Some sailors stumble into a community, and others create one. Eric Miller did the latter when he launched Raid Erie 2025 , a brand-new small boat event on the waters of Lake Erie in northern Ohio. Eric describes his local region as a “desert of small sailboats.” There weren’t many dinghy sailors around, but instead of giving up, he decided to build an oasis—a gathering that could draw out the hidden sailors and attract newcomers to the joys of small boat cruising. In this episode of the podcast, Eric shares: How he fell in love with sailing and why it has stuck with him. What sparked the idea to organize Raid Erie in a place not known for dinghy sailing. Behind-the-scenes of organizing the event —from planning to outreach to making it welcoming for all. The results of Raid Erie 2025 : who showed up, how it unfolded, and the sense of community it created. Attracting new generations of sailors , and why this matters for the future of small boat cruising. His future...
If you enjoyed Part 1 of our conversation with legendary boat designer John Welsford , you’re going to love what’s in store for Part 2. In this episode, John takes us further into his world of small boat innovation and adventure. We kick things off with a look at the new 7-meter ocean-going boat he’s currently designing—something he hasn’t talked much about publicly until now. It’s a boat meant to cross oceans with confidence, while still staying true to Welsford’s core design philosophy: safety, practicality, simplicity, and real-world performance. From there, we dig into the story behind his new design “Scallywag,” which was born out of a desire for a microcruiser like the SCAMP—but with accommodations for longer journeys and sleep-aboard comfort. It’s a design many have been waiting for, and it reflects the continued evolution of small cruising sailboats. John also shares some fantastic anecdotes about his designs out in the wild. We hear about a SCAMP in Tierra del Fuego , and...