Is Robert Perry actually the greatest cruising boat designer of all time, or is the "Perry Legend" just clever marketing from the Taiwan boat era? Today, I am putting my 18 years of living aboard and 60,000 miles of Navy submarine navigation experience to the test to judge the "Sailing Truth" behind Perry’s most iconic designs. From the groundbreaking Valiant 40 that redefined performance cruising to the Pacific Seacraft 48 Raised Saloon Cutter—a design Perry himself called one of his strongest and most successful—we are ranking the heavyweights. We’ll go beyond the aesthetics and dive into the blueprints to look at displacement, skeg-hung rudders, and why these hulls still command the ocean in 2026. In this episode of the Sailing Truth Show: The Blueprint Breakdown: Analyzing the Pacific Seacraft 48 (Profile & Layout F, 1-29-15) and why its 41,000 lb displacement makes it an offshore machine. Engineering vs. Romance: Why "Iron Jennies" (engines) and high-capacity tankage are just as important as a Robert Perry sheer line. The GOAT Debate: Ranking the Tayana 37, Lafitte 44, and Passport 47 against modern standards. The Command Mindset: Why even the "perfect design" won't save you if you haven't mastered the skills I cover in my books. ⚓ GET THE BOOK: I’m currently signing the second-printing run of Be The Captain. Grab the manual that focuses on real-world offshore seamanship, not just technical checklists. https://bethecaptain.com/ 📖 PRE-ORDER: Deepen your understanding of boat culture and mindset with my upcoming book, Be The Crew. Captain@bethecaptain.com About James Evenson: I am a professional offshore sailor, delivery captain, and veteran of the U.S. Navy submarine service. I’ve lived aboard sailboats full-time for 18 years and am currently planning "The Last Pirate" ship build in Indonesia—a custom Sulawesi Privateer featuring ironwood construction and a Gardner 8LXB engine. Stay Connected: I’m currently streaming via hotel from Panama while managing the logistics of my latest book run. #RobertPerry #SailingTruth #OffshoreSailing #BoatDesign #BeTheCaptain #PacificSeacraft #Valiant40 #Liveaboard

Learn exactly how to pickle your Seawater Pro water maker to protect your membranes during storage. Get the award-winning book: https://bethecaptain.com/ #sailing #watermaker #sailboat #desalination #sailboatlife

🏆 AWARD NEWS: Be The Captain is officially a finalist for the Eric Hoffer First Horizon and Foreword INDIES Awards! Grab your award-nominated copy here: https://bethecaptain.com/ Most people buy the wrong boat for the wrong reasons, and they get buried in the paperwork they didn’t see coming. In today’s "Sailing Truth" livestream, we are pulling back the curtain on the technical, legal, and financial reality of boat ownership. I’m also making a major announcement regarding the future of the channel and my Oyster 485. After 85,000 miles and years of living aboard, it’s time to practice what I preach. Registration & Flags: Why Poland, Langkawi, or Delaware? The Paperwork Trap: How to check for maritime liens and "Invisible Debt." VAT & Taxes: The most expensive mistake you can make in a boat deal. Survey Secrets: Why you should never trust a broker’s recommendation. Selling a Legend: My process for prepping the Oyster 485 for her next owner. If you’re serious about the offshore lifestyle, stop guessing and start leading. 📖 Order Be The Captain: https://bethecaptain.com/ 📩 For Consultation/Boat Inquiries/Partnerships: Contact us at captain@bethecaptain.com

Most people searching for the perfect bluewater sailboat will never see one like this. My book is about EXACTLY this kind of decision-making: 👉 https://bethecaptain.com In this livestream, I walk through a 1979 Hans Christian 38 MkII listed for $129,000 in Sidney, BC, a boat that's had somewhere north of $80K in the right kind of upgrades between 2022 and 2024. New Yanmar 4JH57, new Selden rig, Hasse sails, full rewire, B&G electronics, new Lofrans windlass, Vulcan anchor, 300' of new chain. This isn't a cosmetic refit. This is a full bluewater prep. So why is she for sale two years later? That's the question most buyers don't ask, and it's the most important one. In this stream I break down the four types of boat owners you'll encounter when shopping for an offshore boat, which one you actually want to buy from, and why even "perfect" refits aren't created equal. If you've ever looked at a listing and wondered what's really going on behind the spec sheet, this one's for you. ⛵ Listing: https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/1979-hans-christian-38-mkii-9566488/ 00:00 The free $500 consultation 01:00 The comment that started this 03:30 Answering it backward 04:20 The 4 types of boat owners 04:34 Type 1: Fixes what breaks 08:50 Type 2: Dockside comfort 10:35 Type 3: Going cruising 13:10 Type 4: Campaign and move on 14:15 Hans Christian 38 MkII 28:05 Reading the listing 29:45 Book giveaway + awards news 35:10 What's missing from the listing 38:20 Full listing walkthrough 43:55 Why spend $120K on a 1979? 46:25 Q&A starts 46:44 Marelon vs bronze thru-hulls 49:45 Harryproa — blue water? 53:25 Reefing a cutter rig 57:30 Hans Christian Teak Pain 1:02:00 Lightning strike prep 1:06:10 Valiant 40 vs 42 1:09:05 Buying an abandoned boat 1:12:00 Be The Crew blurb read 1:18:50 Is a submarine a cruiser? 1:21:30 Outro #bluewatersailboat #hanschristian #sailboatbuying #offshoresailing #bethecaptain

