Sam Southernaire Burns

First off…Who are you? Where are you from? What would you consider your Home Port and sailing locale?

My name is Sam “Southernaire” Burns and my home port is Alameda. I currently live in San Jose with my wife & 2 children but I’m originally from Atlanta, GA. I am an electrical engineer  and lived in So. America 1970-1975 & 1990 – 2000.

Please describe your sailboat. What type of boat is it? Year? Make? Model? How long have you had it? Any major modifications made to your boat for solo sailing or offshore sailing?

I have a 2008 Catalina C309 that I bought second hand this past January from the Latitude 38 Classy Classifieds. Last owned a sailboat in 1994.

How long have you been sailing? When did you decide that the solo experience was for you?

I started sailing in 1988 on a 1970′s vintage Irwin 30 with the infamous Atomic-4  auxiliary in SF Bay.  I cruised to So. America through the ‘ditch’ in 1990-91 both with & without crew… I learned to singlehand a 30ft sailboat…and found that crew can sometimes seriously limit alternatives.  For example, on a trip from SF-to-Acapulco my  1^st mate could not get any shut-eye whilst underway, so we ended up anchoring or negotiating harbor entrances all the way down from the SF Bay. (But I did master all the ups and downs of anchoring, including diving to retrieve lost hooks).

A piece or pieces of gear you would not do without? Self-Tailing winches? AIS? Egg Timer? Gimbaled cup holder? What do you value and consider vital for safe, comfortable Singlehanded Sailing?

A comfortable, breathing cushion to keep my posterior motivated, some select reading material to ward off mental atrophy, an adequate selection of sails to cope with any wind condition, a pressure cooker with a variety of menu options, and various shade options to keep UV rays at bay.

Most memorable trip/passage/ adventure you have had so far sailing solo?

Acapulco to Playas del Coco, Costa Rica across the Gulf of Tehuantepec, single handing during the best month of the year, May, when the famed Tehuantepec-ers were dormant.

Worries and or concerns when you are out solo? Pirates? Tankers? Whales? Flying fish? What is on your mind?

While underway and running at speed, I always maintain a lookout on the 50-100 yards directly ahead expecting to have to execute an avoidance maneuver at any time; while running engine, always with an eye on engine temperature, expecting the cooling water intake to be restricted at any time by a marine critter or semi-submerged trash.

What is your favorite thing or things about being out in the middle of the ocean by yourself?

Favorite part of being on the open ocean is feeling a part of the surroundings, sharing the sea with marine life,  the open sky with small and large birds, some looking for a resting place before continuing on.

Solo sailors who have inspired you to do what you do?

Tristan Jones, especially his trek through the Peruvian jungle hoisting his tiny sailboat over an abandoned railbed inland to the Amazon river system, and floating across Brazil waterway to the Pacific.

Future sailing plans or aspirations?

Future aspiration:  navigate the 400km Casquiare canal in Venezuela, a natural canal which connects the Orinoco and Amazon river systems. This area can only be reached by boat or floatplane.

Why do you think people are drawn to solo sailing?

Haven’t figured this one out yet !

And now for the rapid fire, stream of consciousness, quick response section of the questionnaire…

Hank on or Roller Furling? Main is Selden in-mast furled without battens…convenient, but not the best for a race. SF Bay jib is 110% roller furling. Racing jib 2B 155% hoisted on slot foil with optional pole, and assymetrical pole-less spinnaker.

Wheel or Tiller? C309s have an Edson wheel, and back-up tiller for emergency.
Fin or Full keel? Either, or… C309 is a wing keel, 400 lbs heavier than the fin keel model. Wings point less well than fins, which won’t hurt in this downwind transit, but the extra weight will hurt
Dacron or Kevlar? Affordable Dacron
LED Tricolor or Deck mounted Kerosene Running Lights? I’ll keep the incandescent  lights already mounted. Adam: I’ll bet you have a kerosene running light ! (How did you guess? )
Mast Steps or Ratlines? No mast steps, no nothing. I am afraid of heights! I will call you up if mast monkey work is needed. (Now would that be considered outside assistance? )

Depth sounder or lead line? Depth sounder. Knotstick. Wind direction ST60+
Bucket or a well plumbed head? Head + Bucket
Water or Whiskey? Coffee ‘til 9AM, then water, lots of it!
Whiskey or Rum? Neither Coffee ‘til 9AM, then water, lots of it!
Rum or Kool Aid? Neither. Coffee ‘til 9AM, then water, lots of it!
SSB or Sat Phone? SSB with Dynaplate ground & 21FT whip antenna
Large meals or Steady Snacking? 3 hots a day

Coffee or Tea? cafe colombiano,  manual bean grinding mill, CoffeeMate,  Splenda
Dodger or No Dodger? dodgers cost more than SSBs–none here
Autopilot or Windvane? Raymarine ST6002 autopilot on wheel, back-up tiller autopilot on emergency rudder
Traditional Boom Vang or Rigid BoomVang? rigid boom vang [Selden rod kicker ]
Fresh water or saltwater showers? bird baths
Solar Panels or Wind generators? Wind Gen
Three Strand or Spectra? no Spectra….I am old school