NanoCruising : the small boat cruising podcast (dinghy cruising & trailer sailing)

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Sailing doesn’t have to be fast, extreme, or complicated.
In this episode of the NanoCruising podcast, I sit down with Brian Clauson, the voice behind the Ruddy Duck Sailing Adventures YouTube channel. If you’ve come across his videos, you know the feeling—calm, unhurried, and quietly immersive.
We talk about how he found his boat, what pushed him to start filming in the first place, and how the channel grew over time without losing that relaxed, authentic style.
It’s a conversation about more than just sailing. It’s about slowing down, enjoying the process, and sharing the experience without overthinking it.
If you’ve ever thought about documenting your own sailing—or just wondered what it’s like behind a channel like this—you’ll enjoy this one.
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More at: www.nanocruising.com

Seas Your Own Adventure 🌊⛵

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Learning to sail is one of those things that’s harder to explain than it should be. You can read about it, watch videos, listen to podcasts—but at some point, you just have to go.
In this episode, I sit down with my friend Peter—80 years young and sailing for over six decades—to talk about how people actually learn to sail. We dig into his early days, the mistakes, the small breakthroughs, and the kind of quiet wisdom that only comes from time on the water.
This isn’t a step-by-step lesson. It’s a conversation about the process—what helps, what doesn’t, and how to make it your own.
Alongside the episode, I’ve put together the NanoCruising Learning to Sail booklet—a simple, practical companion you can use as you’re getting started, or helping someone else take their first steps.
If you’ve ever thought about learning to sail—or wondered if you’re doing it “right”—this one’s for you.
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More at: www.nanocruising.com

Seas Your Own Adventure 🌊⛵

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The Race to Alaska is one of the most unusual and demanding events in modern sailing: roughly 700 miles from Washington State to Alaska with no engines allowed.
In this episode I’m joined by Jeff Williams, who along with teammate Mike VanHoy will be competing in the next Race to Alaska as Team Snowflakes aboard a 20-foot Tornado catamaran.
Their boat is fast, light, and uncompromising — no cabin, no heater, and nothing separating the crew from the elements except skill, preparation, and determination.
We talk about:
Why they decided to take on the Race to Alaska
Preparing a high-performance catamaran for a 700-mile endurance event
Human propulsion and creative problem solving
What breaks offshore — and how you fix it mid-race
The realities of cold water sailing and fatigue
The Race to Alaska attracts some of the most creative and determined small-boat sailors anywhere. This conversation is a great look at the mindset required to take on a challenge where finishing alone is an achievement.
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More at: www.nanocruising.com

Seas Your Own Adventure 🌊⛵

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In this episode, I sit down with Luc Mehl, author of The Packraft Handbook, to explore a small craft many sailors may not know much about: the packraft.
At first glance, it’s a lightweight inflatable boat that fits into a backpack. But beneath that simplicity lies something very familiar — self-reliance, route planning, weather awareness, risk management, and the quiet satisfaction of reaching places under your own power.
We talk about:
What packrafting actually is
The kinds of environments it opens up
Why it attracts a certain kind of adventurer
How small, portable boats change the way you think about distance
And what sailors can learn from a paddle-powered approach
This isn’t a sailing episode in the traditional sense. But it’s very much about small craft, thoughtful progression, and expanding the definition of what “cruising” can mean.
If you’re curious about adventure beyond the mast — or simply interested in how different small-boat cultures approach risk and exploration — this conversation might surprise you.
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More at: www.nanocruising.com

Seas Your Own Adventure 🌊⛵

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In Part 2 of our conversation with the organizers behind three Great Lakes RAIDs, we move beyond introductions and into the deeper questions: how do you design adventure that is challenging — but not reckless? How do sailors grow into events like these?
We talk about designing safety into expedition-style sailing, and how participants can gradually build the skills and confidence needed for bigger water. A recurring theme emerges: small boats are not a limitation — they are often the best training ground.
The discussion ranges from:
Learning to sail in small craft
The role of racing as an education
Why getting on the water early matters more than perfection
First boats — and whether to build or buy
And how the internet quietly helped revive and connect the small-boat world
At its heart, this episode is about progression. Not heroics. Not extremes. But steady growth, thoughtful preparation, and the idea that sailing can still be accessible — if we let it be.
If Part 1 asked why these events exist, Part 2 asks how sailors grow into them — and what that means for the future of small boats.
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Join the conversation: Facebook group Mailing list Patreon

More at: www.nanocruising.com

Seas Your Own Adventure 🌊⛵