Monthly Notice to OPO Mariners
Below are the monthly summaries regarding the activities at Offshore Passage Opportunities, delayed by 30 days.
Members receive the Monthly Notices without delay via email. So, please consider joining.
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial -
Americas Cup
Fall Boat Shows
Dominica
Swan Program Spring 2025
Editorial – The fall is all about getting some good offshore passage miles. The “crew requests” have been coming out regularly and will continue for the next few weeks. The OPO membership will be culled next weekend. We often run out of crew in the fall. If you are patient and have the time off and a decent sailing resume then you should be able to get one or two passages in this season. I will be in NY until about Oct 21st and then will be checking e-mail from Newport and Bermuda. Cathy sends out the crew requests if I am at sea. She gets to practice this week since I will be on a short delivery with two OPO members from NY to Maine starting tomorrow morning and back Saturday.
On the Swan Passages we try and not use the autopilot and to hand steer the entire way. You cannot honestly claim to be an experienced offshore crew until can hand steer a boat for three hours by yourself day or night. A normal delivery crew is three people. If the autopilot breaks at sea and you have three crew, then you will be steering 1/3 of the time by hand. If not, the other two crew will not be very happy with you. In our Swan Program we try and steer all the time. After ten days and 1500 miles all the crew are dialed in. On some boats this also requires some arm strength. I have been getting into shape the last month by painting the outside of my house with a four-inch paint brush. My rigging work at heights has helped with the second floor. I started the Sunday before the Newport Boat Show and then blessed with a two-week drought in NY. Rain this last week leaves with just a couple of afternoons of work left before I leave for Newport in three weeks. Not bad for an old semi-retired guy. While many of us are getting older, staying in shape helps crew aboard.
Have your sailing resumes ready. If you are building sea time and miles for your license you may want to check out the OPO web site. If you have an account login you can keep track of your sea time and miles and days at sea. I just copied and pasted my 282,000 miles to my most recent request for my sailing resume for an insurance company and it made it easy to update my resume.
NEW ADDRESS BOOK – Sometime this weekend or on Monday next week I will update the OPO address book for the 2025 season. If you stop getting the OPO Crew Requests after next weekend please let me know right away so we can make sure you do not get dropped if your intention is to stay active. Several people did let me know in the last few days that they are traveling or planning to stay active and will pay the dues. Anyone who wishes to stay active can let me know if they need more time and I am happy to keep you active and will remind you to pay if you have not already done so when I get back from the Caribbean November 17th. I rather keep you active then delete you and then have to add you back in when you realize that you forgot to pay. Most of you have already paid so are all set. If you are not sure please do not ask since I will not be home this week. We will work on any problems next week.
Thak You.
Americas Cup – I am sure I am one of the few people still watching the races live at 8:00 am (EST). The New York Yacht Club American Magic entrant lost last week. The Italians and British are dueling with two races a day when conditions allow. The first boat to seven wins will face the defending New Zealand Team starting Oct 12th. I missed the racing yesterday since I was on a delivery. They split races one each once again. This morning they Italians broke their boat again in the first race and the British team was up four to three races. Since the racing has been so close another win in the 2nd race would have been catastrophic for the Italians. The British made a mistake in the starting sequence and forfeited the lead at the start. We now stand at 4 all. Programing starts at 8 am each day but in the USA, you have to pay to have ESPN + to watch. I subscribed and will drop it after the Cup is over. Just like Politics That is all I am going to say😊.
Fall Boat Shows – The Newport Boat Show has turned into a more regional show. There were not many sailboats. I drove up on Thursday expecting to spend two days at the show and ended up driving home Saturday morning. Even my local Beneteau dealer did not bring a boat so I had nothing to deliver to or from the show. One bright moment was onsite seminars returning to the show site. Last year they were down the street at the hotel. David Lyman, longtime OPO supporter and marine writer, had daily seminars about buying an offshore boat, sailing south and what to do when you get there. They were very good, but not well attended. Hopefully the show will expand the seminar program and do a better job promoting them.
The Annapolis Boat Show is still a “Sail Only” boat show and the one to attend if you can only go to one show. It takes more than one day to see. My plans to attend are still being made as I work around a few short deliveries this month before sailing south from Newport at the end of the month. I will not know for sure until next week. The plan is to try and be there Thursday and Friday so I can talk to industry folks before the busy weekend when the show is busy.
Dominica – Plans are in place to supply and support our work in Dominica. We wait until after Hurricane season to work on the mooring field. That means we collect supplies in November and get the work done in December. We will also sponsor the 2nd Race to Mero during the PAYS Dominica Yachting Festival March 22nd to the 30th. The season does not really start in Dominica until after the New Year since foreign boats don’t arrive until November from the USA and December or January from Europe. They do not start cruising until after Christmas or the New Year when winds die down a bit.
Come Join us to celebrate - I mentioned in a previous e-mail that if anyone wants to fly down either by themselves or with a friend or spouse that we have negotiated a 60% discount for rooms at a 5-star resort just around the corner and two minutes away from the PAYS Pavilion. There are direct flights from Miami to Dominica with American Airlines. Cathy and I plan to stay ashore and fly in and still attend the PAYS parties and tours, but also stay in a great place for the event. You do not have to come for the entire ten days. If you arrived on Saturday the 22nd and left after the Race to Mero on Thursday or Friday that would be fine. Even with the discount the hotel this is not cheap. But it is about the same price as staying in a Marriot Hotel in any city in America. While we will pay more to stay in the hotel, meals and tours are still very cheap. I am including more information about the hotel and the discounts so you can think about it. It would be fun to have a few members who have the time and the money to come enjoy Dominica and see what we have been doing. I am sure once you visit you will want to go back by boat the next time. Let me know if you are interested and we can work on making plans later this year and try and have a fun time with a bunch of OPO members and other sailors in Dominica in March 2025. This may be the best time to celebrate what we have done.
Swan Offshore Program –All five boats in our Swan Offshore Program are full. In the December Notice to OPO Mariners we will include the May Swan return from St. Maarten sailing back to Newport. We expect to have three boats that have been grandfathered into our Program. We expect Murray to skipper the Swan 68 Aphrodite and Johnathan Ishmael to return to skipper the Swan 65 Aurora and I will skipper the Swan 48 Piper Lance. We normally depart the first weekend in May. We will confirm plans in the December issue first to allow OPO members first dibs on sighing up. In June the owner of Aphrodite will be sailing the boat to the UK and while Murray may be aboard, OPO members will not. Since the boat will be in Europe, we expect her to return in the ARC 2025. We will let you know next year.
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial - Gold Card Membership Explained – Annual Dues – Crew Requests Headings Explained
Americas Cup
Fall Boat Shows
Dominica –
Fall Swan Program
Editorial – As the nights start to cool and the summer sailing season turn to fall, we start thinking about the change of season and plan to move boats. OPO was mentioned in two national magazines in August. Tania Aebi’s Latitudes and Attitudes column about her last passage Swan Passage skippering Avocation from Bermuda to NY last June and David Lyman’s article in Ocean Navigator about taking his family south with two OPO members in our NARC Rally years ago. In less than three weeks Herb McCormick’s feature article about last year’s PAYS Dominica Yachting Festival will be in the October issue of Cruising World magazine. We will remind you when it comes out. The more people who hear about OPO, the better we attract more crew requests for our members. We are especially excited about the article about Dominica. This month’s newsletter has an update about our last major investment helping our friends in Dominica.
While we have scaled back the Swan Program, we still have two boats crossing from Barcelona Spain after the American Cup to the Caribbean and two boats sailing from Newport to St. Maarten. There is one berth left on the Bali 5.4 Catamaran sailing from Europe. We have berths open on the Swan 65 and one on the Swan 48 from Newport to SXM. This is a special election year passage with two extra days added so we can watch the election results in Bermuda Tuesday night Nov 5th. If we leave on time with no weathered delays, we will spend up to 5 days in Bermuda so there is time to have a spouse or friend to fly in for a few days and enjoy the island and make it a truly memorable passage/election year. All three options take almost three weeks. However if you are short on time, we can break up the legs from Newport to SXM with a crew change in Bermuda. If you only have ten days and not three weeks, we can offer a 10-day option for Leg # 1 or the 2nd leg from Bermuda to SXM. The dates are below.
Annual Dues* are due this month. We are once again holding prices down to make it easy to stay active. Please pay anytime this month. You will remain active from now until the end of Sept 2025. If you are a new member or joined recently then you do not owe dues this month.
Explanation of the obscure OPO Gold Card Membership
Some people have asked about Gold Card Membership. It was is something we tried years ago after I became the President of the American Swan Association. It has morphed into a way we can distinguish crew excellence. If you are a Gold Card membership it means you can use me or your Swan Skippers as a reference on your resume. When a boat owner or delivery skippers asks what your Gold Card Membership means, you explain that it means you have sailed with us and we know you are a good person and good sailor. It means you can stand a solo watch and you are easy to get along with. You pass the test. If you qualify it costs an extra $$25 and we mark you down as a Gold Card Member in our system.
Since 1998 I have sailed the passage from Newport to St. Martin annually aboard a Swan. Since 2000 I have been making the round trip running our OPO Offshore Swan Program sailing the Swan Charter Fleet between Newport and St. Martin. In 2004 we bought our flagship Swan 48 Avocation that we have campaigned in the Winter Caribbean Racing circuit ever since, now just the Heineken regatta.
We have also participated in the last two Swan American Regattas in Newport, seven BVI Swan Rendezvous and two Swan Worlds in Sardinia Italy. All this has put us in the unique position of having a good relationship with both the American Swan Owner’s Group and the American Swan representatives and brokers here in the USA. In fact, I got so involved with the American Swan Association that I was the President for two years. That post gave me all the Swan owners’ e-mails. For two years I wrote a “Swan Tales” Newsletter to them. This relationship allowed us to offer our OPO crew networking service to Swan owners, first in the US, and hopefully later all over the world. The answer to how we could help ensure we only sent good crew both skill-wise and personality-wise was the birth of the OPO Gold Card Membership. However, we needed to be careful implementing the new OPO membership to make sure we only sent qualified, courteous, neat, and reliable crew to Swan owners and their skippers. We felt that if we sent even one bad crew to the Swan Group that word would spread through the clickish Swan Owners Group and ruin our hard fought OPO reputation and we would not get any more free Swan passage opportunities to pass on to members.
It turned out that this never became an issue. One, there were not a lot of Swan passage opportunities that we had to worry about and two, we never did send any OPO crew posting to only Gold Card Members. Every member always got the same opportunities.
But it did allow us to reward OPO members who we had met and done a long passage with to invite to become a God Card Member if we felt they were a good candidate. The answer to the above question about what Gold Card Membership means is.
“Gold Card Membership” means that you have offshore miles and the right amount of deprecation and humility to endure even the most finicky and tyrannical Swan owner.”
Just joking…sort of.
The idea is that you know what you are doing on a big boat and will leave no doubt in the skipper’s mind that OPO is a good outfit that they will use in the future and tell their friends about. Gold Card membership means that we have met you and we would be happy to sail with you again anytime. We know you will treat the boat well and know how to appease a difficult owner or another crew without them even knowing you are kotowing to them.
That said it is not something we want OPO members to feel bad about if they are not a Gold Card member… yet. It may simply mean we have not met you. We also do not want to insult anyone’s sailing skills. Even I learn more when I go sailing. We do not make a big distinction in any of our newsletters and is not something you need to have. It does not get mentioned to the boat owners. It simply allows you to say somewhere in the body of your resume that you are an “OPO Gold Card member.” When a skipper seeking crew asks what that means, you explain that you have been a member for a while and have sailed with Hank or one of his Tier One skippers, and they confirm you have good offshore skills, are very helpful, and are pleasant to sail with. So a small distinction that can reward the time and effort that you put into your sailing plans and OPO membership.
When dues are due in September you may see the OPO Gold card click which costs an extra $25 per year. Please DO NOT pay extra unless you know you are a Gold Card member. To date, there is no formal way to Gold Card membership. If you do a long passage with me or any skipper you are welcome to bring up the subject or ask the owner to give you a good recommendation to me at the end of the passage and we can slowly build the Gold Card Membership base to help you in the future. There is a small added value to being able to sail aboard Swans or similar big boats of all sizes and to get the chance to make connections with full time skippers and owners that may lead to an invitation for another passage or to crew in a regatta or even a job. Sailing in our Swan Program with Murray Jacob, Johnathan Ismael, Tania Aebi, Captain Woody, or myself can help get you that recognition. The main entry is being safety conscious and easy to get along with.
*Annual Dues –You DO NOT owe annual dues if you joined recently. Every September annual dues are due to stay active in OPO another year. We are holding the dues at $150 for this year. ($175 for Gold Card Members). I want to thank members who are mailing in a check for their dues and also for anyone adding a little extra money for the Dominica Mooring field project. While we give you until the end of the month to pay your dues, and will remind you towards the end of the month one more time. We delete inactive OPO members October 1st. If you stop getting e-mails in October, you know you did not pay your dues.
Please make checks out to Offshore Passage Opportunities
And mail to
OPO
PO Box 2600
Halesite NY 11743
You can also pay online at www.sailopo.com/store with a credit card or PayPal.
“Crew Request” headers explained – Most people understand that OPO saves members time by not forcing you to sift through message board postings on a web sites seeking good offshore passage opportunities. We also know most people get way too many e-mails. Our bold type introductions at the start of our crew requests have evolved to included everything you need to know in a glance. You can decide if you need to read further right away, or can clock to the next e-mail. We know what members need know quickly. What kind of boat? How long a commitment? Where is the boat departing from and going to? If the miles and days are in ( ), then it is more an estimate of time away subject to weather delays, than a set time. Some people are short on time. Other might be looking to sail a particular model or brand of boat. Maybe a catamaran over a monohull. Some people are looking for only ocean crossings while others only have time for short one-to-three-day coastal trips. With our system you know in a glance if you need to read the entire crew request.
Sample
OPO Crew Request # 24-89
9 September 2024
Grampian 30
(600 miles 10 day to two weeks)
City Island NY to Oriental NC – The body of the crew requests.
Americas Cup – I have been fan of the Americas Cup since I attended high school in Portsmouth RI, just north of Newport, from 1972 to 1976. This is when they were raced in 12 Meter boats and amateur crews. Television footage was provided by overhead helicopters and new ‘bud can” cameras mounted onboard under the gooseneck. Nicknamed because they looked like 12-ounce cans of Budweiser. The Cup was held every three years organized by the defending New York Yacht Club. Although I was there for two AC Series, I never got to see a race because we had classes six days a week and back then NYYC traditional never raced on Sunday. The next AC after I graduated, I drove up to Newport and chartered a Morgan 41 for $200 for the day to go see a race. Fast Forward to the 2000 New Zealand Challenge, I organized an Around the World Rally called Millenium’s 1st Sail to be on the international Dateline for the start of the next 1000 years, be in New Zealand for the Americas Cup and in Australia for the Olympics. I flew to New Zealand twice. When the Cup was in Bermuda in 2017, I organized “The Rally to the Cup” and had 30 boats sail from the US to Bermuda for two weeks in June 2017 for the finals. Our hope was that they would have the Cup every two years in Bermuda if the NY Yacht Club won. But they lost. The Americas Cup in 2024 just started this past weekend. The 1st knockout round has only a few more races to decide who gets dropped first September 8th. The America Magic team’s boat is called Patriot. While not doing great so far, they do have a small chance of making it to the finals. If they do, I am sure a lot more people will start watching. But for now I understand many people are not following the races. If by chance they do pull it off, it would be fun to see where they would hold the next Cup races. Heaven forbid, plans go full circle to be back to Newport 50 years after my first AC Cup. The series continues well into October with the final two boats starting the final series starting October 12th. We have two boats in Barcelona for the races. Our Swan 68 Aphrodite departs Oct 21st and is full. The Bali 5.4 catamaran Two Oceans leaves November 9th. There is one berth left.
Fall Boat Shows – Part of our plan to spend more time near home means not exhibiting at boat shows nor sailing to them anymore. However I do plan on attending both the Newport Boat Show and the Annapolis Boat Show for at least one or two days. It makes more sense to go to the shows on opening day when I can talk to people in the industry. On weekends they are more interested in speaking with potential customers and not other people in the industry. If you are planning to attend either show we can plan to meet on opening red carpet days or the day after before the weekends. Just send me an e-mail and we can plan to meet up at either show.
Dominica – We can all be very proud of the work we have done over the past twelve years in Dominica. During our first decade in the Caribbean starting in 2005with Avocation, we were tied to the Caribbean Racing Circuit. With one event each month from early March through April we had less time to cruise the Caribbean chain of islands since we had to be in St. Maarten in March, the BVI at the end of March and Antigua at the end of April/early May. In 2011, after dropping all the regattas except the Heineken Regatta, we were able to explore more islands and discovered Dominica. Most people know the story. We first helped “Boat Boy” Albert with materials to build a new boat. In 2014 we told PAYS (Portsmouth Association of Yacht Services) we would donate a new mooring field. In 2016 we help PAYS organize the first Yachtie Appreciation Week. Our relationship with PAYS and the town of Portsmouth and then the country itself grew with continued relief effort after Hurricane Maria in 2017 and Covid in 2020. Two years ago the government took over the event renaming it PAYS Dominica Yachting Festival. Last year we made a start at expanding the mooring field project to other areas in Dominica and the first “Race to Mero” as part of the ten-day event. Cruising World Magazine will have an article in the October in subscriber’s mailbox by September 20th.
OPO Members have been very generous over the years. I have included the numbers below. The plan is to finish up this year and try and make sure we leave a sustainable program moving forward. Part of that is pivoting to using Caribbean sourced materials to add 25 new moorings this year and replace a lot of the mooring lines. The PAYS web site is being updates this month before the article comes out in 3 weeks. Members who donated money last year for a new mooring will be getting an updated report next month detailing the post hurricane season refurbishment and installation of new moorings in November and December. Anyone donating money this year will also get the report. We are not seeking more money for the mooring field, but will use part of the money to support the 3rd Annual PAYS Dominica Yachting Festival. We invite OPO members to sail or fly there for the event March 22nd to 30th or any part of it. One week from Saturday the 22nd to the following Sunday would be ideal. The International Hotel Group is now running the Cabrits Hotel around the corner form the PAYS Pavilion. The rooms are reduced from high season rates of $1000 a day to a little over $400 a day. Let me know if you are interested and I can tell you more. I will put you in touch with the Cabrits Hotel to book your winter holiday in the Caribbean. Enjoy 5-star luxury while also exploring the island and partaking in the PAYS Festival.
Dominica – Buy the numbers -100% of your donation goes to Dominica with zero administrative costs. We will be including a list of doners list by first name and initial only in future OPO Notices.
In 2012/13 we raised just over $6000 from 27 OPO members with one “angel donation” of $3000 to make sure we hit our target to buy materials and ship them to Dominica, so Albert could build a new boat. Albert is a one-legged “boat boy” who we met in 2011 and decided to help.
In 2015, 93 OPO members donated a total of $23.437.50 to buy materials and ship them to Dominica for a mooring field. A 600 spool of 8 braid 5-inch mooring lines was donated as well. We started an event called “Yachtie Appreciation Week” (YAW) in 2016 to help get the word out about the new moorings.
In 2017 hurricane Irma and Maria hit the Caribbean. 189 OPO members and non-members donated $43,160. This was mostly for hurricane relief in Domica. We had money left over to pay 9 PAYS members families $150 a month during the offseason in the summer of 2020.
In 2020 56 OPO members donated $17,819.00 towards refurbishing the mooring field and allowed us to keep sending monthly checks to PAYS families for a 2nd covid-diminished tourist season. Our own PPP program to help them survive the 2nd lost seasons during the pandemic.
Balance as of June 2022 was $5,412
In 2023 we are asking for one more effort to expand the mooring field to two other areas on the northwest side of the island. The Dominican government took over ownership of YAW and changed the name to “The PAYS Dominica Yachting Festival.” This is a very good as they are now helping the PAYS expand the brand and PAYS system to other parts of the island as well as promoting the event. We are aiding their effort to expand the PAYS brand to two other places near Portsmouth to encourage boat owners to stay longer on the island and help the boating economy prosper.
Raised $15,645
We have money from last year to fund this year’s work on the mooring field.
Our one last effort to raise enough money was for 25 new moorings and to ship them to Dominica this October and November. They will used in two new areas of Dominica, Toucori, just north of Portsmouth and Mero Beach 10 miles south of Portsmouth. This will encourage boats to stay longer on the island and see more sites and help the local economy.
