Sailing to virtually anywhere on Earth — as long as it makes sense and the risks are acceptable

Catamaran Dan's Nevado Raiders™ & Blue Rim 5™

Led by Catamaran Dan — U.S. Coast Guard–licensed captain, sailing instructor, former U.S. Navy submariner, adventure sailor and expedition leader.

Small boats. Guardian vessels. Real seamanship. Cultural respect. A rapidly warming world demands real leadership on the water.

Blue Rim 5™ is a multi-phase, multi-year global sailing expedition operating with small expedition sailboats and larger guardian vessels, conducting disciplined coastal and island-hopping exploration along international coastlines and river mouths worldwide.

Rim Run™ • Panama ↔ Belize • Hobie Getaway • Shamrocket

RIM RUN™ — A Year Measured in Reefs

The Rim Run™ is a disciplined, salt-etched coastal loop between Panama and Belize — a living circuit of reefs, islands, anchorages, and remote shorelines that most sailors only talk about. Launching from Bocas del Toro, the bow turns north into the open Caribbean. The water shifts from emerald shallows to deep cobalt blue as the coast of Costa Rica slips by.

Roatán rises out of the horizon like a fortress of jungle and reef. Anchorages tuck in behind coral walls. Water so clear the anchor chain disappears into the sand. Days are measured not by clocks — but by snorkeling passes, reef exploration, and weather windows.

Then Belize. The second-largest barrier reef in the world unfolds in deliberate segments — Lighthouse Reef, Half Moon Caye, the Great Blue Hole. Remote anchorages where the Milky Way spills across the sky and phosphorescence trails behind the hull at night.

No marina life unless required. Mostly. Sometimes beach the bow and step ashore barefoot. The rhythm becomes elemental: sail, anchor, swim, explore, log position, study charts, repeat. Heading south, the wind angle shifts and the boat feels different. The return leg becomes a study in patience and discipline.

This is not a straight-line expedition. It’s a living loop. A repeating circuit of reef systems, cultural encounters, weather strategy, and seamanship refined each season. Each year timing improves. Each year anchorages get better. Each year awareness sharpens.

This is not a vacation. It is a reef-measured life between Panama and Belize. There will be sun on your skin and salt in your hair. Squalls and golden evenings. Anchor resets. Provision runs. Intensity and stillness. And it will be extraordinary.

Open invitation Seasonal participation Real sailing Immersion lifestyle

Rim Run™ • Invitation

Rim Run™ — Come Join Me

You’re a woman who doesn’t need saving — you need ignition. You’ve built your life, earned your independence, and you know the difference between attention and connection. What you want is depth. Salt air. Strong hands on a tiller. Sun-warmed skin at anchor. The Rim Run™ isn’t a vacation — it’s a living rhythm of wind, water, discipline, and desire for something real.

You’re drawn to competence. You appreciate a man who can read weather, set anchor properly, cook a meal from a small galley, and pour a proper glass of wine as the sun falls into warm Caribbean water. There will be fresh food when we can find it, simple meals when we can’t, libations earned after long swims, and the occasional Rim Runner™ raised toward the horizon — “Better Beachy than Bitchy™” — before the first sip. This isn’t luxury. It’s intimacy. Shared effort. Shared reward.

You don’t mind getting salty. You’ll help trim sail, rinse off on deck, and then sit close under stars so thick they feel almost heavy. Some days are calm turquoise drifts over reef gardens. Some demand grit and teamwork. The right woman doesn’t flinch — she steadies. Come for a week and feel whether the current pulls you in. Stay for a season if the rhythm gets under your skin. Remain longer only if something deeper locks into place — chemistry, respect, and the quiet electricity that doesn’t need an audience.

If you’re self-aware, resilient, and capable of both intensity and stillness… if you can appreciate discipline without mistaking it for distance… if you believe romance is stronger when it’s built on shared challenge and earned trust — then there may be a place for you aboard Shamrocket. Not everyone belongs out here. But the right one will know.

Real sailing Daily water time Seasonal participation The right fit matters

Reach out: NevadoRaiders@gmail.com

“Better Beachy than Bitchy™” — anchor down.

