From Burn Survivor to Alaska Dream Builder

Summary

Living Your Legacy
Host: Rudy Mawer
Episode: From Burn Survivor to Alaska Dream Builder (June 3, 2026)
Guest: Ben Swanson, founder of Discovery Journeys

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Episode Overview

This episode of Living Your Legacy spotlights Ben Swanson—a burn survivor, seasoned mariner, and entrepreneur. Swanson’s remarkable transformation of a derelict yacht into “Discovery,” a renowned Alaskan charter vessel, sets the stage for a conversation about resilience, legacy, the allure and grit of Alaskan adventure tourism, and building a business (and identity) from adversity. Swanson shares candid insights into his journey from growing up on boats to redefining his own legacy after a life-changing accident, and what it means to build a brand rooted in authenticity and endurance.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Ben’s Unique Upbringing and Maritime Roots

• Growing up on the water: Ben recounts his childhood spent living on boats in Alaska thanks to his adventurous parents.

  “We moved on board when I was 8 years old and until I left home at 17, we lived on a boat.” (02:35, Ben Swanson)

• Life lessons from early boating: He developed independence and practical skills from an early age, learning to row and later tinker with motors.

2. Discovery and Identity: The Boat that Changed Everything

• Finding Discovery post-trauma: Shortly after leaving the hospital following a severe burn accident, Ben found the derelict Discovery.

  “Buying Discovery in a derelict state shortly out of… out of the hospital. It's kind of interesting who rebuilt who, because Discovery was kind of some of my reborn identity.” (15:31, Ben Swanson)

• Personal and professional rebirth: The restoration process became an anchor for Ben’s recovery and a literal foundation for his future legacy.

3. The Grit Behind Restoration and Running an Alaskan Charter

• The Labor of Love: Restoring Discovery took over 25 years of hands-on work and relentless optimism.

  “Thousands and thousands of hours of blood, sweat and literal tears transforming it from basically a derelict.” (00:00, Ben Swanson)

• Motivation and family legacy: Supporting his young family and envisioning a future for his children motivated Ben through the marathon restoration. He hopes Discovery becomes a generational enterprise:

  “There was a lot of driving factors to build something successful, for sure, that one day they could… enjoy some of that livelihood. Literally building a legacy.” (08:36, Ben Swanson)

4. The Allure & Reality of the Alaskan Adventure Lifestyle

• A dream job, but not without hardship: While clients view his lifestyle as idyllic, Swanson underscores the ongoing labor behind the scenes and admits it’s not always glamorous:

  “Every now and then you got to pinch yourself... Or the season gets long and the crew gets surly and you say, look, you’re living somebody's dream. Yes, this is somebody's dream job.” (05:43, Ben Swanson)

• Comparison to others in the industry: Despite increased competition (from about five boats in the 90s to 80+ today), Swanson’s vessel and personal touch stand out, sustaining loyal, repeat guests.

  “We’re definitely the OG in that space. And have the only really classic restored fantail yacht.” (14:28, Ben Swanson)

5. Navigating Burnout, Competition, and Genuine Adventure

• Seasonal rhythms and fatigue: Ben describes both the physical exhaustion and reward cycle tied to operating seasonally in Alaska:

  “By the time you leave for the spring, you're just exhausted and tired… But then you… sail off. And that first few days, it's just weird because the boat’s underway. And every season for 40 seasons now, you go, gosh, did it make that noise? But once you get underway... it's surreal.” (12:07, Ben Swanson)

• Balancing genuine adventure and safety: When asked about pushing limits in adventure tourism, Ben emphasizes authenticity and care for both crew and guests over following trends:

  “You learn to puke your smiles.” (11:16, Ben Swanson, in response to how crew handles fatigue/illness mid-season)

6. Lean Beginnings and Core Values

• Money wasn't the motivator: Swanson’s drive stemmed from passion for the sea and family, not wealth, carrying forward the frugality and resourcefulness of his parents’ pioneering charter business in the 1980s.

