Remarkable Stories

Remarkable Stories

Remarkable Stories

John Herlig and Mike McDowall bring you stories so good, you'll have to share them.

END OF SEASON 2 - A MESSAGE FROM JOHN AND MIKE

END OF SEASON 2 - A MESSAGE FROM JOHN AND MIKE

We are taking a short break while John works the Annapolis Sailboat Show and then heads for the Leeward Islands aboard Ave del Mar. Over in Mallorca, Mike has a couple of walls to knock down. Rest assured, we have plenty of fascinating guests and escapades lined up for Season 3. It is going to be the best season yet. If you need to get in touch, you can contact us via: john@boatradio.co mike@boatradio.co

Oct 4, 2022 • 3:24

THE MAN WHO INVENTED BAILEYS IRISH CREAM

THE MAN WHO INVENTED BAILEYS IRISH CREAM

David Gluckman grew up in South Africa when the country was still in the grip of apartheid. He arrived in London at the start of the sixties and spent a great deal of time chasing women, drinking booze and smoking cigarettes. He was an ad man and, albeit very briefly, he was a copywriter but it was as an inventor of drinks brands that he really found success. There's Baileys, of course, but David also invented Le Piat d'Or, Aqua Libra, Purdeys, The Singleton, Ciroc Vodka, Coole Swan, Smirnoff Bl

Sep 27, 2022 • 41:29

JOHN & DANO: REMARKABLY UNHINGED 02

JOHN & DANO: REMARKABLY UNHINGED 02

This week, the dynamic duo talk about in-mast furling, stick shift versus auto cars and impressionist paintings. Because why not. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/remarkablestories/message

Sep 20, 2022 • 1:04:23

PRINCE MICHAEL of SEALAND

PRINCE MICHAEL of SEALAND

This is the strange tale of a British family who decided to establish their own nation. On Christmas Eve 1966, Paddy Bates and his son, Michael, took possession of an abandoned anti-aircraft gun emplacement seven and a half miles off the coast of southeast England. The following year, they declared independence. Fifty-two years later they are still independent despite the occasional hiccup such as an armed invasion by German merceneries. Mike McDowall spoke to Michael Bates, now Prince Michael o

Sep 13, 2022 • 25:12

JOHANNES

JOHANNES

John met Johannes Volbehr in Jamaica a few years ago. At the time, the happy-go-lucky world traveller was making his way from Germany to South America by working his passage aboard private sailing vessels. Shortly after their encounter, Johannes and an acquaintance called Ine were taken on as crew by the skipper of Our Joy, a sailboat bound for Panama. The journey did not go as planned. Johannes tells his tale to Remarkable Stories' John Herlig. Our efforts to locate Rockney Ragsdale have been u

Sep 6, 2022 • 23:43

OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL WINNER ARLENE LIMAS

OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL WINNER ARLENE LIMAS

Arlene Limas didn't know who she was going to fight, and she never expected that her toughest opponent would be the governing body of her own sport, Taekwondo. And why did they fight Arlene? Because she was simply too good. Still, there was drama surrounding women's Taekwondo in the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Does anybody really know what really happened at the medal ceremony? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/remarkablestories/message

Aug 30, 2022 • 1:36:56

WILL THIS KILL ME? Part 2

WILL THIS KILL ME? Part 2

In Part One of "WILL THIS KILL ME," Garry Eveleigh joined Remarkable Stories' Mike McDowall as the pair traipsed about the island of Mallorca in search of edible wild food. They found plenty of delicious things to eat—but no mushrooms. And since we all know that mushrooms are pretty much fabulous, they decided to go find some up in the hills. They are joined in this episode by Mike’s friend Corinna Perry. If you are interested in learning how to find food out in nature, Garry's book is called Wi

Aug 23, 2022 • 26:32

WILL THIS KILL ME? Part 1

WILL THIS KILL ME? Part 1

Garry Eveleigh finds food everywhere—in the front yard, in the hillsides, at the side of the road. He knows which plants are delicious and which may kill you. You see, Garry is a professional forager. He has been employed by some very high-end British restaurants to devise fresh, sustainable menus, and last year, on a sunny autumn day, Garry took Remarkable Stories' Mike McDowall on a food finding mission that began, conveniently enough, in Mike's own front yard. We are happy to report that Garr

