Sailing and Cruising the East Coast of the USA

In this episode of the podcast, Bela Musits interviews a familiar face to our regular listeners. Mike Malekoff. Mike was a guest back in episodes 66, 72, 73, 77 & 78.  We have been following Mike and his wife on their journey from Lake Champlain in Vermont to the Bahamas.   They are now in the Bahamas and exploring many of the great destinations there.  Mike also talks about all of the things...

Our guest on today’s podcast is Mark Tieszen.  Mark is an experienced sailor who has one sailboat on the Great Lakes and another in Florida.  He shares with us how a coastal sail in Florida turned into a minor disaster as they hit bottom on the way into the harbor.  The momentary grounding resulted in a jammed rudder and loss of steerage.  They soon ended up washed ashore on the beach.  What happe...

Our guest on today’s podcast is Mark Tieszen.  Mark is an experienced sailor who has one sailboat on the Great Lakes and another in Florida.  He shares with us how a coastal sail in Florida turned into a minor disaster as they hit bottom on the way into the harbor.  The momentary grounding resulted in a jammed rudder and loss of steerage.  What happened next was the really interesting part of the...

On today’s podcast, we are welcoming back a familiar face to our regular listeners. Mike Malekoff. Mike was a guest back in episodes 66, 72 & 73.  When we first met Mike, the goal for him and his wife was to sail from Lake Champlain in Vermont to the Bahamas.  In each episode, we have followed their progress. Back in EP-66, Mike was in the “dreaming and planning” stages for the trip....

On today’s podcast, we are welcoming back a familiar face to our regular listeners. Mike Malekoff. Mike was a guest back in episodes 66, 72 & 73.  When we first met Mike, the goal for him and his wife was to sail from Lake Champlain in Vermont to the Bahamas.  In each episode, we have followed their progress. Back in EP-66, Mike was in the “dreaming and planning” stages for the trip....

Today's guest on the podcast is Tim Geisler from Nautilus Sailing.   Tim founded the company and has taken a different approach to teaching sailing.  He employs the top-rated ASA sailing instructors that are typically former teachers.  So they not only know sailing, but they also know how to teach.  Nautilus Sailing runs week-long sailing instruction at destinations around...

This is the third time Joe Hagen has been on the podcast.  We always have a great conversation and I certainly learn a few things.  He is a long-time sailor and after retiring from corporate life several years ago, he started Offshore Adventure Sailing.  Joe’s first appearance on the podcast was on EP-11, then again on EP-46 and EP-47. In this episode, we discussed Joe’s adventures...

Hello and welcome to the Sailing and Cruising the East Coast of the United States podcast. This is my interview with Shay Love.  Shay is a live-aboard sailor and a singer/songwriter.  We had a wonderful conversation about how she got into sailing and then the steps she took to make it a reality.  She also just recently released a new set of songs. You can find all of her social info...

Hello and welcome to the Sailing and Cruising the East Coast of the United States podcast. This is part 2 of my interview with Mike Malekoff.  This is Mike’s second time on the podcast.  He was a guest in EP-66 where we discussed his plans for sailing from Lake Champlain to the Bahamas.  Well, the adventure has begun and in this episode, we continue our conversation with Mike on the...

Hello and welcome to the Sailing and Cruising the East Coast of the United States podcast. This is part 1 of my interview with Mike Malekoff.  This is Mike’s second time on the podcast.  He was a guest in EP-66 where we discussed his plans for sailing from Lake Champlain to the Bahamas.  Well, the adventure has begun and in this episode, we get an update from Mike on the trip so far...

Hello and welcome to the Sailing and Cruising the East Coast of the United States podcast. This is part 2 of my interview with Bob Forman.  He is an avid sailor who has raced in many Newport to Bermuda races, a Fastnet race, and two Transat races.  Bob and I met many years ago when I was the Technology Business Incubator Director at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, (RPI) and he was work...

Hello and welcome to the Sailing and Cruising the East Coast of the United States podcast. In this episode, we interview Bob Forman.  He is an avid sailor who has raced in many Newport to Bermuda races, a Fastnet race, and two Transat races.  Bob and I met many years ago when I was the Technology Business Incubator Director at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, (RPI) and he was working wi...