7. Legacy Building & Inspiration for Listeners

• Reflections on accomplishment and satisfaction:

  “It's been a long road, but… feels pretty good to look back on the boat with pride of what you built.” (15:45, Ben Swanson)

• Message to aspiring adventurers: Ben invites listeners to carve their own adventurous legacy, underscoring that lasting success is built on endurance and authentic purpose.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Rebirth and Identity

  “Buying Discovery in a derelict state shortly out of the hospital. It's kind of interesting of who rebuilt who, because Discovery was kind of some of my reborn identity.” (15:31, Ben Swanson)

• On Effort and Reward

  “Finishing one of those projects… that reward is just so satisfying. That kind of keeps you going.” (09:39, Ben Swanson)

• Perspective on Privilege and Perseverance

  “You're living somebody's dream. Yes, this is somebody's dream job.” (05:43, Ben Swanson)

• Industry’s Transformation

  “When we started going in 1980, there just wasn't charter operators… There were probably five boats doing what we do… now there are probably now 80 boats in that space.” (13:18–14:47, Ben Swanson)

• On Family and Building for the Future

  “There was a lot of driving factors to build something successful… That one day they could… enjoy some of that livelihood, literally building a legacy.” (08:36, Ben Swanson)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:00–02:50] Ben’s background; discovering and rebuilding Discovery
• [03:11–05:28] Life as a “boat kid”; childhood adventures and skills
• [05:28–06:48] The transformation of Discovery, and what draws guests back
• [06:48–09:42] Motivation for the restoration project; family and legacy ambitions
• [10:07–11:16] Adventure vs. safety in tourism; keeping things authentic
• [12:07–13:01] Seasonal exhaustion, rhythms, and returning fulfillment
• [13:01–14:47] Alaska adventure tourism industry changes; standing out among competitors
• [15:04–16:23] Reflections on Swanson’s legacy and what listeners can take away
• [16:23–16:42] How to learn more: Discovery Journeys & alaskacharters.com
• [16:42–17:01] Closing remarks; invitation for listeners to seek adventure

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Final Takeaways

Ben Swanson’s story is one of resilience, reinvention, and purposeful entrepreneurship. Transforming hardship into opportunity, he has not only restored a classic yacht but also rebuilt his life, turning his recovery into a thriving, generational business. His journey—rooted in Alaskan adventure and family—exemplifies what it means to truly live and leave a legacy. As Swanson puts it, “If you’re looking for an adventure, come join us… We know Alaska better than anybody.” (16:30, Ben Swanson)

For more, visit alaskacharters.com.

Transcript

[Ben Swanson]

I lost 100 days of my life in the hospital and I find Discovery in a derelict state shortly out of the hospital. It's kind of interesting of who rebuilt who because Discovery was kind of some of my reborn identity. Coming out of a burn accident and raising a family that was just thousands and thousands of hours of blood, sweat and literal tears transforming it from basically a derelict.

[Narrator]

Captain Ben Swanson is a seasoned mariner, entrepreneur and the founder of Discovery Journeys. Drawing from a lifelong dream and a decades long journey of perseverance, he creates unforgettable experiences on the waters of Alaska while inspiring others to pursue their passions, overcome adversity and define success beyond financial achievement.

[Ben Swanson]

You almost live in a Discovery Channel or National Geographic Wildlife around every corner, fresh food for dinner. Every now and then you gotta pinch yourself and just say you're living somebody's dream. It spans the globe like a super high cold Internet. Elvis.

[Podcast Host Intro]

Brandon, today Apple is going to reinvent the phone. It's not over until I win. The Living youg Legacy podcast for those who live to leave a legacy that's extraordinary. The impossible has happened. Oh, that is sensational. Jordan, open Chicago with the lead. You said Paul is the fastest man on the planet. You can live your dream.

[Rig Gutierrez]

Welcome back to another episode of the Living your Legacy podcast for Inside Success. I am Rig Gutierrez. Joining me today is another amazing legacy maker, Vince Swanson. Ben Swanson has transformed a neglected yacht into a world class vessel, sharing the beauty of Alaska with guests from around the globe. Good God, man. How does one get into sharing the beauty of Alaska around the globe?

[Ben Swanson]

Well, fortunately for me, my dad was my or my folks were pretty adventurous.

[Rig Gutierrez]

Right on.

[Ben Swanson]

So my dad was a commercial fisherman in the seventies in southeast Alaska and fell in love with southeast Alaska. But the reality of having a wife and young son at home was they were apart a lot. Trying to combine both worlds. He ended up selling the fishing boat and buying a sailboat, which originally we were going to sail around the world. And just as life happens, things change, circumstances change, and we ended up exploring Alaska with that boat. And that was in 1980. And so I grew up doing it. I grew up on boats. Some very early memories are on and around the water, living on a boat. We moved on board when I was 8 years old and until I left home at 17, we lived on a boat.

