The Wayfinder Podcast brings together maritime leaders, operators, and Sofar Ocean experts for direct, experience-led conversations about how the shipping industry navigates risk, volatility, and an increasingly unpredictable ocean. Each episode goes deep on the decisions that matter most to fleet and commercial teams, from voyage optimization and vessel performance to the real-time ocean intelligence shaping operations today.

What does uncertainty actually look like in maritime operations right now, and how do you make the right call when there isn't one clear answer?

In this episode, host Nick Arthur sits down with Sofar Ocean senior routing specialist Jessica Topal to talk through how voyage optimization works when conditions keep changing. With 11 years of routing experience, Jessica covers the full picture: managing ETAs under commercial pressure, rerouting vessels around the Cape of Good Hope following Strait of Hormuz disruptions, fuel planning through the Southern Ocean in austral winter, and what it takes to build trust with ship captains when the forecast is shifting daily.

She also gets into how Sofar's global ocean sensor network and real-time weather data give routing teams a tangible edge -- fewer forecast swings, more confident decisions, and cleaner communication with operators and captains.