Out The Gate Sailing

Ron Elliot // Close Encounters with Great White Sharks - Ep. 71

Ron Elliot probably has more close encounters with great white sharks than nearly any other person. Ron is a retired urchin diver who has spent countless hours underwater at the Farallon Islands. He continues to dive at the Farallons, even after a recent encounter during which he found himself facing a massive shark charging him with open jaws…. He didn’t escape unscathed. Watch Near Miss, a film by Josh Berry featuring Ron. And help support shark research at the Farallons, which has suffered a loss of funding during the COVID pandemic.

Brooks Watson // Sailing on Clubhouse & Watts on Water - Ep. 70

Brooks Watson started sailing about a year ago. But he’s jumped in with both feet, not only getting out on the water, but building a new community for sailors on the Clubhouse social media platform and launching a non-profit, Watts on Water that will enable cruisers to bring solar powered lights to those in need all over the world. He’s currently focused on the recent disaster in St. Vincent and is working to bring lights to those in need after a volcanic eruption cup power to much of the island.

James Dilworth // Big Adventures in Small Boats - Ep. 69

James Dilworth is a sailor and boat builder. He built a 17-foot catamaran, strapped it to the roof of his car, took it down to Mexico and spent time exploring the Sea of Cortez. Once, in a challenge from the Discovery Channel, he built a boat with 3-grand in 3-days and attempted to sail it to the Farallon Islands. When I first met James he was getting ready to fly to the Philippines where he’d bought a traditional dug-out canoe, outrigger sailboat to take between the islands. In this conversation he shares the highs and lows, close calls and unforgettable experiences from his many adventures.

Joe Balderrama // SF Bay Singlehanded Sailing Society - Ep. 68

Joe Balderrama loves the feeling of sailing alone - and he’s done a lot of it both in the San Francisco Bay and across oceans. He’s currently the Commodore of the San Francisco Bay Singlehanded Sailing Society. We talk about everything from the Three Bridge Fiasco to surviving squalls in the Pacific.

Ryan Finn Update // The Whole Story of the Hull Hole - Ep. 67

In January, Ryan Finn left New York on a single-handed, non-stop passage to San Francisco around Cape Horn - a feat that’s never been done. But only a day out from shore he heard a bang and found a gaping hole in the hull of his 36-foot proa. He was able to make repairs and limp back to the east coast of the United States. After interviewing him before his departure (Episode 62), I caught up with him again briefly to hear about the incident, the aftermath, and his plans for the voyage moving forward. He’s set up a Go-Fund-Me campaign to help with the costs of the voyage.

Mike Scheck // Scanmar & Getting Into the Business of Sailing - Ep. 66

Mike Scheck is President of Scanmar International, the Bay Area company best known for making the Monitor Windvane. A long-time Bay sailor, Mike took over the company from founder Hans Bernwall in 2014. Scanmar actually sells a few different windvane models and autopilots. Mike and I talk about the advantages of different kinds of steering gear, the new emergency rudder system for the Monitor, the origins of Scanmar, as well as the challenges of making your avocation into your vocation.

Graham Balch // Promoting an Electric Revolution on the Water - Ep. 65

Graham Balch is the Managing Broker at Green Yachts - a new brokerage in San Rafael that is dedicated to selling, servicing and promoting electric boats. He shares with me the latest advances in electric propulsion and other green technology for sailboats. Graham recently spent time with Kika and Dan of Sailing Uma to test sail a Salona 46 in Croatia and you can see their video review of that boat here.

Kimball Livingston // Writing and Racing in SF and Around the World - Ep. 64

Kimball Livingston covered sailing for the San Francisco Chronicle for fourteen years. He then moved to a position as the West Coast Editor for Sail Magazine. His assignments took him around the globe and had him covering everything from local races to the America’s Cup. His coverage has been seen and heard on NPR, Radio New Zealand, and the CBS Evening News. He’s a past Commodore of St. Francis Yacht Club and current Chair of Junior sailing at the club.

Ernie Koepf // Going to Sea for Solace, Affirmation, and a Living - Ep. 63

Ernie Koepf has seen the many sides and many eras of commercial fishing on the west coast. He grew up fishing with his family out of Half Moon Bay, and took to the life, buying his own boat to search the seas for crab, salmon, herring and more. His book Opening Day is a fictionalized account of his life and it’s a story beautifully told. Ernie will be reading his writing at the 8th annual Suasalito Community Boating Center Herring Festival on January 27th. Get your tickets here.

Ryan Finn // Attempting a Record: Sailing Solo, Non-Stop from NY to SF - Ep. 62

Ryan Finn grew up sailing with his family in the Gulf of Mexico. At 19 he was diagnosed with non-hodgkin's lymphoma and while undergoing cancer treatment he became fascinated by single-handed sailing. Today, Finn has successfully completed three Trans-Atlantic and three Trans-Pacific crossings. Now he's about to attempt the first ever solo, non-stop sail from New York to San Francisco around Cape Horn East to West. And he’s undertaking the 14,000 voyage in a modern proa, an updated version of a Polynesian sailing canoe. Follow Ryan’s journey at 2Oceans1Rock.