[Rig Gutierrez]

I got to preface this with a small story. Living on a boat. Like we're on a boat. Sorry. One of my first early clients. I'm born and raised in Miami, fresh out of high school, one of my first early clients, he lived on a sailboat with his twin kids and his model wife, and they would travel around the world. And he was a photographer. I'm like, wow, here I am thinking I'm all cool living in Miami, but this mfer is living on a frigging boat.

[Ben Swanson]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Rig Gutierrez]

Talk about the lifestyle of being on a boat versus being inland like us simpletons.

[Ben Swanson]

Well, it's an interesting question because you really don't. You don't know the difference until, you know, I mean, as I said, some of my youngest memories were on. On board a boat. There's just so much to do. There's so much recreation there. There's no necessarily yard to go play in, no cats or dogs, no farm animals, none of that kind of stuff. But the marina boats, I had probably my own boat my dad's friend built me when I was 8 years old.

[Rig Gutierrez]

Wow.

[Ben Swanson]

So I put, I don't know, tens of thousands of miles on a rowboat, and then when. When I could find a outboard motor and make it run, somebody would give you or something. So went from rowing to motors and haven't looked back since.

[Rig Gutierrez]

That's. That's, that's crazy. It's almost like speaking to, like a dancer that starts being a ballet dancer and they end up doing hip hop. Like, there's obviously like a transition there. I always find people that just have their. Their navy strip so profound and live a completely different life. How similar is your life to, say, a pirate or, you know, give us the funds, give us the fun stats of what it's like to live in the open seas.

[Ben Swanson]

Well, it's almost unfair. It's in some ways, I mean, it. The, the arduous task of working on the boat and restoring it to the condition that it's in.

[Rig Gutierrez]

Yeah.

[Ben Swanson]

That was just hours and hours, hours, thousands and thousands of hours of blood, sweat, and literal tears getting it, transforming it from. As you said on the. In the opening, basically, a derelict would likely have not sold had I not bought it.

[Rig Gutierrez]

Oh, sure.

[Ben Swanson]

And it kind of a. It was just my dream to make a fancy classic yacht. And, and it had the bones for it. That's what it started. And just years of neglect, what we brought it back from, and it's, it's become amazing. But the. To your question of the lifestyle, once moving past all that and even now, because it's an old wooden boat, it takes a lot of man. Hours of, of labor offseason. But when you're there, we have a lot, a lot of repeat Guests.

[Rig Gutierrez]

Oh, for sure.

[Ben Swanson]

That of course, start as guests and become friends that have taken as many as 22 trips, but a lot of guests that have taken five or six cruises that we've visited in the off season and they're paying us good money.

[Rig Gutierrez]

Yes, sir.

[Ben Swanson]

To come. And you almost live in a Discovery Channel or National Geographic. That's just our summer season. Wildlife around every corner, fresh food for dinner for sure. Seafood for dinner, for sure. It's. It's pretty. Every now and then you got to pinch yourself and just say of course. Or the seasons gets long and the crew gets surly and you say, look, you're living somebody's dream. Yes, this is somebody's dream job. And that realization, which probably came a little later in life, but it's pretty cool now. I mean, I. Dinner with guests every night. And so you, you share stories from their backgrounds, for sure. And almost every one of them is just envious of, of being in the captain's seat and getting to do it, you know, for sure. They're paying us good money to, to take them and see that we get to do as a livelihood, for sure.

[Rig Gutierrez]

What inspired you to, to renovate this boat, to, to, to save this boat and put your blood, sweat and tears literally onto this boat and then manifest it into what you created today?

[Ben Swanson]

Well, the, the onset was a lack of money. So as I mentioned, it was good. It had great bones to start with. The, the hull and the integrity of the boat was good. The years of neglect, I guess from a young age, my folks were kind of misers because they started this adventure tour company when it really wasn't a thing.

[Rig Gutierrez]

Oh sure.

[Ben Swanson]

So we were the first charter operators in southeast Alaska in, in that era and, and they're just. No Internet. There was, it was hard getting the word out. So it was meager financially and they kept that throughout their. And still to this day are a bit meager and spending. So even though my dad had owned several classic yachts, he almost wasn't willing to give them the time and attention and money that they deserved. And so I was able to. Just from a young age, I, I kept. It was kind of a dream.

