Deep dives on the art of seam'nship. Technical discussions and lessons learned from all aspects of sailing, from leadership & preparation to sail trim, navigation and more. Hosted by professional skippers Andy Schell & August Sandberg. Produced by 59º North Sailing. A podcast about leadership, sailing & seam'nship.
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Sep 29, 2026 · 47:20
Today, we are bringing you a rerun of a popular episode from four years ago that some of you might have missed. Andy and Lee and Adam talk about propellers! The reason that we…
Sep 22, 2026 · 1:36:22
Which one of you will be the first to snatch up this beauty! ? A gorgeous 1983 Tanton 44 from Portland Oregon, ready for whatever adventure you might be into. Huge thanks to…
Sep 15, 2026 · 1:00:06
Ahoy, shipmates - We are putting today's boat shopping episode on ice as Andy has been busy with a very exciting project behind the scenes at 59° North, and it was not possible…
Sep 15, 2026 · 33:22
Today, we're bringing you a field recording from ISBJØRN! Skipper Manot Berger and August Sandberg were sitting down aboard the boat some days before the crew arrived and…
Sep 1, 2026 · 50:56
This boat is very special to Andy Schell. He lived and cruised on an Allied Princess 36 with his family as a kid! Will his analysis of this boat be cold and pragmatic, or…
Aug 25, 2026 · 1:05:19
It's another Boatshopping episode! Andy and August are taking a look at boat for sale, dissecting the boat and the listing. Of course, if you are a Quarterdeck member, you will…
Aug 18, 2026 · 26:48
The Quarterdeck Podcast is back! Tell your friends! In this episode, August will share a recording he did, debriefing one of the Sail Training Camps on Isbjørn this spring. He…
Apr 30, 2026 · 1:02:39
The boat listings continue! Andy and August dissect boat listings provided by our shipmates on the Quarterdeck. In this week's episode they take a look at a Saga 48. Join us to…
Apr 21, 2026 · 31:06
ISBJØRN is back out sailing after a cold winter and a busy recommissioning period in Bergen! August talks about the projects that were done on the boat over the winter, and gives…
Apr 16, 2026 · 1:10:28
Could this Feeling 486 make all of your dreams come true, or is a horrible mistake? in this episode, Andy, Mia and August continue to review boat listings from Quarterdeck…
Apr 7, 2026 · 1:22:30
The boat listings continue! Andy and August dissect boat listings provided by our shipmates on the Quarterdeck. In this week's episode they take a look at a C&C 44. Join us to…
Mar 31, 2026 · 54:15
In this episode Andy chat with our skipper Jojo Pickering about their shared passion for celestial navigation. Are you a seasoned celestial navigator, or just looking to start…
Mar 24, 2026 · 1:11:41
Check out this sweet one-off Ted Brewer 35! This season, Andy and August dissect boat listings provided by our shipmates on the Quarterdeck. Join us to learn how to shop for…
Dec 22, 2025 · 9:27
A holiday greeting from the 59 North Admiralty, and a quick preview of what we've got in store for 2026! Thank you for listening to us thorugh 2025 Join the FALKEN open house!…
Dec 16, 2025 · 55:44
What really matters when choosing a boat to cross oceans? Andy Schell and August Sandberg break down the essential features that define a true bluewater sailboat, from hull…
Dec 10, 2025 · 54:38
Andy and August talks about Christmas shopping for sailors, discussing various gift ideas ranging from practical gear to unique collectibles. They share personal anecdotes and…
Dec 2, 2025 · 1:00:28
Andy, Mia, and August are sitting down together in Sweden to reminisce about the many landfalls we've made over the years. We'll be sharing some of our best and worst…
Nov 25, 2025 · 57:42
When is it worth doing big refit projects, and when is it better to move on to a different boat? SPICA's rigging has Andy browsing blocket for boats again.. This podcast is…
Nov 18, 2025 · 53:43
There are sailors out there without boats and there are boats without crew, and it is a common thing to use crewseekers and similar websites and forums to bring the two together.…
