. https://www.ownerhooks.com/product/saltwater-double-hook/

Episode 015: How to Have the Best Small Boat Outrigger Set Up for Offshore Trolling In this podcast I talk about the Good Karma Outrigger setup and my journey to find a set up that works for my fishing style from a 24ft center console. I walk you through the journey from the beginning to the present day outrigger set up and which brands I recommend.  I talk about the how I use outriggers to fish "heavy cover” and keep my baits weed free. Outriggers serve many purposes other than spreading baits, so tune in and listen. If rigged correctly you can fish outriggers similar to kites and catch more fish. Below is my current Outrigger Set-Up Outrigger Line I have tried it all and was never happy for various reasons until I made the switch to Spyderline Micro Dyneema Braid 1.8mm. The absolute best outrigger line I have used. Blows everything else out of the water. Highly recommend it.   I bought this at westmarine.com and it is $27.99 Outriggers Clips Currently I am testing the new R2 Outrigger Clips by R&R Tackle . I will post a review here in few weeks after I have had a chance to use them more. Verdict is still out, let’s see if they make the cut. I bought them athttps://randrtackle.com and they cost $41.95 . Halocks Highly recommend using Halocks. A halock keeps your outrigger line from “creeping.” I originally purchased the RUPP Halock mechanism from tackledirect.com, and was not happy. They broke only after a few trips so I do not recommending purchasing these.  I am now trying the original “Halock” from the guys that invented the it, Marine and Outdoor Products.  I bought it at https://www.gotomop.com/hal-lock/ and it costs $21.95. I will post up a review after I finish abusing it over the next couple months- wahoo and live bait fishing- so stay tuned. Outriggers (Bases and Poles) Grand Slam S280 Outrigger with 15ft poles by Taco.  They cost $1,191.44 and I bought them at West Marine. Thanks for listening!  As always please email me at goodkarmaryan@gmail.com.  I will be doing a Q & A episode so please email me any questions.  And remember whenever you’re fishing “It’s All Good!”  Capt. Ryan

HR Happy Hour 340 - Creating the Employee Driven Learning Organization  Sponsored by Virgin Pulse - www.virginpulse.com Hosts: Steve Boese, Trish McFarlane  Guests: Helen Rossiter, West Marine; Connie Costigan, Saba This week on the HR Happy Hour Show, Steve and Trish recorded live from the Saba Insights 2018 Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona to talk with Connie Costigan from Saba and  Helen Rossiter from West Marine, a 250+ location retailer on how they have created an employee centric learning organization. By empowering employees to take control of their career planning and learning and development opportunities, West Marine has created a culture that enables and supports continuous learning, collaboration, and has created opportunities for employees to expand their skills and grow their careers. Instead of seeing retail, hourly employees as fungible assets, West Marine has invested in learning and development and has seen the beneifts of these investments. It seems really simple, but most organizations still have not made the connection between people, development , and business results as West Marine has experienced. This was a really interesting and fun show - thanks to Helen, Connie and everyone at Saba for having the HR Happy Hour Show at their event. Subscribe to the HR Happy Hour Show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher Radio, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast app - just search for 'HR Happy Hour'.      

Blockhead finally gives an opinion about the buildup for Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather! Plus, some additional thoughts and links to great deals and coupons for listeners. Follow the links below for the ones you want:West Marine: http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-8374150-13002951TomTop Technologies: http://bit.ly/2sYoJIxCreativeLive: https://www.creativelive.com12 classes at $19 each at CreativeLive this weekend only: http://bit.ly/2vl62Q0