On June 10th, 2024, SV Theros left Halifax bound for the Azores. Three days later, their AIS signal went dark 34 miles southwest of Sable Island. Four weeks after that, Parks Canada found the crew on the beach. They had washed ashore in their inflatable dinghy. The Transportation Safety Board concluded the evidence is consistent with a fire on board. One crew member was found wearing a flotation suit melted down the entire left side while they were wearing it. They survived the fire. They survived the sinking. What killed them was everything that came after. This video is about what failed, and the five things that would have changed the outcome — any single one of them. The five lessons: Mount your EPIRB outside with a hydrostatic release File a float plan with a hard overdue time Carry 10 gallons of water in your aft lazarette Build a ditch bag with a communication layer Understand your battery system before you leave the dock A Garmin inReach. $300. One button. They'd still be alive. If this video made you think about how prepared you actually are: Be The Captain is the offshore decision-making manual I wish had existed when I started. 85,000 miles of hard lessons, distilled into one book. Copies ship direct from me: https://bethecaptain.com/ 🔗 Fundraiser for the family of Igor (SV Life of Pie): https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-life-of-pi-recover-from-a-fire-that-sunk-their-boat 🔗 Float plan templates — Coast Guard Auxiliary: https://floatplancentral.cgaux.org/download/USCGFloatPlan.pdf 🔗 Boat US fillable float plan: https://www.boatus.com/documents/boatus/boatus-float-plan.pdf 🔗 Category 1 EPIRB with hydrostatic release: https://tinyurl.com/2369bw8e 🔗 Garmin inReach: https://tinyurl.com/y4jwpj3s 🔗 Ditch Bag Inventory and more: https://bethecaptain.com/pages/locker This video is dedicated to the crew of SV Theros, and to Igor and his family. We owe it to them to learn what they couldn't come home and teach us.

This is the introduction and first chapter of the Be The Captain audiobook, read by the author. Chapter 1 is called Think Like a Captain. It's not about sailing techniques or gear. It's about command, and the mindset that separates people who make good decisions offshore from people who don't. If you want to know what the book is about before you commit, this is the best place to start. 📖 Get the full audiobook + hardcover: https://bethecaptain.com

In 2014, I delivered a Beneteau First 47.7 from the Bahamas to Cartagena. Somewhere in the Caribbean, 150 miles offshore, I found myself ankle-deep in water, crew vacuuming the bilge in the dark, batteries dead, no GPS, no autopilot. I didn't know at the time how close we were to losing the keel entirely. When we hauled the boat in Cartagena, I understood what had happened — and I understood something else. That boat had a sister ship. The Cheeky Rafiki. This video is about how production boats are built, why this specific failure mode exists, how to spot it on your own boat, and why the conversation about it has stayed too quiet for too long. 📖 Be The Captain — the last signed First Edition copies ship FREE for 2 more days: https://bethecaptain.com If you own a production boat — especially a fin-keel racer-cruiser built between the '70s and now — pull up your floorboards and watch this first. 🔗 Official Cheeky Rafiki MAIB Report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/55408664e5274a157200005b/MAIBInvReport_8_2015.pdf Sailing Zingaro | James Evenson 85,000+ offshore miles | U.S. Navy Submarine veteran | Author, Be The Captain Chapters 0:00 The night I almost lost the keel 1:17 The delivery: Bahamas to Cartagena 2:24 Wind builds — and so does the water 4:02 Last night at sea: ankle deep, batteries dead 5:35 We make it — emergency haul out in Cartagena 6:27 How production boats are actually built 8:04 The grid, the glue, and what holds it together 9:43 Why fin-keel race boats stress this bond to failure 11:18 What I found when the boat came out of the water 13:44 The Cheeky Rafiki — a sister ship, four souls lost 15:23 This isn't about bashing Beneteau 16:12 Who's responsible when a boat fails offshore? 17:01 What actually happened to Cheeky Rafiki 19:20 Why I quit doing deliveries 20:57 What you need to do — pull up your floorboards #sailing #sailinglife #offshore #sailboat #boatsafety #beneteau #cheekyrafiki #keelfailure #bluewatersailing #passagemaking #sailingyoutube #learntosail #boatlife #productionboat #sailingzingaro

