Episode #163: Richard King on the History of Sailing Alone

Welcome to episode 163 of the Good Jibes podcast. This week, we chat with Richard King who shares stories from singlehanders around the world. Richard is an author and Illustrator of several books, most recently Sailing Alone: A Surprising History of Isolation and Survival at Sea.

Richard sailed alone across the Atlantic Ocean from Portland, Maine, to Lisbon, Portugal (he was aiming for Scotland) aboard a 28′ sloop, in 2007.

Hear why sailors decide to explore the world singlehanded, the most notable singlehanded sailors Richard has interviewed and studied, how to get comfortable singlehanding, what he’s learned working on tall ships, and what he did when his engine stopped working while crossing the Atlantic.

Here’s a sample of what you’ll hear in this episode. 

• Canada’s School afloat
• Why Richard chose to write a book about a lobster
• Narrowly missing tragedy aboard the Concordia
• Preparing to sail the Atlantic alone
• Common threads among singlehanders
• Several stories about great sailors in recent history

Check out Richard’s books at RichardJKing.info/Works.htm.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and your other favorite podcast spots — follow and leave a 5-star review if you’re feeling the Good Jibes!

Check out the episode and show notes below for much more detail.

You can purchase the book in Latitude 38’s bookstore here. 

Show Notes

• Richard King on the History of Sailing Alone
  • [0:28] Subscribe to Latitude 38 at Latitude38.com
  • [1:13] Check out Richard’s books at RichardJKing.info/Works.htm
  • [3:21] Richard’s favorite mistake early in his sailing career
  • [5:20] What got him started sailing?
  • [7:04] Sailing as a teacher and avoiding tragedy
  • [9:30] What took you into oceanography writing more than sailing focused?
  • [11:48] Writing a lobster book
  • [12:59] Did you crew on regular sailboats?
  • [13:59] Learning how to sail recreationally
  • [14:22] What boat did you sail across the Atlantic on? And how did you prepare?
  • [17:16] How long did it take you to cross? And did you ever want to turn around?
  • [18:52] When your engine went out, how’d you get electricity?
  • [21:03] Subscribe to Latitude 38 at Latitude38.com
  • Sailing Alone: A Surprising History of Isolation and Survival at Sea by Richard King
  • [22:04] When did you zero in on that crowd of singlehanders?
  • [24:35] The incredible story of Harry Pidgeon
  • [29:33] Who spurred John’s sailing dreams?
  • [30:02] Sailing is a literary exercise
  • [31:56] The incredible story of Kenichi Horie
  • [35:30] The first woman to cross the Atlantic alone Sharon Sites Adams
  • [38:52] How did you decide to choose the people you chose?
  • [40:50] Is there a common thread that makes a singlehanded sailor?
  • [43:09] Being honest as a sailor and writer about your goals
  • [45:34] What would Harry Pidgeon or Kenichi Horie have done if they’d been around in the video era?
  • [46:57] Being content with solitude
  • [47:49] Comparing the experience of community sailors, singlehanders, and tall ship people
  • [49:52] Why are students still singing sea shanties?
  • [51:14] How does Starlink change the curriculum or the connection of students who are 16 or 18?
  • [54:11] What about people like yourself contemplating a singlehanded voyage?
  • [54:39] What would you advise them to think about or to get ready to go? How would you get people to get comfortable?
  • [56:32] Have you ever read Desperate Voyage by John Caldwell?
  • [57:19] Check out the Latitude 38 Classifieds and find your own boat to singlehand around the world, or closer to home
  • Short Tacks
  • [58:04] If you were to go off sailing again, do you have a dream boat in mind? 
  • [58:58] Do you have another big adventure planned?
  • [59:52] Is there a destination you haven’t been to that you’d want to go to?
  • [1:00:22] Most important thing you did to prepare your trip?
  • [1:01:16] Equipment that you added or or something you wished you brought?
  • [1:02:42] What was your biggest fear before you pushed off Portland, Maine?
  • [1:05:31] The Long Way by Bernard Moitessier, A Voyage for Madmen by Peter Nichols, The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst by Nicholas Tomalin & Ron Hall
  • [1:05:50] Check out the Latitude 38 Bookstore here for books recommended by Good Jibes guests
  • [1:05:58] Check out Richard’s books at RichardJKing.info/Works.htm
  • Make sure to follow Good Jibes with Latitude 38 on your favorite podcast spot and leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts
  • Check out the  October 2024 issue of Latitude 38
  • Theme Song: “Pineapple Dream” by Solxis