Wow, I had so much fun recording this episode with Lisa 'The Boatanista' Almeida. Born and raised a Floridian, who claims to bleed salt water when she gets cut, Lisa turned a successful career in Sales and Marketing into her current role as the Owner of Freedom Boat Club, Jacksonville and St. Augustine. Before owning her Freedom Boat Club locations, Lisa rose to Director of Marketing for the nine state Bellsouth region. During her tenure, she was continually recognized for her innovative, creative problem solving, and her ability to engage an audience with her speaking skills. In 2007, when she took an early retirement from Bellsouth to make a career change, she followed her passion for being on the water. Lisa is a member of the Captains Club, The Jacksonville Power Squadron, The Jacksonville Marine Association, and serves on the City of Jacksonville’s Boating Committee. As an Aquaholic she has done many charity boat rides for underprivileged children, and was instrumental in saving the Jacksonville lighted boat parade. In 2016 Boating Industry included Lisa in their list of Women Making Waves, recognizing women in the boating industry who have made large contributions to its success, propelled its growth and led their organizations into the future. Lisa has been a distinguished franchise owner winning several national awards including Marketer of the Year and Brand Champion. Lisa’s passion for boating and enthusiasm is inspiring. We covered so much - how she boated at 3 weeks old, ‘boat-gating’ at Jaguars games, advice for boating with pets, empowering women boaters, essentials for beginners, following her passion into a fulfilling career she loves, and more. Enjoy the conversation!   On getting her boating start…..I like to say that boating is a part of my DNA and I didn't really even have a choice because my parents were competitive water skiers and they competed all over the states. They actually competed at Cypress Gardens. My mom kept waterskiing with me until she was six months pregnant. Then three weeks after I was born she said they would put me in a carrier and tie me up underneath the bow, I would go to sleep when the engine started. When the engine would stop I would wake up and then they would feed me, and then the engine would start and I’d go back into slumberland. On her first boating memory…..I remember being at a tournament and I was three years old. My mom used to ski in a tutu and she would be on one ski skiing backwards and there's a picture of me three years old with a ski rope in front of me, and I had a little bathing suit with a tutu and I'm standing there with my leg out back trying to imitate my mom. I just remember it being such a loving atmosphere, and fun, and everybody was having a great time and that's what boating actually means to me. On the first boats she was on…..I know that it was a Glastron, and another one of the first boats that my dad had was a Wellcraft. There's also another picture of me like four years old sitting at the helm staring at the wheel, and my dad said you're staring at it thinking ‘when do I get to drive.’  On learning to boat…..I was about 8 or 9 when I started learning to drive the boat. And then at 14 or 15 I was driving it with no problem. Later on, when I bought my first boat, my dad came up and really spent a lot of time with me and teaching me about the lines, and currents, and wind, and trailering.  He has a great method called push/pull, learning how to spin on yourself with just one engine. He taught me about the throttle, and putting it in and out of gear, and just practicing and making it okay if you didn't do it right the first time.  On whether boating was intimidating…..Never, and I think it's because my dad had three girls and so because he wanted to ski and he always wanted to go boating, we all had to learn how to drive, back the trailer, etc. It was always a mindset of, 'of course you can do this!' It's really not that hard, I believe it's more of a mindset that women can do it. It's really just about pushing through the fear of the unknown, of the not doing, and if you've got someone there coaching you, teaching you, and letting you just be like, it's okay you made a mistake, then gaining experience and confidence is just what it takes. On the feeling of being a confident boater.....I will tell you it is really really fun when I'm in my 32 Monterey and I am driving and I pull up to somewhere and pull it right in, and there's a guy standing there and many times he's going 'wow that's pretty impressive.' One of my favorite stories was in Fernandina Beach. They have a shrimp festival every year. It's a three day event with bands and music and food. I had a girlfriend and two guys on the boat with me and I was driving my 30 Sea Ray and it was pretty tight and we were coming in and I heard somebody on the dock say 'watch out, there's a lady at the helm.' We came in, I spun it around and backed up, and they gave me a standing ovation. It was awesome!   On her personal boats.....I have a 32 Monterey cruiser with twin Mercs on it which I absolutely love. I have a 22 Sea Ray Sundeck which is an awesome boat. Because you know one is never enough!  On her dream boat…..I’d really love to have a 46 or 48 sedan bridge because it is really nice to get up top on the sedan. The views are different, you can see things different and it's really fun when you're anchored out and everybody's hanging out up top. On boating to Jaguars games…..That is so much fun. It is one of my favorite things for my members to experience, even friends who have never done it. The stadium is on the river and right across from the stadium is the city Marina, so we don't tailgate, we boat-gate. Just like tailgating, everybody brings food, we put a tent on the dock, and it's really awesome when we're going underneath the bridge and you see the bumper-to-bumper traffic and we don't have any. Why go by car when you can go by boat?! On her boating destination bucket list…..I want to go to Put-In-Bay in Ohio and I also want to do the Columbus Day Regatta in Miami, where thousands of boaters come together. Put-In-Bay has the round bar and a bunch of boats rafted up together. That's really when my heart is the most open and it's the most fun, when we're all rafted up together and there's all different kinds of boats and everybody is just one big happy family. It's just that connectivity. You don't ever meet a stranger, but you meet tons of strangers and that's the best thing for me about boating. On her favorite boating activity…..Now my favorite thing really is going to the beach and rafting up with folks - swimming, enjoying activities, having kids around, bringing them up in the boating world. We have an island here called Fort George Island that is a big barrier island. The beaches are gorgeous and everybody just goes and rafts up together and anchors and it's kind of like you took your boat to the beach with a party of your 500 best friends. On a new favorite piece of gear.....Maui Mats!  They are 6 feet wide by 20 feet long. You can walk on it, you can put coolers on it, you can put chairs on it, kids love, it, and adults love it. It's really fun to just hang out on the Maui Mat, swim on it, jump off it, and walk on water. On essentials for beginners.….I think definitely Navionics or something like that on your iPhone is a must. Being a BoatUS member and a Sea-Tow member, I recommend both because they each bring different things to the table, is also very helpful. There is so much you can learn from reading your BoatUS magazine, getting online, seeing their feed on Facebook. Anytime I get the magazine I'm pulling out articles on really cool tools to have on board, places to go, and things about boating. I think both of those things are really really important. On her favorite boating ‘book’..…I don't really have a boating book other than my West Marine catalog! My friends do tease me that I would rather go to West Marine and walk around than go to the mall and it is the truth! On her career change…..I went on an African safari and we were touring this mud hut, and 8 people slept in it and they were gracious and happy and I had an epiphany moment. I came back and decided to leave Bell South. Freedom Boat Club interviewed 12 people (11 men and me) and I got the job. Now I understand the difference between loving what you do and having a passion for what you do. I work all the time and I never feel like I'm at work. Even when I'm on my boat on the weekends at Fort George, in the morning and night I'm on my laptop working but it doesn't ever feel like work. I want to do it. I love doing it. I want everyone to get on the water and experience the joy of boating with your friends and your family! On boating with pets…..It's really fun to bring your animal on board, but you also want to remember that you're in charge of them. You want to make sure they're safe, so number one - your dog should have a life jacket that fits them well and makes them comfortable. Also, when you're coming down to the dock you want to have them on a leash because if it's a floating dock they might feel wobbly and uncomfortable. Then definitely you have got to have water and a water bowl for them. They make a bottle that actually has a ball on it that the dog can lick and water will come out of it. There's lots of different things that you can buy but definitely have to keep them hydrated because when they get in the water they're going to drink, and if it's salty that's not good for them. On success in the boating world..…I think of Carl Blackwell from Discover Boating and the reason that he comes to mind is because his whole goal is to make people aware about boating and learning about boating. Their website and their facebook page has a plethora of information. Of course I think about John Giglio, CEO and President of Freedom Boat Club. Many of our members leave and buy their own boats. They fall in love with boating which is great. We're putting product on the water for people to see and those people are taking friends. It's giving boating so much exposure. John's done an amazing job growing the business, we're at 120 locations.  Final advice for someone thinking about boating..…Stop thinking about it and do it! It doesn't have to be a dream. Just make it happen, make the decision. If you're unsure if you're a boating family, rent a boat. If they like the rental boat and you're still not sure about wanting to buy a boat, join a boat club. If you feel like you already know you're a boating family go to Discoverboating.com, read about the different kinds of boats, go to a boat show and see what kind of boat you think you want to buy. Just make the decision. There's lots of support out there, there's lots of help out there, just do it! Rent, join a club, or buy. Put one foot in front of the other and just make that decision and get your family out having so much fun. They're not on their iPhones, they're not on their iPads, they're laughing and joking and you are creating family memories that are going to last forever!   I can't wait to join Lisa on a boat-gate to a Jaguars game someday. Leave questions or comments below. 

Tasha Hacker and Ryan Horsnail of the Chase the Story YouTube channel and Turf to Surf blog speak to us about cruising French Polynesia. In the bonus episode available to Patrons, they talk about touring the Galapagos, cruising with pets in the South Pacific, and downwind sailing techniques.  My book Slow Boat to Cuba is launching on Amazon on November 21, 2016. To celebrate I am giving away the eBook version on Amazon worldwide. Here are the free and discounted days. 1. November 21, 2016, FREEEEEEEEEE! 2. November 22, 2016, FREEEEEEEEEE!! 3. November 23, 2016, $.99 4. November 24, 2016, $1.99 5. November 25, 2016, $2.99 6. November 26, 2016, $3.99 7. November 27, 2016, $4.99 (the everyday bargain basement price!!) Get Slow Boat to Cuba on other amazon sites in Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/Slow-Boat-Cuba-Linus-Wilson-ebook/dp/B01MFFX9 UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Slow-Boat-Cuba-Linus-Wilson-ebook/dp/B01MFFX9AG Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/Slow-Boat-Cuba-Linus-Wilson-ebook/dp/B01MFFX9AG We briefly hit our first $20 per episode goal and I will make Slow Boat to the Bahamas free on Amazon's worldwide sites for 1 day in December 2016 or January 2017. Subscribe to my free newsletter at www.slowboatsailing.com to get notified of the exact date. When we hit $80 per round the world vlog episode or podcast episode, I will give away 2 weeks in a private berth for two to one of our Patrons. Patrons will be randomly selected based on their long-term support on Patreon. This is several thousand dollar value. Captained charters of similarly sized monohulls usually exceed $400 per day. Thus, this reward is over a $5,000 value. The timing of that berth depends on the schedules of the winner and Captain Linus Wilson. Slow Boat Sailing is making a podcast and vlog about sailing around the world part-time. The podcast interviews the most interesting cruising sailors in the world, including the crew of SV Delos, White Spot Pirates, Chase the Story, Sailing Miss Lone Star, Wicked Salty, SV Prism, and many more. This costs time and money and we love our supporters who subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, and YouTube as well as those who support us on Patreon. We will be running contest where our most loyal Patreon supporters can become part of our crew literally as we explore the paradise islands of the South Pacific. Patrons of the round the world vlog and podcast get bonus podcast episodes and free audiobooks of How To Sail Around the World Part-Time and Slow Boat to Cuba. They get never before released audiobook chapters of Slow Boat to the Bahamas.Slow Boat to the Bahamas https://www.amazon.com/Slow-Boat-Bahamas-Linus-Wil...and How to Sail Around the World-Part Time https://www.amazon.com/How-Sail-Around-World-Part-...have been #1 sailing bestseller on Amazon. Slow boat to Cuba launches on Amazon on November 21, 2016.Support the vlog and podcast at https://www.patreon.com/slowboatsailingThe rewards of being a Patreon far outweigh the costs.Since starting the podcast and YouTube channel we have had to upgrade our cameras, computer hard drives, and audio equipment. Podcasts must pay hosting fees. We have incurred high internet access fees in foreign countries to put out a regular podcast and to upload videos. For every hour of podcast or minute of video many hours of work must go into them to produce them. We only produce highly edited podcasts and videos because we believe our listeners and viewers time is so valuable. We make content that is for all audiences and will not sacrifice safety or our relationship with our loved ones to create suggestive thumbnails. Our crew wears life jackets and harnesses in all weather. We don't cut corners on crew safety to get exciting video.The vlog is also a video cruising guide of the places we visit focused on the seamanship necessary to visit the exotic foreign ports that we visit. The vlogs recount the adventures of the Slow Boat Crew.The host of the podcast and the captain of the Slow Boat is Linus Wilson who holds a "six pack" captain's licenses issued by the United States Coast Guard.The "Slow Boat" is an Island Packet 31'.There are 13 episodes planned for season 1. https://slowboatsailing.wordpress.com/2016/09/18/3...Hopefully, we will have the support to film many more seasons of our round the world voyage. Season 1 goes from New Orleans, to Florida, to Cuba, stops at Providencia, though the Panama Canal, and across the equator into the South Pacific. I will likely be in the South Pacific in December with limited access to internet. The next podcast and vlog will likely be released in January 2017. Happy holidays! Thanks for joining the voyage!  Check out my book How to Sail Around the World Part-Time, which is now available as an album on iTunes or Amazon. Links to my books are at my website. Buy How to Sail Around the World Part-Time or Slow Boat to the Bahamas at Amazon. Both books have been #1 bestsellers in the Amazon sailing eBook categories. (If you are a non-US Amazon customer, e-mail me at linuswilson outlook [dot] com, and I’ll send you the link addresses for your country’s site.)  Like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter and tell your friends to do the same. I’m putting up more videos of the Slow Boat crew on YouTube. Also check out my new study guide entitled Navigation Rules: International and Inland (Abridged), Study Guide for Uscg Captains’ and Merchant Mariner Exams.  Episode 6’s South Pacific Weather with Met Bob has became anAlbum on iTunes. Subscribe to my free newsletter at http://www.slowboatsailing.com for free books and boat repair and upgrade tips.  There you can also find a orange banner link at the bottom of the page and promo code to save $15 off your next purchase of $200+ at West Marine. Write a review on iTunes for the podcast or on Amazon for my books. Finally, have some fun on the water!    

