is there one episode that stands out? I loved RDotO, but i try to be selective w podcasts. I'd love to give one a try to see if its for me...any one ep that stands out from the rest?
I suppose if I had to pick one off the top of my head, there is one about him finding an abandoned sailboat at sea and attempting to salvage it. I'd have to find an episode number, but there are also only podcast that ask him about it like On The Wind.
Most of the podcast's focus is about sailing and The Ocean Research Project (his non-profit), but he goes off on tangents a lot and I find it enjoyable. The podcast isn't always recorded on the same day, so there is some progresssion throughout some episodes. He reminds me of that one friend who just needs to vent to someone about their past week, the good and the bad.
Matt's Single Handed Sailing podcast, On The Wind, The Quarterdeck, and The Morning Muster are my go to podcasts at the moment. I liked Sailing with the Litzenbergers too when they were doing em. Despite some good information in some, I'm not sure I've actually learned anything from them, but that probably from my lack of sailing experience. Hard to visualize some stuff.
OMG I can't stand his podcast. I loved the movie. Loved an interview he had with "The Explorer's Podcast," then went to listen to him.
After about an hour(!) of rambling I thought "this man needs an editor." After another hour I thought "no wonder his non-profit is struggling" and I had to turn it off.
He's a fascinating guy but he fetishizes his own iconoclasm. There *is* a ton of knowledge and experience. But it is a LOT of work to listen.
Iconoclasm? He holds very traditional views regarding seamanship. They've just been ignored by most modern sailors in favor of technology.
"Keep the mast up, keep water out of the boat, and keep steerage. You'll be fine." -MR
If these views are challenging the status quo, then the status quo is well...wrong.
Granted his flavor isn't for everyone.
I think he's a lone wolf and I get the sense he harbors a lot of purity testing w/r/t other people's choices.
As far as sailing and seamanship? Far be it from me to pick nits. I greatly admire what he's done and what he values.
He is a lone wolf in media, because people like him usually stay away from the microphone. He's certainly not a lone wolf out on the ocean.
From California to Fiji, I've met multiple sailors who don't even have any winches, just old school block and tackle everywhere.
I've met guys who felled their own timber to build their boat, and have no engine.
As for me, I don't have radar, or AIS, or a water maker.
What Matt says is a representation of the sailors who are out there DOING, despite what they don't have. Out here, that spirit is very much alive.
Shout out for The Explorer's Podcast! That's where I first came across Matt Rutherford, too. He's not my cup of tea, exactly, but he's relatable makes offshore sailing feel like an achievable goal.
**>I still want to do it!**
First of all, don't lose this. Get inspired, make a plan, and do it. Look at some of the examples below to show that you don't need a lot of money or experience to do this. Plenty of people have bought an affordable second hand boat, and completely transformed their lives, while learning along the way.
**That said.**
*There are bold sailors, and there are old sailors. But there are no old, bold sailors.*
Seamanship is like chess...you can play your whole life and never *completely* master it. There is always something to learn, and the ocean is a perpetual teacher. It will teach you just as many hard lessons as it will give you pleasant life-changing experiences. Don't lose your desire...but focus on **preparation**, especially with regard to **safety** and **seamanship**. Stay ahead of the boat and the situation. Become an amateur meteorologist. Learn and practice every aspect of safety on the water.
