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Episode 118: Matt Harvey / David Hows - Australian Circumnavigation Review: 8,500nm in 4 months

Skippers David Hows and Matt Harvey catch up to review their 2-yacht circumnavigation of Australia in 2023. With 8,500nm covered in just 4 months, they share the highs and lows of covering the 7th largest coastline in the world. The event was spread over 5 legs and 102 crew in total, across the two 72-foot yachts; Silver Fern and Salt Lines, including 3 circumnavigators that completed all 5 legs. With 4,600 meals prepared, it was a planning exercise of military proportions.

With engine failures, crocodiles, storms and boat fatigue to deal with, sailing some sections of this vast country are not for the faint hearted. The stunning Great Barrier Reef, North Queensland islands and reefs, Cape York, Thursday Island, the Kimberley’s, 9 metre tides in Broome, the Montebello Island Group, the Great Australian Bight and the wilderness of Tasmania, there is just so much thats remote and incredible to explore.

David announces the launch of the next edition of this great event which kicks off in March 2026, with a plan to take 4 yachts, 15 legs and 13 months to circumnavigate Australia next time. With 75% of the time spent exploring and ashore next time, we'll go even deeper into remote Australia. It just gets better.

Episode 117: Sharon Ferris-Choat: From troubled student to Olympian, Volvo Ocean Race, Jules Vern and Extreme Cats

Sharon was a teenager heading for trouble when she discovered sailing. Starting in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand, Sharon watched Maiden race around the world with an incredible international team of women. They inspired her with the determination and belief that if they could do it, then maybe with a lot of hard work and determination, so could she. Every opportunity to sail was taken. Sharon discovered her passion, the need for camaraderie, the endless adventure seeking and new challenges to overcome. 

She wanted to race around the world, but the opportunity to compete in the Europe Class at the Olympic Games came first as the age of 22. At the 1996 Atlanta games, she finished 5th and competed again in Athens in 2004, placing 7th in the Yngling yacht. She has raced around the world 3 times, logging more than 107,000 offshore miles. The first was as part of Tracy Edwards’ first all-female crew, to attempt the Jules Verne non-stop round the world record. She then joined the crew of Amer Sports Too, in the Volvo Ocean Race in 2001/02.

Sharon has won sailing titles in multiple classes and holds 5 world speed records. A country girl at heart, she has been an inspiration to many, a great leader and passionate coach.

Episode 116: Jon Bilger - Predicting the Wind

David Hows catches up with Jon Bilger to talk about a long list of innovations and new features at PredictWind. As an Olympic and America’s Cup sailor, Jon is one of the sailing world’s, cool geeks. Very few people have competed at the level Jon has, and possess the ability to turn their knowledge into tech tools that any sailor can use. PredictWind is the global leader in weather forecasting for sailors and its used by both top racers and everyday cruisers alike.

As a user of PredictWind for almost a decade, I have found it perfect for my departure planning and weather routing at sea. Having crossed the Tasman 18-times and sailed to increasingly higher latitudes, having good forecasts helps me stay out of trouble. The advent of faster download speeds with Iridium Go Exec and Starlink, along with the new PredictWind Data Hub has made PredictWind even more valuable to use.

I don’t normally plug products, but this technology is must have for safety, so here are some extra resources to help you research it further;

Features

Products

Episode 115: Exploring the yasawa islands in fiji by yacht

In this episode David Hows and Matt Harvey share their advice and highlights from cruising the stunning Yasawa Islands in Fiji over the past 2 winters. They share tips on getting there, provisioning, repairs and maintenance in remote locations, navigation and weather.

From sailing to swimming, snorkelling, underwater caves, untouched, white sand beaches, delicious local cuisine, incredible sea life and the beautiful Fijian people and their rich culture - this destination is a “must do” for cruising sailors and those planning a sailing holiday to a unique destination.

Episode 114: Honey I'm buying (another) 72 ft Super yacht at 90% below replacement value

David Hows is back with another ambitious tale and chapter of his exciting plans to expand Ocean Sailing Expeditions with the purchase of another 72-foot luxury expedition super yacht. The 3rd yacht to join Ocean Sailing Expeditions in less than 3 years, this is a great example of what's possible if you create a big vision and boldly go forward and execute on it (even when COVID gets in the way). 

This is your chance to get involved, get onboard and sail to places you could normally only dream of, at a fraction of the normal cost. David is releasing his unique and innovative shareholder membership program for the 2nd time in 3 years, for just 35 new members in total. This makes it easier for everyday sailor’s to join his team on a range of new passages, races and expeditions at 20-100% below the normal crew cost.

