Want to learn offshore sailing? Or already know how and want to hone your skills? Join us for an offshore passage and acquire the skills and knowledge every potential blue water sailor needs. Our teaching agenda is based on the best racing and cruising theory available coupled with our own extensive experience. Our training objectives will immerse you into all aspects of safe passagemaking: navigation, safety, mechanics, emergency procedures, systems and maintenance, self-steering, heavy weather preparation, offshore communications, sail handling, provisioning, weather prediction, and staying healthy.

All 2010 Offshore Passage trip links:

• Cape Town, Praia, Santiago

All 2011 Offshore Passage trip links:

• Mindelo, Cape Verde and Horta, Azores
• Stornoway and Stromness

All 2010 Offshore Passage trip links:

• Port Blair, Andaman islands
• Port Blair, Male
• Gan, Maldives and Diego Garcia, Chagos
• Diego Garcia, Chagos and Reunion
• Tulear, Madagascar and Inhambane, Mozambique
• Diego Suarez, Madagascar

All 2009 Offshore Passage trip links:

• Kosrae, Micronesia
• Pohnpei, Micronesia
• Pohnpei
• Palau
• Waingapu, Sumba and Bima, Sumbawa
• Bali, Komodo, Sumbawa
• Sumbawa, Komodo and Flores
• Sumbawa and Bali
• Benoa Harbour, Bali and Singapore

All 2008 Offshore Passage trip links:

• Contadora, Las Perlas. San Cristobal, Galapagos
• Galapagos; Mangareva, French Polynesia
• Rangiroa, Tuamotos to Tahiti via Moorea
• Tahiti to Raivavae, Austral Islands
• Tubai, Australs to Bora-Bora via Rorutu and Rimatara
• Bora-Bora to Manihiki (Northern Cooks) via Penhryn
• Manahiki (N. Cooks) to Pago Pago, Samoa via Suwarrow and Nassau
• Vavau Tonga (Neiafu)

Safety

We will practice, lecture and discuss all aspects of onboard safety systems. This includes:

• Inflatable and non-inflatable use and care.
• Movement on deck with safety harnesses, lights and jacklines.
• Maintenance, use and procedures of liferaft deployment and survival.
• All emergency procedures (Fire, MOB, Abandon Ship, Medical).
• Assembling your own survival packs, liferaft grab bag supplies and their use.
• Discussion of lifelines vs. deck jacklines.
• Location and use of all signaling (flares, parachutes, flare guns, smoke) and emergency gear, including backup electrical and manual bilge pumps and alarms.
• Location of thru-hull fittings, and attached wooden plugs and spares. Discussion of maintenance.
• Location and use of emergency tiller.
• Safe use of galley systems.
• Location and inventory of Offshore Medical Kit. Discussion of what belongs and doesn't belong in a boat's First Aid Kit. Discussion of prevention and treatment of medical problems common to cruisers in tropical and isolated waters.

Boat Systems

• Acquaintance with boat manual. Importance of service and maintenance records, spare parts and inventory.
• Use, maintenance, and drawbacks of electric watermakers.
• Survey of battery charging, monitoring and maintenance systems. Discussion of alternative power options.
• Use, cleaning and maintenance of marine heads.
• Use, maintenance and servicing a marine diesel engine and outboard engine.
• Spare parts: engine, outboard, electrical, refrigeration. What you should carry on your boat.
• Tools: essential tools for the vessel, how to use them and associated costs.
• Provisioning in foreign ports and stowage of food goods. Meal planning and cooking underway. Using a vacuum food packer and mineral storage bags to extend life of food.

On Deck Procedures

• Steering by compass, radar, GPS and stars at night or in limited visibility situations.
• Raising, reefing and controlling sails.
• Use of a furling and reefable headsails.
• Demonstrate points of sail and sail trim.
• Sail repair: sewing sailcloth. Use of palm and needle, and sewing machine.
• Working safely aloft.
• Dismantle, service and reassemble one and two speed winches.
• Location of spare rigging and fittings. Emergency rigging repair procedures.
• Demonstrate proper marlinspike, including knots (bowline, clove hitch, rolling hitch, figure eight, cleat knots and girth hitch), splicing three-strand nylon line and dacron yacht braid. Installing a soft eye on yacht braid line.
• Storm Sailing Techniques.
• Rig storm staysail and running backstays.
• Practice heaving to.
• Deployment of drogue and discussion of Para-Tech sea anchor.
• Discuss most effective storm management techniques for different hull designs and sea conditions.
• Preparation for storm conditions: use of storm sails, check bilge and pumps, clear decks and cockpit, charge batteries, preparation of easy meals, organize, catch up on sleep.
• Meteorology, electronic and observation.
• Sources of marine weather: VHF, SSB, Navtex, PMO's.
• Demonstrate the ability to identify and explain the features of: high pressure, low pressure, warm fronts, cold fronts, occluded fronts, stationary fronts, convergence zones, ridges, troughs.
• Overall cruise planning: cyclone seasons, use of Pilot Charts, World Cruising Routes.
• Locating weatherfax frequencies worldwide. Receiving schedules and importance.
• Overall prevailing world weather systems and predicting and gauging surface current and drift.

Navigation

• Using electronic GPS, charts and Nobeltec Navigation Software.
• Paper Chart selection and organization. Selecting best nationality of chart to cover a specific area.
• Use of BA and US Charts, Sailing Directions, Light List, Cruising Guides.
• Determining course, distance, VMG and ETA.
• Coastal Navigation: plotting course and determining dead reckoning position, depths, dangers, currents and obstructions. Use of of hand bearing compass.
• Celestial Navigation: Use and calibration of a sextant, shooting, reducing and plotting a LAN and LOP.
• Use of Nautical Almanac, HO 229, constructing and plotting on a universal plotting sheet.
• Use of radar for collision avoidance, landfall, navigation and squall avoidance.

Communications

• Use of VHF and SSB radios for communication and distress.
• Using the SSB to send and receive email.
• Satellite communications
• Discussion of various communication options for local vs. worldwide cruising.
• Dealing with foreign ports: health, customs, immigration, and port authorities.

Anchoring

• Calculating scope and diameter of swing.
• Identifying best location for anchoring.
• Safe use of electric windlass, proper wiring, use of manual back-up feature.
• Marking and stowing chain.
• Setting a stern anchor or tie, or secondary bow anchor.
• Discussion of anchoring in storm conditions

Physical Ability and Health

Safe and enjoyable offshore voyages depend on the entire crew working well together in all situations, many of them strenuous and challenging. Prior physical conditioning and an enthusiastic mental attitude are a necessity. Ocean passage making is physically demanding and it is essential that everyone is capable of performing all tasks on board, including steering and working on deck in rugged conditions. A person who exercises regularly and is in good physical and mental health will be an asset on board.

To participate in an expedition such as this it is essential that you are in good health and without existing medical problems that would jeopardize yourself or your crewmates.