Nov 11, 2025 · 57:14
In this episode, August and Andy dive deep into the timeless tool of celestial navigation- the trusty sextant. We'll give you everything from histrical perspective to practical…
Nov 4, 2025 · 1:05:47
Iridium Mail has just shut down its service, prompting Andy Schell and August Sandberg to look for new solutions and take stock of the current world of satellite communications.…
Oct 28, 2025 · 48:41
Andy, August, and the Quarterdeck Sailing Podcast are back! A lot has happened in the world of electronic navigation since we last discussed this topic on the air. How do FALKEN…
Sep 24, 2024 · 1:01:50
Andy and Mia joins August to give him the latest news on their boat hunt! Will there be another boat in the family? For links to the listings as well as hi-res photos, join us on…
Sep 17, 2024 · 1:54:54
Andy is indeed shopping for a new boat, and we get to peek over his shoulder! Checking out the boats he is considering, the things he is looking for, as well as learning about…
Sep 10, 2024 · 56:24
The Shetland Race is a historic, 200 mile race across the notorious North Sea from Bergen to Lerwick. August recently completed the 2024 Shetland Race on ISBJØRN, and he's is…
Jun 18, 2024 · 49:32
Hear Andy's salty sea story of the time FALKEN and her trusty radar was called upon to rescue a boat that dragged her anchor and drifted out to sea without lights, AIS or any…
Jun 11, 2024 · 49:16
Andy and August are back, this week talking about radar! What is it, and is it a necessary tool for the modern sailor? Plenty of sea stories in this one that might help you…
Jun 4, 2024 · 56:34
How different is it to sail in the dark, and what can you do to make it a safe, fun and even spiritual experience? Turn on your navlights, spin up your radar and join Andy Schell…
May 28, 2024 · 47:40
Andy Schell and August Sandberg answers questions from Quarterdeck members! This time tackling the popular topic of Watch Schedules. How do you manage rest, handover and crew…
May 21, 2024 · 46:01
ISBJØRN's white sails have 60 000 miles on them, and we are making new ones! Andy and August takes this opportunity to discuss how the sails have worked for them, and consider if…
Mar 5, 2024 · 1:17:06
Self-sufficiency is one of the most important and attractive aspects of long-distance sailing, and a proper toolkit is arguably the most important step towards achieving it. --…
Feb 27, 2024 · 34:22
Quarterdeck Member Morgan Hunter reached out to ask us about sail plans for Catamarans, and we invited him on the podcast for a conversation on the topic with sail plan pundit…
Feb 20, 2024 · 1:07:46
Our amazing bosun Adam Browne returns to the podcast to talk to August about the latest and greatest upgrades and modifications that he recently worked on aboard ISBJØRN! Many…
Feb 13, 2024 · 54:02
The Quarterdeck Sailing Podcast is back! ISBJØRN is about to have her mast stepped after having spent the winter in a cozy warm shed, and Andy and August takes a moment to remind…
Nov 28, 2023 · 55:44
Andy and August talk offshore weather routing, with FALKEN's recent trip to Greenland as a case study. They discuss how to think about forecasts, considering alternatives,…
Nov 21, 2023 · 50:07
Andy Schell and his crew just returned to port after Falken's last sail of the year. They sailed through the Gulf of Cadiz - A stretch of water that offers a new and unique…
Nov 14, 2023 · 56:35
The Quarterdeck Podcast is back! It will feature conversations about projects and issues from the top of the 59 North agenda, providing some insight into our work and our…
Sep 6, 2023 · 49:53
For the last debate of this season, we take a big step back and ask the big question: The sights, sounds and cultural input of coastal cruising? Or the freedom, desolation and…
Aug 31, 2023 · 49:22
When the wind is light and abaft the beam, what you want is a spinnaker. But what type of spinnaker? Nikki Henderson and August Sandberg randomly pick a side in this heated…
Aug 24, 2023 · 45:59