Get the Slow Boat Sailing Podcast on Stitcher and iTunes!     Your podcast host has been hard at work on his third book over the last couple months and is ready to share part of it with you. Slow Boat to Cuba does not go up for sale in print and Kindle versions until the end of November, but you can listen to the audiobook now. In this episode, we listen to the the first four of 19 chapters of the audiobook of Slow Boat to Cuba.    You can get the full audiobook of Slow Boat to Cuba by pledging as little as $3 at https://www.patreon.com/slowboatsailing You can be part of sailing history and be thanked in the acknowledgement if you pledge at the Captain or Admiral Level on Patreon to support monthly podcasts and vlogs.    In this book, the author wants to start his round the world trip by sailing to the Panama Canal before hurricane season. Unfortunately, a 50-year old embargo, wild currents, and adverse winds and waves stand in this American sailor’s way. This is the story of how he overcame government road blocks and sailed offshore to the forbidden paradise of Cuba. He stops at the remote west coast and southern barrier islands fighting human and nautical obstacles to get a clear path to Panama.   You can watch the whole vlog series covering the material in the book on YouTube. The book is 3 hours and 30 minutes long and the vlog series Slow Boat to Cuba is only 40 minutes long. Thus, the movie version leaves out a lot of material from the book.   We start our "On the AIS" segment in this episode. We have some great mini-guests, who tell us in 30 seconds in their own words about their awesome sailing channel in their own words. When you see a boat on the AIS you are usually not close enough to touch them, but you may be close enough to hail them for a brief chat on the VHF. Our "On the AIS" guests are the creators of Coast Life.  Check out their great YouTube channel. I have recorded many great hour plus long conversations with awesome sailors like the creators of Chase the Story and Sailing Baby Blue but there are way more sailors than I can edit hour long interviews for that you should check out.   We have been giving away signed books when we hit key numbers on YouTube and Twitter. Our next book giveaway will be held after hitting 500 YouTube subscribers. To win the book you have to be YouTube subscriber who sends us their USA address by Facebook messenger before the drawing.    Thanks for joining the voyage!  Check out my book How to Sail Around the World Part-Time, which is now available as an album on iTunes or Amazon. Links to my books are at my website. Buy How to Sail Around the World Part-Time or Slow Boat to the Bahamas at Amazon. Both books have been #1 bestsellers in the Amazon sailing eBook categories. (If you are a non-US Amazon customer, e-mail me at linuswilson outlook [dot] com, and I’ll send you the link addresses for your country’s site.)  Like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter and tell your friends to do the same. I’m putting up more videos of the Slow Boat crew on YouTube. Also check out my new study guide entitled Navigation Rules: International and Inland (Abridged), Study Guide for Uscg Captains’ and Merchant Mariner Exams.  Episode 6’s South Pacific Weather with Met Bob has became anAlbum on iTunes. Subscribe to my free newsletter at http://www.slowboatsailing.com for free books and boat repair and upgrade tips.  There you can also find a orange banner link at the bottom of the page and promo code to save $15 off your next purchase of $200+ at West Marine. Write a review on iTunes for the podcast or on Amazon for my books. Finally, have some fun on the water!

In this episode we talk to the John and Shannon from Sailing Vessel Prism. Prism is a 33-foot Hans Christian sailboat. They had sailed from Berkeley, California to Costa Rica when I caught up with them in June 2016. (The Slow Boat was in Panama and the internet was not the best for this interview.)  Support their great videos on Patreon. Shannon and John cruise inexpensively and like to take their time.   John was a professional videographer for TV, and he gives some tips on making great video on our bonus episode for our Patreon supporters. I also talk about HaveWindWillTravel.com‘s  video “#75: How to Get Your Wife to Go Cruising”. Annie Dike from episode 23 says that her fans ask here that question all the time. There are many ways to support the podcast in addition to being a patron. We are donating the August and September Patreon revenues to the American Red Cross’s Louisiana Flood relief. Thanks for joining the voyage!  Check out my book How to Sail Around the World Part-Time, which is now available as an album on iTunes or Amazon. Links to my books are at my website. Buy How to Sail Around the World Part-Time or Slow Boat to the Bahamas at Amazon. Both books have been #1 bestsellers in the Amazon sailing eBook categories. (If you are a non-US Amazon customer, e-mail me at linuswilson outlook [dot] com, and I’ll send you the link addresses for your country’s site.)  Like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter and tell your friends to do the same. I’m putting up more videos of the Slow Boat crew on YouTube. Also check out my new study guide entitled Navigation Rules: International and Inland (Abridged), Study Guide for Uscg Captains’ and Merchant Mariner Exams.  Episode 6’s South Pacific Weather with Met Bob has became anAlbum on iTunes. Subscribe to my free newsletter at http://www.slowboatsailing.com for free books and boat repair and upgrade tips.  There you can also find a orange banner link at the bottom of the page and promo code to save $15 off your next purchase of $200+ at West Marine. Write a review on iTunes for the podcast or on Amazon for my books. Finally, have some fun on the water!