Aug 16, 2022 • 32:24

JOHN & DANO PRESENT REMARKABLY UNHINGED 01

JOHN & DANO PRESENT REMARKABLY UNHINGED 01

In a very different edition of Remarkable Stories, John gets together with his friend Dano to tear into some YouTube sailing channels and to recommend alternatives to the usual top five. There's not enough room to list the channels we offend, but a few that we liked included Sailing with the Litzenbergers, Acorn to Arabella, Wind Hippie Sailing, and Christian Williams. Check 'em out. Let us know what you think of Remarkably Unhinged, and drop us a line if there is a sailing-related subject

Aug 9, 2022 • 55:57

OSCAR

OSCAR

Oscar Siches has more than earned his citizenship of the oceans. After a short but illustrious career racing sailboats and many years as the skipper of charter yachts, he settled in Palma de Mallorca, where he designed, built and managed the kind of luxury marinas that attract the most prestigious of vessels. These days he is in demand as the creator of exclusive waterside developments under the Yacht Club de Monaco brand name. But Oscar's certainly no snob or social climber. He enjoys the simpl

Aug 2, 2022 • 54:16

LITZENBERGERS

LITZENBERGERS

Everything Spencer and Brenda Litzenberger touch ends up playing out like a madcap slapstick comedy. They are Bonnie & Clyde meets It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World minus the machine guns and bank robberies. From boats to yurts, Alaska to vomit bags, changing lightbulbs in cruise ships to buying a sail loft, their story will have you laughing till your sides hurt and wondering what in the world might come next. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/remarkablestories

Jul 26, 2022 • 1:13:21

1M1

1M1

1m1's life story is at once tragic and uplifting. His childhood was fragmented by repeated abductions at the hands of his warring parents. But it was also filled with a rich variety of culture and language as he was moved from country to country. He spent his youth in Pakistan, India, Russia, Germany and South Korea. He mixed with the destitute and the wealthy, idiots and intellectuals, high-ranking diplomats and daring smugglers. He has a unique and infectiously optimistic outlook.

Jul 19, 2022 • 57:16

OBED CALVAIRE

OBED CALVAIRE

While attending the prestigious Manhattan School of Music, Obed Calvaire met Wynton Marsalis, one of the biggest names in jazz. That connection led to an offer for Obed to drum for the trumpet-playing legend. Obed speaks with Remarkable Stories' John Herlig about his sense of destiny—about the fact that he was, in his own words, "put on this earth to play music." He discusses memorizing complex arrangements, how drumming is like an eagle in flight, and about how the give-&-take between musicia

Jul 12, 2022 • 56:40

A short message from John & Mike.

A short message from John & Mike.

We are taking this week off for the American July 4th holiday, but we've sent you a message. ♡ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/remarkablestories/message

Jul 5, 2022 • 2:13

POSH PETE

POSH PETE

"Posh Pete" — born Pieter Tritton — smuggled millions of dollars of cocaine out of South America, managing to stay one step ahead of law enforcement for years. But eventually his luck ran out, and he was apprehended in a hotel room in Ecuador with 8 kilos of cocaine in his possession. The result was a 12 year sentence in one of the world's deadliest prison systems. Pieter started young and learned the nuance of the smuggling world quickly. He watched, and he learned how things worked — bot

Jun 28, 2022 • 1:08:11

JANINE

JANINE

Janine Georgette wanted to learn to sail. She was, in her words, "sea bit." But she lives in New York City—one of the most expensive cities in the US and certainly not an easy place for a divorced woman in her 60s to find a boat on a shoestring budget. But Janine is about as determined a woman as you might find. As an 11 year old, Janine wanted to learn to ski. She was frustrated by how easy and natural it was for the kids who had been skiing their whole lives, and she struggled to improve. So