The more the merrier? Safer? Faster? Or just more expensive, crowded and annoying? Nikki Henderson the extrovert and August Sandberg the introvert randomly pick a side in this…
Aug 17, 2023 · 47:00
Are bananas the perfect food offshore, or are they inherently dangerous? Nikki Henderson and August Sandberg randomly pick a side in this heated discussion, and tries to convince…
Aug 10, 2023 · 44:21
Cruising or Racing - which is better? Nikki Henderson and August Sandberg randomly pick a side in this heated discussion, and tries to convince the other, and the audience, of…
Aug 3, 2023 · 46:04
Monohulls or cats - which is better? Nikki Henderson and August Sandberg randomly pick a side in this heated discussion, and tries to convince the other, and the audience, of…
Jul 27, 2023 · 47:57
Welcome back to the second debate of this season of the Quarterdeck Sailing Podcast! Nikki Henderson and August Sandberg will randomly pick a side in a contentious sailing topic,…
Jul 20, 2023 · 43:20
Welcome back to a new season of the Quarterdeck Sailing Podcast! This time around, we are doing debates! Nikki Henderson and August Sandberg will randomly pick a side in a…
May 25, 2023 · 44:18
Time has come for us to cross the line and explore the very south of the southern hemisphere. Nikki makes a call to sailing explorers Sophie O'Neill and Christoffer Kobusch, who…
May 18, 2023 · 1:09:23
Laura Parent is representing 59 North on the Pacific coast of the US, and teaches sailing on the famous bay. She knows a lot about the waters, culture and history of the area,…
May 11, 2023 · 58:37
Crammed with history, boats and sailing culture, the south coast of England is a perfect cruising destination. Nikki Henderson grew up in the area, and shares her vast knowledge…
May 4, 2023 · 1:06:24
Svalbard is a different cruising ground all together. Icebergs, polar bears, cold and isolation are just a few of the challenges - and allures - of this arctic archipelago.…
Apr 27, 2023 · 55:09
This week, we set sail for the Chesapeake Bay in the Mid-Atlantic region of the US with Andy Schell. Andy shares his personal connection to the Bay, where his love for sailing…
Apr 20, 2023 · 43:28
In this episode, we venture to the stunning west coast of Sweden with Mia Karlsson! Listen in as we discuss the unique beauty of the Swedish archipelago, the challenges of…
Apr 13, 2023 · 1:03:00
In this season on the Quarterdeck Sailing Podcast, we talk to members of the 59 North team about their favorite cruising grounds, and get them to share their tips, tricks and…
Mar 17, 2023 · 48:23
Whisker poles, telescoping poles, spinnaker poles, carbon poles, alluminium poles, fixed height poles, large poles, slim poles, pink poles - OK we are getting a bit carried away…
Mar 9, 2023 · 51:34
Grab a drink and a handhold, and join Mia Karlsson and Nikki Henderson for a chat on heeling! Unless you sail a multi-hull, 'life-on-a-heel' is an unavoidable fact of life.…
Mar 2, 2023 · 57:45
CHAFE - you might be thinking that's a narrow subject area? But when you really dig into it, chafe and chafe avoidance is so critical to life at sea where everything but…
Feb 23, 2023 · 53:29
Part 2 of our 'crew overboard' deep dive! Now we get to the more difficult bit - how to get someone back onboard. This is really a two part procedure: How to get the boat back to…
Feb 9, 2023 · 48:31
Andy Schell and Nikki Henderson talks MOB this week! This is the first half of the discussion on the bigger topic of people falling overboard. So before we discuss how to rescue…
Feb 2, 2023 · 57:51
The water system possibly works harder than anything else onboard - every day, every crew member will use it multiple times. And it keeps us alive too! So it's arguably the most…
Jan 26, 2023 · 55:02
We're back! Nikki and August are kicking off a new round of Quarterdeck Podcast episodes with a discussion on fuel line issues.. Inspired by resent events aboard our Swan 48…
Dec 29, 2022 · 1:02:39
Last episode of 2023! Nikki & Andy discuss ways to make sail handling and your sail inventory optimal for short-handed crews (think 2-4 sailors on a passage). We discuss which…