Episode 113: Stephen Ladd - Exploring Latin American Coasts and Rivers in a 21-foot yacht

Ginny met Steve at a wooden boat festival in the 1990's when he was selling his book, Three Years in a 12-Foot Boat. She thought something like, “The crazy things people do!” Fast forward to 2022 and Stephen Ladd (who married Ginny) shares an amazing story of the 5-years they spent exploring the coasts and inland rivers of South America in a 21-foot yacht and gave birth to a baby during their travels. They sailed from Florida to South America following coasts and islands, then they got into the big river systems down there. Using those rivers they went up and over a big hump called the Guyana Massif, which is the highland between the Orinoco and Amazon watersheds. Steve's approach to minimalist sailing, and the challenges of getting off the grid, should inspire anyone with big adventuring dreams and a small budget.

Episode 112: Neil Driscoll - Training the key to avoiding tragedy at sea

Neil grew up sailing in the UK and quickly became accustomed to the range of weather conditions that it serves up. By the time he was a few months old, he completed his first English Channel crossing. He fell into maritime training as a teenager at his local sailing club, before emigrating to Australia and launching his own Sydney based training company 'Above and Beyond Boating'. Neil decided to pioneer a different approach to training through real life scenario, video based training, that people could complete remotely. Neil shares some great lessons from his decades clocking up tens of thousands of miles at sea and provides some great insights into the simple safety things we take for granted.

Visit: Above & Beyond Boating

Check out: Training course options

Episode 111: david Hows - 17 key lessons from 13 Tasman Sea Crossings

David Hows crossed the Tasman Sea for the first time in 2013, relieved to have survived a 1,500nm crossing that he never expected to repeat. 9 years and 13 Tasman Sea Crossings later, David has experienced winds as high as 55 knots, 10 metre seas, boat speeds hitting 24 knots and squalls tracked with radar moving at up to 106 knots. David shares 17 lessons that are applicable for anyone sailing offshore.

David has clocked up more than 60,000 offshore miles between Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands over the past 11 years, including 25,000nm in the last 2 years alone.

Episode 110: Derek Hamer - Saving hundreds of thousands of mammals from accidental death

Derek Hamer has devoted his life to helping save seals and whales. It's a great insight into the impact that fishing has on our oceans and the work thats been done by a handful of people to change how fishermen think about sustainability. Derek is passionate about protecting our oceans for future generations and has accrued decades of experience working on the management of marine mammal conservation with commercial fisheries in Australia, the sub-Antarctic, Samoa and Fiji.

Derek is a founding member of the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) Marine Mammal Working Group and has worked with the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA; through the DevFish Project), the Alaskan Longline Fishermen’s Association (ALFA) and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on related projects in the western central Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea.

Episode 109: Walter Van Lier - Sails half way around the world on a wing and a prayer

Walter Van Lier finds a 1980's Beneteau yacht named ‘Luke 8:24’ for sale online and flies half way around the world during COVID to buy it. This is the story of a crazy adventurer with a heart of gold and his remarkable sailing journey from Spain to Hobart, Australia.

From a broken forestay, to engine failure, shredded mainsail and steering failure, this tale has it all. Walter is a full time vagabond and part time fruit picker who owns 3 yachts and has created a life of fun filled sailing adventures.

Check out: Photos of Luke 8:24 in our Facebook Group

Episode 108: Derek Shields - Building a yacht out of a 1,000 year old Huon Pine log. The story of Tasmanian yacht ‘Sagan’ 

Imagine discovering a log that had just floated down a Tasmanian River in a storm and building an ocean going yacht out of it. Not just any log, but  a rare Huon Pine log, felled 40 years earlier from a tree estimated at 1,000 years old. Thats what Derek Shields set out to do, with no background in boat building. After years sailing on other peoples yachts, he had found a John Muir design in 1982 and he decided to build it. 3 years and thousands of hours later, ‘Sagan’ was launched.

Following Sagan’s launch, Derek set off on an adventure that took him up the east coast of Australia and across the Indian Ocean to Africa where he spent 10 months travelling through 17 different countries by road. Derek’s shares his sailing story in the tranquil setting of the Gordon River It's an amazing tale of setbacks and perseverance.

Check out: Photos of Sagan in our Facebook Group

Episode 107: Suzie Christensen; sailor and CEO of the stunning Lord Howe Island

Meet Suzie Christensen, sailor and CEO of the stunning Lord Howe Island. On my 4th visit to Lord Howe Island in 5 years I managed to catch up with the newly appointed island CEO for a chat about island life. Suzie shares her early experience on fitting into her new role after moving from Queensland, Australia to the tropical island paradise, 300nm off Australia’s East Coast.

We chat about the history, economy, wildlife, how the nutrient rich Lord Howe Island Rise creates healthy dolphins, the impact on native bird population since rodents were removed and some of the highlights for visiting sailors.

Episode 106: Matt Harvey completes 4,200nm Tahiti to Sydney passage. Ocean sailing with no autopilot or wind instruments.

