NanoCruising

  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...

Some companies grow because of clever marketing. Others grow because they quietly do things right for a very long time. Chesapeake Light Craft (CLC) belongs firmly in the second category. In this first of a two-part conversation on the NanoCruising podcast, I sit down with John C. Harris , founder of CLC Boats, to talk about how a love of small boats turned into one of the most influential small-craft companies in the world — and why their designs continue to resonate with home builders, dinghy cruisers, and expedition sailors alike. From Small Boats to a Big Idea John’s story begins, as many NanoCruising stories do, with a genuine fascination for small boats. Not yachts or grand projects — but boats that regular people could actually build, use, and adventure in. In this episode, John walks us through the early history of Chesapeake Light Craft , how the company grew from modest beginnings, and the deliberate choices that shaped its direction. We talk about the realities of bui...

 For the past year, one of the most common messages I’ve received has been: Do you have NanoCruising T-shirts? The short answer used to be no . The longer answer was that I didn’t want to rush into it. NanoCruising has always been about doing more with less , being thoughtful about our choices, and avoiding unnecessary clutter — whether that’s boats, gear, or, yes, stuff. But after a lot of looking, testing, and thinking, I’m happy to say: NanoCruising now has a small online shop — starting with a T-shirt I genuinely feel good about offering. Why a NanoCruising T-Shirt? This isn’t about “branding” or selling things for the sake of it. The NanoCruising community has grown into something special — builders, sailors, adventurers, tinkerers, and people who believe that small boats can lead to big adventures . Wearing the shirt is simply a quiet way of saying: I get it. No loud graphics. No hype. Just a nod to a shared way of looking at the water. Eco-Friendly, On Purpose If we were goi...

Designing and building a small boat is one thing. Taking it offshore is something else entirely. In the latest NanoCruising episode, Perry returns to the podcast to talk about what happens after the tools are put away and the lines are cast off. His Ocean-Capable Small Sailboat has now completed real sea trials, including a substantial offshore run, and those miles have provided the kind of feedback that only the ocean can deliver. This episode isn’t about defending a concept or proving critics wrong. It’s about learning — the honest, sometimes humbling process of discovering how a boat behaves once theory meets wind, waves, and fatigue. Why Sea Trials Matter in Small Boat Design For nano-cruisers and small boat builders, sea trials aren’t a formality — they’re the real beginning of the design process. No amount of dockside admiration or online commentary can replace hours spent steering, trimming, resting, and observing how a boat responds in open water. Perry explains how earl...