Last fall (2023) our mooring buoy supplier (The Gilman Corp, Gilman CT) had a fire and a supply issue that delayed our six-week order into six months and missed our season. With OPO Donar’s consultation and permission we used money to install three new mooring balls in Mero and upgrade the mooring field in Portsmouth. We also sponsored the 1st “Race to Mero”.
Last winter we raised for festival March 2024 $5,360
Left over from 2022 $5,412
Raised $15,645
Raised for festival March 2024 $5,360
Total $26,417
Spent - $13,425 for mooring in Mero and Festival Sponsorship in March 2024
Balance of $12,992
We will be using balance to pay for the installation of 25 new moorings this November and December. We plan to use any leftover money and new donations to sponsor the “Race to Mero” and help promote the 3rd PAYS Dominica Yachting Festival. Besides the article in Cruising World there will be articles in All-at-Sea and Caribbean Compass about the Festival in March 2025. This will be the last year we will officially be financially the work in Dominica. I am sure I will continue to plan to visit for a few more years to come and may help personally, but there must be an end game for raising money while still supporting the event and our friends in Dominica. We hope to see a lot of members and yachties visit this winter and during the festival starting March 22nd 2025. I will let you know when the web site is live and you can sign up in advance for a free mooring or for activities and tours that week.
Fall Offshore Program – Open berths
New Catamaran Program – Trans-Atlantic – one vacancy
9 Nov to 9 Dec 2024
Barcelona Spain to Lanzarote, Canary Islands to St. Maarten – Join the boat Nov 9th to December 9th (4 weeks)
The price includes everything accept your travel to and from the boat and any meals and drinks ashore.
Shared Cabin $6000 (2 twin bunks)
Join the boat in Lanzarote, Canary Islands Nov 18th to December 9th (3 weeks)
The price includes everything accept your travel to and from the boat and any meals and drinks ashore.
Shared Cabin $5000
Swan Offshore Program Schedule
Swan 48 – Piper Lance – One berth left
24 October 2024 to 13 November – (21 days)
Newport RI to Bermuda to St. Maarten Caribbean. – Crew arrive Thursday 24 October 2024 for planned departure Saturday 26th October. Depending on weather, there will be a delayed departure from Bermuda for the 2nd leg departing on Wednesday 6 November to watch the Election results. Crew fly home 13 November after one or two days in SXM. $5500
Swan 65 – Aurora - Two berths left (open to leggers)
24 October 2024 to 13 November – (21 days)
Newport RI to Bermuda to St. Maarten Caribbean. With Captain Johnthan Ishmael and repeat 1s Mate Courney from St. Lucia – Crew arrive Thursday 24 October 2024 for planned departure Saturday 26th October. Depending on weather, there will be a delayed departure from Bermuda for the 2nd leg departing on Wednesday 6 November to watch the Election results. Crew fly home 13 November after one or two days in SXM. $5500
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial - Westsail 32 for Sale
Salty Dawg Rally
Bali 5.4 Catamaran Trans-at Barcelona to St. Maarten
Swan Program
Editorial – I am sure everyone is enjoying their summer sailing season. Since it is hurricane season there is not a lot of offshore sailing going on. We do have Olympic sailing and the Americas Cup this summer. We are especially interested in watching the AC since the Swan 68 and the Bali catamaran fleet will be in Barcelona for the Cup Races. After the AC OPO members will sail from Spain to the Canary Islands and then to the Caribbean. Let me know if you want to join Tania Oct 21st or Two Oceans Nov 9th for the start of the Trans-Atlantic Crossing. Tania has two berths left and Two Oceans has one shared cabin and a single twin bunk left open.
Speaking of Tania, she called last week with a request to help her broker a boat for a friend. While I stay out of the boat brokerage business to not offend yacht brokers who are a good source of deliveries, Tania has a unique offshore boat for sail. Her friend’s story is common enough. Dreams to build a boat and sail her around the world. This friend spent 40 years meticulously building the boat and is now 86 and too old to depart. So everything is new, sort of. Down below she is new, but I am sure on deck she looks weathered. If interested please read Tania’s blurb about the boat and send her an e-mail if you want pictures and want to go schedule a visit.
Ahoy Westsail 32 Fans! Here is the most unusual situation and amazing deal you will ever see for this classic! In 1977, the bare hull was purchased—WSSK071305 77—and her owner has been building her ever since. Now, we are seeking the right person to bring her to the finish line, a purist nostalgic for old school simplicity and traditional seafaring beauty. Located in Barnegat, NJ.
This may be a fiberglass boat, but she is NOT a plastic boat. Meticulously researched and crafted over the decades by a perfectionist and tasteful woodworker and sailor who always imagined the worst-case scenario, this boat is a lovely tank. She is also basically new (sailed once out on the bay—the head and galley have never been used!), super clean, and for sale by owner who has aged faster than anticipated, before being able to live the dream. While he can still pass the baton and be part of your story with her, we are looking for that special someone who will appreciate and realize her potential. $49,900 will get you started.
Too many features and details to describe in this listing. If you have ever dreamed of owning your own Westsail 32, please respond to this ad to get contact info. The story about this boat is long, and list of what is included is impressive and comprehensive. Please, serious inquiries only. 508-685-5630, or kallbergstan@gmail.com
Salty Dawg Rallies- As you know OPO has stopped organizing the NARC Rally and handed over their contact information to the Salty Dawg Association. They are now the only rally departing from the East Coast of the USA sailing south in the fall. They plan to depart Newport soon after Nov 1st and offer to help people get to Antigua. We have two Swan sailing on our Swan Program departing a week before and making a stop in Bermuda and then sailing to St. Maarten. If you want to sail on a Swan with us, you can. If you have a boat and want to join an organized fleet you can contact Bennett Kashdan who is helping organize the Newport Fleet for the Salty Dawgs. Bennett Kashdan <bjkrad@msn.com>.
While they do not mention SXM on their sail south, they are starting a rally from St. Marten (French Side?) to the Azores in May 2025. They are starting their May Rally to Europe a week after the World Cruising Club’s ARC Europe from St. Maarten to Bermuda and then to the Azores.
Bali 5.4 Catamaran Trans-at Barcelona to St. Maarten
If you know anyone who wants to see what offshore sailing on a catamaran is like, please tell them about this unique affordable opportunity to cross from Spain to St. Maarten. We have 2 cabins left and a single berth for as low as $5000 which includes all accept travel to and from the boat.
New Catamaran Program – Trans-Atlantic
9 Nov to 9 Dec 2024
Barcelona Spain to Lanzarote, Canary Islands to St. Maarten – Join the boat Nov 9th to December 9th (4 weeks)
The price includes everything accept your travel to and from the boat and any meals and drinks ashore.
Shared Cabin $6000 (2 twin bunks)
Private Cabin $2000 (Queen bunk) (First Leg only Nov 9th to Nov 18th) Shared Cabin ($3000 1st leg only)
Couple $9000 ($4500 per person)
Master Owners Cabin $10,000 ($5,000 per person)
Join the boat in Lanzarote, Canary Islands Nov 18th to December 9th (3 weeks)
The price includes everything accept your travel to and from the boat and any meals and drinks ashore.
Shared Cabin $5000
Private Cabin $6000
Couple shared cabin $7500 ($3750 per person)
Master Owners cabin $8500 ($4250 per person)
Swan Offshore Program Schedule
Swan 48 – Piper Lance
24 October 2024 to 13 November – (21 days)
Newport RI to Bermuda to St. Maarten Caribbean. – Crew arrive Thursday 24 October 2024 for planned departure Saturday 26th October. Depending on weather, there will be a delayed departure from Bermuda for the 2nd leg departing on Wednesday 6 November to watch the Election results. Crew fly home 13 November after one or two days in SXM. $5500
One berth left
Swan 65 – Aurora
24 October 2024 to 13 November – (21 days)
Newport RI to Bermuda to St. Maarten Caribbean. With Captain Johnthan Ishmael and repeat 1s Mate Courney from St. Lucia – Crew arrive Thursday 24 October 2024 for planned departure Saturday 26th October. Depending on weather, there will be a delayed departure from Bermuda for the 2nd leg departing on Wednesday 6 November to watch the Election results. Crew fly home 13 November after one or two days in SXM. $5500
(Have one 1st leg option open $2900) Oct 24th to Nov 4th
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Swan 68 Aphrodite
First Leg 21st Oct 2024 to 10 November
Barcelona to Las Palmas Canary Islands Spain - With Tania Aebi as captain and Maurizio as 1st mate. (21 days)
Crew arrive in Barcelona Spain Monday October 21st. – The plan is to depart on the 23rd and make possible stops in Gibraltar and Madeira, Portugal on the way to Las Palmas arriving about November 8th or 9th and then have a couple of days in las Palmas before flying home November 10th. This is a 3-week adventure. The skipper is Tania Aebi and the mate is Maurizio from Southern Italy. A very good cook who will make dinner each night. $4500
2 berths left
2nd Leg ARC Rally – Las Palmas to St. Lucia- Full
17 November to 15th December 2024 (29 days)
Las Palmas to St. Lucia - Wait List
$6500
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial Avocation for Sale
Dominica- Hurricane Beryl
YBAA
Bali 5.4 Catamaran Trans-at Barcelona to St. Maarten
Swan Program
Editorial - Avocation is now hauled out of the water in Jamestown RI and is for sale. She is a great boat for taking people offshore as many people can attest too. Between slip fees, insurance premiums and annual maintenance costs to keep her ship shape for offshore passages, you need to spend a lot more time sailing her to earn an income than I have time left in me. Plus she needs new teak decks and I do not want to sail her to Italy to get them done. She still has a lot of life left in her. If you buy her, we know we can get her to Italy for free for you in season and grandfather her into the Swan Program like we have done with Aphrodite, Aurora, and Piper Lance. If you are interested, please contact Keith Yeoman, the Swan Broker in Newport for Swan East Coast. He will be happy to show her to you. The boat is at Jamestown Boat Yard across from Newport. Keith’s number is (443)-994-1500 and e-mail keith@yeomanyachts.com
Dominica - The 1st hurricane of the season is passing south of Dominica today. I have been in touch with Cobra and Albert. We will be sending the PAYS group in Portsmouth Dominica 25 new moorings after hurricane season this year. The dates for the 3rd annual PAYS Dominica Yachting Festival are March 22nd to March 30th. If you plan to be s ailing in the Caribbean next winter plan to be there for this week of free moorings and discount tours and extra activities planned in coordination with the Dominica Tourism Board. Participate in the new “Race to Mero” and support the new efforts to expand the mooring field. This year we plan to offer a special shoreside accommodations package for OPO members. We will have three or four apartments at Mango Cottages to offer. Plus we met with the hotel manager of Intercontinental Dominica Cabrits Spa and Hotel about getting special room discounts for the dates for the festival. There are now direct flights from Miamai as well as more flights from St. Maarten on Winair in the Caribbean. We will have more information about this opportunity to fly in and still enjoy the festival, but fly in and stay ashore. It would be great to get 8 or 10 couples together and invite spouses who may not normally join us in the Caribbean for tike ashore in a very nice resort. We should have pricing in place by the August 1st Notice to OPO Mariners. Google “InterContinental Dominica Cabrits Resort & Spa”
YBAA – Another part of NOT Retiring is attending the Annual Yacht Brokers Convention in Providence RI this month. I will attend with a vendors table to promote our OPO crew network to help move boats that brokers help sell. After all, our OPO mission statement is to “Seek, gather and create quality offshore passages for our members.” Yacht Brokers are a great source of finding deliveries and crew berths for OPO members. Hopefully you will see the fruits of our renewed efforts in the coming months.
Paid Passage Opportunities
We know most OPO members are not interested in paying to go sailing. However, some have decided it is cheaper to sail once or twice a year in our Swan Program or our New Catamaran Program, than to buy and maintain a boat. Please ignore the Swan Program and Bali 5.4 Catamaran passage opportunities if you are only interested in the free passage opportunities. We will continue to keep sending more and more each season. The ARC Rally sailing with Murray on the Swan 68 is full. We will start a waiting list just in case someone drops out. OPO Members can still sign up to sail with Tania Aebi for three weeks from Barcelona Spain to Las Palmas in the Canary Islands off Africa.
This past May we had a trial run with three OPO members sailing aboard a Bali 5.4, 56-foot catamaran named, Two Oceans, from St. Maarten to Europe with our 4 Swans. Both the Swan 68 and Two Oceans will be in Barcelona for the Americas Cup this summer and fall. After they are over, Tania Aebi will skipper Aphrodite to the Canary Islands and the same skipper and mate will be skippering Two Oceans back to the Caribbean. While Tania is making a three-week first leg cruise to Las Palmas, the catamaran will welcome crew Nov 9th be will make only a short 4-day layover in Lanzarote before departing on the 2nd leg from the Canary Islands to St. Maarten. While the sail from SXM to Barcelona was more an upwind passage, the sail from Mediterranean to the Canary Islands and then across to the Caribbean is a mostly a downwind passage. Perfect for catamaran sailing. Almost half of the boats in the ARC Rally are catamarans now. If you want to test sail a catamaran in true ocean conditions before committing to buying a catamaran for long term cruising, why not sail across and take your spouse to see if it is a good plan before buying the boat. This is also a very affordable opportunity to do a bucket list crossing without having to purchase and outfit a boat.
There will be six or seven crew plus a captain and mate, depending on if we have one or two couple joining. But only 3 or 4 crew for the first leg and then two or three crew will join in Lanzarote for the 2nd leg of the passage. The 2nd longer leg Trans-at departing two or three days before the ARC. Crew can join for the entire one-month crossing starting in Barcelona or you can fly into Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain and join the boat there for the 16 to 18-day passage to St. Maarten. Enjoy a couple of days in SXM after you arrive. The plan is to have half the crew join in Barcelona and spend a day or two seeing the harbor right after the Americas Cup is over. Crew with less time can fly in for the shorter three-week commitment.
New Catamaran Program – Trans-Atlantic
9 Nov to 9 Dec 2024
Barcelona Spain to Lanzarote, Canary Islands to St. Maarten – Join the boat Nov 9th to December 9th (4 weeks)
The price includes everything accept your travel to and from the boat and any meals and drinks ashore.
Shared Cabin $6000 (2 twin bunks)
Private Cabin $7000 (Queen bunk)
Couple $9000 ($4500 per person)
Master Owners Cabin $10,000 ($5,000 per person)
Join the boat in Lanzarote, Canary Islands Nov 18th to December 9th (3 weeks)
The price includes everything accept your travel to and from the boat and any meals and drinks ashore.
Shared Cabin $5000
Private Cabin $6000
Couple shared cabin $7500 ($3750 per person)
Master Owners cabin $8500 ($4250 per person)
Swan Offshore Program Schedule
Swan 48 – Piper Lance
24 October 2024 to 13 November – (21 days)
Newport RI to Bermuda to St. Maarten Caribbean. – Crew arrive Thursday 24 October 2024 for planned departure Saturday 26th October. Depending on weather, there will be a delayed departure from Bermuda for the 2nd leg departing on Wednesday 6 November to watch the Election results. Crew fly home 13 November after one or two days in SXM. Only $5000 for OPO members
Swan 65 – Aurora
24 October 2024 to 13 November – (21 days)
Newport RI to Bermuda to St. Maarten Caribbean. With Captain Johnthan Ishmael and repeat 1s Mate Courney from St. Lucia – Crew arrive Thursday 24 October 2024 for planned departure Saturday 26th October. Depending on weather, there will be a delayed departure from Bermuda for the 2nd leg departing on Wednesday 6 November to watch the Election results. Crew fly home 13 November after one or two days in SXM. Only $5000 for OPO members
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Swan 68 Aphrodite
First Leg 21st Oct 2024 to 10 November
Barcelona to Las Palmas Canary Islands Spain - With Tania Aebi as captain and Maurizio as 1st mate. (21 days)
Crew arrive in Barcelona Spain Monday October 21st. – The plan is to depart on the 23rd and make possible stops in Gibraltar and Madeira, Portugal on the way to Las Palmas arriving about November 8th or 9th and then have a couple of days in las Palmas before flying home November 10th. This is a 3-week adventure. The skipper is Tania Aebi and the mate is Maurizio from Southern Italy. A very good cook who will make dinner each night. Only $4000 for OPO members
3 berths left
2nd Leg ARC Rally – Las Palmas to St. Lucia- Full
17 November to 15th December 2024 (29 days)
Las Palmas to St. Lucia - Wait List
$6000
Offshore Passage Opportunities
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Hank Schmitt |
P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 |
(631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
YBAA
Swan Offshore Program Schedule.
Swan 65 Newport to SXM October
Swan 48 Newport to SXM October
Swan 68 Barcelona to Las Palmas October
ARC Rally – Las Palmas to St. Lucia November
Editorial – Crew arrive this Saturday for my last sail from NY to Bermuda aboard our flagship Swan 48 Avocation. People ask if I will miss the boat and if I will feel a void? The simple answer is “No.” We should not be attached to things, but remember the many experiences we had together. Last Sunday, May 19th, we left Huntington to time the ebb tide through Hell’s Gate on our way to Bermuda. It just so happened this coincided with an afternoon stop at Brookly One 15 Marina opposite the Financial District in Manhattan overlooking the Statue of Liberty. The three hour “leave” was so I could attend a memorial service for a son-in-law’s mother, which was in Brooklyn a ¼ of a mile up from the marina. Docked were 6 IMOCA Boats, part of the 28-boat fleet entered in the solo New York Vendée-Les Sables d’Olonne Race. Then last week, 300 miles, offshore, crossing perpendicular to the Gulf Stream to get through as quickly as possible, what do I see on the AIS chart Plotter? Six IMOCA boats sailing west to east at 18 to 20 knots. We rolled up our jib and turned the motor on and aimed for the middle of the pack as we took videos and hooped and hollered as they sped past. Memories and chance happenstance are the things to remember and not any boat. While Avocation will no longer be part of the Swan Fleet or OPO, I will have more time to grow the OPO crew network and offer more passage opportunities while keeping a small part of the Swan Program alive by grandfathering in three boats. See Fall Schedule below.
Remember, I am not retiring from the OPO Crew Network. I have stopped organizing the NARC Rally last Fall after 24 years. This spring will be the last busy season for me sailing weeks offshore in the Swan Program. I look forward to having OPO members visit me in Huntington NY as they sail up or down LI Sound. It may take a few weeks to put Avocation up for sale and get the storm rescued Tartan 3700 commissioned and in the water, but once I get settled into a summer routine, I look forward to OPO members visiting by boat or by land if they get near Huntington.
YBAA – Stand for the Yacht Brokers Association of America. Yacht brokers are a very good source for getting delivery work and for creating more quality “crew requests” for OPO members. I was an associate member of YBBA for many years back in in the early 2000’s. They held annual meeting with up to 150 yacht brokers from Maine to Florida to Texas. Meetings were in Annapolis, Ft. Lauderdale, Providence and even Nashville one year. But in 2008 when boat sales tanked, they stopped hosting one big national convent and fragmented to smaller reginal meetings. I did not have the time to travel to several regional meetings so stopped.
This year they are returning to organizing one big Annual meeting in Providence RI Mid-July. I plan to attend with a vendors table to promote our OPO crew network to help move boats that brokers negotiate all year long. After all, our OPO mission statement is to “Seek, gather and create quality offshore passages for our members.” I will also rejoin as an associate member and look forward to getting more delivery referrals than I can handle to we can pass them on to other delivery skippers and create more free crew berths for OPO members. Just one of several ways we look to find and create quality offshore passages for you.
If you are interested in signing aboard for one of the limited Swan berths for next fall, here is the schedule posted for the first time. OPO members get the first opportunity to sign up. They also get a $500 repeat or OPO discount. Please let me know if you are interested before placing a deposit since I like to speak with crew before they sign up so I know they will be ready. After acceptance you can place a $2000 deposit by check or credit card with the balance due in early September.
Thanks.
Hank
631-423-4988
Swan Offshore Program Schedule
Swan 48 – Piper Lance
24 October 2024 to 13 November – (21 days)
Newport RI to Bermuda to St. Maarten Caribbean. – Crew arrive Thursday 24 October 2024 for planned departure Saturday 26th October. Depending on weather, there will be a delayed departure from Bermuda for the 2nd leg departing on Wednesday 6 November to watch the Election results. Crew fly home 13 November after one or two days in SXM. $500 discount for OPO members or repeat Swan crew.
$5500 – All-inclusive accept travel to and from the boat and meals and drinks ashore.
