Around the Buoy

The Talisker Atlantic Challenge (https://www.taliskerwhiskyatlanticchallenge.com/) is a 3000 NM ocean rowing race from The Canary Islands to Antigua and it has been called the “World’s Toughest Row”. Building on their successful finish last year, a new all-veteran Fight Oar Die team will be casting off on December 12th with thirty-four other crews.  Skippered by former Submariner Carl Christensen, this year’s team will help raise money and awareness to problems that face our men and women in uniform as they transition back into civilian life.  We got the chance to catch up with Carl to talk about this year’s team, how to follow the race and most importantly donate towards the cause.  Take a listen and be sure to visit usvetrow.org to learn more the 2019 Fight Oar Die team.

Tyler and Carter welcome Woody Metzger of First Light Boatworks back into the EPB Studio talk about the latest modification of their award-winning 26’ Monomoy, the Pocasset.  The crew at First Light completed the build and launched the hull in mid-October, and instead of transporting her to the owner in Florida the traditional way, over the road with a truck and trailer, Woody decided to make the cannonball run from Chatham to Marco Island on her own bottom!  Ten days and nearly 2000 NM!  Listen in!

Since Tabor Academy moved to the head of Sippican Harbor in Marion MA, the school has empowered students to develop their leadership skills onboard their sailing yacht Tabor Boy.  The current Tabor Boy, (TBIII) a 1914 North Sea Pilot Schooner, has been under the command of Capt. James Geil since 1987, and for the past three decades he has introduced the joys and responsibilities of being out at sea to countless students.  From orientation cruises for incoming freshmen and racing in this year’s Marion-to-Bermuda Race, to a once-in-a-lifetime passage through the Panama Canal, Tabor Boy has proven that some of the most important lessons are taught outside of the classroom walls.  Listen in! This episode is sponsored by: Arey’s Pond Boatyard

Last winter, Tyler headed up to New Hampshire on assignment to photograph Med Chandler, owner of Ship’s Coy Forge for an upcoming article in WoodenBoat Magazine about blacksmithing traditional caulking irons.  Med was introduced to blacksmithing as a 7th grader and spent his early adulthood working on traditional wooden schooners and honing his skills reproducing period authentic iron hardware.  In 2010, he decided to open up his own forge and he now sends traditional shipbuilding and timber framing tools all over the world.  Take a listen as we talk with Med about the importance of making and using heirloom quality tools.    This episode is sponsored by: Arey's Pond Boatyard

The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Hurricane Hunters have the seemingly crazy task of flying directly into one of the most destructive forces known to man.  From June to November, these brave pilots are busy flying researchers, scientist and meteorologist into the Atlantic to gather crucial data that will help forecast, track and warn those in harms way.  For Episode 33, we talk with NOAA pilot, LT Kevin Doremus, fresh off of flying into the Cat. 5 hurricane Dorian, about what it is like to punch through the eye wall. Plus, we ask him about the worst weather he has flown through. Believe it or not, it wasn't a hurricane. Listen in!

Perry Raso grew up digging for little neck clams in Point Judith pond. After graduating from the University of Rhode Island, he opened up the Matunuck Oyster Farm, a small one-acre oyster farm in South Kingston, RI.  The farm quickly grew and then in 2009, Perry became a restaurateur as well, renovating a small dilapidated clam shack at the entrance of the Pond into the critically acclaimed Matunuck Oyster Bar.  Today, the restaurant is packed to the gills! They have opened a new oyster hatchery, and you can purchase the small and sweet Matunuck Oyster far outside of New England. Take a listen as we talk with Perry about aquaculture, starting a “Pond to Plate” restaurant, and what makes a good oyster. 

Tracy Edwards was the 27-year old ambitious sailor who skippered Maiden, the first all-female crew to race in the 89-90 Whitbread Around the World Race.  This spring, the critically acclaimed documentary Maiden was released worldwide, and it recounts the struggles and obstacles that Tracy and the rest of the crew faced leading up to, and during, the sailing’s toughest test.  The film was directed by Alex Holmes and features stunning archival footage taken onboard during their grueling 32,000nm journey around the world.  Maiden placed third in their division, still the best finish by a British boat in the history of the race and earned two stage wins.  Nearly three decades after her first groundbreaking voyage, the yacht is again traveling around the world as a part of the Maiden Factor, a program that promotes education for young girls and gives aspiring female sailors a chance to get some open ocean experience.   In this episode, we are excited to be joined by Tracy Edwards, listen in!  This episode is sponsored by: Latitude Yacht Brokerage

When Henry Hudson sailed into New York Harbor in 1609, he saw one of the most vibrant and diverse ecosystems the world had ever seen, but as the population of the city grew, all of the oyster reefs were consumed and widespread pollution turned the harbor into a dead zone, unable to support any forms of life.  This began to turn around in the 70’s with the passing of the Clean Water Act but there is a lot of damage to be undone.  The Billion Oyster Project is looking to clean the harbor by repopulating the once vast oyster reefs that not only filtered pollutants out of the water but provided a habitat for fish and other forms of wildlife to call home.  In this episode we talk with the Billion Oyster Project’s Executive Director, Pete Malinowski, about the health of New York Harbor and how the oyster will help rebuild the ecosystem.  We also catch up with Ep.14 guest, Danielle Doggett from Sail Cargo at the WoodenBoat Show in Mystic to get an update on their progress in the Jungle Shipyard. Listen in!   

