Skip to content

Out The Gate Podcast Sails South to Catalina Island

Whales knew it long before the rest of us. Pods are cool. Beyond pods is podcasting, and Ben Shaw’s Out The Gate podcast helped inspire the recent launch of our own Good Jibes podcast. Going from inspiration to tangible result took the spark of Southern California sailor and Latitude 38 ally Ryan Foland — a lifelong sailor who grew up as a member of the Blue Water Cruising Club out of Big Geiger Cove on Catalina Island.

Ryan and BINGO and Sandy Bottom
Ryan sails his Laser, Sandy Bottom, with his wife Cynthia in tow, past their 1977 Cal 34 Bingo.
© 2021 Ryan Foland

Ben Shaw recently interviewed Ryan Foland on his terrific Out The Gate podcast, where we learned some more about Ryan and the simple, SoCal pleasures of summers spent at Catalina messing about in boats, particularly his Laser, Sandy Bottom. Of his summers in Big Geiger Cove, Ryan says, “It’s a moment in time that I live for!” But now, a bigger boat and more sailing miles continue to lure him toward even bigger adventures.

Ben Shaw is continuing his Bay sailing adventures aboard his Hallberg-Rassy 352 Dovka. Ben ‘imported’ Dovka from Chesapeake Bay a few years ago and has been exploring locally, including cruising in the Delta.

Ben Shaw Halberg Rassy 352 Dovka
Ben Shaw and his wife Lauren Keene enjoy their Hallberg-Rassy 352 Dovka on San Francisco Bay.
© 2021 Ben Shaw

Ben sent us a photo of a birthday sail from last September (happy birthday, Ben!) aboard Dovka on the Bay. Now, a year later, Ben says it’s time for more work and less play as he hauled Dovka last week at Napa Valley Marina and is currently replacing thru-hulls, portholes, cutlass bearings and more! As he says, “It’s time to sturdy and spiff the old girl up a bit.”

Enjoy Ben’s podcast with Ryan, and if you’d like to contribute to Latitude 38‘s future publishing and podcasting, check out the many ways to support Latitude 38 here.

Leave a Comment




Orcas, Wrecks and a Tempest
Leg 1 of the Mini Transat has been a wild one, with boats dismasted, wrecked onto the rocks, struck by angry orcas, and putting in to port to avoid a storm.