Top 9 Snorkeling & Reef Immersion Stops — The Rim Run™

During the Rim Run™, these ten reef systems represent the most immersive, vibrant, and unforgettable underwater environments along the Panama–Belize loop. Each one earns multiple days of exploration — long snorkel passes, coral gardens, reef edges, and water so clear it feels like flight.

Panama

Escudo de Veraguas

Escudo de Veraguas feels like snorkeling inside a living aquarium that the world forgot. The water is impossibly clear — that glassy Caribbean turquoise where coral heads glow beneath you and every movement sends shafts of sunlight dancing across the sand. Drop over the side and within minutes you’re drifting above layered reef systems alive with color, movement, and texture.

The coral structure here isn’t flat — it rises and folds, creating swim-throughs, pockets, and dramatic edges where reef meets deep blue. Parrotfish crunch loudly in the background. Angelfish flash neon against coral fans. Schools move as one, then dissolve into the reef like smoke. The visibility can stretch so far you feel suspended in open air rather than water.

What makes Escudo extraordinary isn’t just the marine life — it’s the isolation. No crowded mooring fields. No parade of tour boats. Just anchor down, fins on, and long, unhurried passes across reef systems that reward patience. You don’t rush here. You explore. And when you climb back aboard, salt on your skin and lungs full of clean air, you know you’ve touched something rare.

Costa Rica

Cahuita Reef

When clarity opens, Cahuita Reef glows. Natural swim corridors guide you forward, warm Caribbean water holds steady against your skin, and the reef feels calm and alive beneath your fins. This is not a chaotic outer wall — it is a measured, accessible reef system that rewards patience.

The coral formations rise in layered shelves and gentle ridgelines, creating protected channels that make long, steady snorkel passes effortless. Sunlight filters through in ribbons, illuminating brain coral, staghorn clusters, and patches of white sand that reflect light upward like stage lamps beneath the surface.

Reef fish gather here in comfortable density — parrotfish grazing, sergeant majors hovering in tight formation, angelfish flashing electric blue and yellow against darker coral. The water often feels still, even when subtle current moves past the reef face, giving the entire system a tranquil, suspended quality.

Because the reef runs parallel to shore, it invites repetition. Swim one corridor. Rest. Enter another. Each pass reveals a slightly different texture, a new pocket of activity, a subtle shift in depth. The experience is immersive without being overwhelming.

Cahuita isn’t dramatic in the way deep drop-offs are dramatic. It’s steady. Balanced. Rhythmic. A reef that lets you settle into your breathing and stay there — where time softens, distance disappears, and snorkeling becomes something closer to meditation than recreation.

Nicaragua

Little Corn Island

Endurance-friendly immersion water. Little Corn Island invites you into a smooth, steady breathing rhythm almost immediately. The reef stays present and textured beneath you, and time begins to dissolve as fish flicker through coral architecture in soft Caribbean light.

The reef system here spreads outward in gentle shelves and sandy flats, making it ideal for long, continuous snorkel passes. Visibility often stretches far enough that you feel suspended in open space rather than water. Rays cruise low over the sand. Schools shift direction in synchronized turns. The entire environment feels balanced and unhurried.

Coral formations rise in scattered clusters rather than towering walls, creating open swim lanes between them. You don’t rush this reef — you settle into it. One formation gives way to another. Subtle depth changes reveal new textures. The reef unfolds gradually instead of overwhelming you.

What makes Little Corn distinctive is its combination of clarity and calm. Even when light current moves through, it feels supportive rather than demanding. The water temperature stays consistent, allowing extended time in without tension. This is a place built for immersion, not quick passes.

By the time you climb back aboard, you feel reset. Muscles loose. Breathing slow. Mind clear. Little Corn doesn’t shock the senses — it steadies them. A reef that rewards endurance, presence, and the quiet discipline of staying in the water longer than you planned.

Honduras

Roatán

Big reef structure and deep relief define Roatán. You hover near walls where the blue darkens quickly, drift along living edges, and feel the full scale of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef unfolding beneath you. The sense of vertical drop and expansive coral architecture immediately sets this reef apart.