Jun 21, 2022 • 23:57

MANSOOR Part 2

MANSOOR Part 2

Mansoor Adayfi was held at Guantanamo Bay for fourteen years. He was never charged with a crime. Mark Fallon was the NCIS agent in charge of criminal investigations at Guantanamo Bay. This is the second part of Mansoor's story. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/remarkablestories/message

Jun 14, 2022 • 27:25

MANSOOR Part 1

MANSOOR Part 1

At the age of eighteen, Mansoor Adayfi was kidnapped by Afghani warlords and sold to the CIA. Despite the fact that he was a teenager from Yemen, his abductors convinced American intelligence agents that he was a middle-aged Egyptian recruitment officer for Al Qaeda. Mansoor was held first at a secret CIA black site, was then moved to Kandahar Prison, and finally was transferred to Guantánamo Bay, where he was tortured and humiliated for fourteen years. This is the first of a two-part edition of

Jun 7, 2022 • 33:08

LOU

LOU

Lou Landreth has been on this Earth for ninety-eight years and has spent much of that time sailing and fighting. She invited Mike McDowall over for tea, cookies, and an argument. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/remarkablestories/message

May 31, 2022 • 42:54

S01 E12: DON McINTYRE

S01 E12: DON McINTYRE

Don McIntyre has spent his entire life engaged in daring exploits. He has sailed the toughest seas, he has led expeditions to the most inhospitable places, he has been an endurance pilot, a rally driver, and an Antarctic explorer. He has won medals and accolades in numerous countries. He has written books and produced documentaries. He has built boats and aeroplanes. More recently, he revived the Golden Globe Race - a solo circumnavigation widely regarded as the toughest sailing event in the wor

Oct 4, 2021 • 57:44

S01 E11: JON MARTINS

S01 E11: JON MARTINS

Jon Martins was a qualified tandem sky-diving instructor, parachute packer, and cameraman by the age of 20. After performing thousands of jumps, Jon met tragedy on New Years Eve of 2012 as he experienced a hard landing that caused a spinal fracture, making him an L1 paraplegic. In his words, “I see it as a gift, a tremendous blessing in my life, but it is necessary to act quickly upon it. When you have these life changing enlightenments and you don’t act quickly, it will just fade away, go in th

Sep 27, 2021 • 57:13

S01 E10: IMI

S01 E10: IMI

This episode of Remarkable Stories has been removed at the request of the interviewee. In its place, you can hear an early trailer from back when we were called Seabird. However, I am excited to let you know that Imi will be back, on Wednesday, July 20th at 9am Central European Time. Do not miss it. Honestly, Imi's life story will make your jaw hit the floor. It is sensational.

Sep 20, 2021 • 3:07

S01 E09: BANFF LUTHER

S01 E09: BANFF LUTHER

The former owner and captain of a Charleston, South Carolina, charter company, Banff Luther has once again tossed the predictable aside to pursue life in an unconventional way. Trading the sea for the mountains, Banff recently acquired his contractor’s license and is planning to build a number of luxury rental cabins as well as a garage large enough to let him work on the Porsche 911 that he races on weekends. Grounded, humble, and thankful, Banff sits down with Seabird’s John Herlig and shares

Sep 13, 2021 • 45:02

S01 E08: RIDE ALONG—A SAILBOAT DELIVERY

S01 E08: RIDE ALONG—A SAILBOAT DELIVERY

In January of 2020, Seabird’s John Herlig crewed together with his friend Benjamin on the delivery of a 44’ Antares catamaran named Seahorse from Rio Dulce, Guatemala, to the island state of Grenada in the Windward Islands of the Caribbean. A year later the two were called upon again, to deliver the vessel from her marina in Grenada to her new home in South Florida in the USA. In this episode listeners can follow along as Benjamin and John fly to Grenada in the midst of a global pandemic, surviv

Sep 6, 2021 • 1:28:11

S01 E07: JOHN BARRY

S01 E07: JOHN BARRY

John Barry never knew his father, a fighter pilot who was killed in action in WWII. But John grew up determined to honor his father's memory by living life to the full and not wasting away in the confines of a dusty office. As a young man, he left his native North Carolina and drove to Annapolis on a lark, hoping to find employment in the sailing capital of America. He took on work as a broker, and through that ended up scoring a job on the schooner, Harvey Gamage. Some years later, he became th