Dec 22, 2022 · 57:58
Chef de cuisine (and 59 North Bosun!) Adam Browne joins the gang this week to talk galley optimization. Adam, in a prior life, worked for 15 years as a chef at chalets in the…
Dec 22, 2022 · 41:07
Happy Holidays! Nikki, Mia & Emma sit down by the fire to talk about Christmas. Specifically, what they're favorite Christmas presents for sailors are, to give, and to get! --…
Dec 15, 2022 · 55:40
Andy & Nikki dive deep on electrical systems and calculating electrical consumption. Specifically we are looking for answers to the following: How to calculate the draw of your…
Dec 7, 2022 · 1:02:43
Nikke Henderson & Andy Schell take a deep dive on anchors & anchoring systems (aka 'ground tackle'). Which anchor should I choose? How long should the chain be? What weight…
Dec 1, 2022 · 56:55
Nikki, Andy & Adam are live and in-person from Gosport, England, where Nikki leads a discussion on safety briefings. How to think about them, inshore versus offshore thoughts,…
Nov 24, 2022 · 58:47
Andy & Emma continue on last week's rig topic by discussing how to inspect your mast and rigging. We talk about timing of rig inspections - preparation, pre-departure, and at-sea…
Nov 17, 2022 · 49:46
59 North Skipper Nikki Henderson is joined by Chief Mate Emma Garschagen to go deep on rig climbing for sailors. They discuss all the details you want to know about safely going…
Sep 29, 2022 · 52:14
Emma talks to 59 North Bosun Adam Browne & his wife Laura (one of our graphic designers!) about their electrified Hallberg-Rassy 312 YELLOW MATILDA. Adam & Laura repowered with a…
Sep 22, 2022 · 46:45
Andy, Lee & Adam talk props on this week's episode. We discuss how to decide what to optimize for - sailing performance, motoring performance or efficiency - and then how the…
Sep 15, 2022 · 57:34
Andy, Adam & Lee chat about the boat designs in the 2022 Golden Globe round-the-world race , which set off from France last week on Sept. 4. Though the rules are very strict in…
Sep 7, 2022 · 56:15
Andy Schell & Nikki Henderson spend an hour talking about anchoring! This episode was prompted by a Quarterdeck article asking "Are Anchor Alarms Seamanlike?", which of course…
Sep 1, 2022 · 1:11:47
Nikki Henderson and 59 North's Bosun Adam Browne discuss the challenges of time management during an extensive refit, highlighting how we're handling it on FALKEN. -- Join us on…
Aug 25, 2022 · 50:05
Andy & Nikki talk about how they got to know each other and what Nikki's new full-time role will be with 59 North! -- Join us on The QUARTERDECK, 59º North's new online platform…
Apr 18, 2022 · 57:54
Nikki, Andy, Mia and August are all together under the same roof in Bergen! And doing a LIVE podcast on ship's electronics and navigation systems! We are currently discussing how…
Apr 11, 2022 · 55:04
Our boats have many crucial and complex systems that needs to be inspected and maintained regularly, lest they rust or rot away. But our most important systems by far are made of…
Apr 4, 2022 · 50:51
Andy & Emma discuss the current happenings onboard FALKEN during her refit in the UK. Andy traveled to Gosport, England last week to check in on the progress and make some key…
Mar 27, 2022 · 1:01:59
This week, we will tackle an excellent question that we received from Quarterdeck member and Isbjørn crewmember Knut Nesheim: "What is the best way to build the skills needed for…
Mar 20, 2022 · 1:03:03
This week, August is joined by Jon Amtrup, who is going to skipper ISBJØRN along with him to the Arctic this summer! They discuss the route, the destinations, and challenges. Jon…
Mar 13, 2022 · 54:40
These days, Andy and the 59 North team is pondering the sail plan and sail inventory for our new Farr 65 FALKEN, and is very excited to talk about it. Sails, balance,…
Mar 7, 2022 · 1:16:03
August and this week's special guest Ben Doerr are both big fans of the high latitudes and of winter sailing. Too many sailors wrap up and mothball their boats in the wintertime,…