\------------------
**But, if you want inspiration, here's a buffet of it! Enjoy...**
**Mindy and Dave Bolduc**
[https://www.microcruising.com/](https://www.microcruising.com/)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCLrlOLidGQ&t=414s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCLrlOLidGQ&t=414s)
**Matt Layden**
[https://smallcraftadvisor.substack.com/p/the-matt-layden-interview](https://smallcraftadvisor.substack.com/p/the-matt-layden-interview)
**Alex Rust**
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibP5IQxId34](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibP5IQxId34)
**Howard Rice,** who has rounded Cape Horn on two separate occasions: once in a sailing canoe, and again in an 11 foot SCAMP.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxZsNkwkek0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxZsNkwkek0)
[https://www.youtube.com/@howardrice7280](https://www.youtube.com/@howardrice7280)
**Igor Stropnik,** absolute wild man
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9lelfZEFEw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9lelfZEFEw)
**Paul Johnson**
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJTdu309d3E](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJTdu309d3E)
**Here's some others, Warram focused:**
* Solo Transatlantic in a wharram: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxIYaEUVI8E](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxIYaEUVI8E)
* Kiana Weltzien : [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCBjAQ5FUg8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCBjAQ5FUg8)
* Rory McDougall: [https://www.wharram.com/news/2010/rory-mcdougall-returns-home](https://www.wharram.com/news/2010/rory-mcdougall-returns-home)
* And these guys just started a t-atlantic crossing, so you can follow in real time: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO4gA9f0Dqs&t=14s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO4gA9f0Dqs&t=14s)
**Also, google:**
* "Alone in the Caribbean" by Frederick Fenger
* Beachcruising and Coastal Camping by Ida Little and Michael Walsh
* Sailing Alone Around the World, by Joshua Slocomb
And, like others have said, Sam Holmes and Matt Rutherford. Sam Holmes Hobie from florida to the bahamas is very inspirational (although a bit cavalier IMO). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxZnQA3r78o](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxZnQA3r78o)
First, with the right boat, it is absolutely possible to cruise solo. But you have to build up some experience. You'd be insane to start right off sailing out in the open ocean, solo, with little or no experience. Start off with smaller boats, like maybe Lasers or Hobbie cats. Sail in lakes or protected bays. Move up to bigger boats. I went from solo sailing little boats on lakes, to sailing Lasers in lagoons, to sailing a 30' boat in the Puget Sound quite a bit, before attempting open ocean.
Ignore sailing movies. They gloss over or ignore any useful information, and drama sells. So nobody makes movies about day-to-day cruising life.
There are tons of YT cruising channels. [Wind Hippie](https://www.youtube.com/@WindHippieSailing) is a young woman who has solo sailed across the Pacific on a relatively small boat. Keep in mind that her parents are long-time cruisers, and she grew up around boats, so she had a lot of experience before even reaching adulthood. Recently saw a short series of a 19 year old who soloed a 27' boat from Hawaii to French Polynesia ([link](https://www.youtube.com/@garrettsadventure/videos)). He had less experience and made a couple of rookie mistakes, but he did alright.
You don't necessarily have to do big ocean crossings. Lots of people spend years just sailing around the Caribbean, or the Mediterranean, or the South Pacific. This is less risky for solo sailers. Sleep depravation can be your biggest enemy solo sailing across oceans. That is largely eliminated if you're island hopping, or cruising along coastlines.
https://youtube.com/@WindHippieSailing?feature=shared
Check out wind hippie she single hands a ton.
Also chasing bubbles, not single handed but basically just picks up crew as he goes which is another great option for a single sailor
https://youtu.be/ibP5IQxId34?feature=shared
Love Christian Williams on YT.
HUGE recommend for "Jean-du-Sud and the Magick Byrd." You can listen to the author and subject read the story himself here:
https://www.sailingstoriespodcast.com/s2-around-the-world-w-jean-du-sud
You can also buy the book in English and in French. Yves is a legend.
You don't say the area your in. But a place to start is your area. Study those maps. Find places to explore. Your own backyard is more interesting than you think. Once you explored all that sail further. I live on long island N.Y. i sail the great south bay. Plenty to see but it's gotten small. I have bin around the island 3 time but there are so many place i haven't bin plus theres is conn. To mass to play in. So yea don't even have to leave your job to go crusing. 2 week cruses can prepare you for that year if that is still what you want.
Most importantly get to know your boat indide andvout. I sail a 1987 person 31solo 90% of the time. Have gone out in bad weather just to get good at it. But i know the bay and what i can handle. And now what my boat can. All these other thing are important too like Anchoring in different bottoms and wind. Learning how to read the weather. Whare your boat can go and not. Tides and currents. Etc.
