Episode 228: Tim Good, Cast Off

Episode 228 of The Adventure Podcast features sailor, adventurer, and philanthropist, Tim Good. Tim comes from a 200-year-old family business which is deeply connected to multiple philanthropic projects. He has also quietly accumulated a life that most people only plan. In this episode, Tim talks to Matt about losing his brother Matthew and how that resulted in Tim selling his business, buying a boat, and planning to sail around the world. Delayed by Covid, Brexit tax complications and a baby, last August he and his wife set off anyway, with their three-year-old daughter on board, heading for West Africa. Tim covers crossing the Bay of Biscay in rough weather, navigating the Saloum Delta, and spending weeks motoring 170 miles up the Gambia River to find hippos, chimpanzees and river dolphins. At the time of recording, they'd crossed the Atlantic just two weeks before. Matt and Tim also talk about solo motorcycle adventures, a paragliding expedition from the Jungfrau where a teammate went missing for four days, and how adventurous parents stay themselves without drowning in guilt. Despite his adventurous life, by design, Tim has almost no internet presence. Quietly one of the most lived-in guests we've had on - this is what it looks like when someone actually does the thing they said they were going to do.

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Chapter Breakdown

00:00-04:10: A 200-year family business, a great-great-great-grandfather who went to sea at 11, and why Tim has almost no internet presence.

04:10-12:17: Losing his brother at 32, launching the Matthew Good Foundation, and how grief became the catalyst for selling his business and buying a boat.

12:17-19:00: The Seven Life System, sailing Norway with skis on board, and how Covid, Brexit and a baby reshaped the circumnavigation plan.

19:00-27:00: A three-year-old on a boat, crossing Biscay in rough weather, and exploring the Saloum Delta.

27:00-35:54: Two weeks up the Gambia River, hippos, chimpanzees and river dolphins, and what West Africa felt like compared to everywhere else.

35:54-44:00: Why solo hits differently.

44:00-54:25: The Caribbean vs Patagonia dilemma, balancing fatherhood with ambition, and why learning to be selfish made both of them better parents.

54:25-1:00:00: The Matthew Good Foundation, rewilding in Scotland, and why Tim is deliberately waiting before committing to his next big philanthropic move.

1:00:00-1:05:22: What scares him and a contentious answer to what brings him hope.

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