Massive coral formations rise like underwater cliffs, carved with ledges and pockets where fish gather in layered depth. Light fades gradually as you peer over the edge, and the reef transitions from textured shallows into open cobalt. The contrast between reef face and deep water creates a constant sense of movement and dimension.

Parrotfish grind along coral ridges. Creole wrasse sweep through in coordinated waves. Larger silhouettes appear and vanish in the deeper blue beyond the wall. Even in calm conditions, there is an energy here — a subtle pull toward the reef edge where structure meets open water.

Swim the crest and you find vibrant coral gardens bursting with color. Ease toward the slope and the reef reveals dramatic contours, swim-through cutouts, and sudden drop-offs that remind you how alive and complex this system truly is. It’s a reef built for exploration, not repetition.

Roatán doesn’t feel delicate — it feels powerful. Expansive. Layered. A place where snorkeling becomes three-dimensional and immersive, where scale matters and the reef stretches in every direction. You don’t just float here. You experience depth, structure, and the raw architecture of one of the largest reef systems in the hemisphere.

Honduras

Guanaja — Bay Islands

Quiet, clean immersion defines Guanaja. Morning light cuts deep into impossibly clear water, coral throws crisp shadows across pale sand, and your only soundtrack is your breathing and the soft hiss of fins moving through glassy blue.

The reef systems here feel untouched and spacious. Coral heads rise in balanced formations, separated by open swim lanes that allow long, unbroken passes. Visibility often stretches far enough that the reef appears suspended beneath you, textured and precise.

Schools move calmly rather than frantically. Angelfish drift between coral towers. Larger silhouettes cruise the outer edge where the reef meets deeper water. Even subtle current feels organized — supporting forward movement rather than resisting it.

What makes Guanaja special is its restraint. It doesn’t overwhelm with dramatic drop-offs or chaotic structure. Instead, it offers clarity, symmetry, and calm. A reef that encourages presence rather than adrenaline.

By the time you climb back aboard, your breathing has slowed and your thoughts have quieted. Guanaja is immersion without noise — steady, refined, and beautifully composed. A place where snorkeling feels less like activity and more like alignment.

Belize

South Water Caye

Classic barrier reef immersion. South Water Caye sits along one of the most celebrated sections of the Belize Barrier Reef, where spur-and-groove formations carve the seafloor into natural swim lanes. When the water settles into its calm windows, visibility stretches wide and steady, and you drift above living structure that feels both powerful and perfectly ordered.

The reef rises in alternating ridges and sandy channels, guiding you forward without effort. Coral heads stack in layered relief, sea fans pulse gently in passing current, and schools of blue tang and creole wrasse move like synchronized ribbons across the reef face. Light pours down clean and vertical, sharpening every edge.

Green sea turtles graze in turtle grass beds just off the reef crest. Barracuda hover motionless in the blue beyond the drop. Nurse sharks rest beneath ledges cut deep into coral architecture. The ecosystem here feels complete — predator, grazer, coral, and current all moving in quiet balance.

Because of the spur-and-groove terrain, long drifts become effortless. You settle into rhythm. Breathe. Glide. Watch the reef unfold beneath you in repeating patterns of color and texture. It’s expansive without being overwhelming — structured without feeling rigid.

South Water Caye delivers scale without chaos. Anchor close. Fins on. Slide in. And for as long as you choose to remain suspended there, the reef carries you forward in calm, steady immersion along one of the great barrier systems of the Caribbean.

Belize

Glover’s Reef

Atoll-lagoon snorkeling that rewards time in the water. Glover’s Reef opens wide beneath you — coral heads rising like scattered islands, pale sand flats glowing in turquoise light, and visibility that stretches far enough to make every movement feel suspended in open air.

The lagoon terrain shifts constantly. Patch reef gives way to sand channels, then rises again into coral ridges textured with sea fans and sponges. Rays glide silently across the bottom. Small reef fish scatter and regroup. The water carries that calm, glass-clear quality that invites long, steady passes.

