Part travelogue, part meditation on modern wilderness, and part love letter to the wild waters of Alaska.

This week on The Wild Idea, we climb aboard the BOB, a 50-foot Catalina sailboat, with Blain and Monique Anderson—a husband-and-wife team navigating the remote waters of Southeast Alaska. As the founders of Sound Sailing, they’ve turned their love of sailing and wild places into a platform for sharing the raw beauty and singular experience found only in Alaska’s coastal wilderness.

From daily encounters with whales and remote island hikes to the rhythms of life in Southeast Alaska’s coastal wilderness, Blain and Monique offer a deeply personal perspective on what it means to guide others through such a special place, and to share their life shaped by tides, weather, and wildness. They share the backstory behind Sound Sailing, reflect on their connection to Glacier Bay National Park, and open up about the challenges and joys of life afloat.

This conversation, recorded on the BOB during a 10-day journey through Alaska’s Inside Passage, is part travelogue, part meditation on modern wilderness, and part love letter to the wild waters of Alaska.

Today, we explore:

• The sailing trip that changed everything, and how it led to the founding of Sound Sailing
• What it’s like to build a life and a livelihood, around tides, weather, and wildness
• The art of guiding: how they help guests experience Southeast Alaska with intention and awe
• Stories from the field: encounters with whales, weather, ice, and moments of quiet magic
• Glacier Bay’s layered story: access, ancestral lands, and the power of a changing place
• The daily joys and occasional challenges of life aboard the BOB
• Why fostering personal relationships with place is more urgent, and more meaningful, than ever

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, or at thewildidea.com.

Resources and mentions from today’s episode:

• Sound Sailing’s website 
• Bluesky: ‪@soundsailing-svbob.bsky.social‬
• Glacier Bay National Park: https://www.nps.gov/glba
• Tongass National Forest: https://www.fs.usda.gov/tongas
• Hoonah, Alaska: Village by the Cliff
• Gustavus, Alaska: Gateway to Glacier Bay
• Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes
• Alaska’s Inside Passage 
• Alaska Wilderness League

Recommended reading: 

• The Quiet World: Saving Alaska’s Wilderness by Douglas Brinkley

Capt. Blain Anderson loves to show off Alaska. His sailing credentials include over 20 years of boating and sailing experience in Alaskan saltwater and he holds a 50-ton US Coast Guard Masters License. Over the years, he has acquired a lengthy resume of leading trips to some of the wildest and most remote country in Alaska. Trained as a biologist, Blain loves Alaska’s amazing wild-ness, and he enjoys interpreting its natural history on hikes and flipping rocks on beach walks. He also loves to catch fish, crab, and shrimp and enjoys sharing salmon and halibut recipes fresh from the grill. He’s fun, but man, his jokes are corny.

Monique Anderson has hiked, skied, and boated around the wilds of Alaska for decades now.  In 2009, she took a two-year break from Landscape Architecture to sail the Inside Passage with Blain in their 33′ pilothouse sloop Oystercatcher.  Monique loves hiking and kayaking, and sharing her passion for photography and a deep knowledge of Alaskan ecosystems, with guests. Be forewarned, she sometimes enjoys ‘bushwhacking’ along the paths less traveled.  You’ll enjoy her enthusiasm and charm as she prepares fantastic meals, particularly mouth-watering desserts and other goodies.  Together, she and Blain provide a unique and unforgettable Alaskan experience aboard Sailboat BOB.

The Wild Idea is independently produced by Wild Idea Media. If you believe conversations like this matter, you can help us keep them going by subscribing, leaving a review, sharing the episode, or signing up for our newsletter at thewildidea.com. Together, we can protect what connects us.