Swan 65 – Aurora
24 October 2024 to 13 November – (21 days)
Newport RI to Bermuda to St. Maarten Caribbean. With Captain Johnthan Ishmael and repeat 1s Mate Courney from St. Lucia – Crew arrive Thursday 24 October 2024 for planned departure Saturday 26th October. Depending on weather, there will be a delayed departure from Bermuda for the 2nd leg departing on Wednesday 6 November to watch the Election results. Crew fly home 13 November after one or two days in SXM. $500 discount for OPO members or repeat Swan crew.
$5500 – All-inclusive accept travel to and from the boat and meals and drinks ashore.
Swan 68 Aphrodite
First Leg 21st Oct 2024 to 10 November
Barcelona to Las Palmas Canary Islands Spain - With Tania Aebi as captain and Maurizio as 1st mate. (21 days)
Crew arrive in Barcelona Spain Monday October 21st. – The plan is to depart on the 23rd and make possible stops in Gibraltar and Madeira, Portugal on the way to Las Palmas arriving about November 8th or 9th and then have a couple of days in las Palmas before flying home November 10th. This is a 3-week adventure. The skipper is Tania Aebi and the mate is Maurizio from Southern Italy. A very good cook who will make dinner each night. $500 discount for OPO members or repeat Swan crew.
$4500 – All-inclusive accept travel to and from the boat and meals and drinks ashore.
2nd Leg ARC Rally
17 November to 15th December 2024 (29 days)
Las Palmas to St. Lucia - Murray Jacob as captain – Crew are welcome to arrive up to one week before the start of the ARC Rally from Las Palmas Canary Islands Spain to St. Lucia in the Caribbean. The start is Sunday November 24th, but crew can arrive anytime starting Nov 17th and as late as Thursday Nov 21st to partake in some of the pre-departure ARC Festivities. The 29-day adventure leaves time for a two-or-three- day visit in St. Lucia at the end of the Trans-Atlantic to celebrate and enjoy some post arrival socials depending on how long the crossing takes. $500 discount for OPO members or repeat Swan crew.
$6500 – All-inclusive accept travel to and from the boat and meals and drinks ashore.
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Swan Offshore Program Schedule.
Dominica – “Race to Mero”
One Week Sail Training Option in Portland Maine
Editorial – My wife tells me that weather has turned cold once again after her return to NY three weeks ago. This is my last year missing most of the winter as I always had Avocation to tend to in the winters since 2005. While I know I will still visit Dominica next winter for a week for the 3rd Annual PAYS Dominica Yachting Festival, and to SXM for a visit, most of my time will be devoted to staying closer to home and promoting to OPO Crew Network to more skippers and owners looking for crew.
Dominica – PAYS Dominica Yachting Festival.
Easter was early this year. I went to Easter Service in Portsmouth Dominica. It started at 8:am and ended by 12:15 Lots of music and a long sermon. We set sail a couple of hours later as the final party for the “2nd Annual PAYS Yachting Festival” that ended Saturday night. Highlighted this year was the first ever “Race to Mero” which is 11 miles south of Portsmouth for a one-night party on the beach followed by a return race to Portsmouth the next day. We had eight boats participate in the race including a Swan 65, an Open 40 race boat and of course Avocation. The Swan 65 Aurora was chartered by former OPO member and partner with Avocation, Jan Breyer, who had family members aboard and added a visit to Dominica as part of his two-week charter. Jan and OPO Member Jeff Strider contributed $1000 US to sponsor one night each of the Race to Mero nights and OPO sponsored the race trophies and wrote the NOR (Notice of Race) It was great to share more of Dominica with visiting yachts anchored on new moorings off a rare sandy beach in Dominica. The winner of the 1st “Race to Mero” was OPO Member Peter Bourke sailing his Open 40 Racing boat named Imagine. Peter was entered in the recently completed Global Solo Race, but missed the start after contracting covid in Bermuda last July on his way to the start. Raher than compete in the Global Solo Race he restarted his campaign with a win in the 1st ever “Race to Mero”.
This was Avocations last visit to Dominica. We had the pleasure of having a visiting editor from Cruising World Magazine sail with his. You will read about his story in CW sometime next fall. I will et you know when. We will let you know our plans for finishing the installation of our mooring field in Portsmouth Dominica and Mero beach and how you may be able to fly in and join us for a few the event next year.
I fly home for three weeks from April 5th to April 25th. I have been in St. Maarten and Dominica since Feb 12th. A lot happened while we were in SXM including the passing of our main “boat boy” and Avocation caretaker in SXM “Ben”. He was a natrive of St. Lucia, but lived in SXM for many years. Some of you may have met Ben over the years since he was our go to guy at IGY Marinas for most of our 20 years in SXM. He finished waxing Avocation a week before I flew in Feb 12th. I met up with him and paid him and made a plan for Heineken Week as he takes our lines and hoses down the boat for us. A few days before the regatta he fell down with a stroke. After ten days in the nursery/rehab home he died two days after the regatta ended. We were able to attend his funeral service the day before we left for Dominica, March 22nd.
May he rest in peace.
A less know local worker, who we had hired to help extend the life of our teak decks, also had an accident two days before I flew to the St. Maarten Feb 12th. This year he was doing some varnishing work below while she was out of the water from November to February. Kenlie went to the boat one last time to make sure she was all cleaned up two days before on Feb 10th. The ladder broke and he fell and broke his leg. It was in fact Ben, who was working on the hull that day, who drove Kenlie to the hospital where they performed surgery to put a rod and pins in his broken ankle. Our insurance company has already settled with Kenlie.
If there were ever more obvious signs that it is time to slow down, this is it. I look forward to being home for three weeks this month. I fly home Thursday night. I will be finalizing plans for crew for our fleet of 5 boats departing SXM May 1st. The offshore sailing part of my job makes it all worth it to offer affordable offshore passages on Swans to our members. All the berths are filled accept one berth on the 2nd leg only from Bermuda to Newport RI. May 8th to May 15th. If you wish to join us, I will be working on filling this last spot when I get home. E-mail if you are interested.
Swan Program Moving Forward – We will still have the Swan 68 and Swan 65 sailing as part of the Swan Program since they are grandfathered in. If things go well with the Bali Catamarans, we may try and spend a week in Barcelona for the Americas Cup this September or October. More to come in next months’ issue about this possible option. As OPO members you will hear about anything new that comes our way as the world changes.
I am not retiring from the OPO Crew Network. I have stopped organizing the NARC Rally last Fall. This spring will be the last busy season for me sailing Avocation offshore. I look forward to having OPO members visit me in Huntington NY as they sail up or down LI Sound. It may take a few months to put Avocation to bed and get ready to be host open house visitors when I know I will be in Huntington NY. But by the summer of 2025 after full retirement age, I plan to do less long sails and invite more members to stop by for a visit in Huntington NY and concentrate on the crew network side of OPO.
One week sail Training Options out of Portland Maine – Since OPO is not offering any paid options this summer, I am introducing OPO members to a new rising star in the sail training side of sailing. If you are looking for a one-week affordable option to sail out of or Portland Maine area this summer I would like to look an Emma Garshagen’s new web site and schedule to for a one-week sail training course offerings. Her web site is https://sailseabird.com and her e-mail address is emma@sailseabird.com.
Emma bought a used Navy 44 from the Annapolis Cadet Academy when they sold off the fleet a few years back. She and her dad did a complete refit over the last two years. This is her first year offering one-week paid options to sail out of Portland Maine and New England area. Emma worked for Andy Shell’s 59 North Program for a couple of years and learned a lot. Since this is her first year it is priced much closer to our affordable paid options. While not all women courses, she does offer a couple of all female legs and I imagine this year she will have a lot more women joining. If you are looking for a course, with or for a spouse, this might be a good option. Take a look at her web site and let me know if you have any questions. She and her dad sort of sailed south in our NARC Rally a few years back. They were delayed getting to Newport so sailed straight to SXM where they caught up with us. She is a very nice young lady who I think will go far in the sailing world. Sail with her in her first summer offerings.
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Dominica – PAYS Dominica Yachting Festival.
Swan Offshore Program Schedule
St. Maarten to Newport
St. Maarten to the Mediterranean (Mono or Cat?)
Editorial – Since most people do not have sailing opportunities this time of year, we offer a few winter options to sail with us to help get through the winter months. We have filled the crew for the Heineken Regatta. All the twenty berths for the one-week sail to and from Bermuda in May and June also full. We have a couple of berths left for the two weeks adventure to Dominica and back with an option to stay ashore for nine days in Dominica. We have invited an editor of a major sailing magazine to join us for the event and he has agreed to join the crew. The article will help promote Dominica and further our goal of getting more people to visit the island and take advantage of the work we have been doing there for the past 10 years.
While Avocation is full for the May return from St. Maarten to Newport, we still have five berths aboard the two other Swans sailing to Newport. There are also a couple of berth left to sail with Murray Jacob on the Swan 68 from SXM to Palma Mallorca Spain. We have also solidified plans for our trial run with one of the two big catamarans sailing from the St. Maarten to Barcelona Spain with our mini-Swan Fleet. The 2nd catamaran for this trial run booked another charter later in the season and will miss our May 1st departure. In total we will have five boast departing on May 1st from SXM and sailing to Bermuda fist. If you only have time for a one-week passage, we have can offer you the option to sail just one leg of the two leg run from SXM to Bermuda or Bermuda to Newport.
Free sailing:
It is way to early for boat owners and delivery skippers to be looking for crew now. OPO “crew requests” will start to pick up towards the end of March and in April with the busiest time in May and June. That is why we are happy to be able to find some affordable opportunities to go sailing with us where you can plan well in advance to get time off from work and other responsibilities. Having a passage booked to look forward to is a great way to keep your sailing dreams alive through the cold winter months.
We know most OPO members did not join OPO to hear about how to pay for an offshore passage, but it is a perk to get first dibs on any of the very finite number of good passage opportunities at good prices before we open them to non OPO members. The winter sailing opportunities and Swan Passages are a good way to get to know our members. You can then use us as a reference on your resume. Adding a big passage to your sailing resume also helps you qualify for future passages. More and more, insurance companies require boat owners and skippers to have two or more crew with prior offshore ocean miles to get insurance. If you have a long passage on your resume, you will be chosen over other crew who do not satisfy the insurance requirements for the passage.
While I will be away from the United States from Feb 12 to April 4th, I do check e-mail every day unless I am sailing between islands. I will not be sailing offshore until the May 1st return sail from SXM to the states. Cathy will take care of sending out crew requests while I am at sea. I am home next weeks to talk about any of the passage opportunities still open. After that e-mail works best as I do not check the home office phone while away.
Dominica - 2nd Annual PAYS Dominica Yachting Festival
I wrote an article for the Caribbean Compass, a free newspaper that is distributed to most of the islands in the Caribbean. It just received it yesterday. I have included the article in this newsletter. OPO members who went with us the first year after Covid 19 will see themselves in the picture of us with our cutlass’s as we prepared to help volunteer to clear Trail # 2 of 14 on the island. Come this year and we promise to not put you to work.
Please join us for this 24-hour sail to Dominica with a full week stay on the island for the festival. Plus you can be part of our oversight committee seeing what we are accomplishing on the island. I know a couple of OPO members plan to visit during part of the event with their own boat or a chartered boat. Here is contact information if you wish to e-mail them and reserve a free mooring for the event. Tell them you are an OPO member and part of Hank’s mooring donation project. Our main “boat boy” is Albert Lawrence. You can ask for him or try him on vhf # 16 or phone 767-613-9525. PAYS e-mail address is dominicapays@gmail.com and the phone number for the office is 767-317-9098. You can contact the office and try and reserve a mooring for the event March 23rd to March 31st. Please note moorings are reserved for people who will be participating in the events and touring the island.
If you do not have a boat, come sail with us. You may end up being mentioned in the sailing magazine article the editor of the magazine will be writing about. Here is the information.
Arrive SXM (Sint Maarten) 20 March 2024 and fly home from SXM Tuesday afternoon April 2nd or Wednesday April 3rd, 2024. We sail to Dominica Friday March 22nd and will be in Dominica Saturday March 23rd until we leave Sunday March 31st or Monday morning the 1st of April. Come join us for two weeks sailing from St. Maarten to Dominica where we will spend a full nine days participating in the PAYS Dominica Yachting Festival. Two crew stay aboard the boat with me (private cabins) and three or four crew stay ashore at Mango Cottages for our nine day stay in Dominica. There is a different price for staying ashore since you pay for your accommodations ashore directly to Eddison and Sylvia. We have been staying with them for the past eight years during the week. Google” Mango Cottages Dominica” to see more. Cathy has stayed twice and they are comfortable with full baths and internet. We also rent a car to get to and from the house which the crew staying in the house chip in for even though I make the reservations locally for the car. There is a fun race midweek to Mero and back on Thursday, but most of the time we will be in Portsmouth Dominica touring the island and taking part in the organized events of the week.
Price for two crew who will stay aboard with me $2000 per person. Less than $1000 per week.
Price to sail down with us and stay ashore $1500 plus paying for accommodations. Studio is $92 per night and sharing the house with 2 bedrooms and 2 baths is half of $147 per night. There is a 10% discount since we stay longer than a week and we are repeat guests. There is an option to have a spouse join and stay in the house. They can fly down on a direct flight from Miami on American Airlines. I can tell you more if you are interested.
Swan Offshore Program Schedule
St. Maarten to Newport RI – Fly into SXM Monday April 29th and travel home from Newport RI Wednesday May 15th.
Avocation is full but we have added another Swan 48 to our fleet We also have the Swan 65 Aurora on this 1500-mile passage with a two or three day stop in Bermuda. Crew arrive in time to settled aboard and spend two nights and a full day in SXM before we depart Wednesday May 1st. The passage gets split into two legs with the Bermuda layover. Many people do not have two weeks for an offshore passage. That is why the one-week sails to and from Bermuda are so popular. To help more people get that 1st offshore passage on their resume we are offering to break up the two-week trip into two, one leg options so you can join us. The price is the same as the passages to Bermuda.
Dates for leg # 1: Fly into St. Maarten April 29th. Depart May 1st for sea and arrive 5 to 6 days later and then fly home Wednesday May 8th.
Dates for Leg # 2: Fly into Bermuda May 8th for departure the next day and arrive 4 to 5 days later in Newport and travel home May 15th.
This may help more crew the opportunity to join one of the Swans in our return fleet this Spring.
The price is the same as for the one-week passage to Bermuda in June which are $2900.
Swan 48 – (Two berths left) If you wish to join the crew of the Swan 48 with Steve Ochenkoski. Steve recently sailed with Murray from France to Las Palmas on a Neal 43 Catamaran. He skippered a Swan 56 back with us two years ago and is returning to sail a very nice 2002 Swan 48 back to Newport.
Swan 65 Aurora - (Three berths left) Sail with repeat skipper Johnathan Ishmael. Johnathan has been skippering for us regularly for years now. Also returning is 1st mate Courtney who takes care of the boat a good part of the year in Sag Harbor and St. Lucia. A Swan 65 won the first Whitbread around the World Race. She is a big comfortable boat with 5 cabins.
The Swan 48 sails with 5 crew plus the skipper for a total of 6 crew for a civilized 3 hours on and 6 hours off watch schedule. The Swan 65 is almost twice the tonnage, but goes with one more crew so 6 crew plus the skipper and mate.
The cost for the passage is $4500 which includes everything except your travel to and from the boat. It includes all onboard food, fuel, dockage, head tax and even towels and linen. It does not include travel to and from the boat and any meals and drinks ashore. Once we have agreed that you will be ok to join us, we ask for a $2000 deposit now and the balance is due 45 days before the passage. You can pay a deposit online at www.sailopo.com/store or by mailing a check. We prefer checks since it saves us credit card fees. Please make check out to “Offshore Passage Opportunities” and mail to OPO. PO Box 2600, Halesite NY 11743.
Swan 68 Aphrodite
St. Marten to Palma Mallorca -
Fly into SXM on Monday April 29th and fly home from Palma Mallorca on June 4th.2024.
Sail with Murray Jacob sailing the Swan 68 Aphrodite from St. Maarten to Mallorca. A stop in Horta in the Azores is another usual stop before going through the Straights of Gibraltar and ending the passage in Palma. Murray is one of our most popular skippers and has been sailing this boat for the past three or four years. Since the owner delayed so long deciding where the boat was going I am reducing the price $500 for everyone, even those who already signed up.
If you wish to join Murray, please send me an e-mail and we can make sure you are ready for the Trans-Atlantic Crossing. The cost for the passage is $5500 $5000 which includes everything except your travel to and from the boat. It includes all onboard food, fuel, dockage, head tax and even towels and linen, It does not include travel to and from the boat and any meals and drinks ashore. Once we have agreed that you will be ok to join us we ask for a $2000 deposit now and the balance is due 45 days before the passage. You can pay a deposit online at www.sailopo.com/store
Sailing Trans-Atlantic on Catamarans – Fly into SXM on Monday April 29th and fly home from Barcelona Spain by May 26th.
We are very excited to announce the trail run for a future annual Trans-Atlantics twice a year between Spain and the Caribbean. We are now taking deposits for this trial run. Two Bali 50.4 (56 feet) catamarans will depart with our Swan fleet May 1st from St. Maarten and sail to Bermuda. The Swan 68 and the two catamarans will then sail to the Azores and three Swans including Avocation will sail to the USA. While Murray is sailing all the way to Italy. Home port for Two-Oceans s and MIM Sailing is Barcelona Spain. The venue for the Americas Cup this September and October. I will e-mail the dozen people who have expressed interest in sailing aboard one of these two catamarans. There is still room and time for you to talk about this rare opportunity to cross an ocean on a big boat for such a good deal. A couple sharing a cabin is $7500 (for the cabin, not each) for a month all- inclusive except travel to and from the boat and meals and drinks ashore. I sent out a brochure for each boat in the Jan 15th Extra-Extra Notice. They are filming the video and taking pictures for the web site this week in the Grenadines. I will let everyone know when it is done. If you need me to resend the brochure, let me know. Here are more hints to the stakeholder mystery question to get a $500 discount for the trail run. Add Miami, # 10 to the soccer player on the downwind sail in the brochure, and the name of the team being a really bad storm over 74 knots.
Mono-hulls vs. Catamarans
Even better, charter Two-Oceans for a week next winter in the Caribbean and go for free.*
You now have a choice. Sail Trans-Atlantic on a Swan 68 mono-hull or try your hand at sailing a big catamaran. Murray’s passage is a few days longer sailing all the way to Italy. Sailing on one of the cats will get you home taking advantage of the Memeorial Day holiday weekend. The bat should arrive by Friday May 24th but you can stay aboard until Sunday May 26th and fly home in time for work on Tuesday.
Our Swan 68 with captain Murray Jacob already has four crew planning to join which leaves two more open berths. Aphrodite is sailing a few days further into the Med and ending near Mallorca Spain. . The price for sailing on the Swan is $5500. In comparison the bucket list, miles building opportunity to sail on one of the catamarans (Brochures included in this e-mail.) is $4500 to $5500 for this first year. Couples sharing a cabin $8000. Not including the $500 discount for the answer to our stakeholder question. Deduct $500 from the price for the right answer.
The Program is just like out Swan Program offering discounted transitional crew passage opportunities in the spring and fall. All crew are part of the crew (not charter quests) and will stand watches and help in the galley and to keep the boat in good shape with the goal of a successful and safe passage.
Trial Offer:
*The price of your Trans-Atlantic will be deducted from the charter fee. (Max $5000) Limited to two charters only. After months of talks we are looking forward to our trial run at trial run rates this spring. Look at the attached brochure. If you can tell me who a major stakeholder is in this venture, get a $500 discount.
Why Sailors Should Visit Dominica BY CARIBBEAN COMPASS
January 30, 2024
in CRUISING, DESTINATIONS
Reading Time: 7 mins read
A A
Story and Photos by Hank SchmittThere are two types of sailors in the Caribbean. There are those who come down and charter for a week or two and sail from beach bar to beach bar, taking a short break from life. And then there are cruisers who come to the Caribbean for the season and have several months to live the dream life. Cruisers tend to spend a week or more in as many islands as possible, based on how expensive they are and how much there is to see and do. The island that best meets these criteria is the less traveled island of Dominica.
Why Dominica? After all, there are no docks to pull up to so you can wash your boat, get fuel or provision with a dock cart. When I first visited years ago there were still rusting hulks littering the main shoreline of Portsmouth. How could an ex-British island sandwiched between the two culinary delightful French islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe hope to compete as a Caribbean standout destination?
Dominica got independence from Great Britain in 1978 only to be decimated by Hurricane Frederick in 1979. With no white sandy beaches and a small airport on the wrong side of the island, for many years, Dominica was passed over as a desirable vacation spot. Some European guidebooks still list it as a dangerous place to visit.
