NanoCruising

Learning to sail can feel overwhelming at first. Where do you start? What actually matters? And how do you know if you’re doing it right? In this episode of the NanoCruising podcast, I sat down with a sailor who’s spent over 60 years on the water to talk about how people really learn to sail—not the textbook version, but what actually works. How Do You Actually Learn to Sail? Peter didn’t describe learning as a straight path. He talked about it as a series of moments—small breakthroughs mixed in with plenty of confusion. One day the boat feels right. The next day, it doesn’t. That pattern never fully goes away. You just get more comfortable with it. Why Mistakes Matter We spent a good chunk of time on mistakes—because that’s where most of the learning happens. Pete shared stories from his early days: missed tacks, poor sail trim, things not going to plan. Not as regrets, but as the moments that taught him the most. His take was simple—if you’re not making mistakes, you’re probab...

The Race to Alaska has built a reputation as one of the most unusual endurance races in the sailing world. Roughly 700 miles long, the race runs from Washington State to Alaska — and comes with one simple rule: no engines allowed . Boats can sail, paddle, pedal, or improvise their way north, but mechanical propulsion is off the table. That constraint changes everything. A 20-Foot Catamaran and a Big Challenge In this episode of the NanoCruising Podcast, I sit down with Jeff Williams , who, along with teammate Mike VanHoy, will be competing in the race as Team Snowflakes . Their vessel is a Marstrom Tornado , a high-performance 20-foot catamaran designed for speed rather than comfort. There’s no cabin. No heater. Very little between the sailors and the water. It’s a minimalist platform for a very serious challenge. When Speed Meets Endurance A boat like a Tornado can fly when conditions are right, but the Race to Alaska is rarely straightforward. The course demands adaptability as much...

 At first glance, packrafting doesn’t seem like it belongs on a sailing podcast. There’s no mast. No sail trim. No tacking angles to debate. Just a lightweight inflatable boat that rolls up into a backpack. But after sitting down with Luc Mehl , author of The Packraft Handbook , it became clear that packrafting shares far more DNA with NanoCruising than you might expect. What Is Packrafting? A packraft is a small, durable inflatable boat designed to be carried over land and launched into remote water. You hike in. Inflate. Paddle. Deflate. Walk again. It’s a craft built for transitions — land to water and back again. That alone changes how you think about routes. Small Craft, Big Thinking The parallels to small-boat sailing are hard to ignore. Packrafters talk about: Reading water carefully Managing exposure and weather Keeping gear minimal and functional Planning exits and contingencies Respecting cold water Sound familiar? Like dinghy cruising or expe...

  Designing Safety, Building Sailors, and Why Small Boats Still Matter In Part 1 of this conversation, we introduced three Great Lakes RAIDs and explored why they exist. In Part 2, we go deeper — into how sailors grow into events like these, and how adventure can be challenging without being reckless. One theme keeps resurfacing: designing safety into difficulty . These events aren’t about bravado. They’re structured in ways that encourage progression. Routes, checkpoints, community oversight, and shared experience all create a framework where sailors can stretch their abilities without stepping blindly into risk. Building Up to Big Water No one wakes up ready for a multi-day expedition-style event. Growth happens gradually. We talk about: Starting small — short trips, familiar waters Learning through repetition Building confidence in incremental steps Understanding weather, fatigue, and self-awareness The message is clear: adventure is something you build towa...

When people think about adventure sailing, they often picture salt water, tides, and distant horizons. The Great Lakes , somehow, get dismissed as “easy” or “inland.” That myth doesn’t last long once you start talking to people who actually sail them. In this new NanoCruising episode — Part 1 of a two-part series — we dig into three Great Lakes small-boat events , often described as RAIDs : multi-day, expedition-style gatherings that combine sailing, seamanship, community, and self-reliance. Rather than comparing boats or routes, this episode focuses on why these events exist in the first place. - Eric Miller for the   Erie Expedition Challenge   and   Raid Erie   ( Facebook  )  - Jeff McPheeters for the  GLEC  and  RB950  ( RB950 Instagram ,  GLEC Instagram ) - Kelly Trafford with  CanAm on facebook What we cover in this episode We start with an introduction to each event — their origins, their spirit, and what makes th...

NanoCruising has always been a bit informal, a bit experimental, and very much driven by curiosity. So it felt only fitting that the podcast finally got a theme song — one that doesn’t take itself too seriously. With episode 50, I’ve started using a NanoCruising theme song with playful lyrics that celebrate small boats, simple adventures, and the spirit of doing more with less. It was created as a bit of an experiment, using modern tools in the same exploratory spirit that drives dinghy cruising itself. This post exists mostly for posterity — a place to keep the song and its lyrics, and to mark this small moment in the life of the podcast. 🎶 The Song 🎧 NanoCruising Theme Song   ✍️ Lyrics Verse 1 No winches humming, no engine roar Just a little boat and an open shore Canvas snapping, the kettle’s on World feels big when the boat feels small Pre-Chorus We don’t need much, just wind and tide A chart, a compass, and time to ride Chorus NanoCruising — small boats, big seas Lau...

  Fringe Designs, Influences, and the Golden Age of Small Boats In Part 2 of my conversation with John Harris , founder of Chesapeake Light Craft , we move away from origin stories and into the edges — the designs that don’t always fit neatly into categories, the inspirations behind them, and the broader moment we find ourselves in as small-boat builders and cruisers. John has spent decades immersed in boat design, not just as a designer himself, but as a curator of ideas. In this episode, we talk about some of CLC’s more fringe or lesser-known designs — boats like Autumn Leaves , projects that blur the lines between art, experimentation, and practical cruising. These are boats that may not be built by thousands, but that still matter deeply to the culture of small craft. We also explore John’s design influences, including the enduring impact of Philip Bolger . Bolger’s ideas — about simplicity, honesty in materials, and boats built for real use — still echo strongly through ma...