Because it’s an atoll system, the scale feels expansive. You’re not confined to a narrow reef edge — you move across open blue pockets, then back into dense coral structure. Each swim becomes a route. Each route becomes a quiet exploration of structure, light, and depth.

Marine life density builds gradually. Snapper schools hover in the distance. Nurse sharks rest in sand depressions. Occasional larger shapes cruise the perimeter. The rhythm here favors endurance — slow, deliberate swims that let the environment reveal itself layer by layer.

What makes Glover’s special isn’t just biodiversity — it’s immersion. You drop in and stay in. Long-distance swim days stack up fast because the terrain keeps unfolding ahead of you. It’s expansive, steady, and deeply rewarding — the kind of place where time in the water feels earned.

Belize

Turneffe Atoll

Massive footprint and constant variety define Turneffe Atoll. One session is glassy and calm inside the lagoon, the next feels deeper and more dramatic along the outer edge — an atoll that stays fresh day after day because the terrain keeps changing under your fins.

Inside, the water can turn mirror-smooth, with coral heads rising like small cities beneath you. Sand channels open into swim lanes that make long, steady passes effortless. Light pours down clean, and the reef reads clearly — structure, shadow, and movement all in high definition.

Move toward the edges and the mood shifts. The blue deepens fast. Coral faces grow steeper. Schools appear in layers, then dissolve into open water. The atoll’s scale becomes obvious — you’re not snorkeling one reef, you’re crossing a whole system.

Variety is the reward here. One hour is calm cruising over coral gardens; the next is drifting a line where the reef drops away and the ocean feels present just beyond the structure. Even when you return to the same area, conditions and angle of light make it feel new.

Turneffe is a place where repetition doesn’t get stale — it gets refined. You learn the terrain, read the water, pick better lines, and stack up immersion days that feel like a progression. Calm lagoon clarity, deeper edges, constant motion — a full atoll experience in one stop.

Belize

Lighthouse Reef Atoll

Summit immersion defines Lighthouse Reef Atoll. The blue turns electric, visibility stretches wide, and the reef edge drops away into depth just beyond your fins. You hover on that boundary and feel weightless — pure Caribbean clarity meeting open ocean.

Along the rim, coral formations stack and rise in sculpted layers. Sea fans flex in steady current, sponges glow gold against cobalt water, and the terrain shifts from textured reef top to dramatic outer wall in a few fin strokes. It’s clean, sharp, high-definition immersion.

When conditions settle, the water becomes almost glassy. You drift slow lines over coral heads that stand alone like monuments, then glance outward and see nothing but deep blue falling away. The contrast is what makes this place — structure and void side by side.

Fish life gathers along the edges. Creole wrasse stream in ribbons. Larger shapes cruise the drop. Light penetrates deep enough that even the wall face reveals detail — ledges, pockets, vertical relief that reminds you this atoll rises from serious depth.

Lighthouse isn’t casual snorkeling — it’s exposure to scale. Electric color, sharp relief, open water presence, and clarity that feels almost exaggerated. You don’t just swim here — you suspend yourself between reef and abyss and let the blue do the rest.

The fleet’s mark • flown with discipline

Nevado Raiders™ Burgee

The Nevado Raiders™ Burgee is the fleet’s unmistakable signal on the water — a modern expedition flag with an old truth behind it: symbols matter. When it’s flying, it means this crew stands for seamanship, conservative risk management, and respect for the coastlines and communities we enter.

The dragon is not decoration. It’s a guardian — a draugr-like protector carried forward as a reminder that we don’t “collect destinations.” We earn them. We look after one another. We move with purpose. And we leave people and places better than we found them.

Seamanship Guardian mindset Cultural respect Expedition identity

This burgee will fly from small expedition sailboats and larger guardian vessels as the fleet grows — a simple mark that says: we’re here to explore, connect, and operate at a high standard.

Fleet recruiting • disciplined expedition formation

Recruit the Blue Rim Fleet

We are assembling the Nevado Raiders™ fleet for the Blue Rim 5™ Global Sailing Expedition—a disciplined, real-world coastal and island-hopping sailing adventure with daily stops and cultural connection wherever we land.