Aug 30, 2021 • 1:18:00

S01 E06: RIC SAGARMINAGA

S01 E06: RIC SAGARMINAGA

Back in the 80s, Ric Sagarminaga was one of those Greenpeace guys making headlines with their daring attempts to prevent illegal whaling or the dumping of toxic waste. Three decades later, Ric is still defending the marine environment only now he does it aboard his own vessel, the century-old Toftevaag, flagship of his scientific research organisation, Alnitak. Ric is a cool guy with a laid-back manner that hides a steely determination to protect the oceans. The work he does helps conservation e

Aug 23, 2021 • 47:22

S01 E05: DAVE SHEARLOCK

S01 E05: DAVE SHEARLOCK

Not many people enter the sailing and racing world along the path that Dave Shearlock took. Raised in East St. Louis, Missouri, during the 1940s, Dave’s mother placed him in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, where he was introduced to sailing on the Mississippi River. Through lake racing in suburban St. Louis, Dave honed his boat handling skills and eventually met his wife Carolyn, in the Illinois racing circuit. Carolyn is well-known as the author of The Boat Galley Cookbook and the creati

Aug 16, 2021 • 37:43

S01 E04: CHRIS & MELODY DICROCE

S01 E04: CHRIS & MELODY DICROCE

Chris and Melody DiCroce have spent the past decade mostly living on boats and partly living on the road. They have sailed the Caribbean and travelled widely in Mexico and Guatemala, all the while maintaining their jobs and making a good living. We figured the first three episodes probably gave you a taste for an unconventional life so it was time to talk to a couple who have successfully escaped the nine-to-five. Melody provides services for small business owners while also giving advice about

Aug 9, 2021 • 54:30

S01 E03: MEGHAN AGRESTO

S01 E03: MEGHAN AGRESTO

Being a lighthouse keeper in the 20th-century might not be the same job that it was 150 years ago, but Meghan Agresto isn’t exactly starving for work in her role as custodian of the beacon at Currituck Beach in Corolla, North Carolina. Part historian, part events coordinator, part problem solver, Meghan manages not only the lighthouse but also a one-room charter school in this tiny town of just five hundred permanent residents. Chatting with Seabird’s John Herlig, Meghan talks about all of these

Aug 2, 2021 • 1:00:24

S01 E02: KY FURNEAUX

S01 E02: KY FURNEAUX

Aged nineteen, Ky Furneaux was told she would never lead an active life. A car crash had left her with a fractured spine and doctors speculated that her mobility would be limited for the rest of her life. Ky was determined to prove them wrong. And she did. In spades. After a year of physical therapy, she was active again. She finished college and became an outdoor team leader, taking groups climbing, rappelling, sailing, kayaking and hiking. She moved to Vancouver, where she studied martial a

Jul 26, 2021 • 49:04

S01 E01: RANDALL WILLIAMS

S01 E01: RANDALL WILLIAMS

Randall is a pilot, a flight instructor, and a self-taught sailor. His life story comes from the heart with an intensity that just doesn’t stop. From the hard lessons of learning how to sail off the Stockholm archipelago to studying opera in Tokyo or touring the United States in a van, Randall’s life has become a tapestry of adversity and overcoming—always with a song in his heart. Some years ago Randall encountered Seabird’s John Herlig at a meeting of south-bound sailors in George Town, Ba

Jul 19, 2021 • 1:17:26

Seabird: Season 1 TRAILER

Seabird: Season 1 TRAILER

Season 1 begins July 19th 2021. Seabird is stories from remarkable people. We have spoken to some extraordinary individuals who embody the spirit of Seabird—an untamed energy that can not be caged, that does not know how to conform. Their stories are fascinating, compelling and sometimes breath-taking. Travel with us, as we speak with the rebellious souls who make the world a more exciting place. These folks have not followed the rules.

Jun 12, 2021 • 3:07

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