[Rig Gutierrez]

Sure.

[Ben Swanson]

Basically to just take one of these boats to completion and, and Discovery just happened to fit that bill. So was a long time coming, but 25 years of, of painstaking labor and now it's just such a great. That's platform to see Alaska.

[Rig Gutierrez]

That's great. I gotta ask, when, when you are, when you were painting and when you were bringing it to life, what Was going on through your head? Did you have, like, a, A fan of people cheering you on? Did you kind of envision, like, gosh, I can't wait till it's done because this is gonna happen. That's gonna happen. What was keeping you motivated, Especially in such a, A lonely, derelict place like Alaska, and you're just there, like, brushing away. I'm like, I'll show them, like, what was going on through your head, Bob.

[Ben Swanson]

At that time, it started to become, it was a passion. But my wife and I had three. We had a young son at. When we bought the boat and then later had two other boys. So, so it was. There was a lot of driving factors to build something successful, for sure, that one day they could, in, in a ideal scenario that they can take it over and, and enjoy some of that livelihood, Literally building a legacy. Yeah. Yeah. I was young and ambitious coming out of the hospital. I, I lost 100 days of my life in, in the hospital, and I kind of was like, gosh, I got to make that 100 days up. Funny enough. I don't know that I knew that then, but subconsciously that must have been going on. And the, the satisfaction of. There are so many compartments in the boat, from the wheelhouse to the galley to the guest accommodations. And so finishing one of those projects and that reward, like when you paint a room, for example.

[Rig Gutierrez]

Sure.

[Ben Swanson]

That reward is just so satisfying.

[Rig Gutierrez]

Absolutely.

[Ben Swanson]

That, that, that kind of keeps you going. You know, it's to. And then you're inspired to, well, what could I do better in this room or that room or. And, and so that's taken place on the boat for. Since 1998, basically.

[Rig Gutierrez]

Always optimizing. Always. Yeah. Yeah, for sure.

[Ben Swanson]

So I, I often think of, what, what's next? How can I make the boat a little better or nicer or more comfortable?

[Rig Gutierrez]

And I gotta ask, you know, you, adventure is, is top of the line. You're providing this adventure. How far is too far? You know, folks are taking folks to tourists down to the Titanic. And it's like that CEO was sure, he's got his tribe and he's thinking big, and he's like, the impossible is possible. And then. So how do you avoid the. But keep your entrepreneur adventure genuine and authentic without going.

[Ben Swanson]

That's interesting, because I, I. Our son now has put in his second season on the boat with the, with the ambition and, and desire to take it over.

[Rig Gutierrez]

And, and the first thing he said, we gotta submerge it, dad.

[Ben Swanson]

No, he, he just started, like, gangbusters last season as I mentioned earlier, it's a long. It's a long season. And so halfway through the season, sometimes the crew is just frazzled. And even though it's such an adventure and such a cool thing you are on every day, a chef a few years ago asked, he said, what happens if I get sick? And I said, you don't.

[Rig Gutierrez]

You don't.

[Ben Swanson]

You get sick when our season's over in September, but otherwise you learn to puke your smiles. Yeah. Yeah. So the, I guess the keeping me from, from the explosion is that again, for eight months you have all this painstaking work, and then for four months you're in Alaska just going, wow. And a lot of times in the spring, because we work around Seattle climate, so we have some opportunity in the fall.

[Rig Gutierrez]

Great weather, by the way, said no one ever.

[Ben Swanson]

We have some opportunity in the fall to, to get some paint and varnish and then again in the spring. And so by the time you leave for the spring, you're just exhausted and tired and like, gosh, I, I don't know if this is for me. Like, I could go work it at a desk job.

[Rig Gutierrez]

Oh, gosh.

[Ben Swanson]

As brutal as that to yourself. But, but then you, you, you sail off. And that first few days, it's just weird because the boat's underway. And every season for 40 seasons now you go, gosh, did it make that noise? But once you get underway and you just get in your rhythm and you're. It's just, it's surreal.

[Rig Gutierrez]

I love how after 40 seasons, you're like, I don't recognize that noise. Oh, gosh.

[Ben Swanson]

It's. It's at it, it. Every season. It's just one of those. And it's a, It's a captain. It's not just an old wooden boat. It's a captain thing.

[Rig Gutierrez]

I love it. Oh, for sure.

