Sailing in SEVENTY FOUR Knots

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 20:08:29 +0000

When the anemometer climbs past 70 knots, the ocean changes. The wind ceases to be just air—it becomes an absolute wall of sound.

In this episode, I’m sitting down with my good friend and prolific offshore captain, Ryan Rayfield from Sail Libra. We dive headfirst into what it’s actually like to experience a 74-knot howling gale while holed up on a mooring ball at Block Island. Ryan breaks down the terrifying "harmonica" effect of a ketch rig vibrating in hurricane-force gusts, and the exact tactical survival choices you have to make when a massive New England front comes through with total fury.

But surviving the storm was only half the battle. Ryan also shares the legendary story of how he snapped his prop shaft just days before a tropical storm hit Bermuda—and managed to source a car drive shaft from a local automotive junkyard, machine it down, and install it in under 48 hours to save his boat.

If you want to know what real, raw, heavy-weather blue-water cruising looks like, this is it.

👇 Want to build real blue-water confidence? Stand watch, handle sails, and learn heavy-weather tactics firsthand by booking an open-ocean passage training trip with Ryan:
🌐 Official Website: https://www.saillibra.com/

⛵ View Upcoming Passages: https://www.saillibra.com/passages

📗 My Book:
https://bethecaptain.com

MORE FROM ME:
🎥 The Mason 65 Pacific Crossing series:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lo0L22FDq4
https://www.patreon.com/svzingaro
https://www.paypal.me/sailingzingaro
IG: https://www.instagram.com/sailing_zingaro/

Chapters:
00:00 - Catching up in Grenada & Sail Libra Open Berths
02:10 - Grew up on a Lake: Ryan's Sailing Backstory
03:24 - Delta Airlines, Southeast Asia, & The Sailing Bug
04:08 - Running a Coast Charter Business for 10 Years
07:58 - The Reality of Blue-Water Logistics
11:31 - Snapping the Prop Shaft Off Bermuda
15:10 - Junkyard Marine Engineering: The Automotive Fix
25:38 - Hurricane Gusts: 74 Knots at Block Island
26:57 - The Strategy Behind "Riding the Back of a Storm"
31:49 - Working with the Crew in Heavy Weather
37:25 - Standing Rigging Lifespans & Refits
43:21 - Dealing with Rigging Failures Offshore
48:49 - Crossing the Gulf Stream: Night vs. Daylight
56:51 - Navigating Ocean Eddies & Currents
01:05:38 - Hand-Steering vs. Autopilots in a Gale
01:13:30 - What it Sounds Like Inside a Howling Ketch
01:19:23 - The Art of Heaving-To in a Storm
01:23:52 - Arriving in Bermuda & Radio Chattering Disasters
01:28:11 - True Survival Stories: Cut the Rigging Loose!
01:32:51 - Sailing with Family & Spencer Turning 16
01:42:02 - The Abeking & Rasmussen Pedigree of s/v Libra
01:55:58 - Custom Engine Rooms & Technical Layouts
01:59:01 - Crew Medical Issues & Scopolamine Patch Horror Stories
02:06:33 - Passing through Panama & Spotting Waterspouts
02:12:50 - Cruising Mindset vs. Ocean Racing Speed