Get the #1 offshore sailing book of the year: https://bethecaptain.com 8,000+ sailors can't be wrong. Grab your copy before your next passage. Links referenced: Be The Captain is a Forward Indies Award finalist: https://www.forewordreviews.com/awards/books/be-the-captain/ Offshore Weathef Routing 101: https://youtu.be/MfeWGROLU8s?si=sCBBAQMK6oL6KRjH Zingaro All videos: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYK_-XEJdbbR8ZMm1JCsJXEdZfsoXkG6C&si=9e4KJsZDojYPZN0m El Niño is back — and this time it could be a "Godzilla" Super El Niño. If you're planning any blue water passages in 2026 or 2027, this changes everything. I've sailed to Easter Island twice. 2018 was magic. 2023 — under the last El Niño — nearly broke us. Three back-to-back storms the size of Chile forced us to abandon Pitcairn and run north to the trades. That's what this climate shift does to sailors. In this episode: what El Niño actually is, how it hits every ocean differently, and what you need to know RIGHT NOW to protect your passage plans. 🔔 Subscribe to Sailing Zingaro for honest offshore sailing education.

[SPECIAL OFFER] Get 20% off PredictWind when you purchase Be The Captain! 📘 Grab your copy and unlock the discount here: 👉 https://bethecaptain.com Up to this point, we’ve focused on planning, interpretation, and strategic awareness. But once you’re actually offshore, the goal is clarity over features. In this fifth and final video of our 5-part intensive, we’re looking at the offshore app itself—how it behaves when bandwidth is limited and how to stay oriented when you’re tired. We dive into the practical reality of modern offshore sailing, where tools like Starlink are becoming the norm, but smart data management is still the key to staying calm. This isn't about replacing your judgment; it’s about using smarter delivery to buy yourself the time to make better decisions. ⚓️ WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN VIDEO #5: We are moving from theoretical routing into the actual interface you’ll use at sea. This session covers: * Bandwidth vs. Clarity: Why offshore clarity matters more than having every feature active, and how to focus only on what matters. * Smart Data Delivery: How PredictWind sends a filtered "slice" of data to your offshore app so you aren't overwhelmed or waiting hours for a download. * The Planning Horizon: Understanding why 300 nautical miles is the right distance for making your next tactical decisions. * Starlink & Big Picture Awareness: How high-speed data is changing what is "normal" for sailors while still requiring bandwidth discipline. * Reducing Reactive Decisions: Using these tools to stay calm, predictable, and oriented even when the environment gets difficult. * The Support of Seamanship: A final look at how these tools support your role as Captain without replacing your ultimate responsibility. 📽️ THE PREDICTWIND MASTERCLASS SERIES: * Video 1: The Foundation & Setuphttps://youtu.be/JTJTCXnd8e0 * Video 2: Weather Routing & Interpretationhttps://youtu.be/S1DvOBNulFU * Video 3: Power Routing for Comforthttps://youtu.be/QTrIFfbL6VY * Video 4: Safety, AIS & Extra Featureshttps://youtu.be/C5zBfqqwDMM * Video 5: The Offshore App & Starlink Integration (You are here) https://youtu.be/81_mxAID6t0

CELEBRATION: We just passed 200,000 subscribers! Plus, "Be The Captain" is officially a finalist for the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards. To celebrate, I’m giving away a few signed/numbered copies today! Buy "Be The Captain" and get 20% off any PredictWind membership! (Discount link sent via email after purchase): https://bethecaptain.com/ Buy the Book: $60 Get the Discount: 20% off PredictWind Pro (Saves you ~$100) The Result: The book pays for itself and puts $40 back in your pocket. Today’s Topic: The Hallberg Rassy "T-Bone" Reality Check Most people view certain brands as "unsinkable" tanks. But today, I’m showing you what happens when the "Gold Standard" meets a literal breaking point. We’re diving into the engineering trade-offs of cored hulls—why they are brilliant for performance but potentially terrifying for impact. From my perspective as a Navy submariner and having sailed over 85,000 miles on everything from "performance" boats to "heavy" cruisers, I’ll explain why your boat's construction is the only thing that matters when the 1% of bad luck happens at sea. Inside This Stream: 200k Milestone & Giveaway: A massive thank you to this community and a chance to win one of the rare original signed copies. The Forensic Analysis: Looking at the "sandwich" layers of a T-boned Hallberg Rassy. What actually failed? Solid Glass vs. Cored: Why I chose the hull specs I did for my Oyster 485 vs. my Farr 56. The "Safest" Boat Myth: Does the perfect hull material exist? (Balsa vs. Foam vs. Solid GRP). Portugal Update: Answering your questions about the vineyard, the move, and selling the boat. Links & Resources: 📖 Buy the Book "Be The Captain": https://bethecaptain.com/ 🎥 The 5-Part PredictWind Series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYK_-XEJdbbQUDZkhWPDvfeCWqmQsd-2s ⚓ Support the Channel on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/svzingaro