Hello and welcome to the Sailing and Cruising the East Coast of the United States podcast. In this episode, Mike and I discuss the highlights of season #3 on Paradox, my Hunter 45DS.  We review some of the trips and guests we have on the boat.  We also talked about the minor equipment failures we experienced during this past sailing season. Mike and I also discuss some of the challenges...

Hello and welcome to the Sailing and Cruising the East Coast of the United States podcast.  This is part 3 of a 3 part series on solo sailing. In this episode, Mike and I talk about managing your sails solo.  We talk about tacking, gybing, reducing sail, and deploying your sails.  For each of these, there is a key “discovery” that makes it go smoothly. Make sure you listen to the co...

Hello and welcome to the Sailing and Cruising the East Coast of the United States podcast.  This is part 2 of a 3 part series on solo sailing. In this episode, Mike and I talk about anchoring and mooring the boat solo.  It’s taken me over 2 seasons to figure out how to drop and retrieve the anchor solo with confidence.  The same holds true for picking up a mooring.  For each of...

Hello and welcome to the Sailing and Cruising the East Coast of the United States podcast.  In this special bonus episode, Mike and I chat about what is going on in our lives and some current events.  This is another one of those pre-podcast recordings that we decided to upload for those of you who are interested.  We talk about sailing, family, life in general, the economy, politic...

Hello and welcome to the Sailing and Cruising the East Coast of the United States podcast.  For this episode, we have a guest, Mike Malekoff.  Two years ago he purchased a Hunter 44 DS in Maine, had it shipped via a truck to Burlington VT, and for the last 2 years has been sailing on Lake Champlain.  This Fall he is taking down the mast and along with his wife will transit the Lake...

Hello and welcome to the Sailing and Cruising the East Coast of the United States podcast.  This is part 1 of a 3 part series on solo sailing. In this episode, Mike and I talk about docking the boat solo.  It’s taken me over 2 seasons to figure out how to dock the boat solo in most conditions with confidence.  The key “discovery” was using 2 large round ball fenders at the stern of...

Hello and welcome to the Sailing and Cruising the East Coast of the United States podcast.  In this episode, I am solo as Mike is busy with final exams. I am trying something different in this episode, it’s a narrative of my 4 days on the boat solo.  It includes my experience in taking the boat out, solo for a day-long sail in 15 - 20 knots of wind.  I also share what I did each of...

Hello and welcome to the Sailing and Cruising the East Coast of the United States podcast.  In this episode, Mike and I discuss my experience with having kids on the boat.  I have 3 granddaughters, ages 8 and 6 years, and 14 months.  The 6 and 8-year-olds are sisters and keeping them occupied, while we are out sailing, takes some planning.  My younger son and his wife have a 14...

Hello and welcome to the Sailing and Cruising the East Coast of the United States podcast.  In this episode, Mike and I discuss selecting, buying, and installing an AIS unit. I hope you enjoy the episode. The AIS Unit I purchased: Si-Tex MDA-5 Class B AIS Transceiver https://www.si-tex.com/product/mda-5classbsoais The company I purchased the AIS unit from: The GPS Store   https://www.the...

Hello and welcome to the Sailing and Cruising the East Coast of the United States podcast.  In this episode, which I recorded solo while on Paradox, I talk about some spring projects, including fixing a leaking galley sink drain, sending my son up the mast to run a spinnaker halyard and replace a burned out deck light, and I disclose a big screw-up on my part.  I hope you enjoy the episo...

Hello and welcome to the Sailing and Cruising the East Coast of the United States podcast.  In this episode, I have a conversation with Stephen Ladd.  He recently wrote a book, titled “The Five Year Voyage - Exploring Latin American Coasts and Rivers”.  It is one heck of an adventure on a small sailboat.  Steve and his wife Ginny traveled through 19 countries, had a baby in Bra...

Hello and welcome to the Sailing and Cruising the East Coast of the United States podcast.  Bela’s side of this podcast was actually recorded on Paradox, his 2009 Hunter 45DS.  It’s the first “remote” podcast we have done.  There are two topics for this episode.  1. Preparing Paradox for its Spring launch, including the post-launch activities.  2. Bela and Milke also revie...

Today we have part 2 with Amy Alton, who along with her husband David Alton purchased a new catamaran in 2014 and sailed around the world. They finished their circumnavigation in 2020 a few weeks before the COVID pandemic hit.  They have a YouTube channel, Out Chasing Stars, where they documented their around-the-world travel.  They spent the better part of 2021 sailing on the Chesapeake...