Are you looking for a podcast about a real-life sailing adventure undertaken by a local sailor? If so, check out the new “First Mate’s Log,” a serial story from the sea by writer and photographer Krista Schlyer.
The series recounts a long-planned voyage from the Chesapeake Bay during the crush of the Covid-19 pandemic, when Krista and her partner spent three years living aboard Maggie May, a 1986 Westerly Sealord, just under 39 feet in length.
Krista says, “It’s an adventure story about a real adventure that I lived. It’s not about one adrenaline rush after another but rather the day-by-day struggles, small victories, and navigating the hardest challenge—living on an unpredictable ocean in a tiny space with another human being.”
Krista explains, “The idea of a podcast appealed to me because I wanted to communicate the feel of day-to-day life on a sailing adventure, and with everything I had gathered during our voyage, a book just couldn’t incorporate the depth of the story I wanted to tell. I had collected photographs, videos, and audio all along the journey and kept a daily journal. I want people to be able to hear the magnificent frigatebirds nesting and see the octopus and eels and sea turtles.
“I want this podcast to be a space where people can step away from a world that seems in constant crisis and rest for a while in a more slowly metered life, life at 7.6 knots. There will be excitement, and conflict—that comes with the journey—but there will also be times of perfect reflective calm. I think we all need that now.”
“First Mate’s Log” is hosted on patreon.com and streams on Spotify. Learn more about Krista, her projects, photography, and books at kristaschlyer.com.
