Sailing in Heavy Weather with Ryan Rayfield, Sailing Libra

Ryan Rayfield recently sailed with novice crew from Block Island to Bermuda in November and faced some heavy weather, which he dealt with effectively in his 60' ketch, Libra. Ryan learned to sail on Lake Martin in Alabama, and now runs Sail Libra, an offshore charter operation in the North Atlantic Ocean. He is a USCG-licensed captain, father, and lifelong mariner.

We talk about learning to sail on a makeshift Sunfish in Alabama, the advantages of sailing a ketch, light-air sails, his boat - a 1969 60' Bill Tripp center-cockpit ketch built by Abeking & Rasmussen, centerboards, replacing the centerboard, hurricanes, sailing from Rhode Island to Bermuda in November in foul weather, crossing the Gulf Stream, wind against current, planning to cross the Gulf Stream, watch schedules, sailing in 40-50 knots with 20' seas, the details of heaving-to and coming out of heaving-to safely, bucket-list destinations, and more.

Links and photos are on the podcast shownotes page

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