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A thousand miles from Hawaii, the chainplate ripped out and the mast went over the side. That sleepless night in the Transpac didn’t just test seamanship—it planted the seed for a weather platform that now helps a million sailors make safer choices at sea. Olympian and two‑time America’s Cup winner John Bilger joins us to share how a jury rig, a weatherfax, and a hard-earned finish turned into PredictWind’s mission to bring pro-grade forecasting to everyone.
We dig into what John learned running Alinghi’s Cup‑winning weather program: why multiple models beat gut feel, how high‑resolution data reveals local effects, and where new AI models are already outperforming traditional physics in short‑to‑medium range winds and rain. John explains AI polars that learn from your boat’s actual performance, motion simulation that flags roll, vertical acceleration, and slamming risk, and how those insights flow into routing that feels like Google Maps for passages. We also get practical about safety tech that matters offshore: over‑the‑horizon AIS with 300‑nm visibility, an anchor alert system that watches wind, depth, and shift while you’re ashore, and a forthcoming man‑overboard feature that turns a lost watch connection into an instant waypoint and alarm.
This conversation is part story, part field guide. You’ll hear about camper‑van regattas across Europe, a credit card read over SSB to hire a tug, and the high‑stakes America’s Cup call that flipped a race. More importantly, you’ll get a blueprint for using ensembles, CAPE for thunderstorm potential, and model agreement to reduce surprises—even in tricky zones like the Gulf of Mexico’s Big Bend. John’s closing advice is simple and actionable: start learning your tools months before departure and aim to avoid the first five days of bad weather entirely. If this helped you plan smarter passages, follow the show, share it with your crew, and leave a review so other sailors can find it too.

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SALTY ABANDON: Cap'n Tinsley, Orange Beach, AL:
Oct 2020 to Present - 1998 Island Packet 320;
Nov 2015-Oct 2020; 1988 Island Packet 27
Feb-Oct 2015 - 1982 Catalina 25
SALTY PODCAST is LIVE every Wed at 6pm Central and is all about the love of sailing!
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GEAR FEATURED IN MY UPCOMING VIDEOS:
🛟 Boat Fenders → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08S1PXKKR
⚓ Dock Lines → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BS4BNYR9
🧽 Exterior Cleaning Kit → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BL533KR7