Salty Podcast: Sailing Stories Podcast By Captain Tinsley cover art

Salty Podcast: Sailing Stories

Salty Podcast: Sailing Stories

By: Captain Tinsley
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The Salty Podcast shares real sailing stories and adventures — expert tips, ocean crossings, storm tales, heartwarming stories, and the quirks of life at sea. Each week, Cap’n Tinsley brings you voices from the water: sailors who’ve crossed oceans, lived aboard, and chased horizons. Join The Salty Podcast each week for adventures in storm survival, cruising life, and the joy of sailing. No fluff — just salty conversations, heartfelt moments, and lessons from sailors worldwide.

Salty Abandon is Captain Tinsley from Gulf Shores & Orange Beach AL:
Oct 2020 to Present - 1998 Island Packet 320;
2015-2020 - 1988 Island Packet 27 (lost in Hurricane Sally Sep 2020)

Want to support the podcast? http://patreon.com/SaltyAbandon

Salty Podcast Shop: https://SaltyPodcast.myshopify.com


https://youtube.com/@svsaltyabandon
https://www.facebook.com/saltyabandon

sailing podcast, sailing stories, sailing adventures, sailboat life, cruising lifestyle, liveaboard sailors, ocean adventures, solo sailing, circumnavigation, bluewater cruising, sailing the Caribbean, sailing the Bahamas, offshore sailing, storm stories, sailing interviews, real-life sailing stories from around the world, tips and experiences from liveaboard sailors, adventures of solo and crewed sailors, lessons from storms, passages, and long crossings, cruising life beyond the horizon

© 2026 Salty Podcast: Sailing Stories & Adventures
Episodes
  • He Bought a $1M Sailboat Before He Knew How to Sail ⛵ Salty Podcast #104

    He Bought a $1M Sailboat Before He Knew How to Sail ⛵ Salty Podcast #104
    Sep 3 2026
    Send us Fan MailHere’s the tighter version — about half the length, while keeping the SEO terms and the strongest parts of the story:Jack Yeager bought a million-dollar-plus sailboat before he knew how to sail, then spent the next five years turning that decision into an extraordinary sailing adventure. In Salty Podcast #104, Jack joins Cap’n Tinsley to tell how he went from a workaholic software entrepreneur to cruising thousands of miles aboard Phase 8, a Beneteau Oceanis Yacht 62.Jack’s sailing story began after a day on the water in Marina del Rey made him realize something unexpected: while sailing, he stopped thinking about work. That feeling stayed with him. He began visiting boat shows in the U.S. and Europe, studying sailboat designs, and eventually committed to buying a brand-new Beneteau Oceanis Yacht 62 before he had really learned to sail. After signing the deal, he returned to Los Angeles, joined SailTime, practiced on a Beneteau 45, and took ASA sailing courses before heading to France to take delivery of Phase 8. The boat’s name, Phase 8, represented a new phase in Jack’s life. He had sold his software business and was ready for something completely different. With help from a captain early on, he learned to handle the 62-foot yacht, but soon decided he wanted to be the captain himself. Before long, he was sailing Phase 8 largely on his own through the Mediterranean. Jack talks about Mediterranean sailing, solo sailing, docking a large yacht in crowded marinas, dealing with unfamiliar weather and current, and learning through mistakes. He shares stories from Barcelona, Marseille, the South of France, Monaco, Venice, Croatia, Montenegro and other destinations. Near Marseille, he encountered dense fog before he had fully learned to use his radar. Visibility became so poor that he could not see beyond the bow. He eventually anchored and woke hours later to discover the dramatic coastline he had been unable to see when he arrived. For Jack, the Mediterranean felt like Christmas because every day brought something new. New countries, new food, new architecture, new people and new sailing challenges gave him a sense of excitement and discovery he had not felt in years. Jack eventually crossed the Atlantic as part of the 2018 ARC, sailing from the Canary Islands to St. Lucia. From there, he continued through the Caribbean, cruising islands including Antigua and Grenada before eventually sailing Phase 8 into the United States. He worked his way north through Fort Lauderdale, Charleston, Annapolis, New York City, Long Island Sound, Newport, Martha’s Vineyard and Maine. One of the wildest East Coast moments happened in New York City. During a storm, Jack heard an enormous crack and came on deck thinking lightning had hit his sailboat. Instead, lightning had struck the lightning rod on Freedom Tower above the marina. A photographer in New Jersey captured the strike. The adventure continued south to the Panama Canal, which Jack describes as one of the most interesting experiences of the trip. He talks about transiting the locks, spending the night in Gatun Lake and emerging on the Pacific side. From there, he sailed toward Costa Rica, Cabo and the Sea of Cortez. In Costa Rica, enormous whales surfaced beside his 62-foot yacht. In the Sea of Cortez, some of his favorite moments came sailing at night under a full moon with no engine running and a sky full of stars. COVID changed Jack’s plans. Borders began closing, marinas operated differently and international cruising became more difficult. Instead of continuing west across the Pacific, he worked his way north along the West Coast toward the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. During one stop in Canada, customs officers searched Phase 8 and found a starter pistol or noise-making gun that looked real. Jack was placed in handcuffs while they investigated. Although the device was ultimately determined not to be a real firearm, the incident became a lesson in how seriously international boating laws and customs regulations can affect cruisers. The most dramatic part of the episode comes after Jack reaches Alaska. He discovered that the spare engine belt he thought he had aboard had already been used during previous service work. When the belt failed, he was left without a working engine. Jack attempted to sail south anyway, and the weather deteriorated quickly. Winds expected to be around 28 knots increased to 35, then 42, and eventually 55 knots. In the darkness, with no engine and heavy seas building around him, Jack was thrown across the boat while tethered in and the boom broke. For one moment, he truly believed he was going to die. His survival instincts took over, and he began working through one problem at a time. The U.S. Coast Guard stayed in contact with Jack as conditions worsened. When communication was lost, they told him they were prepared to send a helicopter. Jack warned them the conditions were terrible and ...
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    1 hr and 38 mins
  • Affordable Luxury Sailing ⛵ Real Impact in Grenada | Salty Podcast #103