[Ben Swanson]

I, I run other yachts as well from time to time. And you can get on a brand new boat and what is this? And. And then a week later go back and go. I don't, I don't know if that's right. And maybe that's part of the, the competency of your captain to be for sure aware and attuned to anything that may or may not be.

[Rig Gutierrez]

I gotta ask this out of curiosity. You know, you're not our first Alaskan to sit in this chair. Is the space a little crowded now? I feel like folks are, are pervy now to, like, Alaska is like a hot commodity. We really should start building a tourist. Do you see a lot of folks kind of like Copying you.

[Ben Swanson]

Yeah. Yeah. Again. When. When we started going in 1980, there just wasn't.

[Rig Gutierrez]

Nobody was.

[Ben Swanson]

There wasn't charter operators.

[Rig Gutierrez]

And now and then, Deadliest Catch became a thing.

[Ben Swanson]

Deadliest Catch was a thing. You know, people not wanting to travel overseas is a thing. So the. The cruise lines, unfortunately, have exponentially increased their presence in Alaska. And good, bad or indifferent, they spend millions and millions of dollars on advertising. So they create awareness and what's out there. For sure, even if their ads are deceptive, you don't. You know, it doesn't matter. You send your money and you're booked. You're. You're going. Alaska's pretty. On any platform, so even a cruise ship, I guess, could work, but it's different. It's different than what we offer. And to answer your question, yes, the. The space has become so crowded that even through the late 90s, there were probably five boats doing what we do now. In a relative comparison, sure, but you're

[Rig Gutierrez]

the top dog, man. You've been doing it since day one.

[Ben Swanson]

We're definitely the OG in that space.

[Rig Gutierrez]

I love it. Good for you.

[Ben Swanson]

And. And have the only really classic restored fantail yacht, so. So we stand way ahead of the rest of the pack in that. In that case. But, sir, some are better than advertising. You know, there are probably now 80 boats in that space.

[Rig Gutierrez]

Holy moly.

[Ben Swanson]

It'.

[Rig Gutierrez]

Well, out of those 80 boats, you, sir, are here in Miami talking about your life and your adventure on a podcast. So I feel like the other 79 boats could take a hike.

[Ben Swanson]

Yeah.

[Rig Gutierrez]

Mr. Swanson, sir, what are we to learn about you in your episode of Legacy Makers so we can wrap up today?

[Ben Swanson]

Well, it. It's been a. I. I've had a colorful and interesting cool life in that. Growing up on boats and coming from. Absolutely just. We had no money. You know, everybody says that, right? You had no money, but you had snow. Everything I had growing up on a sailboat fit in a drawer.

[Rig Gutierrez]

Wow.

[Ben Swanson]

That was. Other than my bicycle, so we didn't have any money. And buying Discovery in a derelict state shortly out of. Out of the hospital. It's kind of interesting of who rebuilt who.

[Rig Gutierrez]

Wow.

[Ben Swanson]

Because Discovery was kind of some of my reborn identity coming out of burn accident and raising a family. And so it. It's just. It's been a long road, but it's. It's been satisfying along the way, and it feels pretty good to. To look back on the boat with pride of what you built.

[Rig Gutierrez]

Yes, sir.

[Ben Swanson]

In its present.

[Rig Gutierrez]

Gosh, man. Well, I. I appreciate you kind of giving us a sneak peek into to, to, to your recovery. I'm gonna leave that to the actual episode. When you film with Kofi. How can folks learn more about you and continue learning about your journey and your discovery out in Alaska? What's a good website?

[Ben Swanson]

Our website is alaskacharters.com right on.

[Rig Gutierrez]

Alaskacharters.com simple and easy.

[Ben Swanson]

Yeah.

[Rig Gutierrez]

Any, any closing comments? Anything you want to say to folks that are watching?

[Ben Swanson]

Listening, Ben oh, just if you're looking for an adventure, come join us. We're, we've got, we've been cruising Alaska for many, many years and know it, know it better than anybody any other tour operator there.

[Rig Gutierrez]

Right on. Well, Ben Swanson, thank you so much for your time and energy, sir. I'm eager to learn more about you and your legacy makers episode with that. Ben this is Ben Swanson, pirate of Alaska, and I am Ray Gutierrez. Not a pirate, but mostly a Miami resident. And with that, we are inside success.

[Podcast Host Intro]

Sam.