John Glennie's boat was adrift for 119 days upside-down before he and three other men landed on Great Barrier Island in New Zealand. This is the record for the most days adrift in a cold climate and is likely the record for the most days adrift by a sailing yacht crew. His boat the Rose-Noelle capsized in violent storm on the way to Fiji from the South Island of New Zealand. In this podcast, we hear the first 30 minutes of that over 2.5 hour conversation about the ordeal. It contains important lessons about survival at sea. In that long conversation, Glennie said he could not properly tell his story in his co-authored book The Spirit of the Rose Noelle because he was suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD) when it was being written. The 119 days at sea are the subject of the feature film Abandoned available on Amazon or Netflix.  The first 30 minutes of the conversation with Glennie are in the podcast. The second 30 minutes are free to Patreon subscribers as a bonus episode. The full conversation about Glennie's story of survival at sea is on CD Baby and should be available on iTunes as a single or album entitled Abandoned: 119 Days Adrift, a conversation with John Glennie the captain of the Rose-Noelle by Linus Wilson.      Also check out my new study guide entitled Navigation Rules: International and Inland (Abridged), Study Guide for Uscg Captains' and Merchant Mariner Exams.  Episode 6's South Pacific Weather with Met Bob has became an Album on iTunes. John Glennie's first book Playboys of the South Pacific is available as an eBook on Amazon. His book about the ill-fated Rose-Noelle voyage is only available second-hand in the USA. Since the last podcast we released our forth video in our vlog series on YouTube and the second of 2 videos about sailing in Cuba. Enjoy!       This episode is sponsored by Jenifer Clark’s Gulfstream. The Slow Boat crew relied on Jenifer Clark’s Gulfstream for their trip to Ecuador. Call 410-286-5270 or e-mail gulfstream@comcast.net so you can find out how their current and weather routing can aid you in your next blue water voyage. YOU CAN GET ALL THE BONUS EPISODES IF YOU PLEDGE AS LITTLE AS $1 TO THE SLOW BOAT SAILING PODAST’S PATREON SITE.  HALF OF THIS WEEK’S INTERVIEW IS ONLY AVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO PLEDGE ON PATREON. EVERY EPISODE SINCE EPISODE 10 HAS HAD A BONUS EPISODE.  PATRONS GET TO LISTEN TO ALL THE BONUS EPISODES.  ALL PATRONS ARE GIVEN THE AUDIOBOOK OF THE #1 SAILING BESTSELLER HOW TO SAIL AROUND THE WORLD PART-TIME.   There are many ways to support the podcast in addition to being a patron. We are donating the August and September Patreon revenues to the American Red Cross's Louisiana Flood relief.   Thanks for joining the voyage!  Check out my book How to Sail Around the World Part-Time, which is now available as an album on iTunes or Amazon. Links to my books are at my website. Buy How to Sail Around the World Part-Time or Slow Boat to the Bahamas at Amazon. Both books have been #1 bestsellers in the Amazon sailing eBook categories. (If you are a non-US Amazon customer, e-mail me at linuswilson outlook [dot] com, and I’ll send you the link addresses for your country’s site.)  Like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter and tell your friends to do the same. I’m putting up more videos of the Slow Boat crew on YouTube. Subscribe to my free newsletter at http://www.slowboatsailing.com for free books and boat repair and upgrade tips.  There you can also find a orange banner link at the bottom of the page and promo code to save $15 off your next purchase of $200+ at West Marine. Write a review on iTunes for the podcast or on Amazon for my books.  Finally, have some fun on the water!

Our guest Tyler Rowland of the More Hands on Deck YouTube channel talks about his season 3 trying to sail from Louisiana to Panama with Vagabond Phil. The trip did not go as well as he hoped. He also talks about his new gig at Antlos in Venice, Italy. Antlos is a new “ArirBNB for boats.” In the bonus episodes for patrons, hear about his plans to return to his sailboat in La Paz, Mexico and eventually sail the South Pacific. I talk about getting the boat for dry storage in Ecuador and the launch of our YouTube vlog series about our travels to the Cuba, transiting the Panama Canal, and crossing the equator. Subscribe to see ten highly-edited and fast-paced episodes of sailing offshore are planned and three are up. Subscribe to get the next episode of sailing to Cuba’s city stuck in the past, Neuva Gerona.  This episode is sponsored by Jenifer Clark’s Gulfstream. The Slow Boat crew relied on Jenifer Clark’s Gulfstream for their trip to Ecuador. Call 410-286-5270 or e-mail gulfstream@comcast.net so you can find out how their current and weather routing can aid you in your next blue water voyage.   YOU CAN GET ALL THE BONUS EPISODES IF YOU PLEDGE AS LITTLE AS $1 TO THE SLOW BOAT SAILING PODAST’S PATREON SITE.  HALF OF THIS WEEK’S INTERVIEW IS ONLY AVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO PLEDGE ON PATREON. EVERY EPISODE SINCE EPISODE 10 HAS HAD A BONUS EPISODE.  PATRONS GET TO LISTEN TO ALL THE BONUS EPISODES.  ALL PATRONS ARE GIVEN THE AUDIOBOOK OF THE #1 SAILING BESTSELLER HOW TO SAIL AROUND THE WORLD PART-TIME.  There are many ways to support the podcast in addition to being a patron. Thanks for joining the voyage!  Check out my book How to Sail Around the World Part-Time, which is now available as an album on iTunes or Amazon. Links to my books are at my website. Buy How to Sail Around the World Part-Time or Slow Boat to the Bahamas at Amazon. Both books have been #1 bestsellers in the Amazon sailing eBook categories. (If you are a non-US Amazon customer, e-mail me at linuswilson outlook [dot] com, and I’ll send you the link addresses for your country’s site.)  Like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter and tell your friends to do the same. I’m putting up more videos of the Slow Boat crew on YouTube. Subscribe to my free newsletter at http://www.slowboatsailing.com for free books and boat repair and upgrade tips.  There you can also find a orange banner link at the bottom of the page and promo code to save $15 off your next purchase of $200+ at West Marine. Write a review on iTunes for the podcast or on Amazon for my books.  Finally, have some fun on the water!  

This week I talk about Janna, Sophie, Daly (dog), and my long and winding offshore trip from Panama City to Salinas, Ecuador. We also talk to the Aubrey and Robb Hamic from the Sailing Miss Lone Star YouTube channel and blog about sailing with two young kids and a big dog. They tell about their big expensive gas guzzling trip from Texas to the Florida keys by way of the Mississippi River and the Slow Boat's home port of New Orleans to the the Florida Keys. After paying $6,000 in gas, they decided to switch from power to sail and got a deal on a big cruising boat in Maine. We talk about home schooling, sea sickness, and keeping the little crew members occupied underway. They tell us about In the bonus episode exclusively for Patreon supporters of the podcast they tell how their dog climbs ladders and how they are outfitting their boat. This episode is sponsored by Jenifer Clark’s Gulfstream. The Slow Boat crew relied on Jenifer Clark’s Gulfstream for their trip to Ecuador. Call 410-286-5270 or e-mail gulfstream@comcast.net so you can find out how their current and weather routing can aid you in your next blue water voyage. YOU CAN GET ALL THE BONUS EPISODES IF YOU PLEDGE AS LITTLE AS $1 TO THE SLOW BOAT SAILING PODAST’S PATREON SITE.  HALF OF THIS WEEK’S INTERVIEW IS ONLY AVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO PLEDGE ON PATREON. EVERY EPISODE SINCE EPISODE 10 HAS HAD A BONUS EPISODE.  PATRONS GET TO LISTEN TO ALL THE BONUS EPISODES.  ALL PATRONS ARE GIVEN THE AUDIOBOOK OF THE #1 SAILING BESTSELLER HOW TO SAIL AROUND THE WORLD PART-TIME.    There are many ways to support the podcast in addition to being a patron. Thanks for joining the voyage!  Check out my book How to Sail Around the World Part-Time, which is now available as an album on iTunes or Amazon. Links to my books are at my website. Buy How to Sail Around the World Part-Time or Slow Boat to the Bahamas at Amazon. Both books have been #1 bestsellers in the Amazon sailing eBook categories. (If you are a non-US Amazon customer, e-mail me at linuswilson outlook [dot] com, and I’ll send you the link addresses for your country’s site.)  Like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter and tell your friends to do the same. I’m putting up more videos of the Slow Boat crew on YouTube. Subscribe to my free newsletter at http://www.slowboatsailing.com for free books and boat repair and upgrade tips.  There you can also find a orange banner link at the bottom of the page and promo code to save $15 off your next purchase of $200+ at West Marine. Write a review on iTunes for the podcast or on Amazon for my books.  Finally, have some fun on the water!