Nothing can be further from the truth. Dominica is a very safe and welcoming place to visit. Only recently, cruising sailors have begun to discover what the Discover Dominica tourism authority has been extolling for years. And others are taking notice. Travel & Leisure magazine has named Dominica the top island in the Caribbean for two years in a row, in 2022 and 2023. National Geographic Traveler included it in its “Cool List 2024.” Rough Guides listed it as a Best Destination 2024. And Time magazine went even further in 2023, naming Dominica one of the world’s greatest places.
“Boat boy” Albert taking us up the Indian River
To start with, entering the country is very easy. If it is your first visit to Portsmouth, ask one of the “boat boys” to bring you to the custom house. You can clear in and out at the same time if you are visiting for a week or less. It costs very little, $35 EC, which is about $15 US, and while you’re there, you can get a sense of how much sailing in Dominica is like sailing in the Caribbean in the early days: They still use carbon paper to make copies. When was the last time you saw carbon paper? If you want your passport stamped, you must go to the police station in town.
Dominica, the premiere eco-tourism island in the Caribbean, is 70 percent undeveloped. Everything grows there except apples. The island has the second largest boiling lake in the world, with the largest being in New Zealand. It has the only Indian reservation in the Caribbean, the Kalinago, formerly known as Island Caribs or simply Caribs. It boasts 365 rivers. The Indian River tour highlights the only Caribbean island river that you can travel up for 1.6 km. Years ago, the island was organized into fourteen walking trails called the Waitukubuli National Hiking Trails. They have not all been fully cleared since Maria, but some segments have reopened including number 2, which was cleared with help from volunteers from my organization, Offshore Passage Opportunities (OPO) Crew Network. The number 2 segment is not far from the Portsmouth anchorage.
The crew of Avocation and OPO members volunteering to clear trail number 2 of the 14 Waitukubuli National Hiking Trails after Hurricane Maria.
New this year is a similarly numbered 14-segment 60-mile kayaking Waitukubuli Sea Trail, the first in the Caribbean. The sea trail, a collaboration between privately owned Soufrière Outdoor Center and the Ministry of Tourism and Discover Dominica, starts in the south at Scott’s Head. While some people take up to a week to kayak this multi segment sea trail, cruisers have more time and can pick nicer weather to see some of this more rugged southern and eastern shore.
Antigua has a donkey reserve for older animals with a tagline “Save your ass.” In contrast, Dominica this year created the first sperm whale reserve to the west of Dominica, with its own preservation tagline, “Saving the sperm whales,” and a mission to control ship traffic and interaction between man and whale. Recently featured in a segment on 60 Minutes, sperm whales visit Dominica in the winter to eat deep sea squid and calf their young. The Ministry of Tourism must balance access to the whales and protection of their habitat to perpetuate the mission of sustainability.
Dominica’s Boiling Lake
Catering to the cruise ship trade, Dominica is building a 4.1-mile cable car to hoist visiting cruise ship passengers up the Roseau valley to the Boiling Lake in about 20 minutes. This is far easier than the difficult five to six-hour round trip hike. To further embrace their image as an eco-tourism island, geothermal wells have already been drilled to harness the heat from the earth. This will create electricity not only for Dominica, but eventually for Guadeloupe and Martinique as well.
In Dominica you want to get off the boat early in the morning before it gets too hot and get an early start on any of the many eco-tourism excursions. With Morne Diablotins topping out at 4,747 feet, there are many options in higher and cooler elevations to hike or swim in numerous waterfalls throughout the island. However, experienced cruisers will not leave their boats unattended if they think there is poor holding ground or suspect moorings. They also will not leave their boats if they think someone will come “borrow” something.
The boat boys in Dominica have organized themselves into PAYS, which stands for the Portsmouth Association of Yacht Services. This local group of fourteen original members, with help from the government, have a secure anchorage in the northern corner of Portsmouth’s Prince Rupert Bay. They have about forty moorings set in 15 to 40 feet of water in front of the PAYS pavilion and dinghy dock. They also have a shower and shoreside facility. Proceeds from barbecues held every Sunday and often additional Wednesdays in season go toward hiring a security boat which keeps watch at night. PAYS members are around to handle security during the day.
My connection with PAYS goes back to a chance meeting in 2012 with member Albert Lawrence. When I saw Albert was taking risks fishing well offshore on his small boat during the off-season, I offered to send materials to build a new and bigger boat. This led to a successful fundraiser from OPO, and a decades-long friendship with Albert. Other fund raisers for PAYS followed: An offer to raise money for a mooring field started in 2015, and a relief effort came after Hurricane Maria in 2017.
The PAYS beach, dinghy dock, and pavilion, which is the headquarters and location of Sunday and Wednesday barbecues.
This winter, PAYS will receive thirty new moorings shipped from the Gilman Corporation in Gilman, CT. This will expand the PAYS moorings brand to other anchorages on the protected west coast between Toucari in the north and Mero, south of Portsmouth. Ten moorings will also be placed in front of the old Ross University in the southern, quieter corner of Prince Rupert Bay. These moorings are available to sailors for $12 a day. With a secure mooring field and additional materials donated by the Moran Tugboat Company Norfolk Station and mooring buoys donated by members of OPO, visiting skippers and crew can feel more comfortable leaving their boat for the day to explore Dominica.
Without PAYS, none of this could have happened. Past president Jeff “Seabird” Frank was instrumental in getting the first mooring field in place. Three years ago, Andrew “Cobra” O’Brien took over as president. Along with treasurer Eddison Lavelle, they continue to work toward making Dominica a safe and affordable place to visit. More recently, Minister of Tourism Denis Charles-Pemberton and Permanent Secretary Miss Lisa Valmond have taken a keen interest in helping expand the PAYS brand with a MAYS (Mero Association of Yacht Services) to copy the success in Portsmouth. Cruisers can see more of the island without having to go by car. Plans are to add a dinghy dock in Mero Beach next season and perhaps expand the PAYS brand to Newtown in the south.
By adding moorings in other anchorages in Dominica, the goal is to have cruising sailors spend more time exploring. Many sailors want to give back after having a successful working career. They want to enjoy life, but also not ignore those who may need assistance. Dominica is a great place to spend some time and volunteer for some of the community-based needs. The PAYS office can put you in touch with local humanitarian project leaders.
Houston-based Macario Advantage, a humanitarian group, can also provide direction for those who want to help. Co-founders Clair and Magoe manage the Eastern Caribbean islands to enhance the effectiveness of local organizations that serve the youth, elderly, abandoned, dispossessed, and homeless. Their belief is that we can all work together to alleviate some of the suffering associated with poverty and help give people hope that they will see a brighter day. Read more about them at macarioadvantage.org.
To get the word out about the moorings field, PAYS started a week-long event called Yachtie Appreciation Week several years ago. Last year, with government support, it morphed into the PAYS Dominica Yachting Festival. The secomd annual event will take place March 23-31, 2024. Moorings will be free for the week for those who sign up and take part in a full schedule of events planned for the nine-day event. There will be discount tours offered, several PAYS barbecues and a closing free dinner at the Cabrits Fort. On Thursday there will be a race to the beach community of Mero for a party that night. Sailors will race back Friday morning to be in Toucari for a mash-up street party that night.
To contact PAYS, visit paysdominica.com.
Tags: Dominica
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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ll,
The Feb 1st Notice is held up waiting confirmation of some information. It will be sent no later than Monday.
Thanks,
Hank Schmitt
OPO
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Mono-hulls vs. Catamarans
Heineken Regatta – One week in the Sun
Dominica Adventure – Two-week Option
Avocation arrived in St. Maarten after dark last November. We had to anchor outside Simpson Bay. (There is a Bridge that only opens 3 times a day to allow boats to enter the Lagoon.) In the morning, when we woke at first light, the majority of other boats in the anchorage were catamarans. A few days later when I hauled Avocation out at Bobby’s Mega-Yard for her annual bottom painting and dry storage until I return in February, most of the boats in the yard were catamarans. Anyone paying attention to the charter trade or has been chartering in the Caribbean can see how the world has gone crazy over catamarans. Many OPO members ask about getting sea time on cats.
The annual ARC Rally from Las Palmas to the Caribbean used to boast as many as 225 boats This past year the ARC was restricted to closer to 150 boats because so many were catamarans. They take up a lot of dock space. The only rally left departing from the US East Coast to the Caribbean is the Salty Dawg Rally. Then I met the organizer of a new “renegade” rally called the “Cool Cats Rally” for “Catamarans and those that identify as Catamarans,” says founder Coy Comontofski. Get it “Cool Cats” vs. “Salty Dawgs”. Anyway…
Our niche at OPO is offshore sailing. Before committing to buying a boat one of the first things you need to ask is how you plan to use your boat. Catamarans are great gunkholing platforms for charters and cruising through the Islands. But how do they handle offshore? The easy answer is that size matters. While small catamarans could be a problem in storm conditions, big is beautiful. I have skippered a 39-foot cat from South Africa to the Caribbean. I have also abandoned a 42 cat 300 miles offshore immortalized by Charlie Doane’s book The Sea is Not Full. Offshore, you want to be on a big catamaran.
All this talk about catamarans leads up to this announcement that we are now offering twice annual seasonal Trans-Atlantic passages on Bali 5.4 Catamarans (56 feet) between the Caribbean and Spain starting this spring.
Sailing Trans-Atlantic on Catamarans – We are very excited to announce the trail run for a future annual Trans-Atlantics twice a year. We have been exploring this addition to our offshore program for months. I was first contacted last August by the owners and representatives of Two-Oceans & MIM Ocean. After months of talks we are looking forward to our trial run at trial run rates this spring. Look at the attached brochure. If you can tell me who a major stakeholder is in this venture, get a $500 discount. Even better, charter a boat for a week next winter in the Caribbean and go for free.* The web site for Two Oceans will be done in the next week or two. I will let you know in the February 1st “Notice to OPO Mariners”. If you are interested and want to get on the pre-deposit list of people interested in signing aboard one of the two catamarans, please let me know. I will be meeting the skippers and seeing the boats in St. Maarten next month. Once I have met them and understand the layout better, I will take deposits. I will then include you in all the communications for the four Swan crews also departing May 1st. We will have six boats departing on May 1st from St. Maarten sailing to Bermuda. Although the layout of the boats can accommodate as many as eleven crew, we plan to go with only 6 crew plus the pro skipper and 1st mate, just like the Swan 68. It will be “Cats vs Mon-hulls. Not that it is a race…
*The price of your Trans-Atlantic will be deducted from the charter fee. Limited to two charters only.
The two boats in the attached brochures will be departing with our Swan Fleet of four Swans for a total of six boats departing for Bermuda May 1st 2024 from St. Maarten. These are the first two boats that sailed across from Spain last November and are currently for charter in the Caribbean at $35,000 a week. We are offering berths for the 3-to-4-week passage back to Spain at a 1st time trial rate. The final destination will most likely be Barcelona Spain. We will know 100% the planned arrival date and airport to fly home from soon. If all goes well, we will have as many as four Bali catamarans sailing back from Spain to the Caribbean next year and to repeat for the foreseeable future.
Mono-hulls vs. Catamarans
You now have a choice. Sail Trans-Atlantic on a Swan 68 mono-hull or try your hand at sailing a big catamaran.
Our Swan 68 with captain Murray Jacob already has four crew planning to join which leaves two more open berths. Aphrodite is sailing a few days further into the Med and ending near Genoa Italy. The price for sailing on the Swan is $5500. In comparison the bucket list, miles building opportunity to sail on one of the catamarans (Brochures included in this e-mail.) is $4500 to $5500 for this first year. Couples sharing a cabin $8000. Not including the $500 discount for the answer to our stakeholder question. Deduct $500 from the price for the right answer.
The Program is just like out Swan Program offering discounted transitional crew passage opportunities in the spring and fall. All crew are part of the crew (not charter quests) and will stand watches and help in the galley and to keep the boat in good shape with the goal of a successful and safe passage.
If you want to learn more, please contact me and I will tell you more. Plan to book a charter next season in the Caribbean next season and you can deduct your trans-Atlantic fee for this spring passage from the charter fee for a full 100% credit. Take $4000 or $5000 off the charter price for next season. Limited to the two charters excluding holiday weeks.
Also with this Extra-Extra
We realize this late, most people cannot take advantage of the last couple of berths left open for our two winter get-aways. Maybe the recent cold weather will convince those not working and having the time to spend a week or two sailing in warm weather will decide to join us. It is a shame to miss out if you have time. Come join us aboard Avocation for either of the following opportunities.
Heineken Regatta
PAYS Dominica Yachting Festival
Heineken Regatta- Only 6 weeks until Crew show up Feb 26th to March 4th for our last Heineken regatta. We have two young grinders and a returning mainsheet trimmer. You do not need to have previous racing experience. We sail in the “Island Time” division with one race a day and no spinnaker. We have room for one more crew to join and stay on the boat for $1500. We have room for two crew to stay in the villa (Two more bedrooms.) For another $500 you can stay in the 6-bedroom villa you can see here.
https://www.islandpropertiesonline.com/ocean-pearl-dawn-beach-st-maarten
This is our 19th regatta, but only the 4th year we are going so upscale. A non sailing spouse or friend is welcome to come for an additional $500 so $2500 for a couple. Call or e-mail and we can reserve a room and a berth to sail with us.
Dominica – An even better value to join us for 2 weeks on a captained Swan 48 for $1000 per week. Or join us for two weeks and pay even less ($1500) and stay ashore for 8 days at Mango Cottages (You can also Google Mango Cottages) paying only about $500 for the eight days to Mango Cottages directly. Two of the four apartment ashore are already filled so we have room for two more crew to join us and stay ashore. There is also room for one more person to stay on the boat with me. You will have a private cabin once we arrive in Dominica.
More details for both opportunities were in our previous newsletter. If you are interested in joining us, simply call or e-mail and I will tell you more if you have deleted the OPO Notices to Mariners. There will be more information about our plans visiting Dominica in the February 1st Notice. We are visiting for their annual PAYS Dominica Yachting Festival and have front row seats for the entire event.
I know we will have some boat owning OPO members and NARC Rally participants also trying to join us. Please do let me know if you are planning to join us and I can tell you how to reserve a mooring for the week. The Swan 65 Aurora is chartered by an OPO members for two weeks and will be joining us for three of four days during the event. Everyone is welcome to come for the entire week or for any part. Please tell your fellow cruisers as well.
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
NBR – Newport Bermuda Race
Dominica – Mooring field report
Heineken Regatta
Dominica – PAYS Dominica Yachting Festival.
Swan Offshore Program Schedule
One week Option FullTwo - week OptionThree- week Option
Editorial – Now that you have made sure everyone else had a good holiday season it is time to plan something for yourself. We started off the New Year with OPO Crew Request # 24-01. Since it is early in the year and not a lot of people are out sailing and looking for crew, the owner got a lot of good responses. Understandably most will be disappointed since he was only looking for one crew, but hopefully might take two. If you have your heart set on some warm weather sailing this winter, we offer two options to come sail with us. We still have room for one crew to stay on the boat for the Heineken regatta and two open bedrooms in the house near Oyster Pond. We sail 5 of the 8 days between Feb 26th and March 4th in SXM. This will be outr19th and final regatta sailing Avocation so please do come join us. (See below for new pricing*)
We have filled all 20 berths for the one-week legs to or from Bermuda. The one-week timeframe works well for many people. Avocation is also full for the passage north in May. Thankfully, we have added another Swan 48 to the fleet with repeat OPO skipper Steve Ochenkoski. Steve is sailing with Captain Murray Jacob from France to the Canary Islands on a Neal Trimaran as I write this. Both Steve and Murray will be in St. Maarten at the end of April to get ready for arriving crew for our annual passage north May 1st. Three Swans will sail to Newport after a 2-day stop in Bermuda and Murray will continue to the Med aboard the Swan 68 Aphrodite. He has three berths left.
NBR – Newport Bermuda Race – 2024 is a Newport Bermuda race year. OPO is the official crew network for the race again this year. Anyone interested in being a crew in the race or for the return passage contacts OPO and we put them on a list for any skipper or boat owner who is looking for crew. Since you are already an active OPO member you will also get the information about anyone who is looking for crew. Most race crews sail with people they know and practice with. But most crew do not want to take the 2nd week off to make the return passage. Many OPO members have helped crew boats back in past years. We will let you know who is looking for crew in the coming months leading up to the June start.
Dominica – Mooring field report
Setback with Dominica Mooring Field
Just before Christmas we got this e-mail from the manufacturer of our mooring buoys, the Gilman Corperation in Gilman CT.
Dear Sir,
The new Material we extruded for your Order did not pass our QC standards.
The appearance after skinning was unacceptable.
We need to re-extrude the Material.
If I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Respectfully,
Sales
Gilman Corporation
My Response
On Dec 22, 2023, at 11:01 AM, Hank Schmitt <hank@sailopo.com> wrote:
Hi Tiffany,
Can you please tell me what this means as far as the delay in my order? It would help if I had more information so I can pass it on to the people in Dominica who are waiting to install them for this season. Please let me know how long you will be closed for the holiday season and if this is going to take much longer.
Please let me know when the order may be filled and ready to ship.
Best Regards,
Hank Schmitt
OPO
Dear Sir,
We need to start the Order from scratch.
This will take another 8-12 weeks.
If I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Respectfully,
Tiffany
Hi Tiffany,
6 to 8 weeks? That does not work. Please hold off until I consult with my membership and also the folks in Dominica. Sending them the moorings at the end of their season is a total waste. In the Caribbean they have no sense of taking care of the buoys until next year.
Regards,
Hank Schmitt
The problem is if the moorings are completed in 6 to 8 weeks they are still in Gilman CT. At best it will take three to four weeks to truck them to Florida, get on a ship to Dominica and clear customs. That is the easy part. Now we are asking the PAYS members to find the time to get the moorings installed in March, during the busiest time of the year. Remember the PAYS Dominica Yachting Festival is March 23rd to 31st 2024. I know this will not work and the moorings will not get the attention they need.
January Priority – I will be sending an e-mail to all 67 OPO members who donated money towards the new moorings offering some options. One option is to find another manufacturer who sells direct to the public. Another option is to use locally sourced temporary lobster type buoys for this year and have the new buoys sent at the proper time next season. We are working to have a cohesive brand of moorings on the northern half of the West Coast of Dominica. We will keep you posted. Or better yet plan to join us for the sail down to Dominica in March and see for yourself.**
*Heineken Regatta
Our 19th and last Heineken Regatta Monday Feb 26th to Monday March 4th – One week in the sun. One day of practice and four race days. This is the cruising division using white sails. We do not fly a spinnaker. But we do have fun. You can stay aboard the boat (A requirement of the “Island Time” division is to have some crew living aboard) or you can stay ashore in very nice shoreside accommodations with a pool. Up to three members can bring a non-sailing spouse. The crew staying aboard come up to the pool most days for diner and a swim. There is a discounted price for staying aboard and a premium price for staying ashore depending on if you wish the master suite or just a bed. A non-sailing spouse is welcome to join us and stay ashore and enjoy the regatta with us. My wife will be staying ashore and will have a car some days to tour the island. The price includes ground transportation to get between the boat and the villa. We all chip in $200 to start for drinks and meals in the house and on the boat. We take turns cooking in the house and have maid service three times. We often have money left over for the final meal Sunday night after the awards in the Heineken Race Village. Over the years we have perfected a format that works well for all and is priced very well considering you are sailing on a Swan 48 for 5 days and staying in a very nice private villa with a pool overlooking St. Barts. Three of the six bedroom have a private bath while two rooms share bathrooms in a private two-bedroom apartment with kitchen with one bedroom that can sleep three crew. We will all eat in the big dining room up in the main house.
Ocean Pearl - 6-bedroom villa - 6-bedroom rate -
Monday February 26th to Monday March 4th 2024
Price to stay on the boat (2 crew in private cabin) $2000 each (Includes car to get to villa to join us for meals and a swim.) Stay in the Villa. Shared Bath $2250 (1 rooms). Private Bath (2 rooms) $2500 One Master Suite $3000. Rooms with private baths accommodations with king or queen beds and master room can include a spouse for only an extra $500 for the week (plus $200 per person for food.)
