Good Jibes With Fred Huffman on the Powerful Past of West Coast Sailing

Welcome back to Latitude 38’s podcast, Good Jibes! This week’s host, Ryan Foland, is joined by Fred Huffman to chat about growing up a sailor and the history of West Coast sailing. Fred’s been sailing as long as he can remember and has raced across oceans more times than you can count.

Hear Fred talk about what it was like watching his dad build a boat, sailing off the California coast during World War II, his love for Catalina Island, all the experience that comes with more than 50 years at sea, and why the pressure of racing adds a special spark. This episode covers everything from Catalina to Hawaii to Europe.

Here’s a small sample of what Ryan and Fred covered in this episode:

• What are floating dry docks?
• Could you sail in the harbor during World War II?
• What was Catalina Island used for during the war?
• Why is sailing still such a big part of Fred’s life?
• How many Transpac races has he done?
• Did he leave school to race?
• How did his dad build his boat?
• Short Tacks: What advice does Fred have for West Coast sailors?

Incidentally, both Fred and Ryan are members of the Blue Water Cruising Club. Learn more here: BlueWaterCruisingClub.org.

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