Annie Dike author of Keys to the Kingdom: A rising young lawyer who found the key by losing the lock, Salt of a Sailor: The true origins of a durable, but not-so-dainty sailor, and None Such Like It: An enlightening voyage through the nine stages of boat-buying grief visited the Slow Boat and told us about how much a Blogger, YouTube sensation, and bestselling author really makes. (It's less than you think.) She talks about cruising in her boyfreind's boat in Florida and other crewing trips she has done on other people's boats. Even if you are a big fan, you will learn many things you did not know about Annie. I talk about the transit of the Panama Canal in the Slow Boat also.  We are in the Pacific now! On the way, I got the honors of informing La Vagabond's and our line handlers that they were superstars. This episode is sponsored by Jenifer Clark’s Gulfstream. The Slow Boat crew relied on Jenifer Clark’s Gulfstream for their Panama trip thus far. Call 410-286-5270 or e-mail gulfstream@comcast.net so you can find out how their current and weather routing can aid you in your next blue water voyage. YOU CAN GET ALL THE BONUS EPISODES IF YOU PLEDGE AS LITTLE AS $1 TO THE SLOW BOAT SAILING PODAST’S PATREON SITE.  HALF OF THIS WEEK’S INTERVIEW IS ONLY AVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO PLEDGE ON PATREON. EVERY EPISODE SINCE EPISODE 10 HAS HAD A BONUS EPISODE.  PATRONS GET TO LISTEN TO ALL THE BONUS EPISODES.  ALL PATRONS ARE GIVEN THE AUDIOBOOK OF THE #1 SAILING BESTSELLER HOW TO SAIL AROUND THE WORLD PART-TIME.  There are many ways to support the podcast in addition to being a patron. Thanks for joining the voyage!  Check out my book How to Sail Around the World Part-Time, which is now available as an album on iTunes or Amazon. Links to my books are at my website. Buy How to Sail Around the World Part-Time or Slow Boat to the Bahamas at Amazon. Both books have been #1 bestsellers in the Amazon sailing eBook categories. (If you are a non-US Amazon customer, e-mail me at linuswilson outlook [dot] com, and I’ll send you the link addresses for your country’s site.)  Like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter and tell your friends to do the same. I’m putting up more videos of the Slow Boat crew on YouTube. Subscribe to my free newsletter at http://www.slowboatsailing.com for free books and boat repair and upgrade tips.  There you can also find a orange banner link at the bottom of the page and promo code to save $15 off your next purchase of $200+ at West Marine. Write a review on iTunes for the podcast or on Amazon for my books.  Finally, have some fun on the water!

Trey Benefield of Blue Moon Adventures talks about how he wanted to finance his big cruise by buying a boat in the Eastern Caribbean and selling it in Australia for a profit. He talks about the first part of his trip in this episode from buying the boat in St. Martin and his transit of the Panama Canal. His college student daughter was his crew member on this trip and they survived 30 foot waves and gale conditions on their way. Trey and his daugher pose in Opinuhoo Bay in Moorea. You can get $200 off your next luxury, captained charter with Blue Moon Adventures in an exotic location by just mentioning this podcast.  They take sailors of all abilities on the cruises of their dreams. Contact Trey  by e-mail or phone at 865-310-8562. This episode is sponsored by Jenifer Clark’s Gulfstream. The Slow Boat crew relied on Jenifer Clark’s Gulfstream for their Panama trip thus far. Call 410-286-5270 or e-mail gulfstream@comcast.net so you can find out how their current and weather routing can aid you in your next blue water voyage.   YOU CAN GET ALL THE BONUS EPISODES IF YOU PLEDGE AS LITTLE AS $1 TO THE SLOW BOAT SAILING PODAST’S PATREON SITE.  HALF OF THIS WEEK’S INTERVIEW IS ONLY AVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO PLEDGE ON PATREON. EVERY EPISODE SINCE EPISODE 10 HAS HAD A BONUS EPISODE.  PATRONS GET TO LISTEN TO ALL THE BONUS EPISODES.  ALL PATRONS ARE GIVEN THE AUDIOBOOK OF THE #1 SAILING BESTSELLER HOW TO SAIL AROUND THE WORLD PART-TIME.    There are many ways to support the podcast in addition to being a patron. Thanks for joining the voyage!  Check out my book How to Sail Around the World Part-Time, which is now available as an album on iTunes or Amazon. Links to my books are at my website. Buy How to Sail Around the World Part-Time or Slow Boat to the Bahamas at Amazon. Both books have been #1 bestsellers in the Amazon sailing eBook categories. (If you are a non-US Amazon customer, e-mail me at linuswilson outlook [dot] com, and I’ll send you the link addresses for your country’s site.)  Like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter and tell your friends to do the same. I’m putting up more videos of the Slow Boat crew on YouTube. Subscribe to my free newsletter at http://www.slowboatsailing.com for free books and boat repair and upgrade tips.  There you can also find a orange banner link at the bottom of the page and promo code to save $15 off your next purchase of $200+ at West Marine. Write a review on iTunes for the podcast or on Amazon for my books.  Finally, have some fun on the water!

Checking into Panama was not easy or quick.  In this episode, I explain how I and the Slow Boat skipper ended up over $400 poorer and made two trips into Colon over four days and four government office visits including paying an agent. In my experience, both the immigration officer and Cristobal Port Captain refused to process my completed paperwork. I muse whether the government officials financially benefit from boater's employment of agents to facilitate the check in process in Colon, Panama. I hope they do not, but their behavior suggests they may. I spent over $50 on internet in Panama to bring episode 20 to you. That does not include my podcast and website hosting expenses. It is not free to create a podcast. Help out if you can. YOU CAN GET ALL THE BONUS EPISODES IF YOU PLEDGE AS LITTLE AS $1 TO THE SLOW BOAT SAILING PODAST’S PATREON SITE.  HALF OF THIS WEEK’S INTERVIEW IS ONLY AVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO PLEDGE ON PATREON. EVERY EPISODE SINCE EPISODE 10 HAS HAD A BONUS EPISODE.  PATRONS GET TO LISTEN TO ALL THE BONUS EPISODES.  ALL PATRONS ARE GIVEN THE AUDIOBOOK OF THE #1 SAILING BESTSELLER HOW TO SAIL AROUND THE WORLD PART-TIME.    There are many ways to support the podcast in addition to being a patron. Thanks for joining the voyage!  Check out my book How to Sail Around the World Part-Time, which is now available as an album on iTunes or Amazon. Links to my books are at my website. Buy How to Sail Around the World Part-Time or Slow Boat to the Bahamas at Amazon. Both books have been #1 bestsellers in the Amazon sailing eBook categories. (If you are a non-US Amazon customer, e-mail me at linuswilson outlook [dot] com, and I’ll send you the link addresses for your country’s site.)  Like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter and tell your friends to do the same. I’m putting up more videos of the Slow Boat crew on YouTube. Subscribe to my free newsletter at http://www.slowboatsailing.com for free books and boat repair and upgrade tips.  There you can also find a orange banner link at the bottom of the page and promo code to save $15 off your next purchase of $200+ at West Marine. Write a review on iTunes for the podcast or on Amazon for my books.  Finally, have some fun on the water!

