meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
On the Wind Sailing

Nigel Calder // Cruising Guru

On the Wind Sailing

Andy Schell

Sports, Wilderness, Places & Travel, Society & Culture

4.8593 Ratings

🗓️ 3 January 2017

⏱️ 77 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

#174: Nigel Calder is universally recognized as the guru of yacht systems. His hardcover tomes grace the bookshelves of yachts the world over. On Isbjorn, his are some of my most referenced books. But while many of you will know Nigel for his writing, I'd bet that few know his background. I didn't. He came aboard Isbjorn during the Annapolis Sailboat Show last October and told me his backstory, which included living in a commune in the UK, years working on oil rigs in the Gulf and much, much more. 

On the Wind is presented by Weems & Plath, makers of fine nautical & weather instruments since 1928. Weems-Plath.com.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hey team, Andy here. If you want to support the podcast, go to patreon.com slash on the wind,

0:05.2

where you can contribute as little as a dollar per episode to help us keep making awesome sailing content.

0:11.7

Even better, come sailing with us on East Bjorn. Go to 59-north.com slash offshore to check out

0:17.3

the latest updates to our passage calendar and to join us as crew on an offshore passage

0:22.9

on our Swan 48. Thanks a lot. Happy New Year. We have exciting news to start the year. On the wind now has a

0:31.5

long-term presenting sponsor. Huge thanks to Weems and Plath, makers of fine nautical and weather

0:37.1

instruments since 1928,

0:39.0

for signing on to support the show for the entirety of 2017.

0:43.4

Weems and Plath's instruments have traced the evolution of navigation,

0:47.0

and CEO Peter Trogden is passionate about it.

0:50.6

I think the passion grew as I took hold of the company 18 years ago and just felt like

0:57.3

if you're going to be great at it, you got to own it.

0:59.1

In his spare time, Peter gives talks on the history of navigation, which is fascinating.

1:05.4

My history starts with the Polynesians, 2,500 BC.

1:09.1

The most spectacular navigators this Earth has ever seen.

1:12.6

And what they were able to accomplish and what they used to do that, their memorization techniques.

1:18.6

And then I carried all the way through to Spirit on Mars, sending pictures from Mars.

1:24.6

And I do that 4,000 years and 45 minutes.

1:28.3

If you share Peter's passion about navigation, even just a little bit, you've got to check out the Weems and Plath catalog at Weems-Dashplath.com.

1:37.3

Mia and I have used Weems and Plath instruments in tools for years, both on Arcturis and now on East Bjorn.

1:43.3

My mom and dad got us a solid brass yacht lamp

1:46.1

as a wedding present that crossed Atlantic on Arcturus with us, and now keeps us cozy in the dark

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Andy Schell, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Andy Schell and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.