Bring what you’ve got.
Our ideal small expedition boats include the Hobie Getaway, Catalina 22 Sport, and similar shoal-draft / centerboard / swing-keel boats with small cabins and portable heads. Larger guardian vessels (sail or power) are welcomed and valued—this is an and/and fleet.

If your boat can operate safely with a practical draft (around 4’ or so preferred), and you bring a serious expedition mindset, you belong with us.

Small expedition boats Guardian vessels Preparation over bravado Cultural respect

Launching from Alabama: October 2026.

Join the fleet: NevadoRaiders@gmail.com

The sea calls. Join the fleet.

Blue Rim 5™ Global Sailing Expedition

Blue Rim 5™

Blue Rim 5™ is a long-range, multi-year global sailing expedition tracing the blue edge of the planet—coastlines, islands, harbors, and river mouths reachable under sail. It moves one leg at a time with a mixed fleet of small expedition sailboats and larger guardian vessels, following a simple rule: we go where it makes sense, when it makes sense—and stop or reroute when it doesn’t.

This expedition is not a race. No leg is intended to be hurried. Progress is measured in seamanship, understanding, and human connection—not miles per day.

Blue Rim 5™ is not a cruise, not a yacht club, and not a packaged tour. Crews join for the legs that fit their lives and operate as independent vessels with shared purpose. Each captain/vessel/crew covers their own expenses (food, fuel, maintenance, fees, local activities, and personal costs). Only expenses explicitly incurred by the fleet as a whole—and agreed to in advance— are shared and divided evenly among participating vessels.

Kids and families are central to the mission—putting young people on real shorelines so they can see, first-hand, how a dangerously warming world is already reshaping life along the waterline.

Small boats + guardian vessels Multi-year, leg-by-leg Kids & coastlines first

Read the full expedition planning framework → Small Boat Global Coastal Expedition Planning Guide

The model is built for the century we actually live in: start small, learn fast, build the fleet, and keep going as long as the risks are acceptable. We will not trace the planet’s rim and lie to children about what’s happening to it.

Leadership & Seamanship

Blue Rim 5™ is led by Catamaran Dan, an experienced mariner whose background combines formal qualification, instruction, military discipline, and decades of real-world adventure sailing.

USCG Captain (200-ton) Sailing Instructor (mono + multi) U.S. Navy Submariner Blue Nose + Shellback Graduate-level education

This combination shapes the culture of Blue Rim 5™: calm decision-making, conservative risk management, and preparation over bravado— knowing when to go, when to wait, and when to say no.

Expedition overview • first chapters

Blue Rim 5™ — First Chapters

The opening chapters of Blue Rim 5™ are designed to unfold over multiple years, moving deliberately along coastlines rather than racing between destinations. The focus is on learning regions deeply, building seamanship through repetition, spending real time in the water, and forming lasting connections with local communities.

Rather than fixed dates, the expedition is organized around flexible time blocks, allowing weather, safety, and opportunity to guide progress.

Blue Rim 5™ — Life Ashore & Passage Philosophy

When the Blue Rim 5™ fleet makes landfall, we don’t rush and we don’t consume. We slow down. We swim, snorkel, and spend time in the water that brought us there—learning reefs, currents, and shorelines the way sailors always have.

We go ashore deliberately, meeting the people who live along these coasts not as spectators, but as guests. We share meals when invited, trade stories, and—when the moment is right—music. We hike inland, visit local “must-see” places that carry real meaning, and take the time to understand how a place works beyond its anchorages.

One crew member always remains with the vessels, maintaining watch and respect for both boat and community.

The Blue Rim 5™ fleet favors daylight navigation and conservative passage planning. We do not sail at night unless conditions, safety, or geography require it to reach the next destination. Clear landfalls, rested crews, and good judgment matter more than speed or schedules.

Daylight. Deliberation. Discipline.