**Dominica - 2nd Annual PAYS Dominica Yachting Festival
Arrive SXM (Sint Maarten) 20 March 2024 and fly home from SXM Tuesday afternoon April 2nd or Wednesday April 3rd, 2024. We sail to Dominica Friday March 22nd and will be in Dominica Saturday March 23rd until we leave Sunday March 31st or Monday morning the 1st of April. Come join us for two weeks sailing from St. Maarten to Dominica where we will spend a full nine days participating in the PAYS Dominica Yachting Festival. Two crew stay aboard the boat with me (Private Cabin) and three or four crew stay ashore at Mango Cottages for our 9 day stay in Dominica. There is a different price for staying ashore since you pay for your accommodations ashore directly to Eddison and Sylvia. We have been staying with them for the past eight years during the week. Google Mango Cottages Dominica to see more. Cathy has stayed twice and they are comfortable with full baths and internet. We also rent a car to get to and from the house which the crew staying in the house chip in for even though I make the reservations locally for the car. There is a fun race midweek to Mero and back on Thursday, but most of the time we will be in Portsmouth Dominica touring the island and taking part in the organized events of the week.
Price for two crew who will stay aboard with me $2000 per person
Price to sail down with us and stay ashore $1500 plus paying for accommodations. Studio is $92 per night and sharing the house with 2 bedrooms and 2 baths is half of $147 per night. There is a 10% discount since we stay longer than a week and we are repeat guests. There is an option to have a spouse join and stay in the bouse. They can fly down on a direct flight from Miami on American Airlines. I can tell you more if you are interested.
Swan Offshore Program Schedule
Please ignore the following if you are offended by the idea of having to pay for an offshore passage.
Two Week Option
St. Maarten to Newport RI – Fly into SXM Monday April 29th and travel home from Newport RI Wednesday May 15th.
Avocation is full but we have added another Swan 48 to our fleet We also have the Swan 65 Aurora on this 1500-mile passage with a two or three day stop in Bermuda. Crew arrive in time to settled aboard and spend two nights and a full day in SXM before we depart Wednesday May 1st. The passage gets split into two legs with the Bermuda layover. You get to apply what you learned on the first leg right away on this more challenging 2nd leg where you will cross the Gulf Stream into cooler waters. This is a great way to reinforce what you learned the first leg and improve on it.
If you wish to join the crew of the Swan 48 with Steve or Swan 65 Aurora, please send me an e-mail and we can discuss your joining us for the trip. The cost for the passage is $4500 which includes everything except your travel to and from the boat. It includes all onboard food, fuel, dockage, head tax and even towels and linen. It does not include travel to and from the boat and any meals and drinks ashore. Once we have agreed that you will be ok to join us, we ask for a $2000 deposit now and the balance is due 45 days before the passage. You can pay a deposit online at www.sailopo.com/store or by mailing a check. We prefer checks since it saves us credit card fees. Please make check out to “Offshore Passage Opportunities” and mail to OPO. PO Box 2600, Halesite NY 11743.
Swan 68 Aphrodite
Three-to four week Option - With Murray Jacob
Fly into SXM on Monday April 29th and fly home from Spain (we are still working on final details but think the boat will go back to Palma Mallorca.
Sail with Murray Jacob sailing the Swan 68 Aphrodite from St. Maarten to Mallorca Spain departing about the same time as the other two Swans. First stop may also include Bermuda weather dependent. A stop in Horta in the Azores is another usual stop before going through the Straights of Gibraltar and ending the passage in Spain.
If you wish to join Murray, please send me an e-mail and we can make sure you are ready for the Trans-Atlantic Crossing. The cost for the passage is $5500 which includes everything except your travel to and from the boat. It includes all onboard food, fuel, dockage, head tax and even towels and linen, It does not include travel to and from the boat and any meals and drinks ashore. Once we have agreed that you will be ok to join us we ask for a $2000 deposit now and the balance is due 45 days before the passage. You can pay a deposit online at www.sailopo.com/store or by mailing a check. We prefer checks since it saves us credit card fees. Please make check out to “Offshore Passage Opportunities” and mail to OPO. PO Box 2600, Halesite NY 11743.
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
NARC Rally Finale
Dominica – Mooring field report
Heineken Regatta
Dominica – PAYS Dominica Yachting Festival.
Swan Offshore Program Schedule
One week OptionTwo - week OptionThree- week Option
Editorial – With our December issue we announce our Winter and Spring Schedule to OPO members first. There are not a lot of passage opportunities in the middle of the winter. Boats are either put away or do not need help island hopping in the Caribbean.
We do plan one last Heineken Regatta and our annual sail from St. Maarten to Dominica and back to SXM for the 2nd Annual PAYS Yachting Festival which morphed from our original YAW (Yachtie Appreciation Week) to support the mooring field OPO members donated to the island. We invite members to join us. We also have our Swan 48 Avocation for one more spring season with a two-week option to sail from St. Marten to Newport in May. The Swan 65 Aurora will also be taking paying crew along for this two leg 1500 moles passage. Murray Jacob will once again sail the Swan 68 from St. Maarten to the Mediterranean this May.
The one-week option to sail to or from NY to Bermuda is so popular we are offering two round trip legs this year with Tania Aebi sailing the last return passage June 16th. OPO members get the schedule first before we open it up to non-members. We have a waiting list that may fill up the first 10 berths which is why we added a 2nd earlier passage in May. Those ten OPO members get a choice of which leg they wish to join of the 4 one-week options.
Of course most members are not interested in our “pay to” sail options since they are more flexible and do not need to reserve dates well in advance. Please ignore the winter schedule. This will be the last year we have Avocation so I want to offer as many berths as possible this season. I will then have more time to concentrate on OPO for many years to come.
NARC Rally Wrap-up – OPO members who have made the annual fall passage from New England to the Caribbean know it can be very challenging. You may be surprised to hear that this year was our easiest passage since I started my annual passage in 1998 and the NARC Rally in 2000. I never had to put gloves or pull up my hooded sweatshirt it was so warm. The Gulf Stream was a non-issue. We did have 25 to 35 knots for a couple of hours one night the day before arriving in Bermuda, but it was expected and we were ready. It took the normal four and one-half days. With no delay leaving Newport this year, we had a full five-day visit in Bermuda. The 1st half of the leg from Bermuda to SXM was an exasperating three-day motor followed by perfect two and a half day close to beam reach in trade winds sailing conditions for a five and a half day final passage south aboard Avocation.
Time to make it official
This was the last year for the NARC Rally. This will also be the last Heineken Regatta, passage to Dominica and spring Swan Program for Avocation. If you have been planning to join Hank sailing aboard the OPO Flagship Swan 48 Avocation then this December issue has the final spring Schedule including her. Since we have so much interest in the one-week option to sail to or from Bermuda we are making two trips this spring. OPO will of course continue offering as many free quality passage opportunities as possible for many years to come. I am not retiring, just planning to spend more time at home. We also will continue to offer passage opportunities aboard Swan 65 Aurora and Swan 68 Aphrodite for the two owners we have been working with for years as long as we continue to put our own OPO skippers aboard. Since so many people are asking about making long passages on catamarans, we may have some exciting news about adding a catamaran option into next years’ schedule. More information to follow.
Dominica – Mooring field report
Thirty moorings are on order from the Gilman Corp. in Gilman CT. To date 67 OPO members and friends have donated $15,645 towards the purchase and shipping charges to Dominica. We increased our order from 25 to 30 moorings. We placed the order September 9th expecting a 6-to-8 week lead time. In October the factory had a fire and only now just getting back up to full production. The 30 new moorings buoys will ship from Ct at the end of December. They first get trucked to Florida to join a shipment of mooring line and shackles and thimbles donated by the Moran Tugboat Company in Norfolk Virginia with the help of OPO member and Swan participant Ken Flowers. From there they will travel by ship Dominica. They will already have the moorings blocks built or soon to be built in January so we can have the moorings in place by mid-February or March, well before PAYS Yachting Festival.
OPO produced a professional video, (Not donated money. 100% of OPO collected funds goes to Dominica) which can be found at https://www.sailopo.com/dominica. Towards the end you see them building a mooring anchor block on the beach. A bulldozer picks it up and brings it to the waters edge where a float is places on dop and the anchor block is attached with a drift pin. It is floated into position. A volunteer then knocking a drift pin out with a hammer to release the anchor block and watch as the dock jumps up when the weight is released.
The January 1st “Notice to OPO Mariners will have the full accounting for the moorings and the shipping since we still do now have those totals yet until we ship the materials. There will be an accounting with a list of members who donated to the mooring field by first name and last initial only. Those who donated a full mooring will have their names subscribed in brass on a piece of wood that will be on display in the PAYS office in Dominica next to the one with names from the first go around. I am working on getting more information about joining us by air and staying ashore for the PAYS Yachting Festival. March 23th to 31st.
Last Chance to join Avocation for one more adventure.
Heineken Regatta
Our 19th and last Heineken Regatta Monday Feb 26th to Monday March 4th – One week in the sun. One day of practice and four race days. This is the cruising division using white sails. We do not fly a spinnaker. But we do have fun. You can stay aboard the boat (A requirement of the “Island Time” division is to have some crew living aboard) or you can stay ashore in very nice shoreside accommodations with a pool. Up to three members can bring a non-sailing spouse. The crew staying aboard come up to the pool most days for diner and a swim. There is a discounted price for staying aboard and a premium price for staying ashore depending on if you wish the master suite or just a bed. A non-sailing spouse is welcome to join us and stay ashore and enjoy the regatta with us. My wife will be staying ashore and will have a car some days to tour the island. The price includes ground transportation to get between the boat and the villa. We all chip in $200 to start for drinks and meals in the house and on the boat. We take turns cooking in the house and have maid service three times. We often have money left over for the final meal Sunday night after the awards in the Heineken Race Village. Over the years we have perfected a format that works well for all and is priced very well considering you are sailing on a Swan 48 for 5 days and staying in a very nice private villa with a pool overlooking St. Barts. Three of the six bedroom have a private bath while two rooms share bathrooms in a private two-bedroom apartment with kitchen with one bedroom that can sleep three crew. We will all eat in the big dining room up in the main house.
Ocean Pearl - 6-bedroom villa - 6-bedroom rate -
Monday March 26th to Monday March 4th 2024
Price to stay on the boat (2 crew in private cabin) $2250 each (Includes car to get to villa to join us for meals and a swim.) Stay in the Villa. Shared Bath $2750 (2 rooms). Private Bath (2 rooms) $3000 One Master Suite $3500. Twin Beds in suite $2500. (2 beds). Rooms with private baths accommodations with king or queen beds and master room can include a spouse for only an extra $500 for the week (plus $200 per person for food.) So up to three spouses can join us.
Dominica - 2nd Annual PAYS Dominica Yachting Festival
Arrive SXM (Sint Maarten) 20 March 2024 and fly home from SXM Tuesday afternoon April 2nd or Wednesday April 3rd, 2024. We sail to Dominica Friday March 22nd and will be in Dominica Saturday March 23rd until we leave Sunday March 31st or Monday morning the 1st of April. Come join us for two weeks sailing from St. Maarten to Dominica where we will spend a full nine days participating in the PAYS Dominica Yachting Festival. Two crew stay aboard the boat with me (Private Cabin) and three or four crew stay ashore at Mango Cottages for our 9 day stay in Dominica. There is a different price for staying ashore since you pay for your accommodations ashore directly to Eddison and Sylvia. We have been stayjng with them for the past eight years during the week. Google Mango Cottages Dominica to see more. Cathy has stayed twice and they are comfortable with full baths and and internet. We also rent a car to get to and from the house which the crew staying in the house chip in for even though I make the reservations locally for the car. There is a fun race midweek to Mero and back on Thursday, but most of the time we will be in Portsmouth Dominica touring the island and taking part in the organized events of the week.
Price for two crew who will stay aboard with me $2500 per person
Price to sail down with us and stay ashore $2000 plus paying for accommodations. Studio is $92 per night and sharing the house with 2 bedrooms and 2 baths is half of $147 per night. There is a 10% discount since we stay longer than a week and we are repeat guests. There is an option to have a spouse join and stay in the bouse. They can fly down on a direct flight from Miami on American Airlines. I can tell you more if you are interested.
2nd Annual PAYS Dominica Yachting Festival
We only have 5 berths for OPO members to sail aboard Avocation. Three of the 5 stay ashore for the 2nd Annual PAYS Dominica Yachting Festival March 23rd to March 31st. Others are invited to visit by air and stay ashore nearby. If you are fortunate enough to have a boat or friends with a boat in the Caribbean make sure they know about visiting Dominica and in particular joining us for the event this winter.
I am writing and article for the Caribbean Compass (which is a free monthly newspaper type publication found all over the Caribbean and online. I will include the article in the January 1st “Notice to OPO Mariners” since it will also be in print by then. New this year is the expansion of the PAYS Model with 10 new moorings in Mero. Mero is a small beach community south of Portsmouth. On Thursday March 28th of the Festival there will be a race to Mero followed by a party on the beach that afternoon and evening. The next day we sail back to Portsmouth and Toucari Bay for the Street Party Friday night. On Saturday the government usually sponsors a dinner at the Cabrits Fort. PAYS finishes with a Sunday BBQ in the Pavilion Sunday the 31st.
Swan Offshore Program Schedule
Two Week Option
St. Maarten to Newport RI – Fly into SXM Monday April 29th and travel home from Newport RI Wednesday May 15th. Sail aboard the Swan 48 Avocation or Swan 65 Aurora on this 1500-mile passage with a two or three day stop in Bermuda. Crew arrive in time to settled aboard and spend two nights and a full day in SXM before we depart Wednesday. The odd midweek dates are to depart before the ARC Europe fleet does, so we arrive in Bermuda and depart Bermuda before they do. They also depart from IGY Marina in St. Maarten. This way we do not have to compete with them for attention in Bermuda. The passage gets split into two legs with the Bermuda layover. You get to apply what you learned on the first leg right away on this more challenging 2nd leg where you will cross the Gulf Stream into cooler waters. This is a great way to reinforce what you learned the first leg and improve on it.
If you wish to join the crew of Avocation or Aurora, please send me an e-mail and we can discuss your joining us for the trip. The cost for the passage is $4500 which includes everything except your travel to and from the boat. It includes all onboard food, fuel, dockage, head tax and even towels and linen, It does not include travel to and from the boat and any meals and drinks ashore. Once we have agreed that you will be ok to join us we ask for a $2000 deposit now and the balance is due 45 days before the passage. You can pay a deposit online at www.sailopo.com/store or by mailing a check. We prefer checks since it saves us credit card fees. Please make check out to “Offshore Passage Opportunities” and mail to OPO. PO Box 2600, Halesite NY 11743.
Swan 68 Aphrodite
Three-to four week Option - With Murray Jacob
Fly into SXM on Monday April 29th and fly home from Spain (we are still working on final details but thjnk the boat will go back to Palma Mallorca.
Sail with Murray Jacob sailing the Swan 68 Aphrodite from St. Maarten to Mallorca Spain departing about the same time as the other two Swans. First stop may also include Bermuda weather dependent. A stop in Horta in the Azores is another usual stop before going through the Straights of Gibraltar and ending the passage in Spain.
If you wish to join Murray, please send me an e-mail and we can make sure you are ready for the Trans-Atlantic Crossing. The cost for the passage is $55000 which includes everything except your travel to and from the boat. It includes all onboard food, fuel, dockage, head tax and even towels and linen, It does not include travel to and from the boat and any meals and drinks ashore. Once we have agreed that you will be ok to join us we ask for a $2000 deposit now and the balance is due 45 days before the passage. You can pay a deposit online at www.sailopo.com/store or by mailing a check. We prefer checks since it saves us credit card fees. Please make check out to “Offshore Passage Opportunities” and mail to OPO. PO Box 2600, Halesite NY 11743.
Swan 48 Avocation – With Hank Schmitt
One week Option
1st Round Trip to Bermuda
New York to Bermuda - Arrive at the boat in Huntington NY Saturday May 18th. Fly home from Bermuda on Sunday May 26th.
Bermuda to NY - Fly into Bermuda on Sunday May 26th and travel home from Huntington NY on Tuesday June 4th
2nd Round Trip top Bermuda – Return Passage with Tania Aebi
New York to Bermuda. Arrive in NY Saturday June 8th and fly home from Bermuda Sunday June 16th.
Bermuda to NY – Fly into Bermuda Sunday June 16th and travel home from Huntington NY on Tuesday June 25th.
The one-week option is a very good first time offshore passage at the best time of year to go offshore to or from Bermuda. In June. It is a full 5 days and 700 miles of being under way. The outbound passage exits Long Island Sound via NY City. The return passage most likely will be around Montauk LI since we cannot time tides to enter NY harbor. Each crew should get at least two days in Bermuda upon arrival or before departure if you are sailing back from Bermuda. Tania Aebi skippers the return leg from Bermuda June 16th to 23rd.
You have a place to stay between those dates and you do not need to rent a car or get a hotel. We are happy to help give advice about travel to or from the boat in Huntington NY. It is not too difficult with many airports to choose from.
If you wish to make either leg, please send me an e-mail and we can make sure you are ready for the trip. The cost for the passage is $2900 which includes everything except your travel to and from the boat. It includes all onboard food, fuel, dockage, head tax and even towels and linen, It does not include travel to and from the boat and any meals and drinks ashore. Once we have agreed that you will be ok to join us we ask for a $1000 deposit now and the balance is due 45 days before the passage. You can pay a deposit online at www.sailopo.com/store or by mailing a check. We prefer checks since it saves us credit card fees. Please make check out to “Offshore Passage Opportunities” and mail to OPO. PO Box 2600, Halesite NY 11743.
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Annapolis Boat Show - Meet us at the show
Dominica
Heineken Regatta
Annual Dues – If you paid, Thank You. If not, please let me know if you plan to stay active so I do not drop you this week (See below).
Editorial – Crunch time. That busy time of year where I squeeze a few short bread & butter deliveries in between short Swan passages to the boat shows in prep for the big sail from Newport to St. Maarten at the end of the month. While our two Swan sailing in the rally are full right now. I want to have a short wait list of crew who might want to jump on the chance if we have a cancellation before we depart. A couple of weeks ago we had a crew drop out for the Trans-At on the Swan 68. I thought it would be very hard to find a replacement crew. In fact, four people contacted me for the one late opening berth. With more reports of covid and barring any other unforeseen problem having a missing crew in the Swan program messes up the watch schedule if you do not have 6 crew in the rotation. If you have time and want to be on the short list for the Swan Program 2023 (dates are from Oct 26th to Nov 14th), let me know and I will contact you if we have anyone drop out.
Annapolis Boat Show – Next weekend we are sailing from Huntington to the Annapolis Boat Show aboard Avocation. The crew and I will be at the show on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. We plan to start sailing back on Sunday.
If you want to meet up at the show either of the first three days, I will be at the upper deck of the show at the Annapolis Waterfront Hotel just up the steps next to Pussers Rum bar between 11:00 am and 12 noon each day before it gets busy. This is just outside the seminar rooms. I will most likely be at a table under the roof. Happy to meet any OPO member and answer any questions and catch up with members I know.
The sail to Annapolis and back always serves as my tune up to going offshore in the rally at the end of the month. I will be back in NY one week between shows to tweak anything that needs tweaking. All too often boat owners concentrate on getting systems installed and finish check off list of things to do and do not use the boat for a few months before taking off. Make sure you get sea time in using your boat before you plan to take off for extended cruising.
NARC Rally – Last year was supposed to be the last NARC Rally. But only one of the 23 boats in the Salty Dawg Rally departing from Newport of the Chesapeake Bay made it to Bermuda last year because they listed to another weather forecast and the fleet in the Chesapeake Bay got delayed 12 days because of a wayward depression. This year they have a dozen boats leaving from Newport and zero departing from the Bay with plans to meet up in Bermuda. Over half of their boats plan to skip Bermuda on the way south if they get a good weather window. In my opinion this is a stupid plan as there is seldom a good 9 to 10 weather forecast. They often don’t plan to stop because they think they might lose crew because it was a hard leg and they think they will spend a lot of money and be stuck there for a number of days and miss out on the first party in Antigua of they stop. Last year the fleet was delayed 12 days in the Chesapeake Bay and they were still able to have their parties.
If you want to be on another short list of people who may be able to fly into Bermuda on short notice to join any boat in Bermuda who loses a crew or any boat owner we meet in Bermuda that is looking for crew, please e-mail me this week and I will send you an e-mail from Bermuda if you want to join for the 2nd leg. This would be a free passage and in some cases the owner may even pay to fly you into Bermuda. Do let me know if you are interested in flying into Bermuda and sailing to SXM or Antigua.
Dominica – We are up top 60 donors towards out Dominica Mooring Project. The moorings have been ordered. I will keep you posted on progress in future OPO Notices.