We are podcasting from Panama! The Slow Boat sailed from Providencia, Colombia to Colon, Panama, the entrance to the Panama canal about 250 miles on the 4th multiple night passage since leaving New Orleans on April 29. Get details of the engine blowout 45 miles from Panama and how the crew of the Slow Boat came into port under their own power.   This week’s guest is Dominique Truelove of the S/V SeaWolf Sailing and the YouTube channel of the same name. The SV Sea Wolf crew sailed with dog Bear to the Bahamas, Cuba, Honduras, Colombia and Panama before returning to the USA. Next season they’ll be sailing with their new born son. They literally bought a boat and went cruising immediately. Dominique tells about the customs challenges of sailing with a dog, and how they survived a broken forestay in the remote far southern part of the Bahamas. This episode is sponsored by Jenifer Clark’s Gulfstream. The Slow Boat crew relied on Jenifer Clark’s Gulfstream for their Panama trip thus far. Call 410-286-5270 or e-mail gulfstream@comcast.net so you can find out how their current and weather routing can aid you in your next blue water voyage. YOU CAN GET ALL THE BONUS EPISODES IF YOU PLEDGE AS LITTLE AS $1 TO THE SLOW BOAT SAILING PODAST’S PATREON SITE.  HALF OF THIS WEEK’S INTERVIEW IS ONLY AVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO PLEDGE ON PATREON. EVERY EPISODE SINCE EPISODE 10 HAS HAD A BONUS EPISODE.  PATRONS GET TO LISTEN TO ALL THE BONUS EPISODES.  ALL PATRONS ARE GIVEN THE AUDIOBOOK OF THE #1 SAILING BESTSELLER HOW TO SAIL AROUND THE WORLD PART-TIME.  There are many ways to support the podcast in addition to being a patron. Thanks for joining the voyage!  Check out my book How to Sail Around the World Part-Time, which is now available as an album on iTunes or Amazon. Links to my books are at my website. Buy How to Sail Around the World Part-Time or Slow Boat to the Bahamas at Amazon. Both books have been #1 bestsellers in the Amazon sailing eBook categories. (If you are a non-US Amazon customer, e-mail me at linuswilson outlook [dot] com, and I’ll send you the link addresses for your country’s site.)  Like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter and tell your friends to do the same. I’m putting up more videos of the Slow Boat crew on YouTube. Subscribe to my free newsletter at http://www.slowboatsailing.com for free books and boat repair and upgrade tips.  There you can also find a orange banner link at the bottom of the page and promo code to save $15 off your next purchase of $200+ at West Marine. Write a review on iTunes for the podcast or on Amazon for my books.  Finally, have some fun on the water!

We’re podcasting from Providencia, Colombia in the middle of the Caribbean Sea. We are preparing for the next weather window to take us to Panama. We talked to Don McIntyre the creator of the 2018 50th Anniversary Golden Globe race. Small stout boats without electrical gadgetry like GPS will engage in the "slowest race in the world," reliving the famous 1968 race.  Mr. McIntyre think the winner will be alone on the ocean for 8 months or more in the update of the race that made Robin Knox Johnston and Bernard Moitessier household names. The 2018 Golden Globe Race Route  Don McIntyre told about some of his past adventures such as his reenactment of the Lt. Bligh's open boat voyage from Tofu, Tonga to Batavia, Indonesia. Below is a picture of Mr. McIntyre and another lover of the sea. This episode is sponsored by Jenifer Clark’s Gulfstream. The Slow Boat crew relied on Jenifer Clark’s Gulfstream for their Panama trip thus far. Call 410-286-5270 or e-mail gulfstream@comcast.net so you can find out how their current and weather routing can aid you in your next blue water voyage. YOU CAN GET ALL THE BONUS EPISODES IF YOU PLEDGE AS LITTLE AS $1 TO THE SLOW BOAT SAILING PODAST’S PATREON SITE.  HALF OF THIS WEEK’S INTERVIEW IS ONLY AVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO PLEDGE ON PATREON.  THAT SECOND HALF OF THE INTERVIEW WITH CHERYL BARR TALKS ABOUT VISITING HAVANA AND VARADERO. THIS IS ONE OF MANY BONUS EPISODES AVAILABLE TO PATRONS ONLY. ALL PATRONS ARE GIVEN THE AUDIOBOOK OF THE #1 SAILING BESTSELLER HOW TO SAIL AROUND THE WORLD PART-TIME.  There are many ways to support the podcast in addition to being a patron. Thanks for joining the voyage!  Check out my book How to Sail Around the World Part-Time, which is now available as an album on iTunes or Amazon. Links to my books are at my website. Buy How to Sail Around the World Part-Time or Slow Boat to the Bahamas at Amazon. Both books have been #1 bestsellers in the Amazon sailing eBook categories. (If you are a non-US Amazon customer, e-mail me at linuswilson outlook [dot] com, and I’ll send you the link addresses for your country’s site.)  Like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter and tell your friends to do the same. I’m putting up more videos of the Slow Boat crew on YouTube. Subscribe to my free newsletter at http://www.slowboatsailing.com for free books and boat repair and upgrade tips.  There you can also find a orange banner link at the bottom of the page and promo code to save $15 off your next purchase of $200+ at West Marine. Write a review on iTunes for the podcast or on Amazon for my books.  Finally, have some fun on the water!

We're podcasting from Providencia, Colombia in the middle of the Caribbean Sea. We just finished a four-day passage from Cayo Largo del Sur, Cuba to this beautiful oasis in the wild blue waters of the Western Caribbean.   On this episode, we interview Jeffrey Wettig of www.theescapepods.com's Shooting the Breeze Sailing Podcast.  We learn about how he got into sailing early in life and talk about his two previous boats before he bought his current boat.   This episode is sponsored by Jenifer Clark’s Gulfstream. The Slow Boat crew relied on Jenifer Clark’s Gulfstream for their Panama trip thus far. Call 410-286-5270 or e-mail gulfstream@comcast.net so you can find out how their current and weather routing can aid you in your next blue water voyage. YOU CAN GET ALL THE BONUS EPISODES IF YOU PLEDGE AS LITTLE AS $1 TO THE SLOW BOAT SAILING PODAST’S PATREON SITE.  HALF OF THIS WEEK’S INTERVIEW IS ONLY AVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO PLEDGE ON PATREON.  THAT SECOND HALF OF THE INTERVIEW WITH CHERYL BARR TALKS ABOUT VISITING HAVANA AND VARADERO. THIS IS ONE OF MANY BONUS EPISODES AVAILABLE TO PATRONS ONLY. ALL PATRONS ARE GIVEN THE AUDIOBOOK OF THE #1 SAILING BESTSELLER HOW TO SAIL AROUND THE WORLD PART-TIME.  There are many ways to support the podcast in addition to being a patron. Thanks for joining the voyage!  Check out my book How to Sail Around the World Part-Time, which is now available as an album on iTunes or Amazon. Links to my books are at my website. Buy How to Sail Around the World Part-Time or Slow Boat to the Bahamas at Amazon. Both books have been #1 bestsellers in the Amazon sailing eBook categories. (If you are a non-US Amazon customer, e-mail me at linuswilson outlook [dot] com, and I’ll send you the link addresses for your country’s site.)  Like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter and tell your friends to do the same. I’m putting up more videos of the Slow Boat crew on YouTube. Subscribe to my free newsletter at http://www.slowboatsailing.com for free books and boat repair and upgrade tips.  There you can also find a orange banner link at the bottom of the page and promo code to save $15 off your next purchase of $200+ at West Marine. Write a review on iTunes for the podcast or on Amazon for my books.  Finally, have some fun on the water.