These stops—and the way we move between them—aren’t boxes to check. They’re how the expedition stays human. Every coast has its own rhythm, and the Blue Rim 5™ fleet listens long enough to hear it before moving on.

Early expedition timeframe (approximate)

Gulf Coast & Florida — ~3 months
Skill-building, routines, shallow-water cruising, and preparation
Bahamas — ~2 months
Core water chapter with extended anchoring, snorkeling, and repetition
Eastern Caribbean — ~3 months
Island-to-island sailing, reef systems, and cultural exchange
Northern South America (Guianas) — ~1 month
Rivers, coastlines, and cultural immersion
Northern Brazil — ~6 months
A slow-living chapter focused on language, culture, and daily water life
Brazil to Panama — ~3–4 months
Deliberate coastal transit emphasizing patience and human connection
Panama — open-ended
Staging, rest, and fleet assembly before worldwide expansion

Participation is modular. Sailors and vessels may join for specific regions or chapters. Boats come together, separate, and rejoin organically—guided by shared values, not schedules.

This overview reflects intent, not obligation. Routes adapt. Timing remains flexible. No leg is hurried.

Expedition fitness, snorkeling and coastal living

Real-world conditioning • water-based resilience

Expedition Fitness & Coastal Conditioning

Blue Rim 5™ is not a cruise. It is a moving environment that demands strength, clarity, and resilience.

Sailing a small expedition vessel builds real-world endurance. Anchor handling strengthens core and balance. Beach landings demand agility. Provisioning runs become functional load carries. Open-water swimming becomes routine.

This is not artificial exercise. It is lived movement.

Functional strength Daily endurance Open-water swimming Metabolic reset

The sea rewards presence. Presence builds resilience. Clean coastal living. Viking-level durability. Modern metabolic strength.

Mental clarity • discipline • recalibration

The Sea Changes You

Months at sea reshape the mind. Digital noise fades. Natural rhythm returns. Decision-making sharpens. Presence deepens.

This expedition is not escape — it is recalibration. The ocean does not inflate ego. It reveals competence.

Mental clarity Emotional steadiness Resilience Stronger internal compass

Blue Rim 5™ is a global sailing adventure — and a disciplined return to who you are without distraction.

Community • marine vendors • coastal partners

Friends of the Nevado Raiders™

Nevado Raiders™ is built on community — and community moves with intention.

From coastal restaurants and coffee houses to marine suppliers, navigation specialists, foul-weather gear providers, and expedition outfitters — we recognize and promote the businesses that equip real-world sailing.

These partners fuel the crew. Supply the fleet. Strengthen the mission.

Marine gear Navigation systems Foul-weather gear Local food & coffee

When you support the expedition, we support you.

Become a Friend of the Nevado Raiders™: NevadoRaiders@gmail.com

Primary training & expedition platform

Shamrocket

Shamrocket is a Hobie Getaway built for real work—not show. This is where skills are earned the hard way: boat handling under pressure, anchoring in changing conditions, beach landings, surf etiquette, weather judgment, and the discipline that comes from doing things right when no one is watching.

Trailerable, beachable, and shallow-draft, Shamrocket can slip into places larger boats never will. It lives close to the water, close to the shoreline, and close to consequence—exactly where seamanship is learned, mistakes are visible, and competence becomes instinct.

This is the proving ground before longer legs and bigger water. Systems get tested. Routines get refined. Gear earns its place or gets replaced. Shamrocket is where preparation replaces bravado and confidence comes from repetition, not talk.

Trailerable + expedition-ready Shallow-water access Beach landings Systems & logistics training

Shamrocket isn’t about comfort. It’s about capability—and carrying those lessons forward into every mile that follows.

Raven emblem • watchfulness & expedition spirit

Dragr

A Viking-inspired symbol of strength, watchfulness, and expedition discipline — the raven standing guard over the Nevado Raiders™ journey. DRAGR is the supply sled that carries the majority of the gear. A trunk of sorts.