Up to this point, we’ve focused on planning and interpretation. But once you’re actually offshore, your job as Captain changes. It moves from "making a plan" to monitoring the outside world and catching problems before they start. In this fourth video of our 5-part series, we’re looking at the tools that give you a bird's-eye view of your surroundings—even when you’re hundreds of miles from the nearest coast. We dive deep into Satellite AIS (Over the Horizon AIS), explaining how individual sailors now have access to global shipping data that used to be locked behind corporate paywalls. This isn't just about collision avoidance; it’s about strategic awareness and replacing surprise with a plan. 📘 GET THE BOOK & SAVE $100 This entire masterclass is a companion to my book "Be The Captain." Every reader gets a 20% discount on PredictWind Standard or Pro subscriptions, which can save you up to $100. 👉 Grab your copy and the discount here: https://bethecaptain.com/ ⚓️ WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN VIDEO #4: We are moving from weather models into real-time safety and awareness tools. This session covers: Awareness vs. Automation: Why tools like AIS don’t make you safe, but they do buy you the most precious resource offshore: Time. Satellite AIS (Over the Horizon): How PredictWind uses low-earth orbit satellites to show you ship traffic 300+ miles away, long before your onboard VHF antenna can see them. Strategic Planning: Using AIS to anticipate major shipping lanes days in advance so you can adjust your crossing for daylight. Bandwidth Management: How the offshore app filters global data into a "slice" that won't overwhelm your satellite connection. Proactive Alerts: Setting thresholds for wind, waves, and extreme weather before you’re too tired to think clearly. Community Knowledge: How to use experience sharing for anchoring and local quirks without treating it as "official authority." 📽️ THE PREDICTWIND MASTERCLASS SERIES Video 1: The Foundation & Setup Video 2: Weather Routing & Interpretation Video 3: Power Routing for Comfort Video 4: Safety, AIS & Extra Features (You are here) Video 5: The Offshore App & Starlink Integration Video Chapters 00:00 Planning vs. Real-Time Safety Tools 00:41 The Captain's Real Job: Awareness vs. Automation 01:02 What is AIS? (Automatic Identification System) 01:38 Satellite AIS: Over the Horizon Awareness 02:56 Strategic Awareness vs. Collision Avoidance 03:59 How PredictWind Manages Data & Bandwidth 04:51 Integrating Satellite AIS with Your Chartplotter 05:56 Setting Proactive Alerts for Wind and Waves 06:32 Community Knowledge: Experience vs. Authority 07:08 Reducing Surprise: The Key to Calm Seamanship 07:41 Conclusion & Video 5 Teaser #Sailing #PredictWind #AIS #SatelliteAIS #OffshoreSailing #BeTheCaptain #Seamanship #BoatSafety #MarineSafety #SailingZingaro #VesselTraffic