The Slow Boat Sailing Podcast is in Cuba! We talk about our trip to Nueva Gerona, Cuba to Cayo Largo on the Caribbean coast of Cuba. In April before the Slow Boat set sail for Cuba, I talked to Captain Cheryl Barr who wrote the recent Cruising Guide to Cuba: Volume 1 which covers Varadero, Havana, Cabo San Antonio, Cienfuegos, and Trinidad and all the places the Slow Boat visited. Cheryl Barr has been coming to Cuba since 1996 on her parents' schooner. This episode is sponsored by Jenifer Clark’s Gulfstream. The Slow Boat crew relied on Jenifer Clark’s Gulfstream for their Panama trip thus far. Call 410-286-5270 or e-mail gulfstream@comcast.net so you can find out how their current and weather routing can aid you in your next blue water voyage. YOU CAN GET ALL THE BONUS EPISODES IF YOU PLEDGE AS LITTLE AS $1 TO THE SLOW BOAT SAILING PODAST’S PATREON SITE.  HaLF OF THIS WEEK's INTERVIEW is only AVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO PLEDGE ON PATReON.  THAT SECOND HALF OF THE INTERVIEW WITH CHERYL BARR TALKS ABOUT VISITING HAVANA AND VARADERO. THIS IS ONE OF MANY BONUS EPISODES AVAILABLE TO PATRONS ONLY. ALL PATRONS ARE GIVEN THE AUDIOBOOK OF THE #1 SAILING BESTSELLER HOW TO SAIL AROUND THE WORLD PART-TIME.   There are many ways to support the podcast in addition to being a patron. Thanks for joining the voyage!  Check out my book How to Sail Around the World Part-Time, which is now available as an album on iTunes or Amazon. Links to my books are at my website. Buy How to Sail Around the World Part-Time or Slow Boat to the Bahamas at Amazon. Both books have been #1 bestsellers in the Amazon sailing eBook categories. (If you are a non-US Amazon customer, e-mail me at linuswilson outlook [dot] com, and I’ll send you the link addresses for your country’s site.)  Like our Facebook page or follow us onTwitter and tell your friends to do the same. I’m putting up more videos of the Slow Boat crew on YouTube. Subscribe to my free newsletter at http://www.slowboatsailing.com for free books and boat repair and upgrade tips.  There you can also find a orange banner link at the bottom of the page and promo code to save $15 off your next purchase of $200+ at West Marine. Write a review on iTunes for the podcast or on Amazon for my books.  Finally, have some fun on the water.

We are podcasting from Cuba! In this episode we talk to Tyler Bradt, profession white water kayaker and captain of SV Wizard's Eye. We talk about his round the world expedition. He tells us he cast off the dock lines with a month of sailing experience and very little prep time for his simply outfitted 42' steel cutter Wizard's Eye. Here about the Slow Boat's 3-day offshore trip from Venice, Florida to Cabo San Antonio Cuba and how we met up with episode 4 guest Addison Chan. Stevie and I are now in the south coast of Cuba on the Island of Youth, Isla Juventud, Cuba. This episode is sponsored by Jenifer Clark’s Gulfstream. The Slow Boat crew relied on Jenifer Clark’s Gulfstream for their Panama trip thus far. Call 410-286-5270 or e-mail gulfstream@comcast.net so you can find out how their current and weather routing can aid you in your next blue water voyage.  Tell your friends about the podcast. Thanks for joining the voyage!  Check out my book How to Sail Around the World Part-Time, which is now available as an album on iTunes or Amazon. Links to my books are at my website. Buy How to Sail Around the World Part-Time or Slow Boat to the Bahamas at Amazon. Both books have been #1 bestsellers in the Amazon sailing eBook categories. (If you are a non-US Amazon customer, e-mail me at linuswilson outlook [dot] com, and I’ll send you the link addresses for your country’s site.)  Like our Facebook page or follow us onTwitter and tell your friends to do the same. I’m putting up more videos of the Slow Boat crew on YouTube. Subscribe to my free newsletter at http://www.slowboatsailing.com for free books and boat repair and upgrade tips.  There you can also find a orange banner link at the bottom of the page and promo code to save $15 off your next purchase of $200+ at West Marine. Write a review on iTunes for the podcast or on Amazon for my books.  Finally, have some fun on the water!

We spoke to Doina Cornell about the rallies organized by Cornell Sailing and the SV Aventura's recent attempts and crossing of the Northwest Passage.  She also tells us about her book Child of the Sea about her childhood circumnavigating the globe in a sailboat her parents built. This episode is sponsored by Jenifer Clark's Gulfstream. The Slow Boat crew relied on Jenifer Clark's Gulfstream for their Panama trip thus far. Call 410-286-5270 or e-mail gulfstream@comcast.net so you can find out how their current and weather routing can aid you in your next blue water voyage. I talk about the Slow Boat's two-day passage from Pensacola to St. Petersburg, FL on its way to Panama via Cuba.You can get a bonus episode of Doina Cornell if you pledge as little as $1 to the Slow Boat Sailing Podast’s Patreon site.  This is one of many bonus episodes available to Patrons only. All patrons are given the audiobook of the #1 sailing bestseller How to Sail Around the World Part-Time.   There are many ways to support the podcast in addition to being a patron.Tell your friends about the podcast. Thanks for joining the voyage!  Check out my book How to Sail Around the World Part-Time, which is now available as an album on iTunes or Amazon. Links to my books are at my website. Buy How to Sail Around the World Part-Time or Slow Boat to the Bahamas at Amazon. Both books have been #1 bestsellers in the Amazon sailing eBook categories. (If you are a non-US Amazon customer, e-mail me at linuswilson outlook [dot] com, and I’ll send you the link addresses for your country’s site.)  Like our Facebook page or follow us onTwitter and tell your friends to do the same. I’m putting up more videos of the Slow Boat crew on YouTube. Subscribe to my free newsletter at http://www.slowboatsailing.com for free books and boat repair and upgrade tips.  There you can also find a orange banner link at the bottom of the page and promo code to save $15 off your next purchase of $200+ at West Marine. Write a review on iTunes for the podcast or on Amazon for my books.  Finally, have some fun on the water!

Nike Steiger of White Spot Pirates tells us about why she dropped everything and bought her boat Karl in Panama. She gives trash and laundry tips for cruisers floating far off the grid. Learn the origins of herYouTube channel‘s name and her boat’s name. Find out about when she almost gave up the dream of sailing around the world all together. You can get a bonus episode of White Spot Pirates with an in depth look at Nike’s Mexico cruise if you pledge as little as $1 to the Slow Boat Sailing Podast’s Patreon site.  This is one of many bonus episodes available to Patrons only. All patrons are given the audiobook of the #1 sailing bestseller How to Sail Around the World Part-Time.  In this episode you can find out about the progress of the Slow Boat as it makes it way to Cuba and its new crew member Stevie. There are many ways to support the podcast in addition to being a patron. Tell your friends about the podcast. Thanks for joining the voyage!  Check out my book How to Sail Around the World Part-Time, which is now available as an album on iTunes or Amazon. Links to my books are at my website. Buy How to Sail Around the World Part-Time or Slow Boat to the Bahamas at Amazon. Both books have been #1 bestsellers in the Amazon sailing eBook categories. (If you are a non-US Amazon customer, e-mail me at linuswilson outlook [dot] com, and I’ll send you the link addresses for your country’s site.)  Like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter and tell your friends to do the same. I’m putting up more videos of the Slow Boat crew on YouTube. Subscribe to my free newsletter at http://www.slowboatsailing.com for free books and boat repair and upgrade tips.  There you can also find a orange banner link at the bottom of the page and promo code to save $15 off your next purchase of $200+ at West Marine. Write a review on iTunes for the podcast or on Amazon for my books.  Finally, have some fun on the water!