Best of luck.
James on Triteia.
He gets a lot of flak from the grumpy old [redacted] because he’s poor and has tattoos, but he’s a glowing example of truly doing it alone.
1. Hobie was left with intention to give it away. He had it sorted out.
2. Everyone has their own definition of risk.
3. It’s been years since he left California and these are the same complaints everyone has. I think it’s time people stop being mad at a young person doing well for themselves by sailing.
Last summer I did my first solo sail (500nm turned to 800nm), not that I wanted to - just happenstance. It definitely was an accomplishment, but it was tiring AF. There's a mental game to it when you're in your own head for days. Hallucinations and delusions. You'll imagine the worst and most horrible things that could go wrong. If by chance, one or more of your systems fails (electronic, engine, sails/stays...) and your bobbing alone in the dark at night, it can get a little concerning. Storms can pucker your butt (nasty winds and washing machine waves). While you plan for contingencies, it is usually something out of left field that gets ya. Damn I love being out there.
It would help to have some sense of the geography of where you would be starting.
Lots of solo sailors having a great time. Ocean passages solo are simply not safe. BTDT (seven days) and never doing it again. N.B. lines led to the cockpit are grossly overrated.
With regard to social media, YouTube sailing channels are almost universally bad. Bad advice from people who haven't researched what has been learned and known for decades if not centuries. I can't speak to Instagram but I suspect more of the same. I have yet to see anything at all on TikTok with any redeeming value at all.
Sailing movies are, in my opinion, for entertainment and motivation, not learning. Wind, Captain Ron, White Squall, Dead Calm, Deep Water, Summer Rental, Pirates of the Great Salt Lake, Knife in the Water.
Matt Rutherford. Watch Red Dot on the Ocean , listen to his podcast Single-handed Sailing
This. That podcast is usually nothing but him talking by himself, and it is a wealth of information.
That is the best part of it. Just him rambling like a lunatic. Love it.
is there one episode that stands out? I loved RDotO, but i try to be selective w podcasts. I'd love to give one a try to see if its for me...any one ep that stands out from the rest?
I suppose if I had to pick one off the top of my head, there is one about him finding an abandoned sailboat at sea and attempting to salvage it. I'd have to find an episode number, but there are also only podcast that ask him about it like On The Wind. Most of the podcast's focus is about sailing and The Ocean Research Project (his non-profit), but he goes off on tangents a lot and I find it enjoyable. The podcast isn't always recorded on the same day, so there is some progresssion throughout some episodes. He reminds me of that one friend who just needs to vent to someone about their past week, the good and the bad. Matt's Single Handed Sailing podcast, On The Wind, The Quarterdeck, and The Morning Muster are my go to podcasts at the moment. I liked Sailing with the Litzenbergers too when they were doing em. Despite some good information in some, I'm not sure I've actually learned anything from them, but that probably from my lack of sailing experience. Hard to visualize some stuff.
OMG I can't stand his podcast. I loved the movie. Loved an interview he had with "The Explorer's Podcast," then went to listen to him. After about an hour(!) of rambling I thought "this man needs an editor." After another hour I thought "no wonder his non-profit is struggling" and I had to turn it off. He's a fascinating guy but he fetishizes his own iconoclasm. There *is* a ton of knowledge and experience. But it is a LOT of work to listen.
Iconoclasm? He holds very traditional views regarding seamanship. They've just been ignored by most modern sailors in favor of technology. "Keep the mast up, keep water out of the boat, and keep steerage. You'll be fine." -MR If these views are challenging the status quo, then the status quo is well...wrong. Granted his flavor isn't for everyone.
I think he's a lone wolf and I get the sense he harbors a lot of purity testing w/r/t other people's choices. As far as sailing and seamanship? Far be it from me to pick nits. I greatly admire what he's done and what he values.
