Sailing in the Mediterranean

[Sai2015]

Episode 52 of The Sailing Podcast is with Franz Amussen about Sailing in the Mediterranean. Franz decided to build a Bristol Channel Cutter after being inspired by Lin and Larry Pardey and their stories of adventure in Seraffyn.

Franz built his Lyle Hess design in his backyard and, after spending some time in the San Juan Islands, he sailed over the to Mediterranean and has spent the last 17 years travelling back and forth for Mediterranean sailing adventures.

In this episode we hear about:

• Racing on the Great Salt Lake in Utah
• Crossing the North Atlantic in a storm
• The Sailing in the Med podcast

Sailing in the Mediterranean can be downloaded here

One of the things that stood out for me during this interview, apart from all the great advice on the Med, was how Franz has been able to spend so much time sailing. Instead of having to give up his home, his work and his lifestyle Franz has managed to enjoy extended trips sailing while still having a home and a job to return to. He has probably fitted in as much sailing over the past 17 years as anyone who has taken a world cruise.

In a great segue from the last episode with Lin Pardey, Franz describes how he had a hull and deck built by Lyle Hess and delivered to his back yard in Salt Lake City. The Pardey stories of adventures in Seraffyn led Franz to decide on the Bristol Channel Cutter design and I am sure Franz mentioned Larry coming to see his project at some stage. The books about Seraffyn included:

• Cruising in Seraffyn
• Seraffyn’s European Adventure and
• Seraffyn's Mediterranean Adventure

Franz also has a sailing podcast called ‘Sailing in the Mediterranean’, which you can find in iTunes or download from his website at Sailing in the Mediterranean. Another interesting thing Franz has done is create a set of audio lessons for people needing to get a basic sailboat certification. Some people get this to allow them to charter yachts while overseas. You can check out his course by searching on iTunes for:

Basic Keelboat Certification Lessons for the ASA 101
Basic Coastal Cruising; Lessons for the ASA 103 Exam
Bareboat Cruising Certification Lessons for the ASA 104