Get the Slow Boat Sailing Podcast on Stitcher and iTunes! Wes and Kate talk about how they bought their first boat in the summer of 2014, an Ericson 30+ on Craigslist for $11,500 and within months were headed south for the Bahamas making great videos on YouTube along the way. They cruised the Bahamas in that boat in the Northern Exumas, Nassau, Eleuthera, and the Abacos before deciding to sell it in South Carolina.  If you want a boat that is Bahamas tested, there is one waiting for you in South Carolina.You can get chapters a bonus episode of Wicked Salty with an in depth look at their Bahamas cruise if you pledge as little as $1 to the Slow Boat Sailing Podast’s Patreon site.  This is one of many bonus episodes available to Patrons only. All patrons are given the audiobook of the #1 sailing bestseller How to Sail Around the World Part-Time.   We talk about their early adventures, how their dog Lola adjusted to life afloat, and their reasons for selling the boat. Wes, Kate, and I talk about our problems with outboards in the Bahamas. (I had a lot of problems with my new outboards documented in my book Slow Boat to the Bahamas.) A lot of folks can't wait for them to find the right boat and start filming again. (I know I am one!) Support them on Patreon. I chat about the latest developments in my trip preparations and planning for going to Panama via Cuba.  It boils down to, "Go EAST, middle-aged man". There are many ways to support the podcast in addition to being a patron. Tell your friends about the podcast. Thanks for joining the voyage!  Check out my book How to Sail Around the World Part-Time, which is now available as an album on iTunes or Amazon. Links to my books are at my website. Buy How to Sail Around the World Part-Time or Slow Boat to the Bahamas at Amazon. Both books have been #1 bestsellers in the Amazon sailing eBook categories. (If you are a non-US Amazon customer, e-mail me at linuswilson outlook [dot] com, and I’ll send you the link addresses for your country’s site.)  Like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter and tell your friends to do the same. I'm putting up more videos of the Slow Boat crew on YouTube. Subscribe to my free newsletter at http://www.slowboatsailing.com for free books and boat repair and upgrade tips.  There you can also find a orange banner link at the bottom of the page and promo code to save $15 off your next purchase of $200+ at West Marine. Write a review on iTunes for the podcast or on Amazon for my books.  Finally, have some fun on the water!

I recorded this talk on anchoring techniques at the 2016 Southwestern International Boat Show in Houston.  Greg Kutsen M.D. is the founder of Mantus Anchors, which is a sponsor of Slow Boat Sailing.  Download the presentation for that talk to refer to the numbers for your boat. Mantus Anchors Anchoring Presentation Support the Slow Boat Sailing Podcast on Patreon!  There are great gifts such as How to Sail Around the World Part-Time (MP3 version) and bonus content for Patreon subscribers. The focus of Dr. Kutsen's talk in Episode 11 was to properly size and select all your gear from snubber, chain, rode, swivel, anchor, and chain hook to minimize the chance of gear failure. I was so impressed by this talk  that I bought one of the Mantus' heavy-duty swivels.  Check out Mantus Anchor's store and knowledge base. I was so persuaded by this talk that I bought and installed a swivel on the Slow Boat pictured above.  The Mantus swivel is set up with a shackle so that it is not susceptible to side-loading failure that frequently destroys other popular makes of anchor swivels. We have a 45-pound Mantus Anchor on our primary bow roller as a "storm anchor."  The Mantus anchor has a large surface area for better holding and weight at the tip for better setting.  Setting is when the anchor first digs in.  While Danforth-style anchors have great holding for their weight, they have poor setting when they have grassy or hard bottoms or experience a wind-shift.  The Slow Boat dragged dangerously with a Danforth-style anchor when a squall led to a wind-shift on the way to the Bahamas.  The other great feature of Mantus Anchors is that they can be taken apart easily and stowed if you want to have a spare anchor.   I also liked the Mantus Chain Hook for the snubber line and purchased one after the talk.  It seemed much less likely to become unhooked than the chain hooks available at places like West Marine.  Use the West Marine link and the promo code WMAFF to get $15 off your next purchase of $200 online.  (The promo code won't work without using the link. Tell your friends about the podcast.  Thanks for joining the voyage!  Check out my book How to Sail Around the World Part-Time, which is now available as an MP3 album on iTunes or Amazon. Links to my books are at my website. Buy How to Sail Around the World Part-Time or Slow Boat to the Bahamas at Amazon. Both books have been #1 bestsellers in the Amazon sailing eBook categories. (If you are a non-US Amazon customer, e-mail me at linuswilson outlook [dot] com, and I’ll send you the link addresses for your country’s site.)  Like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter and tell your friends to do the same. Subscribe to my free newsletter at http://www.slowboatsailing.com for free books and boat repair and upgrade tips.

This “new” episode 4 replaces the old episode 4. The old episode 4 had poor sound quality due to banging halyards in a 30-knot near-gale. Nadine Slavinski crossed the South Pacific in 2013 and 2014 and wrote about it in her book Pacific Crossing Notes. We talk in depth about the Slow Boat’s planned cruising grounds for 2017 of the Galapagos and the Marquesas. Nadine also wrote Lesson Plans Ahoy! and Cruising the Caribbean with Kids. We also talk about her cool downwind sailing setup on their 35′ sailboat. I also talk about Annie Dike’s new video How to Get Your Wife to Go Cruising. She says her fans ask here that question all the time. There are many ways to support the podcast in addition to being a patron. We are donating the August and September Patreon revenues to the American Red Cross’s Louisiana Flood relief. Thanks for joining the voyage!  Check out my book How to Sail Around the World Part-Time, which is now available as an album on iTunes or Amazon. Links to my books are at my website. Buy How to Sail Around the World Part-Time or Slow Boat to the Bahamas at Amazon. Both books have been #1 bestsellers in the Amazon sailing eBook categories. (If you are a non-US Amazon customer, e-mail me at linuswilson outlook [dot] com, and I’ll send you the link addresses for your country’s site.)  Like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter and tell your friends to do the same. I’m putting up more videos of the Slow Boat crew on YouTube. Also check out my new study guide entitled Navigation Rules: International and Inland (Abridged), Study Guide for Uscg Captains’ and Merchant Mariner Exams.  Episode 6’s South Pacific Weather with Met Bob has became anAlbum on iTunes. Subscribe to my free newsletter at http://www.slowboatsailing.com for free books and boat repair and upgrade tips.  There you can also find a orange banner link at the bottom of the page and promo code to save $15 off your next purchase of $200+ at West Marine. Write a review on iTunes for the podcast or on Amazon for my books. Finally, have some fun on the water!

#133 is Pam Wall, circumnavigator and another of my sailing heroes. Pam is a staple in most of the sailing magazines and seminar circuits, and made a career in sailing working for and with West Marine after sailing round the world in her beloved Freya 39 Kandarik. I spoke to Pam during her lunch break one day at Cruiser’s University in Annapolis this fall, where we were both on the speaking schedule. Pam’s sailing career started in the 60s when on a whim she moved to Ft. Lauderdale to pursue a sport she knew little about. Inspired by Australian sailors who had worked their way all the way into the Great Lakes, where she grew up, Pam decided the life was for her. Pam describes what it was like back in the day in Ft. Lauderdale, a yachtie town if there ever was one, and how she met her husband, Andy, their plan to build a boat and sail away, how she became involved with West Marine, Andy’s agonizing death not too long ago and how she’s only now starting to recover again from a hellish few years. Pam, recently let go by West Marine, now works for Steve Dashew and was on her way to New Zealand after our chat to get acquainted with Steve’s revolutionary long-distance motor yachts. Get in touch with Pam on her website at pamwall.com.