Chris A Jackson Sailing and Writing Interview: He Reflects on Sailing, Writing, and Life at Sea | Epic Realms Podcast

Nick Sampson | May 27, 2026

Chris A Jackson Poster

In Chris A Jackson Sailing and Writing Interview. He spoke on more than just sailing. His appearance on the Epic Realms Podcast feels less like a formal interview and more like listening to an old sailor swap stories with friends. Over the course of the conversation, Jackson reflects on everything from his years sailing the Caribbean to writing fantasy novels, game fiction, and nautical adventures. What ties it all together is a clear sense of nostalgia for a lifestyle built around freedom, exploration, and human connection.

One of the most memorable parts of the interview comes when Jackson and myself begin talking about Belize. I explained that before my first trip there, I reached out to Jackson for recommendations because of Jackson’s years spent sailing throughout the Caribbean. Without hesitation, Jackson brought up Yoli’s in Placencia, a waterfront bar he clearly still remembers fondly.

The story that follows says a lot about the kind of life Jackson lived during those years. He describes pulling into the protected harbor by sailboat, taking a dinghy ashore, and stepping directly into Yoli’s for a beer before heading off to shop or explore town. What stood out most to him was not the scenery or the drinks, but the people. He laughed about how the bartender remembered both his name and what he liked to drink, even years later. I confirmed that memory still held up when I visited myself and mentioned Chris’s name to the staff.

Moments like that are at the heart of why the sailing life still seems to mean so much to Jackson. Throughout the interview, he talked about the relationships and routines that developed while living aboard his boat, Mr. Mack. A life that spanned for more than two decades. Sailing was not simply travel or recreation. It was home.

That is why selling the boat was such an emotional experience for him. Jackson openly admits that tears were shed when he and his wife finally decided to let Mr. Mack go after 24 years. The decision marked the end of an entire chapter of life. As he explains it, the boat had been their home longer than anywhere else he had ever lived.

At the same time, Chris does not romanticize everything. He acknowledges that the Caribbean has changed over the years. Finding isolated anchorages and true solitude has become harder as more sailors and tourists fill places that once felt untouched. Still, his longing for those quiet places remains obvious. There is a sense throughout the conversation that the sea offered a kind of peace and simplicity that modern life rarely provides.

Now settled in the mountains of North Carolina, Chris has traded the ocean for a quieter life surrounded by hiking trails, gardens, and wildlife. He jokes about his wife’s growing obsession with plants and describes their property filled with wildflowers, hummingbirds, and bees. Even though he clearly loves this new phase of life, there is still a lingering affection for the years spent on the water.

That connection to sailing also carries over into his writing. Jackson has built much of his career around nautical fantasy and adventure stories, something Nick points out during the interview. Whether it is pirate tales, submarines, flying ships, or spacefaring vessels, Jackson always seems drawn back to stories connected to the sea or at least ships in general. He laughs about editors occasionally struggling with nautical terminology in his books, but for him, those details are part of making the worlds feel authentic.

The interview also dives deep into Jackson’s current writing projects, including his new Pathfinder novel Operation Hellmouth, his ongoing collaborations on the Tales of Basil and Mobius, and several fantasy trilogies inspired by Asian and Middle Eastern cultures. What stands out is how passionate he remains about storytelling and research for storytelling after all these years. He talks enthusiastically about researching Mongolian horse bows, creating fantasy worlds, and balancing humor, horror, and action in his work.

At the same time, Jackson is refreshingly honest about the realities of being a professional writer. He speaks candidly about publishing, deadlines, pay rates, and the business side of the industry. There is no glamour in the way he describes it. Writing is work, and he treats it that way. Still, the excitement he has for creating stories never seems diminished.

What made the interview resonate is the way Jackson connects adventure with community. Whether he is talking about sailors in Belize, fans at conventions, or fellow writers collaborating on shared universes, there is a recurring appreciation for the people he has met along the way. Even his stories about gaming, conventions, and online communities carry that same warmth.

By the end of the conversation, it becomes clear once again that Jackson’s nostalgia for sailing is not really about boats alone. It is about a slower, more deliberate way of living. It is about waking up in a quiet harbor, knowing the bartender remembers your name, and feeling connected to the places you visit. It is about freedom, discovery, and the stories that come from living outside the routines most people accept.

That sense of longing lingers throughout the interview. Even though Jackson has moved on to a different chapter of life, the sea still feels very close to him. And listening to him talk about it, it is easy to understand why so many people dream about casting off the lines and disappearing over the horizon. This carries on not only from our previous interviews with Chris, but into the tales he tells, the stories in books and in life. He reminds us that while we always move forward, don't forget those places and people that made you who you are. Check out Chris A Jacksons Website - https://www.jaxbooks.com/ Operation Hellmouth on Amazon - https://amzn.to/4wUJAN6 Check out the full interview on our Main Page - EpicRealmsMedia.com