Think your engine solves bad weather? Think again. In this third video of our 5-part intensive, we are breaking down the physics of offshore motion. Whether you are on a sailboat or a dedicated powerboat, understanding how energy is transferred from the ocean to your hull is the difference between a controlled passage and an exhausting disaster. We move past simple wave height and dive into the "invisible" factors—like wave period and vertical acceleration—that shock load your equipment and wear out your crew long before the wind picks up. 📘 GET THE BOOK & SAVE $100 This masterclass is based on the principles in my book "Be The Captain." Every reader gets a 20% discount on PredictWind Standard or Pro subscriptions (saving you up to $100). 👉 Get the book and your discount here: https://bethecaptain.com/ ⚓️ WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN VIDEO #3: We are shifting focus from "finding a line" to understanding the physics of your boat's motion. This session covers: * The Energy Trap: Why short-period waves are more dangerous than large, long-period swells. * Engine vs. Sail Physics: Why engines can be more punishing in bad seas because they don't naturally "shed" load like a reefed sail. * Vertical Acceleration: The "pro metric" for predicting fatigue, seasickness, and gear failure. * Directional Impact: How head seas, beam seas, and quartering seas affect your fuel burn and structural loading. * Setting Realistic Assumptions: Why your "flat water" speed is the wrong number to use for routing. * Continuous Decision Making: My routine for rerunning routes every 12 hours as conditions evolve. ⚖️ TECHNICAL DISCLOSURE & TRANSPARENCY This series is supported by PredictWind, who provided the hardware and professional editing for these videos. I receive no cash payment and maintain 100% editorial control. I’m sharing these tools because I trust them with my life and want you to have the best safety information available. 📽️ THE PREDICTWIND MASTERCLASS SERIES * Video 1: The Foundation & Setup * Video 2: Weather Routing & Interpretation * Video 3: Power Routing for Comfort (You are here) * Video 4: Safety, AIS & Extra Features * Video 5: The Offshore App & Starlink Integration Video Chapters * 00:00 Why This Video is for Sailboats Too * 00:43 The Physics of Bad Seas: Energy vs. Height * 01:13 The Danger of Short Period Waves * 01:47 How Wave Direction Affects Your Boat * 02:28 The Problem with Engines in Heavy Weather * 03:32 Power Routing Setup & Assumptions * 04:30 Map vs. Reality: Finding the Real Info * 05:01 Using Graphs to Spot Short Period Energy * 05:16 The Summary Table & Comfort Metrics * 05:34 The 12-Hour Update: Continuous Seamanship * 06:11 Final Advice: Understanding Risk and Timing #Sailing #PredictWind #PowerRouting #OffshoreSailing #BeTheCaptain #Seamanship #BoatSafety #WeatherForecasting #SailingZingaro

The map is not the territory—and a "pretty wind map" is not a passage plan. In this second installment of our 5-part intensive series, we’re diving into the engine room of weather forecasting. After 85,000 miles at sea, I’ve seen how easy it is to trust a colorful screen and sail straight into a disaster. This video is about moving from "looking" at the weather to interpreting it like a professional. We break down where the data actually comes from, why different weather models often disagree, and how to use "Validation" to decide which forecast is worth betting your life on. 📘 GET THE BOOK & SAVE $100 My book "Be The Captain" is the foundation of this entire series. It pays for itself because every reader gets 20% OFF a PredictWind Standard or Pro subscription (up to a $100 savings). 👉 Grab your copy and the discount here: https://bethecaptain.com/ ⚓️ WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN VIDEO #2: We are taking the setup from Video #1 and putting it to work. In this session, we cover: The Anatomy of a Forecast: From weather buoys and satellites to GRIB (Gridded Binary) files. The Models Explained: Understanding the "personalities" of ECMWF, GFS, UKMO, ICON, and the AI-driven AIFS. PredictWind Proprietary Models: Why PWG, PWE, and PWAI provide the high-resolution edge you need. The Validation Tool: How to check which model has been the most accurate in your specific area over the last 24 hours. GMDSS Integration: Why you must never ignore official international maritime safety warnings, even if the routing looks clear. The "USS San Francisco" Rule: Why zooming in and setting exclusion zones (Boundaries) is the difference between a successful passage and hitting an underwater mountain. ⚖️ TECHNICAL DISCLOSURE & TRANSPARENCY To make this series possible, PredictWind provided the iPad and the professional editing used in these videos, along with my Pro account. However, I have received no cash payment for this series. I retain 100% editorial control. My goal is to get you the best training—and the best price—on the tools I trust with my own life. 📽️ THE PREDICTWIND MASTERCLASS SERIES Video 1: The Foundation & Setup Video 2: Weather Routing & Interpretation (You are here) Video 3: Power Routing for Comfort Video 4: Safety, AIS & Extra Features Video 5: The Offshore App & Starlink Integration Video Chapters 00:00 Weather Routing vs. Pretty Maps 00:40 Where Weather Data Comes From 01:07 What are GRIB Files? 01:39 Evolution of Sailing Weather Tools 02:53 GFS vs. ECMWF: Weather Models Explained 03:30 AI and PredictWind Proprietary Models 04:22 How to Use Forecast Validation 04:51 Step-by-Step Routing Setup 05:50 Why Graphs are Better Than Maps 06:30 Comparing Routes in the Summary Table 07:01 Vertical Acceleration & Crew Comfort 07:24 Navigation Safety & Exclusion Zones 08:32 GMDSS: Official Maritime Safety Warnings 09:55 Rerunning Weather Routes Offshore 10:11 Risk, Comfort, and Seamanship #Sailing #PredictWind #WeatherModels #OffshoreSailing #BeTheCaptain #GRIB #GMDSS #SailingZingaro #Seamanship #WeatherForecasting