Magnum Jet Sled dimensions: 71" L x 42" W x 16" H. Built like a tank, this rugged HDPE sled (with a fitted dark-gray canvas cover) is going to serve as almost watertight gear storage—protecting expedition equipment from spray, rain, mud, and road grit while keeping the load organized, stable, and ready to deploy. On-water, DRAGR will be towed behind the catamaran on a towing bridle, keeping critical gear secured, accessible, and off the tramp when conditions demand it.

Watchfulness Strength Expedition spirit Guardian mindset

Dragr is a reminder: move with purpose, protect the crew, and earn every mile.

Partner role • shared command

Actively Recruiting a Female First Mate — A Modern Shield-Maiden

This isn’t a casual berth. I’m an experienced sailing adventurer building a long arc—measured in years, not weekends—and I’m looking for one woman made of the right stuff to share the next chapter: real sailing, real weather, real decisions, and real joy.

The first mate I’m seeking is an equal partner in leadership, seamanship, and expedition life—calm under pressure, curious by nature, grounded, capable, and comfortable living close to the elements. Someone who can stand watch at sunrise, laugh when plans change, and help turn long days and longer passages into stories worth keeping.

The image shown was generated by QN after it asked me 150+ questions about the kind of first mate who truly fits this life. I didn’t specify hair color. I did specify character, resilience, humor, intelligence, and heart.

So here’s the real question: when you look at that image, how close do you compare—and what is it about you that would make you an exceptional first mate?

Shared leadership Seamanship & judgment Calm under pressure Logistics + monetization savvy

This is about partnership, not passengers. We plan together, decide together, and take care of each other and the boat. The goal isn’t escape—it’s a meaningful life afloat, built deliberately, with room for ambition, laughter, cultural exchange, and a little mischief when the anchor’s down.

About Catamaran Dan • Ove Ironhand

Tall, fair-haired, blue-eyed — built by water and miles, not mirrors. Rugby legs, swimmer’s chest, sailor’s hands. Quietly confident. Unendingly curious. A man of integrity who keeps his word and stays calm when the horizon gets complicated.

I’ve built a life that works — on land and at sea — and I’m looking to share the next chapter with an exceptional woman who values competence, humor, curiosity, and real partnership.

I’m not interested in passengers. I’m interested in a true First Mate — someone who can stand watch at sunrise, think clearly when plans change, and help turn long passages and unfamiliar coastlines into something meaningful.

If this speaks to you and you recognize yourself here, reach out: NevadoRaiders@gmail.com

The Viking Way — old values, modern raids

Viking Spirit

The Vikings weren’t just raiders. They were farmers, traders, artisans, and families who lived boldly—crossing cold seas in shallow-draft boats, navigating without charts, and building community wherever their keels touched shore. In Norse times, “Viking” was used as a verb—not a noun. To go viking meant to set out—explore, trade, test skill, take risk, and return changed. Nevado Raiders™ carries that same spirit forward: each raid is about the crews, the skills we test together, and the stories we bring home.

Exploration Self-reliance Celebration Camaraderie Adaptability

Ove Ironhand: Modern Y-DNA work traces Catamaran Dan’s paternal line through Norse seafarers of the 10th century—through Thorvald Asvaldsson, Erik the Red, and Leif Erikson—into the I1 haplogroup common among Scandinavia’s working seafarers. Signing as Ove Ironhand honors that legacy. Our “sagas” will be logbooks, film, and the wakes we leave behind.

Natural-sign navigation Trim like a longship Lee-shore drills Read gusts & shifts Rig-ready discipline

Apply to join the Raiders: NevadoRaiders@gmail.com

Core mission

Cultural Exchange

Every coastline belongs first to the people who live there. We arrive as guests—not as conquerors, consumers, or spectators. Nevado Raiders™ move slowly enough to listen, learn, and earn trust. We respect local rules, local waters, and local knowledge that has kept families alive on these shores for generations.

When it makes sense, we spend money locally, hire local guides, and support the people who call these places home. Cultural exchange isn’t a slogan—it’s behavior: humility, curiosity, and respect in the real world.

We sit at real tables. We share meals. We learn names and stories. And when there’s music, we don’t just record it—we join it. We trade songs, jam with local musicians, and record sessions together when invited. Those moments—shared rhythms and shared laughter— carry the truth of a place in a way no postcard ever can.

