This ongoing series of “capers” tells of epic voyages, castaway survivors, swashbuckling characters, family cruises, cultural setbacks, technical breakthroughs, racing triumphs, and the “seasteading” lifestyle. Revealed within these stories are many details of design, construction, operation and seamanship. Since World War Two, the emergence of truly modern, lightweight vessels – recreational and commercial, multihull and monohull, power and sail – constitutes a sea change in marine architecture that may well persist for generations to come. Because modern seafaring has advanced so fast, and yet history often neglects its oral heritage, now is the time for us to gather and share this legacy.
Date | Title & Description | Contributors |
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2019-08-27 | In this caper, Jim shares the story of his summer 2019 ride on one of his “cattlemarans” in the Caribbean. Jim sails along on a big catamaran with his entrepreneur-boatbuilder-sailor friend Doug Jane to deliver the boat to a customer. Lots of fun and c... | |
2019-04-08 | THE FLEDGLING EAGLE In this 34-minute podcast, the listener is plunged into a detailed description of EAGLE, a 53’ catamaran designed by Paul Beiker and just launched by Fast Forward Composites of Bristol RI. The backstory of the EAGLE’s conception is ... | |
2018-04-12 | WHAT'S HAPPENING? TOO MUCH! This Caper tells of many Capers -- Too many to permit our weekly schedule from continuing right now, but enough to bring you a new Caper now and then. My Podcast is not going away, and after all, there are over 80 of them... | |
2018-04-05 | FINE PHILOSOPHICAL FILANDERING Part Three of this flirtation between monohull and multihull, this Caper continues the conversation between Havilah Hawkins, Larry Fortunoff and me aboard the classic sloop VELA. Revealed are the levels of commitment, pe... | |
2018-03-29 | UNMARKED FORK IN A DESERT TRAIL Talking again with Havilah Hawkins Jr. aboard his monumental gaff sloop VELA, we approach the subject of parting with one's boat of many years. We then revert to all the things he has done with those many years of vessel... | |
2018-03-22 | "REAL" BOAT, REAL SKIPPER This Caper deviates. It is a conversation with a real schoonerman, largely about a very traditional, single-hulled vessel whose designer, builder and skipper tells the story of how a man and wife with a "real" boat can influ... | |
2018-03-15 | ANCHORAGE CONVERSATIONS (Part 2) Here are a few more Sterncastle Stories with my buddy Larry, which makes this capercast a Part 2 of the Part 1 portion of this chat. Tied to a dock in Maine, with no anchoring worries, with a good friend on a good boat,... | |
2018-03-08 | THE 100' FOUR HULLER In this second of two conversations with Roger Hatfield, we learn the backstory of about the most bizarre, yet commercially successful, multihulls ever. And get this: Gold Coast has already started on a second one! If that ain’t “T... | |
2018-03-01 | KNOT MY PROBLEM This Caper has all you need to know about the four-hulled “Tandem Catamaran,” at least enough to really understand it from the next Caper. Roger Hatfield, the co-designer and builder of this futuristic configuration, tells us how the co... | |
2018-02-22 | REALITY EN SHTICK To the tune of "Yes, we have no bananas," we have no video today. Or tomorrow, but maybe someday, even if I have to make it myself. There's a story here, and I'm just trying to get it, and tell it, straight. Nevertheless, there IS vi... |