Question? – There are now direct flights from Miami to Dominica on American. Other airlines are starting direct flights from Puerto Rico to Dominica during the winters season soon. There is a new 4 star resort that opened up in Dominica right around the corner from Portsmouth. In fact, we had out first PAYS Dominica Yachting Festival Party there the first night of the festival. They opened during Covid and have not done well. The original idea of charging $800 a night did not work. They are under new management and I recently saw prices less than half that a day. I was wondering if I called them and got an OPO discount for people to fly into Dominica for all or part of the PAYS Dominica Yachting Festival, they could stay at the hotel and join in. The dates are from Mid-March to the end of March. My ex-partner with Avocation, chartered the Swan 65 Aurora to visit part of the week with his family. He has donated to both mooring projects and has visited once with us. This got me thinking why not see if other people want to fly in and stay ashore. If you come, we can probably get you to join one of the boats in the harbor for the sail to Mero Beach (where 10 of the new mooring are being placed) and back in the middle of the week. So, the question is: Who might be interested in flying down, rather than the hard 24 hour upwind sail, and joining us for part of the week? I will research this in the next week or two since I just had the idea, and I can let you know what rates we can bargain for at the resort. Do let me know if you are interested.
Annual Dues – I will be on a delivery Oct 1st and 2nd. By the end of the week, I should have time to update the active OPO address book.
If you stop getting e-mails then you know you have been dropped from the active address list for not paying your annual dues. Mistakes happen so if you stop getting e-mails and want to stay active or did pay your dues then by all means contact us. But most members have paid by check, online or joined late in our calendar year so did not owe dues now. If you intend to stay active and have not paid your annual dues yet, please let me know so I do not delete you and then have to add you back in. I am happy to keep you active if you are away from home, need a little more time or normally just procrastinate and did not get this done. I can keep you active and remind you to pay your dues when I have time after the fall migration is over. Please let me know if you plan to stay active to save me the time and trouble of deleting you and then having to add you back in. But if you stop getting the OPO Crew requests and you did pay your annual dues PLEASE LET ME KNOW RIGHT AWAY. IF YOU HAVE A NEW E-MAIL ADDRESS AND DID NOT TELL ME YOU MAY STOP GETTING THEM. WE CAN FIX ANY PROBLEM IF YOU LET ME KNOW.
Or pay annual dues online at www.sailopo.com/store
Our 19th and last Heineken Regatta Monday Feb 26th to Monday March 4th – One week in the sun. One day of practice and four race days. This is the cruising division using white sails. We do not fly a spinnaker. But we do have fun. You can stay aboard the boat (A requirement of the division to have people living aboard) or you can stay ashore in very nice shoreside accommodations with a pool. People staying aboard come up to the pool most days for diner and a swim. There is a discounted price for staying aboard and a premium price for staying ashore. A non-sailing spouse is welcome to join you and stay ashore and enjoy the regatta with you. I rent the house in November when we arrive in SXM after the NARC Rally. In December I will know the price for the regatta after we find out how much the house will cost for the week. Let me know if you might want to join us for out last Caribbean Regatta with Avocation.
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Message to Boat owners and Delivery Skippers
Dominica – Our 10th Anniversary helping out
Fall Swan Program
Editorial – Enjoy your Labor Day holiday weekend. Although summer has another three weeks, with the return to school and shorter days, it feels over. On the good side, people start to make plans to move their boats. I am sailing from the Hudson River to Maine next week with OPO members.
Normally we are getting ready to pack up and have a booth at the Newport Boat Show Sept 14th to 17th. Instead, this will be the first time in 28 years I have not had a booth at the show. I will be sailing to and from the show like we have been doing with the Annapolis Boat Show and inviting people to join us. I will be in Newport docked at the Brown and Howard Marina from Wednesday evening Sept 13th to Sunday morning. I will be walking around the show parts of each day. If you want to join us for dinner Wednesday night we will most likely dine at Benjamin’s. Our NARC Rally headquarters. Let me know if you want to join us. Since I will be in town for a few evenings, I am happy to meet up with anyone else who may want to get together and say hi. We can meet inside the show or we can meet for a drink somewhere outside the show depending on weather.
If you have more time and want to sail up on Monday Sept 11th or back on the next weekend with us just let me know. I have one berth open each way. The sail from Huntington to the Annapolis Boat Show the following month is full. I do have room for two more crew sailing back if you want to spend two-or-three-days sailing with me aboard our Swan 48 Avocation after attending the Annapolis Boat Show
Message to Boat owners and Delivery Skippers
Last month I had a couple of calls/e-mails from OPO members asking why some boat owners or skippers do not reply to them when they offer to crew for them for free. I do always ask any owner or skipper to make sure they respond to OPO Members. Some skippers take too much time and do not get back to crew and loose out. Sometimes a delivery skipper may be busy or offshore and out of cell range so they cannot get back to you right away. We usually know this in advance and let members know in the body of the crew request. However, if you ever feel that you should have heard back from a skipper that did not respond, you have my permission to send them an e-mail asking why they did not at least respond to you? You, my OPO members, are my clients. Not the boat owners. The service is free to boat owners and delivery skippers. I do ask them to make sure they respond. If they do not, they can lose the privilege of using our service. While we want everyone to be nice all the time, and some boat owners get very anxious about putting a crew together, they should at least have the courtesy to respond to you.
Annual Dues –You DO NOT owe annual dues if you joined recently. Every September annual dues are due to stay active in OPO another year. We are holding the dues at $150 for this year. ($175 for Gold Card Members). I want to thank members who are mailing in a check for their dues and also for anyone adding a little extra money for the Dominica Mooring field project. While we give you until the end of the month to pay your dues, and will remind you towards the end of the month one more time. We delete inactive OPO members October 1st. If you stop getting e-mails in October, you know you did not pay your dues.
Please make checks out to Offshore Passage Opportunities
And mail to
OPO
PO Box 2600
Halesite NY 11743
Or pay annual dues online. If you can, purchase a mooring for $390 or make a small contribution to The Dominica Mooring Field Project online at www.sailopo.com/store
Six members have already mailed a check for $390 for an entire mooring. In the next article you will read how we are also asking for donations to help add to our multi-year effort to help those less fortunate on the very less traveled island of Dominica. There is not one dock to pull up to on the entire island. You can pay (and donate) online at www.sailopo.com/store . We also ask if you can mail us a check to save on credit card fees, especially for donated funds, that would be the preferred way to donate and pay. But please do not hesitate of you wish to pay or donate online.
Dominica – Buy the numbers -100% of your donation goes to Dominica with zero administrative costs. We will be including a list of doners list by first name and initial only in future OPO Notices.
In 2012/13 we raised just over $6000 from 27 OPO members with one “angel donation” of $3000 to make sure we hit our target to buy materials and ship them to Dominica, so Albert could build a new boat. Albert is a one-legged “boat boy” who we met in 2010 and decided to help.
In 2015, 93 OPO members donated a total of $23.437.50 to buy materials and ship them to Dominica for a mooring field. A 600 spool of 8 braid 5-inch mooring lines was donated as well. We started an event called “Yachtie Appreciation Week” (YAW) in 2016 to help get the word out about the new moorings.
In 2017 hurricane Irma and Maria hit the Caribbean. 189 OPO members and non-members donated $43,160. This was mostly for hurricane relief in Domica. We had money left over to pay 9 PAYS members families $150 a month during the offseason in the summer of 2020.
In 2020 56 OPO members donated $17,819.00 towards refurbishing the mooring field and allowed us to keep sending monthly checks to PAYS families for a 2nd covid-diminished tourist season. Our own PPP program to help them survive the 2nd lost seasons during the pandemic.
In 2023 we are asking for one more effort to expand the mooring field to two other areas on the northwest side of the island. The Dominican government took over ownership of YAW and changed the name to “The PAYS Dominica Yachting Festival.” This is a very good as they are now helping the PAYS expand the brand and PAYS system to other parts of the island as well as promoting the event. We are aiding their effort to expand the PAYS brand to two other places near Portsmouth to encourage boat owners to stay longer on the island and help the boating economy prosper.
Our one last effort to raise enough money is for 25 new moorings and to ship them to Dominica this October and November. They will used in two new areas of Dominica, Toucori, just north of Portsmouth and Mero Beach 10 miles south of Portsmouth. This will encourage boats to stay longer on the island and see more sites and help the local economy. We are purchasing the moorings from the Gilman Corporation in Gilman Ct and shipping them to Florida for transport to Dominica. We also get new moorings lines and shackles and thimbles donated by an OPO member who works in the industry and wants to remain anonyms. We only pay for the shipping from Florida to Dominica along with the moorings.
The Dominican Government has gotten much more involved with promoting the mooring field and expanded and renamed YAW (Yachtie Appreciation Week) to The PAYS Dominica Yachting Festival which will now be a nine-day event March 16th to 24th 2024. Originally, they wanted us to try and expand further south to the Capitol City of Roseau but we decided this was too ambitious. We would have zero oversight and no control the promoting the PAYS brand. We are working towards a smaller more achievable goal.
The last time we raised money for moorings we asked people to donate to buy a mooring for $375 each. 42 people from 28 states and 3 countries donated at least one mooring. One person donated 5 and two people donated two moorings each. 93 people in total made donations to help pay for shipping and other supplies bought locally to install the moorings. The prices, I am happy to say, have not gone up too much and now cost just $15 more. They are now $390 per mooring. Please sponsor a mooring for $390 and get your name and state listed for posterity in Portsmouth. If life has been good to you and you want to give back knowing 100% of your donation will go to buying a mooring, please help us leave a lasting mark by donating a mooring or two. If you cannot afford an entire mooring, we still need to transport the materials to Florida and then on a ship to Dominica. Smaller donations are most welcome and will be used to ship the materials to Dominica and help pay for their installation.
Fall Swan Program – Only a few spots left mostly due to medical cancellations.
Last call for OPO crew who would be like to make either crossing on a Swan 68 with Tania Aebi (Leg # 1) or Murray Jacob (Leg # 2) skipper for much less than other boats charge. Only 5 crew sail with me on the Swan 48. The Swan 68 is 20 feet bigger and we add only one more crew for a total of 6. This is a 5-cabin boat so no hot bunking. This will also be the last NARC Rally so join us on the Swan 65 Aurora or take the one last open berth on Avocation.
If you have any questions about any of the Swan Passages, please call me soon at 631-423-4988 or e-mail me.
Newport Boat Show –
One berth left for the sail up:
1 berth left for sail back.
This is a short 100-mile passage, but we are going to sail there and back even if it takes us two days or, if we are making good time, will anchor somewhere for the night. I am also limiting it to 4 crew instead of five since we will not need to do a watch schedule and everyone will be up for full instruction mode during the sail. That way two crew will have their own forward cabin and two crew will share the aft owner’s cabin. More comfort for the time in port and underway.
Annapolis Boat Show – The passage south is full.
Two berths left for the return sail.
This run is our tune up for the offshore leg two weeks later. We want to make sure all systems are working before setting off Oct 28th from Newport in the NARC Rally. This is a 48-hour passage covering a lot of ground sailing from Huntington NY, down LI Sound to NY City and through the East River, south along the New Jersey Coast, up Delaware Bay, through the C & D Canal and the down Chesapeake Bay the last 8 hours. We stay dockside at the Annapolis Basin Marina, a one-minute walk to the boat show. You stay aboard and do not have to pay for a minimum 3-day stay in a hotel where they triple the rates for the week.
NARC Rally –
Avocation is full.
Swan 65 Aurora has two berths left.
The Grandaddy of our Swan Program, started in 2000 when we were moving ten Swans in the Swan Charter fleet between Newport and St. Maarten. Since we had a fleet sailing south, we invited private boats owners to join us in a rally we named the NARC Rally (Not the ARC) to tweak the owners of the ARC Rally in the UK who did not want to play with us. Between the NARC Rally and the Salty Dawg Rally we put the WCC’s (World Cruising Club) Caribbean 1500 Rally out of business as they did not understand the US Market. While departing in the fall from Newport is not for everyone, if we agree you qualify to join us, you will be able to reply and feel confident you will get aboard almost any OPO Crew Request going forward. The 1500-mile passage on your OPO sailing resume will help you qualify for any free OPO Crew Request.
Palma Mallorca to Las Palmas
One berth left.
Both this three-week passage and the one-month ARC Rally passage opportunity are much easier than the fall NARC Passage. This three-week passage sailing with Tania Aebi as skipper, co-skippering with the boats’ caretaker and excellent cook and good friend Maurizio is a four-port visit cruise. You start in Palma and can arrive a day or two early to see this # 1 European Summer vacation destination. Then stop in the Port of Gibraltar to see the iconic “Prudential Life Insurance Logo,” then sail to the Portuguese island of Madeira to sample some Madeira Port. The destination is Las Palmas on the island of Grand Canaria in the Spanish Canary Islands off the coast of Africa.
ARC Rally –
2 berths left
Started in 1986 by Jimmy Cornell, the World Cruising Club was sold to the 4th owners this past year. Murray Jacob will replace Tania Aebi to skipper the Swan 68 Aphrodite along with Maurizio from Las Palmas to St. Lucia in this annual migration sailing mostly downwind to the Caribbean at a good time of year. This is NOT an annual passage since we only offer it when we have a Swan owner in Europe who wants his bought moved back to the Caribbean. It may also be one of the last years Murray will be making this passage since he also has been doing this for many years. Murray is our most popular skipper and has repeat crew every time.
Newport Boat Show
Huntington to Newport - Monday 11th September to Friday the 15th $1500Newport to Huntington – Friday 15th September to Tuesday the 19th. $1500 ($2500 Round Trip)
Annapolis Boat Show
Huntington to Annapolis – Saturday Oct 7th to Friday Oct 13th $2500Annapolis to Huntington – Friday Oct 13th to Thursday Oct 19th $2250
Newport to St. Maarten
Newport to Bermuda to St. Maarten – Thursday Oct 26th to Tuesday Nov 14th- $4500
Palma Mallorca Spain to Las Palmas Canary Islands Spain
Sunday Oct 8th to Friday Oct 27th - $4000
ARC Rally las Palmas to St. Lucia
As early As Sunday 12th Nov to Tuesday Dec 12th – $6000
Dominica is the #1 Island in the Caribbean by Travel+Leisure2 months ago
4 min read
Dominica Ranks No. 1 for the Second Year in a Row on Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards 2023 List of Top Islands in the Caribbean, Bermuda and the Bahamas
Travel + Leisure readers have once again voted Dominica (pronounced Dom-in-EEK-a) as the No. 1 island Caribbean destination in its 2023 World’s Best Awards, which were announced today. Dominica receives this recognition for the second year in a row, reinforcing the destination’s exceptional allure as a unique vacation experience and captivating tourism product.
We are honored that Dominica has one again been named the top destination in the region by such a well-respected travel brand and its readers. This is a true testament to the one-of-a-kind experiences and natural beauty Dominica has to offer, as well as the warm hospitality of our hotels, tour operators, and people. We hope that this accolade will continue to put Dominica on the radar screens of travelers who are seeking an authentic Caribbean experience that is centered about nature.
Hon. Denise Charles, Dominica’s Minister of Tourism
Over the past year, Dominica has seen an impressive growth in tourism numbers as a result of recent interest in off the beaten path destinations that focus on nature, sustainability and wellness, as well as the launch of the first direct flight from the U.S. on American Airlines and additional access points throughout the Caribbean. Since gaining attention in last year’s World’s Best Awards, Dominica has solidified its position on the global map as a must-visit destination. With its lush landscapes, commitment to sustainability and eco-tourism, and a wide array of distinctive activities such as whale watching, canyoning, hiking and diving, Dominica is a haven for nature enthusiasts. The island provides a diverse range of accommodation options tailored to meet various preferences, from eco-friendly establishments to sustainable luxury.
Secret Bay, recognized as the No. 1 resort in the Caribbean by Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards 2023, is a prime example of the exceptional offerings available in Dominica.
Dominica is grateful to have stakeholders, like Secret Bay, who align with our mission to provide one-of-a-kind experiences for our guests while keeping our sustainable promise. It is amazing to not only receive recognition as the best island in the Caribbean, but to be home to Secret Bay, Travel + Leisure’s top resort in the Caribbean. We look forward to welcoming more visitors to our shores and continuing to offer once in a lifetime experiences.
Hon. Denise Charles, Dominica’s Minister of Tourism
Secret Bay, Dominica’s all-villa, six-star, Relais & Châteaux rainforest resort, features a limited collection of freestanding, secluded and sustainably crafted villas, along with wellness facilities, recreational amenities, locally sourced and sustainable culinary offerings, a wealth of transformational experiences and unmatched personalized service.
To celebrate the Travel + Leisure recognition, Dominica and Secret Bay are running an Instagram giveaway to offer followers a chance to win an exclusive trip to Dominica including airfare and 3-night stay at Secret Bay. Follow @DiscoverDominica and @SecretBay for details on how to enter.
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial - Annual Dues
Dominica
Fall Swan Program – Sign up this year or miss out.
Editorial – Each September annual dues are due to stay active in OPO another year. We are holding the dues at $150 for this year. Dues are due in September. We will remind members in the Sept 1st Newsletter and one last time towards the end of September. By October 1st, those that have not paid their annual dues will be dropped from the active membership roster.
In the next article you will read how we are also asking for donations to help add to our multi-year effort to help those less fortunate on the very less traveled island of Dominica. There is not one dock to pull up to on the entire island. You can pay (and donate) online at www.sailopo.com/store . We also ask if you can mail us a check to save on credit card fees, especially for donated funds, that would be the preferred way to donate and pay. We will keep very good track of the earmarked money and have a full report to you in future newsletters. The Sept 1st will highlight past efforts.
Please make checks out to
Offshore Passage Opportunities
And mail to
OPO
PO Box 2600
Halesite NY 11743
Dominica – This will be our 4th, and most likely last fundraiser, for Dominica. The first was to help “boat boy” Albert build a new boat in 2012. The 2nd time was to raise money to purchase and ship 50 new mooring balls from the Gilman Co in Gilman CT to Dominica for a new mooring field in 2015. After Hurricane Maria devastate the island in 2017, we raised money for everything from donating $2500 for fuel for a tug boat that brought much needed supplies two weeks after the storm, to filling up Avocation with 5 generators, and coolers of food and other supplies to sail them to Dominica in Nov 2017. We covid shut down tourism for two seasons, we had enough money left over to fund two years of PPP sending $150 to 8 PAYS families for 9 months of the year in 2020 & 2021. Most helpful has been the donation of moorings lines and ferrous materials to help install and upgrade the mooring field from an OPO member who manages a fleet of Tug boats.
Our last effort to raise enough money is for 25 new moorings and to ship them to Dominica this October and November so they will be in place in two new areas of Dominica, Toucori, just north of Portsmouth and Mero Beach 10 miles south of Portsmouth. This will encourage boats to stay longer on the island and see more sites and help the local economy.
The Dominican Government has gotten much more involved with promoting the mooring field and expanded and renamed YAW (Yachtie Appreciation Week) to The PAYS Dominica Yachting Festival which will now be a nine-day event March 16th to 24th 2024. We will be sailing there and offering berths to OPO members.
The last time we raised money for moorings we asked people to donate to buy a mooring for $375 each. 42 people from 28 states and 3 countries donated at least one mooring. One person donated 5 and two people donated two moorings each. 93 people in total made donations to help pay for shipping and other supplies bought locally to install the moorings. The prices, I am happy to say, have not gone up too much and now cost just $15 more so they are now $390 per mooring. Please sponsor a mooring for $390 and get your name and state listed for posterity in Portsmouth. If life has been good to you and you want to give back knowing 100% of your donation will go to buying a mooring, please help us leave a lasting mark by donating a mooring or two. If you cannot afford an entire mooring, we still need to ship the materials to Florida and then on a ship to Dominica. Smaller donations are most welcome and will be used to ship the materials to Dominica and help pay for their installation. The OPO member, who manages a Tug boat company, donates some materials and we make up any shortfall by purchasing thimbles and shackles locally to help get the mooring fields up and running by the New Year when yachties starts sailing around more in the Caribbean. Last year was the first year that they did not have a Hurricane or Covid to ruin their short season. This one last fundraiser should get them over the point to sustainability so they can expand the PAYS brand and have a uniform mooring fields in the northern half of the island. After much discussion we decided to limit the expansion to the north as they “boat boys” in the capitol city of Roseau and bay south of Roseau are too established with private moorings and efforts to unite them into a PAYS affiliate seems unfeasible. We have our good friend from the St. Maarten (Roy Charkes, ex dockmaster at IGY SXM) to help promote the new mooring area in Mero Dominica (The only sandy beach on the island that sporadically attracts cruise ship passengers) and promote boating tourism in Dominica.