The ocean doesn't care about your plans. But it does respond to physics. After 85,000 miles at sea and a career as a Navy Submariner, I’ve learned that PredictWind is only as good as the person making the decisions. This is the first video in a 5-part intensive series designed to transform you from a "passenger" into a Captain who truly understands the weather. 📘 GET THE BOOK & SAVE $100: My book Be The Captain is the foundation of this entire series. It pays for itself because every reader gets 20% OFF a PredictWind Standard or Pro subscription (up to a $100 savings). 👉 Grab your copy and the discount here: https://bethecaptain.com/ ⚓️ WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN VIDEO #1: We are moving past "looking at pretty wind maps" and into professional decision-making. In this session, we cover: The 3-Question Framework: My mental model for every offshore departure. Boat Polars: Why your boat’s "fingerprint" is the most important setting you’ve probably ignored. UI Hierarchy: What matters, what’s noise, and how to navigate the interface without overwhelm. Departure Planning: The exact workflow I use to choose a safe weather window. ⚖️ TECHNICAL DISCLOSURE & TRANSPARENCY: To make this series possible, PredictWind provided the iPad and the professional editing used in these videos, along with my Pro account. However, I have received no cash payment for this series. I retain 100% editorial control, and I am making these videos because I believe this is the most important safety tool a modern sailor can own. My goal is to get you the best training—and the best price—on the tools I trust with my own life. 🌊 ABOUT JAMES EVENSON: James is a U.S. Navy Veteran (Submariner) and professional offshore sailor. He is the author of the bestseller "Be The Captain" and the creator of the YouTube channel Sailing Zingaro. This series is designed to bridge the gap between "having an app" and "having a plan." 📽️ THE PREDICTWIND MASTERCLASS SERIES: Video 1: The Foundation & Setup (You are here) Video 2: Weather Routing & Interpretation Video 3: Power Routing for Comfort Video 4: Safety, AIS & Extra Features Video 5: The Offshore App & Starlink Integration ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - The Big Idea: Decision Support vs. Weather Data 2:15 - The 3 Questions Every Captain Must Ask 4:40 - Navigating the PredictWind Interface 7:10 - Setting up your Boat Polars (Crucial!) 10:35 - High Res vs. Global Models: When to use which? 14:20 - Using the Departure Planner for Go/No-Go Decisions 18:50 - How to get your 20% Discount #Sailing #PredictWind #BeTheCaptain #OffshoreSailing #WeatherRouting #SailingZingaro #Seamanship

Buy "Be The Captain" and get 20% off ANY PredicWind membership: https://bethecaptain.com/ Most sailors open a weather app and wait for "perfect" conditions that never come—or worse, they leave in a dangerous window because they don't know how to read the data. Today, I’m taking you behind the scenes of the second printing of "Be The Captain" while we tackle the most important skill in offshore sailing: the Go/No-Go decision. I’m currently in Washington signing 4,000 tip-in sheets and embossing 1,000 books. Join me as I show you the "factory floor," answer your questions about my move to Portugal, and walk you through the exact PredictWind workflow I've used over 85,000 miles at sea. Inside This Stream: Behind the Scenes: A look at the signing and embossing process for the second printing of my book. Book Giveaway: I’m giving away a few of the original signed/numbered copies that were recently returned to me. The 3-Question Framework: How to stay oriented inside PredictWind so the data makes sense. Weather Routing vs. Reality: Why I care more about "Vertical Acceleration" and crew fatigue than just boat speed. The $100 Secret: I’ll explain how owning this book officially pays for itself by unlocking an exclusive 20% discount on your PredictWind Pro subscription. The "Free Book" Math: I’ve officially partnered with PredictWind to bring my readers a massive advantage. Buy the Book: $60 (linked below). Get the Discount: 20% off PredictWind Pro (Saves you ~$100). The Result: The book is effectively "free," and you have $40 left over for boat parts. Links & Resources: 📖 Buy the Book "Be The Captain": https://bethecaptain.com/ 🎥 The 5-Part PredictWind Series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXIeNUZEw4g&list=PLb-dl_Ud1bcBI0YN9MS3x9RD5Cz9XlCck

