07 Jul Podcast – Steve Brown on guardianship, adventure and climate change: the story of Novara

What does it mean to truly care for a boat, a crew, and the places you travel through? In this episode, Steve Brown reflects on a life shaped by sailing, adventure, and responsibility. As the former owner of the ice-strengthened schooner Novara, Steve shares how his relationship with the boat was never just about ownership. It was about guardianship. Steve describes buying Novara in 2014 with a clear purpose: to use her for the kind of voyages she was built for. That meant Arctic ice, remote coastlines, and long expeditions across some of the world’s most challenging waters. But the journey was about more than seamanship. It was also about climate change, changing ice conditions, and the people living closest to those changes.

One of the most powerful parts of the conversation is Steve’s comparison between his Northwest Passage voyages in 2014 and when he joined us on our 2025 expedition. He noticed a dramatic difference in ice conditions, with thinner ice, earlier melt, and a changing pattern that made some routes easier while making others more dangerous. Those shifts are not abstract. They affect wildlife, hunting, travel, and the daily lives of Inuit communities across the Arctic. Steve also speaks about the importance of telling those stories well. He believes the real value of the Novara One Planet project lies in documenting practical action and human impact, not just adventure. That message is simple but powerful: if a story is not making a difference, it is not enough. This episode is a reminder that exploration and responsibility can go hand in hand. It’s about more than crossing oceans. It’s about listening, learning, and using every journey to leave something useful behind.