    Affordable Luxury Sailing ⛵ Real Impact in Grenada | Salty Podcast #103
    Aug 28 2026

    Send us Fan Mail

    Rich Whitlock returns to Salty Podcast with Adir, founder of the JustBE Foundation, to talk about a different kind of Caribbean adventure — **affordable luxury sailing with a purpose**. ⛵🌴


    From their Jeanneau 51, **Calypso**, Rich and Adir are helping communities in Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique recover from Hurricane Beryl. Their projects include rebuilding a wellness center, supporting local organizations and creating **free, cruiser-friendly mooring balls** designed to bring more sailors — and more spending — into Petite Martinique.

    They’re also offering **5- and 7-day sailing voyages starting at $2,625**, complete with gourmet meals, island activities and a firsthand look at the communities their foundation is helping.

    It’s luxury sailing with something bigger behind it.

    **Sail with purpose. Rebuild with heart.**

    Learn more about the JustBE Foundation:
    [https://justbe-foundation.org](https://justbe-foundation.org)

    Watch Salty Podcast #103:
    [https://youtu.be/ll13Yq2UuXM](https://youtu.be/ll13Yq2UuXM)

    Get your Sailor SPF Shirt at https://SaltyPodcast.myshopify.com


    💨 AIRLOCK: Get rid of those stubborn boat smells with $30 off using code SALTY30 here: https://airlockusa.com/SALTY30

    Support the show

    SALTY ABANDON: Cap'n Tinsley, Orange Beach, AL:
    Oct 2020 to Present - 1998 Island Packet 320;
    Nov 2015-Oct 2020; 1988 Island Packet 27
    Feb-Oct 2015 - 1982 Catalina 25

    ▶️YouTube Playlist: https://saltyabandon/SaltyPodcastPlaylist

    💨AIRLOCK: Get rid of those boat smells with $30 off with code SALTY30:
     https://airlockusa.com/SALTY30

    👕Salty Podcast SPF Sailor Shirts: https://saltypodcast.myshopify.com/

    🎙️Wanna Start a Livestream? Try Streamyard: Go live like a pro with an easy, browser-based studio for podcasts, interviews and livestreams:
    Https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5430067749060608

    ✂️Opus Clips: Turn long videos into short, shareable clips fast. https://tolt.link/saltypodcast

    🫶Support the Podcast: http://patreon.com/SaltyAbandon




    Show more Show less
    53 mins
  • Salty Podcast #102 ⛵ Cecilia Potts: Baja, Sailing & Island Packets

    Salty Podcast #102 ⛵ Cecilia Potts: Baja, Sailing & Island Packets
    Aug 17 2026

    Send us Fan Mail

    If you’re an Island Packet owner, there’s a good chance you know my next guest. And if you’ve had any experience with her at all, I’d bet it was a good one.

    Joining me for her second appearance on The Salty Podcast is Cecilia Potts — sailor, adventurist, surveyor, and Island Packet enthusiast. Cecilia was first featured on Salty Podcast #3, where we mainly talked about her surveying work. But during that interview, she casually dropped some hints about the incredible sailing she’s done, and I knew I had to have her back.

    Cecilia and I first met through a pre-purchase survey she did for me in 2020 on a boat I did not end up buying. Then the very next week, she surveyed the boat that would become my current Salty Abandon boat — my 1998 Island Packet 320. We became friends and have stayed in touch ever since.

    In this episode, Cecilia shares stories from sailing down the Baja coast to Mexico, overnight passages, close calls, solo sailing, and how those adventures eventually led her into the world of marine surveying. We also talk Island Packets, boat ownership, upgrades, and what she looks for first when surveying a boat.

    If you enjoy sailing stories, practical boat talk, and a little Baja adventure, this is a fun one.


    Get your Sailor SPF Shirt at https://SaltyPodcast.myshopify.com


    💨 AIRLOCK: Get rid of those stubborn boat smells with $30 off using code SALTY30 here: https://airlockusa.com/SALTY30

    Support the show

    SALTY ABANDON: Cap'n Tinsley, Orange Beach, AL:
    Oct 2020 to Present - 1998 Island Packet 320;
    Nov 2015-Oct 2020; 1988 Island Packet 27
    Feb-Oct 2015 - 1982 Catalina 25

    ▶️YouTube Playlist: https://saltyabandon/SaltyPodcastPlaylist

    💨AIRLOCK: Get rid of those boat smells with $30 off with code SALTY30:
     https://airlockusa.com/SALTY30

    👕Salty Podcast SPF Sailor Shirts: https://saltypodcast.myshopify.com/

    🎙️Wanna Start a Livestream? Try Streamyard: Go live like a pro with an easy, browser-based studio for podcasts, interviews and livestreams:
    Https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5430067749060608

    ✂️Opus Clips: Turn long videos into short, shareable clips fast. https://tolt.link/saltypodcast

    🫶Support the Podcast: http://patreon.com/SaltyAbandon




    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 17 mins
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