🎙️ Finding the Current: Trapper Haskins on Building a Boat, Paddling South, and Rediscovering Himself ⛵

In this week’s episode of the NanoCruising podcast, we talk with writer, musician, and small-boat voyager Trapper Haskins, whose journey down the Mississippi became both an epic adventure and a deeply personal turning point. His memoir, Crooked River, chronicles the 2,000+-mile paddle and sail in a hand-built Mississippi Yawl—all the way to New Orleans.

But the story goes far deeper than boatbuilding and river travel.

As Trapper approached his 40th birthday, he realized that life hadn’t gone the way he’d hoped. The trip—first conceived as an adventure—evolved into something much more: a way to reclaim joy, find peace, and reconnect with his own sense of purpose.

In this candid and moving conversation, Trapper talks about:

Building the boat with his own hands
The highs and lows of paddling to New Orleans
How the journey helped him navigate a difficult life transition
The writing of Crooked River and how it helped him process the experience

This is an episode about more than cruising—it’s about using the smallest boats to find our way through some of life’s biggest questions.

🌊 Join the NanoCruising community! Be part of the conversation in our Facebook Group — share your adventures, ideas, and small-boat stories.

📬 Stay in the loop: Subscribe to our mailing list and be first to hear about new episodes, blog posts, and events.

❤️ Support the journey: If you’d like to help keep NanoCruising afloat, join us on Patreon. Every bit helps cover hosting, gear, and — let’s be honest — a little epoxy and marine plywood.

www.nanocruising.com
Seas Your Own Adventure ⛵

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