We catch up with Matt Harvey on the challenge of flying 32 hours to Tahiti, to pick up a rookie crew and prepare to deliver his new yacht ‘Salt Lines’ to Sydney, Australia to join Ocean Sailing Expeditions. Salt Lines (originally John Laing), had been parked up for 2 years in Tahiti due to COVID-19. Matt’s challenge was to fly in, prepare the vessel for departure and sail non-stop to Sydney on a journey full of the challenges that come with sailing a vessel you have just purchased and are still getting to know. Matt discuss the hurdles faced on arrival in Tahiti, the battle with the heat, the mammoth effort required to bring Salt Lines home and the upgrades and refits planned.

Episode 105: Dan Farmer wins division in Sydney Hobart Race on yacht B52. 40% of fleet retire in tough conditions

Dan Farmer, owner and skipper of the Sydney 41 yacht ‘B52’, shares the story of his epic adventure in the 2021 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race, where more than 40% of the fleet retired due to damage or injuries. Dan explained crew selection, training, boat preparation and their strategy in the the first 36 hours of the race when more than 30 yachts retired in the tough ‘wind against current’, southerly conditions. Dan shares his thoughts on what went well, the importance of onboard leadership and an emotional crossing of the finish line. From 2 to 40 knots, this edition of this famous ocean race had everything.

Episode 104: Matt Harvey - Buys 70-foot expedition yacht 'sight unseen' in Tahiti. 2nd yacht joins Ocean Sailing Expeditions

I met Matt Harvey in June 2021 when he joined me onboard Silver Fern as Chief Mate on the 600nm passage from Southport to Hamilton Island, Queensland. With the various challenges that unfolded along the way, Matt proved himself as a capable and composed skipper, especially under pressure.

Fast forward 4 months and Matt has just completed the purchase (sight unseen) of a 70-foot expedition yacht, that’s been parked up in Tahiti for 18 months (thanks to COVID-19) after it was halfway through its second circumnavigation. With a 200,000nm and 30-year history of ocean sailing and adventure, the yachts previous expeditions include one to Antarctica by the British Army, who retraced Ernest Shackleton’s famous voyage.

Matt’s passion for sailing has him plunging headfirst into commercial yacht ownership and joining Ocean Sailing Expeditions, with his 70-foot expedition yacht to be renamed “Salt Lines”. This enables us to increase safety on remote expeditions with 2 yachts and expands the range of sailing adventures we can offer. This episode covers the journey so far for Matt, the sleepless nights and what lies ahead next for Matt and his delivery crew, including sailing 3,300nm across the Pacific to Australia for 2 months of upgrades and repairs, so she’s ready to go sailing from February 2022.

Episode 103: Maryanne and Kyle Webb - 5 Pacific Crossings and a catamaran cruising tale. Fulfilling a life long Cruising dream

With a dream to sail the Atlantic one day, Maryanne (Scotland) met Kyle (USA) in 2002 and setting abut turning her dream into reality. They kicked their adventures on a 25 foot monohull on Lake Eerie and 19 years later they have not only crossed together but have also crossed the Pacific 5 times and have spent the last decade as live aboard cruisers. They share the tales of their travels including the strangest Customs border clearance ever experienced, in a tiny coastal town in Ireland.

They also share the sad story of the loss of their brand new catamaran in a storm, when a lee shore anchorage pushed them aground on the coast of Italy and the stress of flying home to the USA to find a replacement yacht and decided to restart their adventures on an 2001 Fountaine-Pajot Athena 38 named Begonia, which they live on today. 

Episode 102: David Hows - Aground for 10 hours on the mud in crocodile country. lessons from my Silver Fern sailing adventures

David Hows shares an update on his 72-foot expedition yacht project - Silver Fern, with details of the last 6-months including the Americas Cup, the 10-month certification process with Maritime New Zealand, big budget blow-outs on the refit.

David dives into some of his early sailing adventure challenges on Silver Fern including; a forced lee shore anchorage in a heavy weather, being grounded for 10-hours on the mud in crocodile country, black water pipe problems and rigging and steering failures. David shares his thoughts on lessons learned in these examples and prioritisation and decision making at sea.

EPISODE 101: Jack Griffin - It’s showtime: Luna Rossa vs ETNZ in Americas Cup 36. Analysis of the Finals Match up - Who will win?

I catch up with America's Cup analyst and expert - Jack Griffin from CupExperience.com and we dive into the AC75 class, the shocks and surprises to date and the rocky road to the America's Cup Match in Auckland, New Zealand in March 2021 and what the future holds for the Auld Mug.

This episode is packed with observations, thoughts and some bold predictions as to what's about to happen next, as Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli get ready to face the Defender; Emirates Team New Zealand on Aucklands Waitemata Harbour. With "Pistol Pete" facing "Jimmy the prize fighter Spithill" in Jimmy's 4th Americas Cup match in a row, this is sure to be an epic encounter and likely to contain shocks, surprises and disappointments - as is often the case with the world's oldest sporting trophy.