Fall Swan Program – The fall Swan Program berths are filling up well. It may very well be our last year offering the Swan Program. The OPO crew network will continue operation for many years to come, but my partner is also looking at selling the boat after the last round trip in June to Bermuda 2024. New this year is the addition of the introductory sail to or from Newport for the Newport Boat Show. The sail to and from the Annapolis show offers a fun and better way to see a boat show by staying on the boat and savings hundreds on hotels and parking as we dock within walking distance to each show.
After September 1st I will offer the two European Options to non-OPO members living in Europe who would be thrilled to make either crossing on a Swan 68 with Tania Aebi (Leg # 1) or Murray Jacob (Leg # 2) skipper for much less than other boats charge. Only 5 crew sail with me on the Swan 48. The Swan 68 is 20 feet bigger and we add only one more crew for a total of 6. This is a 5-cabin boat so no hot bunking. If you have wanted to bring a friend or a spouse, this is a great opportunity. This will also be the last NARC Rally so join us on the Swan 65 Aurora or take the one last open berth on Avocation.
If you have any questions about any of the Swan Passages, please call me soon at 631-423-4988 or e-mail me.
Newport Boat Show –
One berth left for the sail up:
2 berths left for sail back.
This is a short 100-mile passage, but we are going to sail there and back even if it takes us two days or, if we are making good time, will anchor somewhere for the night. I am also limiting it to 4 crew instead of five sine we will not need to do a watch schedule and everyone will be up for full instruction mode during the sail. That way two crew will have their own forward cabin and two crew will share the aft owner’s cabin. More comfort for the time in port and underway.
Annapolis Boat Show –
One berth left for sail to the show.
Three berths left for the return sail.
This run is our tune up for the offshore leg two weeks later. We want to make sure all systems are working before setting off Oct 28th from Newport in the NARC Rally. This is a 48-hour passage covering a lot of ground sailing from Huntington NY, down LI Sound to NY City and through the East River, south along the New Jersey Coast, up Delaware Bay, through the C & D Canal and the down Chesapeake Bay the last 8 hours. We stay dockside at the Annapolis Basin Marina, a one-minute walk to the boat show. You stay aboard and do not have to pay for a minimum 3-day stay in a hotel where they triple the rates for the week.
NARC Rally –
Avocation was full, but one crew had to drop out due to a health issue yesterday.
Swan 65 Aurora has spaces left.
The Grandaddy of our Swan Program, started in 2000 when we were moving ten Swans in the Swan Charter fleet between Newport and St. Maarten. Since we had a fleet sailing south, we invited private boats owners to join us in a rally we named the NARC Rally (Not the ARC) to tweak the owners of the ARC Rally in the UK who did not want to play with us. Between the NARC Rally and the Salty Dawg Rally we put the WCC’s (World Cruising Club) Caribbean 1500 Rally out of business as they did not understand the US Market. While departing in the fall from Newport is not for everyone, if we agree you qualify to join us, you will be able to reply and feel confident you will get aboard almost any OPO Crew Request going forward. The 1500-mile passage on your OPO sailing resume will help you qualify for any free OPO Crew Request.
Palma Mallorca to Las Palmas
Half filled. Looks like an equal crew of women and men.
We have Tania and Maurizio plus two women and two men so have room for two more crew for a total of 6 crew, plus Tania and Maurizio.
Both this three-week passage and the one-month ARC Rally passage opportunity are much easier than the fall NARC Passage. This three-week passage sailing with Tania Aebi as skipper, co-skippering with the boats’ caretaker and excellent cook and good friend Maurizio is a four-port visit cruise. You start in Palma and can arrive a day or two early to see this # 1 European Summer vacation destination. Then stop in the Port of Gibraltar to see the iconic “Prudential Life Insurance Logo,” then sail to the Portuguese island of Madeira to sample some Madeira Port. The final destination is Las Palmas on the island of Grand Canaria in the Spanish Canary Islands off the coast of Africa.
ARC Rally –
Half-filled so we have 3 berths left
Started in 1986 by Jimmy Cornell, the World Cruising Club was sold to the 4th owners this past year. Murray Jacob will replace Tania Aebi to skipper the Swan 68 Aphrodite along with Maurizio from Las Palmas to St. Lucia in this annual migration sailing mostly downwind to the Caribbean at a good time of year. This is NOT an annual passage since we only offer it when we have a Swan owner in Europe who wants his bought moved back to the Caribbean. It may also be one of the last years Murray will be making this passage since he also has been doing this for many years. Murray is our most popular skipper and has repeat crew every time.
Newport Boat Show
Huntington to Newport - Monday 11th September to Friday the 15th $1500Newport to Huntington – Friday 15th September to Tuesday the 19th. $1500 ($2500 Round Trip)
Annapolis Boat Show
Huntington to Annapolis – Saturday Oct 7th to Friday Oct 13th $2500Annapolis to Huntington – Friday Oct 13th to Thursday Oct 19th $2250
Newport to St. Maarten
Newport to Bermuda to St. Maarten – Thursday Oct 26th to Tuesday Nov 14th- $4500
Palma Mallorca Spain to Las Palmas Canary Islands Spain
Sunday Oct 8th to Friday Oct 27th - $4000
ARC Rally Las Palmas to St. Lucia
As early As Sunday 12th Nov to Tuesday Dec 12th – $6000
Offshore Passage Opportunities
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Hank Schmitt |
P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 |
(631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Dominica
Fall Swan Program
OPO Success Stories
Editorial – One thing I have adopted from Europe is their custom to take time off during the summer. After all it is hurricane season so I am not venturing offshore and not recommending any members to go offshore. Of course, it is great to have shorter near coastal passage opportunities during the summer, but our focus remains longer offshore passages which mainly occur in the Fall and Spring with the change of seasons. Pretty much coinciding with our Swan Passages. Since I am NOT exhibiting at the Newport Boat Show (I will be sailing there) or trying to grow the NARC Rally as I try and drop that from my summer work list of things to do, there is no reason to not enjoy some time off and spend more time with my ten grandchildren and wife. I still check e-mail and keep work hours half days when I am home, but am also finishing up my five-year plan working on my small yard in Huntington NY. Next year I will be in full summer retirement mode still sending out OPO Crew Request and doing short deliveries, but also inviting OPO members who may be sailing through Long Island Sound or coming to Long Island NY for a vacation to come over for a drink in my backyard and talk about sailing. I had my first OPO member stop in Huntington Harbor earlier this month. He had joined me for a Swan Passage about 8 years ago and went on to buy a boat. He is not completing his 3rd Circle Route down the Mississippi, up the East Coast and through the NY Canal system back to the Great Lakes. This third time they ventured into Long Island sound as far as Newport and stopped in Huntington on his return to NY City and passage up the Hudson River.
This month I am on Nantucket Island for two weeks with all three daughters and ten grandchildren until Aug 5th. Things will once again get busy as the summer ends and we sail to the Newport and Annapolis Boat Shows before departing in perhaps the last NARC Rally. I say “perhaps” because the Salty Dawg Rally is still not convinced that Bermuda is the way to go to sail south to the Caribbean if you want to sail more and not motor.
If you want to sail in our Swan Program do think about joining us this year as it may be the last or second to last year, we offer the opportunities.
OPO may benefit more if I am not offshore for a few weeks a year. Cathy does a fine job of checking e-mail and sending out “Crew Request,” but being home more may be better for the OPO Crew Network.
Dominica – Slowing down does not include slowing down our work in Dominica. We are very close to finishing our infrastructure efforts expanding the mooring fields in Dominica. The government finally took over ownership of the event and renamed it the PAYS Dominica Yachting Festival. This year the nine-day celebration over two weekends will include a fun race down to the beach area called Mero, where our good friend of 20 years Roy Charles (Roy has been the dockmaster at St. Maarten IGY Marina, but is from Mero Dominica) will be assisting our phase two and last effort sending a shipment of new moorings this October. You will get a full report on this next month in the September issue when we remind members to pay their annual dues.
Fall Swan Program – The full fall schedule is on our web site at https://www.sailopo.com/swan
Newport Boat Show – This is a short 100-mile passage, but we are going to sail there and back even if it takes us two days or, if we are making good time, will anchor somewhere for the night. I am also limiting it to 4 crew instead of five sine we will not need to do a watch schedule and everyone will be up for full instruction mode during the sail. That way two crew will have their own forward cabin and two crew will share the aft owner’s cabin. More comfort for the time in port and underway.
Annapolis Boat Show – This run is our tune up for the offshore leg two weeks later. We want to make sure all systems are working before setting off Oct 28th from Newport in the NARC Rally. This is a 48-hour passage covering a lot of ground sailing from Huntington NY, down LI Sound to NY City and through the East River, south along the New Jersey Coast, up Delaware Bay, through the C & D Canal and the down Chesapeake Bay the last 8 hours. We stay dockside at the Annapolis Basin Marina, a one-minute walk to the boat show. You stay aboard and do not have to pay for a minimum 3-day stay in a hotel where they triple the rates for the week.
NARC Rally – The Grandaddy of our Swan Program, started in 2000 when we were moving ten Swans in the Swan Charter fleet between Newport and St. Maarten. Since we had a fleet sailing south, we invited private boats owners to join us in a rally we named the NARC Rally (Not the ARC) to tweak the owners of the ARC Rally in the UK who did not want to play with us. Between the NARC Rally and the Salty Dawg Rally we put the WCC’s (World Cruising Club) Caribbean 1500 Rally out of business as they did not understand the US Market. While departing in the fall from Newport is not for everyone, if we agree you qualify to join us, you will be able to reply and feel confident you will get aboard almost any OPO Crew Request going forward. The 1500-mile passage on your OPO sailing resume will help you qualify for any free OPO Crew Request.
Palma Mallorca to Las Palmas – Both this three-week passage and the one-month ARC Rally passage opportunity are much easier than the fall NARC Passage. This three-week passage sailing with Tania Aebi as skipper, co-skippering with the boats’ caretaker and excellent cook and good friend Maurizio is a four-port visit cruise. You start in Palma and can arrive a day or two early to see this # 1 European Summer vacation destination. Then stop in the Port of Gibraltar to see the iconic “Prudential Life Insurance Logo,” then sail to the Portuguese island of Madeira to sample some Madeira Port. The final destination is Las Palmas on the island of Grand Canaria in the Spanish Canary Islands off the coast of Africa.
ARC Rally – Started in 1986 by Jimmy Cornell, the World Cruising Club was sold to the 4th owners this past year. Murray Jacob will replace Tania Aebi to skipper the Swan 68 Aphrodite along with Maurizio from Las Palmas to St. Lucia in this annual migration sailing mostly downwind to the Caribbean at a good time of year. This is NOT an annual passage since we only offer it when we have a Swan owner in Europe who wants his bought moved back to the Caribbean. It may also be one of the last years Murray will be making this passage since he also has been doing this for many years. Murray is our most popular skipper and has repeat crew every time.
Heineken Regatta – While we are not taking deposits yet for the Annual “Island Time” division that we help start and sponsored for many years, we do want you to know that we will be competing one last time in this event as well. The dates this year are Feb 29th (Leap Year) until March 3rd. We turn it into a full week, Monday Feb 26th to March 4th, with 5 days of sailing. Four Race days and a practice day. We have a two-tier pricing since some crew stay on the boat and some crew stay in the lap of luxury in a house with private pool. Let me know if you may be interested and I will put you on the short list to join us. This is a good opportunity to invite a spouse who may not be a sailor to come join you for a week in the Caribbean and stay in the villa with Cathy.
Our prices are very inexpensive if you compare it to any of the offshore programs. (Tom Neal, John Kretchmer or Andy Schell’s 59 North.) The secret to our charging up to half what others do is that we do not have to pay for the boats since we only own Avocation. We pass on this saving to you. This may be your last chance to take advantage of the opportunity to sail aboard a Swan with a pro skipper.
Newport Boat Show
Huntington to Newport - Monday 11th September to Friday the 15th $1500Newport to Huntington – Friday 15th September to Tuesday the 19th. $1500 ($2500 Round Trip)
Annapolis Boat Show
Huntington to Annapolis – Saturday Oct 7th to Friday Oct 13th $2500Annapolis to Huntington – Friday Oct 13th to Thursday Oct 19th $2250
Newport to St. Maarten
Newport to Bermuda to St. Maarten – Thursday Oct 26th to Tuesday Nov 14th- $4500
Palma Mallorca Spain to Las Palmas Canary Islands Spain
Sunday Oct 8th to Friday Oct 27th - $4000
ARC Rally Las Palmas to St. Lucia
As early As Sunday 12th Nov to Tuesday Dec 12th – $6000
OPO Success Stories:
# 1
John Pedersen OPO Member # 595
This week I had a selfie video sent to me by OPO member John Pedersen. John was one of my first crew in the Swan Program sailing with me in 1999 (This was the year before I took over the program). John did three Swan trips with me in the early years since he lived in Iowa and was still working. When he retired, he was looking for a boat so we introduced him to a local yacht broker who sold him a Beneteau 46.1. He sailed it south to the Caribbean in our NARC Rally with OPO crew. Fast forward ten years later, after many annual sails with OPO members who became his friends, bought a X Yacht 45 last winter and just finished a passage from the UK to the Canary Island where he will leave the boat until November to sail back to the Caribbean with OPO crew he has sailed with for years.
# 2
Not to top this story but…….
Peter Bourke OPO member # 432
This week also saw the publication of a story from the Global Solo Challenge (which is an around the world race starting this fall for amateur sailors). OPO member Peter Bourke got into sailing late in life in his late 40’s. For his 50th birthday he wanted to sail solo from Bermuda to New Jersey where he lived. He hired me to sail with him in his Caliber 35 for the outbound leg with two other OPO members and then solo’d back. A few years later when he retired, he bought an Outbound 44 and sailed in our NARC Rally to the Caribbean twice and then did the 2009 Ostar Race (A solo race from the UK to Newport RI, which he calls home now.) The following story brings you up to date to the present. He left this past week for his 2000-mile qualifier to the Med.
From an Outbound 44 to an Open 40: Peter Bourke’s preparation for the GSCDave Proctor / Global Solo Challenge01/08/2023
©Peter Boruke
American skipper and Global Solo Challenge (GSC) entrant, Peter Bourke, had originally planned to use his old yacht ‘Rubicon’ to enter the challenge but all changed a few months after entering the event.
‘Rubicon” was a robust cutter, an Outbound 44, that was set up for long-distance cruising, and given that Peter knew her so well, having sailed her for many nautical miles over many years, including racing her in an edition of the OSTAR and a Bermuda 1-2 entry, he was confident that she could readily complete the circumnavigation.
He then weighed up the amount of work she would require to get her to comply with the rules of the GSC. This included the rather invasive installation of watertight bulkheads which could prove tricky on a cruising boat, so Peter decided that rather than using ‘Rubicon’ he would look to buy a boat that was purpose-built and complied with these regulations.
Opting for a yacht already equipped for the challenge, Bourke purchased the second-hand Open 40 that he named ‘Imagine’, previously ‘Anasazi Girl’. Despite being built by Finot-Conq and having completed two circumnavigations, including the 2003/4 Around Alone Race, ‘Imagine’ was far from ready for the GSC. Having been out of water for several years, she was in poor condition, most notably the mast installed by the previous owner after a dismasting in the South Atlantic.
Choosing not to shy away from this daunting task, Bourke embarked on the journey of a complete refit of this beautiful carbon racer. After ensuring its basic seaworthiness, he sailed ‘Imagine’ 1,600 nautical miles from Trinidad to Charleston, South Carolina, for an extensive refit.
©Peter Bourke
One of the initial steps was to replace the old mainsail and jib, both of which were in disrepair. Problems with the water ballast system were addressed by replacing the old engine-driven pump with a more reliable 12-volt power pump. A full engine replacement, sail drive installation, and repaint were also on the to-do list, followed by numerous inspections.
Bourke installed six solar panels capable of producing 690 watts of electricity, supplemented by a new alternator. The energy storage saw an upgrade with the latest Lithium batteries. Peter also bought a hydro-generator and is contemplating installing this on the rear of the boat, although he is still unsure whether it is essential for him given the large capacity of his solar installation.
Peter’s choice of systems differs from many of the other entrants. He is anticipating that the solar power system feeding into the new state-of-the-art Lithium batteries, supplemented by the engine alternator, will be sufficient to maintain the power to all electronic instruments.
Additional upgrades included new NKE instrumentation compatible with a powerful Raymarine Linear Drive, a water maker, and replacement perspex viewports in the hard dodge. Je will rely on a simple ‘Jet Boil’ for water heating, to rehydrate the freeze-dried foods that will sustain him, and to prepare hot drinks.
©Peter Bourke
One noteworthy challenge was the mast refurbishment. The prior owner had replaced the original mast with a shorter version, attempting to compensate for this change by extending the boom. While this adjustment preserved the overall sail area, it posed problems when ordering new sails. However, given that an Open 40 like ‘Imagine’ spends much of its time with reefed mainsails, Bourke didn’t foresee this modification impacting her speed or sailing behaviour significantly.
Like many other entrants with racing boats, Bourke decided to rely on an electric autopilot, opting out of a wind vane system, possibly influenced by an incident during the OSTAR where he lost his vane rudder.
The exhaustive refit, which has blown past both budget and schedule, has raised questions on whether refurbishing ‘Rubicon’ to meet GSC regulations might have been a more prudent choice. Despite this, the camaraderie with fellow sailor Tim Kent, a Charleston resident who circumnavigated the globe in a previous Around Alone race, has provided essential support, encouragement, and advice.
As Bourke awaits the arrival of his new set of sails, he’s wrapping up his to-do list and planning sea trials, a trip to Bermuda, and a 2,000-mile qualifying sail to La Coruña, Spain. The sails Peter will have with him will be a Main, a Staysail, a Storm Jib, a Code Zero, A2, A3 and A4 asymmetrics.
He’s determined to reach Spain by the end of the summer, leaving time for a trip to England for medical training, last-minute preparations, and hopefully, some Spanish fiestas.
While Bourke has completed numerous medical and first-aid courses in his lifetime, he’s hoping the upcoming course in England will be more pertinent to his situation, unlike his American course that advised calling emergency services post-first-aid—a piece of advice of little help when in the middle of the Southern Ocean.
Offshore Passage Opportunities
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Hank Schmitt |
P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 |
(631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Sailing Resume
Dominica
Fall Swan Program
Editorial – In May we were in Newport to see the start of the Ocean Race. The American Boat was just awarded the overall win in Gonoa Italy after redress for a Starboard/Port tack incident. The first American lead team to win. Two weeks ago, we watched the start of the Bermuda One-Two Race sail through Town Cut in St. Georges after completing our passage from NY to Bermuda. A skipper I went to High School with won the outbound leg overall all on corrected time. Dr Gust Stringos from Maine on his Morris 38. All the glory went to the 29-year-old woman who was first across the line so had line honors, but was 2nd after handicap. Such is life. Later this month OPO Members Peter Bourke will depart Charleston SC on his Class 40 named “Imagine” to sail his qualifier 2000-mile solo passage for the start of the Global Solo Challenge starting next fall. Peter hired me to sail with him to Bermuda 19 years ago so he could solo back on his Caliber 35. He then bought an outbound 44 and competed in the 2009 Ostar as the only American entrant sailing from England to Newport. Now he is one of four American entered in the Global Solo Challenge for amateur sailors. He is one of many OPO success stories. Definitely towards the top of the list.
Both Avocation and I are back in NY for the summer. I skippered the boat to Bermuda and Tania Aebi and crew sailed her back last weekend. As I mentioned in the last Newsletter there will not be many long offshore passages as the hurricane season has started. We have already posted several short passage opportunities this past month. There are sure to be others, but mostly East Coast based since that is where we are based and where there are a lot of boats between the Chesapeake Bay and Maine. This does not help members who live far from the water or on the West Coast. All I can say is sorry, you live on the wrong place??. Of course, our focus is offshore sailing, which will commence after the storm season is over with posting starting in September. This is supposed to be our last NARC Rally. Hopefully you can find a free passage in the fall. The only way to guarantee passage is signing up for one of the two Swans in our fleet.
Sailing Resume – This is a good time to brush up your sailing resume that you should have ready to “copy and paste” to send to a skipper or boat owner when you are inquiring about joining a boat. Members sometimes ask what does a sailing resume look like? The answer is it is similar to a job resume except with emphasis one what passages you have made, how many miles and how many days. You are an experienced crew when you can stand a solo watch and know when to wake up the captain and when to let him sleep because you can take care of minor adjustments yourself. The major determining factor is that when the auto-pilot breaks you can steer the boat for up to three hours at a time. A normal delivery crew is three people. That means you should be able to handle a three hour on and six hours off watch schedule.