Nigel Calder has kept more sailors safe than perhaps anyone alive. But his path to becoming the world's foremost marine engineering expert was anything but standard. Get my book Be The Captain: https://bethecaptain.com/ Support the journey on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/svzingaro In this interview, we dive into the stories you won't find in his textbooks. From his philosophy degree to being arrested by a gunboat in Cuba, Nigel opens up about his life, his pragmatic approach to mishaps, and his latest mission with BoatHowTo. Whether you are troubleshooting a marine diesel engine or planning a lithium battery upgrade, Nigel's insight is the gold standard. Topics covered: The Philosophy of Engineering & Boat Systems Chased by gunboats: The Cuba incident Survival on offshore oil rigs Hybrid Diesel Engines & Electric Propulsion Managing heat in modern lithium engine rooms The Aleutian Island pirate treasure? Check out Nigel’s courses here: https://boathowto.com/boat-electrics-101/#aff=BeTheCaptain Chapters: 00:00 - Intro: The Philosophy-Degree Felon 00:35 - Secretly Mapping Cuba for Cruising Guides 08:22 - The Real Nigel Calder: Fact vs. Fiction 10:03 - Getting Arrested by the Cuban Military 10:52 - Boat Naming Traditions & "Nada" 11:32 - Surviving Three Oil Rig Meltdowns 14:57 - Early Sailing Mishaps & Lessons Learned 19:20 - Writing the "Bible" of Boat Maintenance & ABYC Standards 22:01 - Environmentalism & The Ethics of Sailing 24:09 - BoatHowTo & Modern High-Power Alternators 28:56 - Nigel’s New Custom Boat Build 36:05 - Patreon Q&A: Solving Viewer Problems 43:05 - The Truth About Lightning Protection 47:37 - STOP DOING THIS: Stray Current & Grounding Mistakes 52:55 - Plastic vs. Bronze Through-Hulls 54:39 - Maintenance Blind Spots You’re Missing 58:12 - Electric Propulsion: Hype vs. Reality 1:04:59 - The Death of Lead Acid: Is Lithium Mandatory? 1:11:54 - Engine Room Ventilation & Exhaust Tips 1:16:04 - Will Nigel Switch to a Powerboat? 1:18:40 - Future Adventures: The Aleutian Islands 1:20:17 - Closing Thoughts

I was in the middle of a delivery on a Farr 47.7, when the bilge pump went off... What followed was an insane story that nearly killed me. I'll NEVER take another 'performance' production boat offshore. In this episode of the Sailing Truth Show, I’m sharing the full, documented story of a delivery that almost went catastrophically wrong. This isn't just a story about a bad boat; it’s a lesson in how engineering shortcuts in the factory become life-threatening emergencies in the real ocean. What we're covering: The Discovery: How we found the keel separation while underway. The Design Flaw: Why "performance" grids often fail where traditional builds don't. The "Proof": Looking at the photos and the structural reality of the Farr 47.7. The Takeaway: How to inspect a bolt-on keel before you trust it with your life. This experience was so pivotal that I included it as a primary case study in my book, "Be The Captain." If you want to know exactly what I look for when auditing a boat's structural integrity—including the diagrams of how these joints should be built—you can find it all in Chapter 2. 📖 Get my field manual: https://bethecaptain.com/ 📖 Livestream Chapters 00:00 Intro: A serious story of catastrophic damage 00:41 The Cheeki Rafiki tragedy & the industry cover-up 01:07 Video Dissection: Beneteau First 47.7 grid separation 02:44 The delivery mission and boat specifications 04:03 The incident: Water intrusion near the Windward Passage 05:45 How production boats are built: Grids and methacrylate glue 07:35 Build quality differences: Hanse 588 vs smaller boats 20:48 Lessons from the Cheeki Rafiki loss 22:37 Livestream Q&A and Book Giveaway instructions 39:58 Keel bolts and potential points of failure 41:35 The "Keel Stub" advantage (Oyster 45 construction) 58:17 Point load damage on a Hallberg-Rassy 01:18:12 How to fix leaking keel bolts (Ref: Ocean Cruisers) 01:19:29 Reviewing viewer boats: The legendary Cal 40 01:31:07 Safety first: Why I tell the "scary" stories 01:32:45 Final book winner announcement (Allen Gant) 01:33:39 International shipping and Second Edition updates 01:34:27 Super Chat: Gulfstar 40 "Built like a tank." 01:35:02 Sign off and final thoughts #sailing #farr477 #boatbuild #offshore #blue water #yachting #bethecaptain #sailingzingaro #SailingTruthShow #maritimehorror