Respect coastlines Respect communities Share music Earn trust

Peace, human connection, and shared responsibility aren’t side benefits of the expedition—they’re the point. If we can’t move through a place with respect, we don’t belong there.

Signature ritual • storm-born cocktail

Rim Runner™ & Bourbon Storm™

What the Mint Julep is to horse racing, Bourbon Storm™ is to the yachting community. Rim Runner™ and Bourbon Storm™ are not just drinks—they are storm-glass rituals born from real ocean weather. Created by Catamaran Dan, a former U.S. Navy submariner, Blue Nose, and Shellback who crossed the equator under sail in 1984, the recipe remained private for forty-one years. In 2025, it’s finally being shared.

Rim Runner™ was born on a blue-sky equatorial Pacific day that turned dark, wet, and alive—then cleared just as fast. Blue ocean below. Dark storm clouds above. Salt and sky at the rim. In the calm that followed, one question landed: could that exact moment be put in a glass?

Rum • Bourbon • Zero-proof Storm-layered ritual Born 1984 • Released 2025

The Rim Runner™ Code

First drink: Face the horizon (or nearest water) and say clearly:
“Better Beachy than Bitchy™”

Second drink: “Better beachy than busted.”

Built-in sobriety test: If you can’t say “Better Beachy than Bitchy™” three times clearly and fast, you’re done.

Empty glass: One tap on the table. “Anchor down.”

Rim Runner™ — Classic Rum Version

Glass & Rim
Heavy straight-sided rocks glass with a blue rim band.
Rim mix: 2 parts coarse sea salt, 1 part sugar.
Lightly wet the outside rim with lime and dip into mix. Fill with fresh ice.

Equatorial Blue Base

1½ oz white rum
¾ oz blue curaçao
1 oz pineapple juice
½ oz fresh lime juice
1 oz coconut water
1–2 dashes ginger or aromatic bitters

Method
Shake with ice ~10 seconds. Strain over fresh ice into prepared glass.

Dark Storm Cloud (Float)
½–¾ oz dark rum, gently floated over the back of a bar spoon to form a dark band on top.

Bourbon Storm™ — The Yachting Expression

What the Mint Julep is to horse racing, Bourbon Storm™ is to the yachting world. The ritual is identical—the storm layer changes.

Glass & Rim
Same blue-rim glass and 2:1 salt-sugar rim.

Blue Base
Same equatorial blue base as Rim Runner™ (rum remains in the base).

Bourbon Storm Cloud
½–¾ oz bourbon, floated gently over a bar spoon as the dark storm band.
The bourbon is the star—the first nose, first sip, and finish live in that layer.

Rim Runner™ Zero

Glass & Rim
Same blue-rim glass. Same salt-sugar rim. Fresh ice.

2 oz pineapple juice
1 oz coconut water
1 oz orange or white grape juice
½ oz fresh lime juice
½–¾ oz blue curaçao syrup (non-alcoholic)

Dark Storm (NA Float)
½–¾ oz iced tea or cola, floated gently to form the storm band.

Not since the Shirley Temple has a non-alcoholic drink carried this much story and ritual.

Origin story

Rim Lightning (1984)

This photograph was taken while crossing the equator in 1984. Mid-ocean, the line itself barely announces its presence—but the weather often does. That day, conditions shifted fast: blue sky giving way to stacked clouds, pressure building, wind sharpening, lightning striking the water ahead. For a time, the sea demanded full attention—trim right, stay disciplined, let preparation do the work.

Then it passed. What remained was a moment every sailor remembers: storm energy still in the water, air clearing, light returning around the edges. Blue below. Dark above. Salt, sky, and motion layered together. That exact moment became the inspiration for Rim Runner™.

Equator crossing Origin Standards Rim Runner™ inspiration

Rim Lightning set the standard that followed: preparation over bravado, competence over comfort, and calm execution when conditions change. Not to celebrate danger—only to honor readiness and respect for the sea. The storm passed. The lesson stayed.