Feb 27, 2022 · 50:46
Andy & Lee take over the helm this week to talk about battery technology. Last year Andy made the switch to Dakota Lithium on SPICA, his Norlin 34 in Sweden, and Lee just did the…
Feb 20, 2022 · 42:27
August is singlehanding for this episode, telling the story of when he experienced a forestay failure offshore on his Swan 48 Isbjørn. -- Join us on The QUARTERDECK, 59º North's…
Feb 13, 2022 · 1:08:01
Andy Schell and August Sandberg are joined by their good friend Ben Doerr from Sail Bainbridge for a discussion on old boat charms and ails! -- Join us on The QUARTERDECK, 59º…
Feb 6, 2022 · 56:50
Emma Garschagen and August Sandberg discuss running backstays. What are they, and what do they do? How do they work, and why does some boats have them and some don't? Tips,…
Jan 30, 2022 · 44:31
Professional sailing skippers Andy Schell and August Sandberg discuss sailing and seamanship, picking a new topic every week. This week, we're talking deck layout! Our favourite…
Jan 23, 2022 · 45:46
Professional sailing skippers Andy Schell and August Sandberg discuss sailing and seamanship, picking a new topic every week. This episode is all about helmsmanship. How do you…
Jan 16, 2022 · 47:32
Professional sailing skippers Andy Schell and August Sandberg discuss sailing and seamanship, picking a new topic every week. This week, we're talking winches! How to use them,…
Jan 10, 2022 · 52:47
First episode of this new podcast format as we launch Season 6! Professional sailing skippers Andy Schell and August Sandberg discuss sailing and seamanship, picking a new topic…
Jun 17, 2021 · 22:05
Emma Garschagen and ICEBEAR crew John B. debrief their recent celestial navigation passage from Annapolis to Bermuda. -- Join the discussion on The QUARTERDECK, 59º North's new…
Jun 10, 2021 · 28:27
Andy & Mia explain how SPICA's new alternator caught on fire a few days ago during her electrical system refit. Oops. To watch the video and see Andy's beautiful whiteboard…
May 27, 2021 · 42:20
Andy checks in with skipper August Sandberg halfway across the Atlantic and looks at the weather they've encountered thus far on their route towards the Azores, and the weather…
May 20, 2021 · 41:36
Andy & ICEBEAR First Mate Emma Garschagen debrief the first passage of the 2021 season from Antigua to Bermuda! We recorded this from Bermuda the day after crew departed, so it…
Mar 11, 2021 · 43:37
Nikki Henderson joins the Quarterdeck membership for a brief discussion on seamanship, followed by a Q&A. Members on the QDeck submitted their questions, which Nikki answered…
Mar 4, 2021 · 1:09:19
Locally recorded audio from our Quarterdeck Seamanship Debrief with Bill Hutton and his harrowing rig failure & yacht abandonment story from episode #4. -- Join the discussion on…
Feb 11, 2021 · 36:21
Andy answers questions from The QUARTERDECK. Hydraulic rigging failures, where to buy paper charts, learning curves & luck, when to know if you're "ready" to go offshore & more!…
Jan 22, 2021 · 25:58
Andy dips into the archives this week to read an essay titled AFTER 11,000 MILES that he wrote in 2016, but which was never published, about the changes he and Mia made and what…
Jan 14, 2021 · 8:36
"But give me this glorious ocean life, this salt-sea life, this briny, foamy life, when the sea neighs and snorts and you breathe the very breathe that the great whales respire.…
Jan 7, 2021 · 1:04:45
August Sandberg interviews Bill Hutton about a terrifying offshore rig failure that ended in abandoning ship and a harrowing rescue by a cargo vessel. -- Join the discussion on…
Dec 24, 2020 · 1:10:36
Ben Doerr of Sail Bainbridge out in the Pacific Northwest, prompts us on a discussion about leadership, framed through gut instincts & fear. How do you recognize fear versus gut…
Dec 17, 2020 · 1:07:42
Andy Schell & August Sandberg answer QUARTERDECK member Olwen's call for an in-depth look at self-steering systems. We discuss what makes a boat steer herself, from the purity of…
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