NanoCruising

One Mirror dinghy. One adventurous author. And apparently, one voyage just wasn’t enough. If you listened to Part 1 of my conversation with Sandy (A.J.) Mackinnon, you’ll know that his book The Unlikely Voyage of Jack de Crow tells the story of an extraordinary journey from the UK to the Black Sea aboard a humble Mirror dinghy. It’s the sort of adventure that makes you look at a little boat and wonder just how far it could take you. Well, Sandy is back on NanoCruising—and so is Jack de Crow! In Part 2, we turn our attention to Sandy’s new book, Another Unlikely Voyage of Jack de Crow . We talk about returning to the world of small-boat adventure, the stories behind the new book, and the unexpected turns that make Sandy such an entertaining guest. A small boat with a big story One of the things I love about Jack de Crow is how perfectly the little Mirror dinghy captures the spirit of NanoCruising. It’s not a large yacht with every imaginable comfort. It’s a small, straightforward boat ...

How far would you go in a Mirror dinghy? For Sandy (A.J.) Mackinnon, the answer was all the way from the UK to the Black Sea. Sandy is the author of The Unlikely Voyage of Jack de Crow , the wonderfully entertaining story of an extraordinary small boat adventure in a very ordinary little sailing dinghy. I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Sandy for the NanoCruising Podcast, and this turned out to be one of those conversations where the stories—and the laughter—just kept coming. How It All Started Before we get into the epic voyage, Sandy tells us how he got started with sailing and how the idea of taking a Mirror dinghy on such an ambitious journey developed. And that's one of the things I find so fascinating about dinghy cruising . You don't necessarily need an expedition yacht or a huge budget to start an adventure. Sometimes you just need a small boat, a destination, and enough curiosity to see what happens. Of course, taking a Mirror dinghy from the UK to the ...

What if the best sailing event is one where nobody is trying to win? That question pretty much sums up the spirit of the Lake Pepin Small Boat Messabout . For the latest NanoCruising Podcast, I talked with longtime participants Tim Ingersoll and Bill Paxton about this well-known Midwest gathering of small boat sailors. And while there is plenty of sailing, there isn't much competition. There are no races to win. No trophies to chase. No pressure to have the fastest or most impressive boat. Instead, people show up with their small boats, spend time on the water, swap stories, look at each other's boats, and—perhaps most importantly—enjoy each other's company. It's About the People One of the things that really comes through when talking to Tim and Bill is how much people enjoy the community. Tim has attended the Messabout many times, and there's clearly something that keeps drawing him back. Bill has been there since the beginning. It's not just the sailing. It...

What makes a sailor truly capable? Is it having the latest electronics? A bigger boat? More gear? Or is it something less tangible—experience, judgment, and the confidence that comes from being self-reliant? Those are some of the questions I explored with André-François Boudreau in the latest episode of the NanoCruising Podcast. André-François is a sailor, adventurer, survival expert, and the designer of Gorfnik , one of the most unique NanoCruisers I've come across. Originally, I expected our conversation to focus equally on survival and sailing. Instead, we found ourselves spending much of the episode talking about Gorfnik, the philosophy behind its design, and why small boats are capable of much more than most people imagine. The Thinking Behind Gorfnik Gorfnik wasn't designed to be flashy or luxurious. It was designed with purpose. Every choice reflects André-François' belief that a small boat should be simple, dependable, and capable of taking care of its skipper when ...

Some people are boat builders. Some are designers. Some are entrepreneurs. And then there's Sam Devlin of DevlinBoat . After decades of designing and building hundreds of boats, his philosophy can be summed up in four simple words: "I like boats" It sounds almost too simple, but after spending an hour talking with Sam on the NanoCruising Podcast, it becomes clear that those four words explain nearly everything about his career. Sam didn't set out to chase trends or build the biggest boats. He built the boats that interested him—boats that solved problems, inspired adventure, and made people want to get out on the water. That genuine curiosity has produced an astonishing variety of designs, from tiny cruisers to capable expedition boats. One of the things I enjoyed most about our conversation was hearing how his designs evolved over time. Every boat has a story, and many of those stories begin with a sailor asking, "What if...?" We also talked about how the b...

What makes a boat truly good for adventure? Bigger tanks? More gear? More comfort? In the latest episode of the NanoCruising podcast, I sat down with Flavien Gaulard, founder of Kaori Concept , to talk about a very different approach to boat design—one centered around simplicity, sustainability, and practical sailing. Building Boats in the Philippines One of the most interesting parts of the conversation was hearing about Flavien’s experience building boats in the Philippines. The Story Behind Kaori Concept Flavien also shared how Kaori Concept got started and the philosophy behind the company. Rather than chasing complexity or luxury, the focus has been on creating boats that encourage people to actually get out sailing. Boats that are manageable, efficient, and enjoyable to use. That idea fits naturally with the NanoCruising mindset. The Kaori 550 A big part of the episode centers around the Kaori 550 and the thinking behind its design. We talked about: Why smaller boats still make s...

    Texas 200, Small Boats, and Adventures with Eric Dahlkamp    The Texas 200 is one of the ultimate small-boat challenges—long, unpredictable, and a real test of preparation and skill. Few sailors have tackled it multiple times, and even fewer have done it while documenting the lessons along the way.    Enter Eric Dahlkamp: a sailor, builder, and adventurer who has taken on the Texas 200 several times, built and upgraded a range of boats, and learned first-hand what it takes to succeed.      How It All Started     In this episode of NanoCruising , Eric shares how he got into sailing and the journey that led him to small-boat adventures. From his earliest experiences to designing and rebuilding boats, he’s cultivated a philosophy of simplicity, practicality, and enjoyment on the water.      Boats, Builds, and Upgrades    Eric has a history of taking boats apart, tweaking them, and turning them into capable...