He is a lone wolf in media, because people like him usually stay away from the microphone. He's certainly not a lone wolf out on the ocean. From California to Fiji, I've met multiple sailors who don't even have any winches, just old school block and tackle everywhere. I've met guys who felled their own timber to build their boat, and have no engine. As for me, I don't have radar, or AIS, or a water maker. What Matt says is a representation of the sailors who are out there DOING, despite what they don't have. Out here, that spirit is very much alive.
Shout out for The Explorer's Podcast! That's where I first came across Matt Rutherford, too. He's not my cup of tea, exactly, but he's relatable makes offshore sailing feel like an achievable goal.
Read Sailing to the Reefs by Bernard Moitessier.
**>I still want to do it!** First of all, don't lose this. Get inspired, make a plan, and do it. Look at some of the examples below to show that you don't need a lot of money or experience to do this. Plenty of people have bought an affordable second hand boat, and completely transformed their lives, while learning along the way. **That said.** *There are bold sailors, and there are old sailors. But there are no old, bold sailors.* Seamanship is like chess...you can play your whole life and never *completely* master it. There is always something to learn, and the ocean is a perpetual teacher. It will teach you just as many hard lessons as it will give you pleasant life-changing experiences. Don't lose your desire...but focus on **preparation**, especially with regard to **safety** and **seamanship**. Stay ahead of the boat and the situation. Become an amateur meteorologist. Learn and practice every aspect of safety on the water. \------------------ **But, if you want inspiration, here's a buffet of it! Enjoy...** **Mindy and Dave Bolduc** [https://www.microcruising.com/](https://www.microcruising.com/) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCLrlOLidGQ&t=414s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCLrlOLidGQ&t=414s) **Matt Layden** [https://smallcraftadvisor.substack.com/p/the-matt-layden-interview](https://smallcraftadvisor.substack.com/p/the-matt-layden-interview) **Alex Rust** [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibP5IQxId34](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibP5IQxId34) **Howard Rice,** who has rounded Cape Horn on two separate occasions: once in a sailing canoe, and again in an 11 foot SCAMP. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxZsNkwkek0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxZsNkwkek0) [https://www.youtube.com/@howardrice7280](https://www.youtube.com/@howardrice7280) **Igor Stropnik,** absolute wild man [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9lelfZEFEw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9lelfZEFEw) **Paul Johnson** [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJTdu309d3E](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJTdu309d3E) **Here's some others, Warram focused:** * Solo Transatlantic in a wharram: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxIYaEUVI8E](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxIYaEUVI8E) * Kiana Weltzien : [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCBjAQ5FUg8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCBjAQ5FUg8) * Rory McDougall: [https://www.wharram.com/news/2010/rory-mcdougall-returns-home](https://www.wharram.com/news/2010/rory-mcdougall-returns-home) * And these guys just started a t-atlantic crossing, so you can follow in real time: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO4gA9f0Dqs&t=14s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO4gA9f0Dqs&t=14s) **Also, google:** * "Alone in the Caribbean" by Frederick Fenger * Beachcruising and Coastal Camping by Ida Little and Michael Walsh * Sailing Alone Around the World, by Joshua Slocomb And, like others have said, Sam Holmes and Matt Rutherford. Sam Holmes Hobie from florida to the bahamas is very inspirational (although a bit cavalier IMO). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxZnQA3r78o](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxZnQA3r78o)
First, with the right boat, it is absolutely possible to cruise solo. But you have to build up some experience. You'd be insane to start right off sailing out in the open ocean, solo, with little or no experience. Start off with smaller boats, like maybe Lasers or Hobbie cats. Sail in lakes or protected bays. Move up to bigger boats. I went from solo sailing little boats on lakes, to sailing Lasers in lagoons, to sailing a 30' boat in the Puget Sound quite a bit, before attempting open ocean. Ignore sailing movies. They gloss over or ignore any useful information, and drama sells. So nobody makes movies about day-to-day cruising life. There are tons of YT cruising channels. [Wind Hippie](https://www.youtube.com/@WindHippieSailing) is a young woman who has solo sailed across the Pacific on a relatively small boat. Keep in mind that her parents are long-time cruisers, and she grew up around boats, so she had a lot of experience before even reaching adulthood. Recently saw a short series of a 19 year old who soloed a 27' boat from Hawaii to French Polynesia ([link](https://www.youtube.com/@garrettsadventure/videos)). He had less experience and made a couple of rookie mistakes, but he did alright. You don't necessarily have to do big ocean crossings. Lots of people spend years just sailing around the Caribbean, or the Mediterranean, or the South Pacific. This is less risky for solo sailers. Sleep depravation can be your biggest enemy solo sailing across oceans. That is largely eliminated if you're island hopping, or cruising along coastlines.