For many, the 12 Metres have been synonymous with the America’s Cup, but the class goes way deeper than that. Designed in the early 1900s, it was first sailed as a cruiser/racer, but that changed when the New York Yacht Club picked it as the next class to defend for the Cup.  From 1956 to 1983, the best of the best in the sailing world came to Newport to compete in the waters of Rhode Island Sound, and this summer they are back!  The 12 Metre World Championships will be held from July 9th-July 13th, and in this episode we talk with Peter Gerard, who has the daunting task of organizing the event. Tune in to learn about the history of the class, who is going to be here, and how everyone can get an up-close view of these amazing legends. Don't miss this one!

The S-Boat is one of Nat. Herreshoff’s most iconic designs, and this year, it turns 100! In this episode, we talk with Alan Silken who just finished writing Setting Sail in America, a comprehensive history of the class that includes the origins of the design, and the many fleets here in New England, and even on the other side of the world in Hawaii. (Yes, I said Hawaii!)  Then we bring in the Commodore of the Narragansett Bay S-Boat Fleet, Fred Roy, to talk about all the events surrounding the celebrations in Newport, Rhode Island. We are also joined by Ep. 15 guest, and our “Herreshoff Expert”, Evelyn Ansel, for expertise on the subject, as well as to catch up on what she has been up to since she was last on our show. This is an episode 100 years in the making... Listen in!Photo: Tyler Fields Photography

The David B was built in 1929 and served as a towing vessel for the fishing companies off the coast of Alaska, after being decommissioned in the 1950s she went the route of many wooden boats of that era and was beached and left to rot.  Thankfully, Jeffery and Christine Smith came across her and in 1998 they decided to undertake a full restoration that would get her back on the water.  Jeffery and Christine now run the David B as a small-scale, personalized “cruise ship", running tours up and down the Alaskan coast, going places that the massive cruise ships can’t access, and offering once-in a-lifetime opportunities to get up close to nature and truly experience the Alaskan wilderness.  We caught up with the David B in Ketchikan, and in this episode we talk with Jeffery and Christine about the boat, the restoration, and why there is no better way to experience Alaska. LISTEN IN!

The Race to Alaska is a 750 mile sprint up the Inside Passage from Port Townsend, WA to Ketchikan AK, and the only rules are that your boat can’t have an engine and there can be no outside organized support. Sounds simple right? Wrong! This is a race for the mad! Self-described as the Iditarod on a boat; competitors face the chance of drowning, dodging freighters, being eaten by Grizzly Bears, insane squalls and 20-knot tidal currents, all while being surrounded by the most breathtaking scenery. First place takes home 10K, second place…..a set of “mid-grade steak knives.”  No joke!  In this episode we talk with R2AK Race Boss, Daniel Evans, who thinks this race is so crazy, not even he would recommend anyone to do it.  Listen in! This episode is sponsored in part by:

6:00 – Doors Open 7:00 – Brad Read leads a discussion with returning crew members 7:30 – Movie Around the Buoy is excited to announce our second movie night!  On April 16th at the Jane Pickens Theater in Newport, RI, we will be screening the 2008 documentary Morning Light! The film chronicles 15 young sailors as they train and compete in the 2007 Transpac race from Los Angles to Honolulu.  Among the Morning Light crew are a handful of local Rhode Islander sailors who have grown to become some of the biggest names in the sport!  Save the date and stay tuned to Around the Buoy for more details!

Sail Newport has been Rhode Island’s public sailing center since its inception in 1983 and it has attracted sailors as young and inexperienced as the kids in their summer Guppy Program to the biggest names in the sport with the 2018 Volvo Ocean Race stopover.  Brad Read is the executive director of Sail Newport and he has been instrumental in bringing high profile events like The Ocean Race to Narragansett Bay and by partnering up with American Magic, hopefully returning The Cup to her home. With all those career accolades, it is clear that the program that he is most proud of is the Pell School Sailing Program that gives all Newport Public School 4th graders the opportunity to get out on the water, learn how to sail, take care of our oceans and become better people.  In other news, we also discuss some exciting details about the ATB Morning Light movie night, April 16th at Jane Pickens Theater. Listen in! Thanks to our sponsor: Latitude Yacht Brokers, a Certified Professionally Endorsed Yacht Brokerage (CPYB) firm located in historic Newport, Rhode Island.