You'd better tether in for this one! We're discussing what actually happens when the wind exceeds 50 knots offshore, and what real options you have when it does. At that point, you don’t have unlimited choices. You have a few. In this Sailing Truth Show, we break down: • Heaving-to vs. running off (and when to make that decision) • When drogues actually matter • Why timing is everything • The decision mistakes sailors make at 45–50 knots • How sea state changes everything • What leadership really looks like when it gets violent By the time you're in 50+ knots, you’re executing decisions you made days earlier. 📘 Be The Captain — A Field Manual for Offshore Sailing Hardcover + instant audiobook: 👉 https://bethecaptain.com/ Captain’s Locker — free offshore checklists, watch schedules, and emergency cards: 👉 https://bethecaptain.com/pages/locker Chapters 00:00:00 - Introduction: Heavy Weather Sailing with Guest Ryan Rayfield 00:01:30 - Survival at Sea: 75 Knots on Sail Libra 00:02:40 - The 50-Knot Threshold: Why Everything Changes at 50 Knots 00:04:10 - Weather Routing: Visualizing Storms with PredictWind 00:07:30 - Wave Dynamics: Primary Swell vs. Wind Waves (The Mack Truck Analogy) 00:10:00 - Understanding "Growlers": The Danger of Breaking Waves 00:11:50 - Real-time Tactics: Choosing to Maintain Momentum in Big Seas 00:13:30 - Personal Story: Sailing through "Sea Smoke" and 45-Knot Winds 00:16:10 - The Beaufort Wind Scale: Understanding Force 9 & 10 00:18:20 - Preparation & Damage: Ripped Solar Panels and Real-life Rescues 00:22:00 - Giveaway: "Be the Captain" Book Drawing 00:26:00 - Multihull vs. Monohull Storm Tactics 00:29:00 - The "Heaving To" Tactic: Pros, Cons, and Chafe Prevention 00:32:00 - Reaching and Running Off Strategies 00:36:00 - Using a Drogue: Surfing, Control, and the Jordan Series Drogue 00:41:00 - Sea Anchors vs. Drogues: Deployment and Lessons Learned 00:46:00 - Last Resort: Lying a Hull 00:49:00 - Hurricane Quadrants: Identifying the Dangerous Semicircle 00:53:00 - Q&A: Ryan Rayfield and the New Book 01:33:16 - Advanced Reefing: Using Sewn-in Blocks to Reduce Friction 01:35:51 - Closing: Future Sailing Opportunities and Final Remarks

Be The Captain — A Practical Field Manual for Offshore Sailors Hardcover + instant audiobook: 👉 https://bethecaptain.com/ There’s a shipwreck sitting on the bottom… and someone is asking $100,000 for it. But what is a sunken boat actually worth? In this video, we break down the real economics behind a shipwreck for sale — including salvage value, maritime law, recovery costs, structural condition, and what most people completely misunderstand about wreck valuation. Because here’s the reality: A boat on the bottom isn’t just “treasure.” It’s logistics. It’s liability. It’s materials. It’s law. And it’s risk. We’ll look at: • How salvage rights actually work • What determines the value of a sunken vessel • When a wreck might truly be worth money • Why most shipwrecks are financial traps • And whether $100,000 makes any sense at all This isn’t treasure-hunter fantasy. It’s a practical, real-world breakdown from a sailor’s perspective. If you enjoy deep analysis of boats, offshore risk, and the economics behind maritime decisions — you’re in the right place. Chapters 00:00 The $100k Sunken Schooner 00:53 Why Water Doesn't Rot Wood 01:51 Designed Without Computers 03:18 The Insane 1910 Build Speed 03:47 Restore vs. Build New? 05:53 The "Tally Ho" Reality Check 06:51 The "Filter" Pricing Strategy 07:37 Is It Worth Saving?

📘 If you want to understand what actually makes a great offshore boat, Chapter 2 of my book breaks it down clearly and honestly: 👉 https://www.bethecaptain.com If you want to understand what modern offshore sailboat design looks like when it’s done right, this is a boat worth paying attention to. The Pegasus 50 isn’t flashy. It’s not trying to win boat shows. And it’s not chasing the marina-condo crowd. Instead, it’s a quietly serious offshore sailboat—designed around balance, redundancy, real sailing loads, and long-term ownership. In this video, I walk through the Pegasus 50 in detail: • Hull and deck design • Cockpit layout and sail handling • Interior ergonomics and sea berths • Systems access and real-world serviceability • What this boat gets right—and who it’s actually for This isn’t a sales pitch or a dockside walkthrough. It’s an honest evaluation of a modern offshore cruiser from the perspective of someone who actually sails offshore. If you’re shopping for a serious bluewater boat—or trying to understand what separates good design from marketing—this one’s worth your time.