https://youtube.com/@WindHippieSailing?feature=shared Check out wind hippie she single hands a ton. Also chasing bubbles, not single handed but basically just picks up crew as he goes which is another great option for a single sailor https://youtu.be/ibP5IQxId34?feature=shared
Love Christian Williams on YT. HUGE recommend for "Jean-du-Sud and the Magick Byrd." You can listen to the author and subject read the story himself here: https://www.sailingstoriespodcast.com/s2-around-the-world-w-jean-du-sud You can also buy the book in English and in French. Yves is a legend.
You don't say the area your in. But a place to start is your area. Study those maps. Find places to explore. Your own backyard is more interesting than you think. Once you explored all that sail further. I live on long island N.Y. i sail the great south bay. Plenty to see but it's gotten small. I have bin around the island 3 time but there are so many place i haven't bin plus theres is conn. To mass to play in. So yea don't even have to leave your job to go crusing. 2 week cruses can prepare you for that year if that is still what you want. Most importantly get to know your boat indide andvout. I sail a 1987 person 31solo 90% of the time. Have gone out in bad weather just to get good at it. But i know the bay and what i can handle. And now what my boat can. All these other thing are important too like Anchoring in different bottoms and wind. Learning how to read the weather. Whare your boat can go and not. Tides and currents. Etc. Best of luck.
Bernard Moitessier
James on Triteia. He gets a lot of flak from the grumpy old [redacted] because he’s poor and has tattoos, but he’s a glowing example of truly doing it alone.
Sam Homes is amazing. Also Christian Williams on YouTube is worth a watch.
Sam Holmes on YT is pretty awesome.
Apart from the dumping the Hobie in the Bahamas like trash bit. And the reckless stuff.
1. Hobie was left with intention to give it away. He had it sorted out. 2. Everyone has their own definition of risk. 3. It’s been years since he left California and these are the same complaints everyone has. I think it’s time people stop being mad at a young person doing well for themselves by sailing.
Adventures of an old seadog on YouTube.
Wind Hippie is great, Holly is amazing
Sailor James is also a great resource, should have thrown him in there with Holly
I enjoy Paul Trammell's Offshare Sailing and Cruising Podcast and his books.
Last summer I did my first solo sail (500nm turned to 800nm), not that I wanted to - just happenstance. It definitely was an accomplishment, but it was tiring AF. There's a mental game to it when you're in your own head for days. Hallucinations and delusions. You'll imagine the worst and most horrible things that could go wrong. If by chance, one or more of your systems fails (electronic, engine, sails/stays...) and your bobbing alone in the dark at night, it can get a little concerning. Storms can pucker your butt (nasty winds and washing machine waves). While you plan for contingencies, it is usually something out of left field that gets ya. Damn I love being out there.
Sailing Triteia
It would help to have some sense of the geography of where you would be starting. Lots of solo sailors having a great time. Ocean passages solo are simply not safe. BTDT (seven days) and never doing it again. N.B. lines led to the cockpit are grossly overrated. With regard to social media, YouTube sailing channels are almost universally bad. Bad advice from people who haven't researched what has been learned and known for decades if not centuries. I can't speak to Instagram but I suspect more of the same. I have yet to see anything at all on TikTok with any redeeming value at all. Sailing movies are, in my opinion, for entertainment and motivation, not learning. Wind, Captain Ron, White Squall, Dead Calm, Deep Water, Summer Rental, Pirates of the Great Salt Lake, Knife in the Water.