If you do not have many miles, please list what kind of sailing you have done. Include courses you have taken, boats you have sailed on plus your goals and plans. Do not forget to list any skills you have like mechanical, galley help (some skippers love people who can help with meals), medical training, scuba diving or languages spoken. I also suggest including what schools you may have gone to or hobbies you have. You never know if someone will pick you because you have the same hobby or went to the same schools. Including a short bio about yourself a little bit about your future sailing plans or goals can help. Let people know why you are eager to go sailing and meet new people. The most important thing to emphasize is that you are a team player and easy to get along with. Do not hide anything from a skipper or owner. Be honest if you smoke, take medications, or have any physical issues that may keep you from going forward to reef at night. Skippers are looking for people who will respect their boats and treat their time aboard as if they were visiting someone in their homes.
If you sailed a lot when you were young on small boats, it is just like riding a bicycle, you do not forget. If you can sail a small boat, you can sail a big boat, not the other way around. Many OPO members are very motivated and want to fast track to being able to charter a boat or buy a boat and take off on their own. We are happy to try and accommodate motivated people, but it is hard to skip some steps.
Hope this helped.
Dominica – For those that have been to Dominica with or without OPO, you may have met Eddison who is the Vice President of PAYS. He usually organizes our van tours of the island. He, along with his wife Sylvia, own Mango Cottages where we usually have half our crew stay ashore when we visit for Yachtie Appreciation Week (Now called the PAYS Domica Yachting Festival.). You can Google Mango Cottage Dominica and plan to stay sometime.
The reason I mention this is they just left Huntington after a 5-day visit to NY. Eddison went from the beach in Portsmouth Dominica to Times Square NY in less than 24 hours. They flew in at midnight last Friday. On Saturday I first took them on the Circle Line Tour around Manhattan to give him a boat ride and overall picture of our “Big Apple” island, and then walked over to Times Square. I also took them for a sail out of Huntington Bay aboard Avocation and into LI Sound. I keep telling the PAYS crew that I was also born on an island, went to school on an island in Rhode Island just north of Newport in Portsmouth (The same name as the town in Dominica), worked offshore on oilrigs, commercial fishing boats and delivering boats so that I am a waterman just like the boat boys in Dominica.
We were able to talk business and make plans for the expansion of the mooring field in Portsmouth to the other side of the bay and to Mero Beach. We will tell you more in the August and September issue as we make plans with the Dominica Government and PAYS Association this summer.
Fall Swan Program – Please ignore this if you are only looking for the OPO free passage opportunities. But of you need to plan to get time off from work or family obligations, or are planning to go to the Newport or Annapolis Boat Shows, there are only a few berths left to join us this fall. Non-OPO members have been contacting us and filling up the limited number of berths we have. We have only two boats sailing south from Newport to St. Maarten this fall in the last NARC Rally. Captain Murray will be sailing the Swan 68 Aphrodite in the ARC And Tania Aebi and Maurizio will be sailing her from Spain to the Canary Islands. The short introduction passages to or from the boat show are almost filled. Please let me know if you want to sign up so you do not miss out. You only need to make a deposit now to hold your berth and the balance is not due until 30 or 45 days before the passage depending on how long it is.
Repeated Schedule from the June 1st OPO Notice to Mariners.
Newport Boat Show
Huntington to Newport - Monday 11th September to Friday the 15th $1500Newport to Huntington – Friday 15th September to Tuesday the 19th. $1500 ($2500 Round Trip)
Annapolis Boat Show
Huntington to Annapolis – Saturday Oct 7th to Friday Oct 13th $2500Annapolis to Huntington – Friday Oct 13th to Thursday Oct 19th $2250
Newport to St. Maarten
Newport to Bermuda to St. Maarten – Thursday Oct 26th to Tuesday Nov 14th- $4500
Palma Mallorca Spain to Las Palmas Canary Islands Spain
Sunday Oct 8th to Friday Oct 27th - $4000
ARC Rally Las Palmas to St. Lucia
As early As Sunday 12th Nov to Tuesday Dec 12th – $6000
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
The Ocean Race
NARC Rally
Fall Swan Program
- Newport Boat Show
- Annapolis Boat Show
- NARC Rally Newport to St Maarten
- Palma Mallorca to Las Palmas
- ARC Rally Las Palmas to St. Lucia
Editorial-This Friday I am driving up to Newport to meet the crew sailing Trans-Atlantic on the Swan 68 Aphrodite with Murray. Next Friday crew arrive to sail our flagship Swan 48 Avocation, from Huntington NY to Bermuda with me. I fly home and Tania Aebi flies in to skipper her back to Huntington along with five replacement crew. It is a popular passage since it can be done within a one-week vacation. That concludes our Swan Program for the season.
The longer passages will soon slow to a trickle as boats are moved north for the summer season. Shorter deliveries will still pop up in your inbox. Once hurricane season kicks (Technically starts today) in we do not send out long passage opportunities.
I plan to be in the Huntington Bay area. If you are going up for down LI Sound, please drop me an e-mail or chance a call to the office at 631-423-4988 to see if I may be around. If I am home, I can lend you a car to do some local shopping and have you up to the house for a visit. Part of my retirement plan. Have members come visit me as I keep the OPO crew network going, but work to spend more time at home. I just had my first visitor of the year do just that passing through on his 3rd great loop on a 48-foot power cat.
“The Ocean Race” – Avocation and her full crew that sailed up from St. Maarten were in Newport last week and were out on the water for the start last Sunday May 21st of “The Ocean Race”. The American team 11th Hour Racing won the leg from Newport to Denmark and now sits in first place. This professionally crewed Around the World Race ends next month in Genova Italy. Try and pay attention to the last three legs starting next week.
NARC Rally – We are already getting calls for the North American Rally to the Caribbean (NARC) departing October 28th 2023. This will be our 23rd and last Rally as we are working to hand the reigns over to the Salty Dawg Sailing Association. We like to work with rally organizers and race organizers (we are the also the official crew network for the Newport to Bermuda Race) to gather more offshore passage opportunities for our members. If you know any boat owners or meet any boat owners planning to sail to the Caribbean this fall please tell them about our rally. Information is on our web site. www.sailopo.com
Fall Swan Program – We are opening up crew berths early for OPO members who wish to join us for one of the Swan Program Passages this fall. These are the only passage opportunities that come with a fee. Many of our OPO members are only interested in the free passage opportunities. If so, please ignore the following. The Swan Program if for people who need to plan their time off from life in advance. They want to know they will be on a good boat with a strong skipper. Our Swan program is only on Swans and only with skippers I choose to hire.
Let me know if you have any questions before you place a deposit. The Boat Show coastal passages are open to anyone. A nice first introduction to offshore sailing with one overnight. The other, longer offshore passages, I like to speak with potential crew before they place a deposit. Particularly the fall NARC Rally where we start in colder and more boisterous conditions, is not the best 1st time offshore experience. The ARC is also a long passage without any stops so we want to make sure you are up for it. Once we all agree the passage is a good idea will we ask for a deposit. The balance for all the trips are not due until 45 days before the passage.
We ask for a $500 deposit now for the Boat Show trips and a $1000 deposit for the longer passages. You can pay online at www.sailopo.com at the OPO web store. Please call if you have any questions. 631-423-4988. I will be out of the office from June 9th to 21st. e-mail is best. Cathy checks while I will be sailing to Bermuda.
Since we will not be having a booth at the Newport Boat Show this year we will sail up and back like we offer for the Annapolis Boat Show. We will turn it into a two-day sail up and a two-day sail back with two days at the show and seeing Newport and the boat show. You stay aboard the boat which will be docked walking distance to the show so you do not need to get a hotel. Prices include everything except travel to and from the boat and any meals and drinks ashore.
Newport Boat Show
Huntington to Newport - Monday 11th September to Friday the 15th $1500Newport to Huntington – Friday 15th September to Tuesday the 19th. $1500 ($2500 Round Trip) Annapolis Boat Show
Huntington to Annapolis – Saturday Oct 7th to Friday Sept 13th $2500Annapolis to Huntington – Friday Sept 13th to Thursday Oct 19th $2250
Newport to St. Maarten
Newport to Bermuda to St. Maarten – Thursday Oct 26th to Tuesday Nov 14th- $4500
Palma Mallorca Spain to Las Palmas Canary Islands Spain
Sunday Oct 8th to Friday Oct 27th - $4000
ARC Rally Las Palmas to St. Lucia
As early As Sunday 12th Nov to Tuesday Dec 12th – $6000
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Dominica
“The Race”
Global Solo Challenge
Sail America Annual Conference – How to Save Sailing
Swan Program – Last minute cancellation = Discounted berth
Editorial – One benefit of OPO membership is the crew requests we do not send out.
Hi Albert,
Thanks for your interested in trying to use us to get crew. The Island Packet is a good boat and yours is probably a “good old boat”, but my OPO members might have a problem with the following:
Well-equipped but use only kayak to go to shore. Am willing to purchase a used dinghy if crew desires. I do have a working toilet, but have been putting in a garbage bag as liner so that the garbage bag can be disposed of with the trash. This has worked very well for me. The cabin is clean without any foul smells.
Simply put, if I would not sail aboard one of the crew requests I send out, why would I encourage you to do so. We do not allow skippers or crew to post passage opportunities. Everything goes through us. This also means that no one’s contact information or personal information is posted on a web site or message board for anyone to see.
Dominica – Last Sunday March 26th was the closing dinner for the 1st PAYS Dominica Yachting Festival. The first Yachtie Appreciation Week (YAW) was in 2016 after OPO members donated a mooring field to the Portsmouth Association of Yacht Services (PAYS). The Dominican Tourism Board and Government have taken ownership of the event. They are very excited to help promote the event going forward. We know what we started will be in good hands and be sustainable without having to be involved with the promotion and organization of the event year after year.
The harbor has been full of boats most of the season. I know next year’s event will be even bigger. We hope more members will be able to join us. We may offer a package to come by air next year. They now have plane service from Miami to Dominica.
While I was in Dominica, I met with officials locally from Portsmouth and Mero. Mero has the only other beach on the island. I also met with the Minister of Tourism in the Capitol. I strongly believe that we can help our friends in Portsmouth and Dominica become Thee replacement adventure tourism destination for sailors. (Thinks what the Caribbean was like in the 1960’ and 1970 when there were not docks to tie up to. Yes, there is not one dock to tie up to for water, fuel or get work done on the boat in all of Dominica.)
Next September we plan to ask OPO members one last time to donate a mooring or help pay to ship one more set of new moorings and tackle to install moorings in one or two more locations as well as add more in Portsmouth all under the leadership of PAYS. With more than one anchorage on the island sailors will stay longer and experience more of the island. It does not make sense to take a long car ride from the northern town of Portsmouth to see a site on the south side of the islands. And visa-versa.
We will keep you posted as we work on plans with our friends in Dominica and have something to present to you in September.
“The Race” – is the replacement for the Volvo crewed around the world race. The start is May 21st for the Newport to Europe leg. Our Swan 48 Avocation along with crew sailing back from St. Maarten will be on the starting line. We will then sail from Newport to Huntington right after the start. The other two Swans in the Swan Fleet sailing from St. Maarten to Newport will also arrive while the Race Village at Fort Adams is in town. We like to try and be in the middle of, or part of, as many sailing events as we can and offer OPO members a closer look in person or viscerally through us.
Global Solo Challenge – Another event we will touch upon over the next year may be this one. Our own success story Peter Bourke is entered in this solo around the world rase starting next September and October from Spain. Peter sailed back with me on the Hurricane Irma Tartan 3700 and wrote about it for Lats and Ats magazine. He bought a secondhand Finot-Conq designed Open 40 for the challenge. He recently sailed her from Trinidad to Charleston where she is getting more work done. Peter will solo to Spain for the qualifying passage and then have the summer to get ready for his start in October. Also, more to follow from us.
Sail America Annual Conference – How to Save Sailing
April 17th to 19th is the annual Sail America Industry Conference. I have been to several in Annapolis, Charleston, and this year in Newport. Last month I had three adds about OPO in an Scuttlebutt e-newsletter that most of the marine industry gets. I have one more idea to help get more people out there sailing offshore and helping the industry at the same time. If you have time, please click to the OPO web site and read my “Jerry McGuire Paper” (Anyone see the movie with Tom Cruise and Renee Zellweger?).
Offshore Passage Opportunities - Saving Sailing Part Deux
In 2009, not a great time in our industry or the economy, economist and sailor Nickolas Hayes authored a very compelling book about the decline in sailing titled “How to Save Sailing”. In the book he listed and then refuted many of the common myths about why the industry was losing participation in America, ie: too expensive, too hard, etc. It was an industry wakeup and compelling read. He spoke at several conferences and still writes a column in Sailing magazine. www.sailopo.com/howtosavesailing
Swan Program – Last minute cancellations = Discounted berth
The most annoying part of the Swan Program is when people on short notice. Emergencies happen and things come up, so we have to understand. But that means they do forfeit their deposit and we offer cancelled berths at a discount.
Swan 48 St. Maarten -Bermuda to Newport $3500 to Newport to NY $4500 Swan 65 Aurora St. Maarten -Bermuda to Newport $3500Swan 68 Aphrodite (1st Leg only St. Maarten to Bermuda May 2nd to May 11th) $1500
Here are the details from the Dec 1st Notice to Mariners. Let me know if you are interested. I will be in the office on Monday.
St. Maarten to Newport with a stop in Bermuda - Tuesday May 2nd to Friday May 19th (18 days)
This is our annual return passage from the Caribbean. We have three Swans sailing north, a Swan 48, Swan 65 and Swan 68. It is a very good 1st time offshore passage as we start in warm trade wind conditions and work up to the more challenging 2nd leg from Bermuda to Newport crossing the Gulf Stream. This year we have added a couple of days and are departing earlier so we can avoid the crowds in Bermuda. The ARC Europe starts Saturday May 6th. This has been our traditional departure date (The first weekend in May) for over 20 years, but now the World Cruising Club in the UK has barged in we plan to depart early and spread out the arrivals in Bermuda
The Ocean Race (Ex-Volvo) is coming back to Newport RI this May 2023. We will arrive in Newport three or four days before the start of the leg from Newport to Europe May 21st. I will reserve dock space for three days in Newport and then we will go out for the start. After the start we will set sail 100 miles to Huntington NY and you will fly home from New York on Tuesday May 23rd. We did this the last time they were in Newport in 2017 and it was great fun. The price for the passage north to Newport is $4000 and the extra stay for The Race and ending in NY is $5000.
Swan 48 Avocation – Extended Ocean Race Option (May 2nd to 23rd May - 23 days) $5000
Swan 65 Aurora & Swan 68 Aphrodite (May 2nd to May 19th -18 days) $4000
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Getting Ready for the Busy Spring Migration
Delivery Passages vs Amateur Passage Opportunities
Peter Bouke Article is also attached
Yacht Master course in Sint Maarten
Editorial - OPO crew arrived for our 18th Heineken Regatta on Monday this week. We have a very busy week on the water with one practice day and 4 race days. While we have transitioned to sailing in the “Island Time” cruising division, it is no less competitive, but much easier to get ready for and easier on the boat and crew. While some crew are required to stay and live on the boat, we live large off the race course in a five-bedroom villa with a private pool, outside bar, overlooking St. Barts. While having nothing to do with offshore sailing, it is a great winter get-away and introduction to big boat racing.
Spring Migration – The busiest time for offshore sailing are the spring and the fall with the change of seasons. Boats move from summer to winter locations or visa-versa. In the fall captains are mostly looking for a weather window to open up after hurricane season ends about Nov 1st and before the Winter Gales start marching across the north Atlantic. The spring migration lasts from late April through June giving OPO members the opportunity to do more than one offshore passage and more options spread out over two months.
OPO makes it easy by sending you the opportunities as they come in. If interested you should respond shortly after you receive it (do not think about it too long and miss out) by sending your sailing resume to the skipper. You should have one ready to copy and paste to make it easy for a skipper or boat owner to decide.
Pro Delivery Passages vs the Amateur Boat owner and Skipper – During the summer I move boats short distances for owners who have more money than time. One advantage I have since I live on a big island (Long Island is the largest island in the continental USA) in an area that offers many cruising options. I consider my summer territory extends from the Chesapeake Bay to Maine. There is a much larger concentration of boats that move about the USA Northeast than in the Florida, the Gulf of Mexico or West Coast. OPO members that live within driving distance (or train) can take advantage of some of these short deliveries on the water.
However, one must realize that a boat owner pays to deliver a boat by the day. We have a delivery captain rule that goes “6 knots in the right direction.”. More often than we like this means we are motor sailing when the winds to not allow us to make 5 or 6 knots in the right direction. Please do not sign up for a passage with a pro skipper if you will be disappointed that you may not sail as much as you might like. I very seldom have a problem with crew who do not understand this, but make sure you ask before you join a boat of you think you will be disappointed by not sailing as much as you think you will be. You still get to experience different models of boats and see new cruising grounds and enter different ports. One thing that will help you get aboard a boat will be if you can say that you have sailed that route before or been to the port you are going to. A boat owner will be thrilled to have someone aboard who has made the passage or knows the area, especially if he has not already been there. Once you enter a port for the first time the next time is 90% easier. It does not matter if you sailed or used the iron genny to get there.
The non-professional owner and skipper will probably not be in a rush and does not have to worry about paying a skipper a day rate. I say maybe because there are times when they also want to get from point A to point B ASAP. We usually try and identify the “flavor” of a delivery, (forced march or leisurely passage) in the body of our “crew requests”, but it is always a good idea to double check or ask in advance if you will be disappointed with a lot more motoring than you would expect or enjoy.
In our Swan Program and many offshore passages there is usually wind in the spring and fall and we sail most of the time. However, there are certain delivery passages covering may miles that dictate carrying lots of extra fuel and the expectation of doing more motoring than you might like to do. I delivered a 39-foot catamaran from South Africa to Grenada one winter. There are no hurricanes in the South Atlantic. Once we were a couple of hundred miles away from Cape Town the winds died down and we did a lot of motoring at 5 knots with one engine to conserve fuel. Another problem with catamarans (and monohulls with swept back swept back spreaders) when sailing downwind is that the mainsail will chafe for days on end against the backside of the spreaders. If you are not careful to over trim the mainsail or if you have not gone up the mast to put padding on the back of the spreaders to protect the sail you will ruin the sail in short order. Nothing will get a delivery skipper of a new charter cat in more trouble than showing up with chafe marks and holes in the mainsail.
It is very important to realize the difference between make a passage with a pro skipper and the amateur boat owner. There are many boat owners who are also very experienced and capable and even more careful about not breaking things on their boat. Please listen to them when the bask you to do things a certain way as they have probably had people break something in the past. . Be cognizant that a pro skipper can lose his reputation and his means of making a living by doing a poor job taking too much time or breaking boats.
There are times when I crew on someone else’s’ boat for a race or short passage. I enjoy not being in charge and letting someone else make the decision. Tell me my job and I will happily follow orders. There is more than one way to do things aboard a boat. If a skipper or owner does things differently than you would expect, as long as it is not dangerous, there is no reason to criticize him or the other crew to foment descent. One good example, skippers who do not let anyone flush toilet paper in their heads. Obviously skippers who do this have had crew plug up their heads in the past. Rather than argue, simply comply. Do not get into the habit of criticizing others behind their back.. Never enlist other crew to your way of thinking while at sea, it is called a mutiny. Some crew read to many books and think that things need to be done by the book. Another things that can drive a skipper crazy is a crew who cannot stop fooling with the sail trim. Of course, proper sail trim is important, but constantly adjusting sails can be annoying. You have to choose to set a course and adjust sails to that course or decide if you will alter course a little bit to keep proper sail trim. If two people are not working together, it gets complicated and confusing. Racers often do not take good delivery crew if they cannot learn to relax. In fact many people lead such busy lives that they have trouble slowing down and enjoying the time spent offshore. Remember that you are usually traveling at 5to7 knots so you have plenty of time to talk through about maneuvers.
One thing to ask about a passage with a delivery skipper is what is the nature of the delivery. There are reasons delivery skippers get jobs. It could be a pre-owned boat that someone bought from a dealer far away from their home. They have plans to upgrade the boat and know there are issues, but want the boat delivered to their home port so they can do the work or have the work done by people they know and will work with in the future, not some yard who may take advantage knowing they will never see them again. Or maybe the skipper is getting the job because it is the wrong time of year and the owner knows it will be a rough passage. Anyone who read Peter Bourke’s article in Latitudes and Attitudes magazine can see what I am talking about. I am including the article in this issue.
Another delivery scenario is the brand-new charter boats that we pick up at the factory or comes off a ship and needs to be delivered to charter bases. I went to pick up a Jenanee 45.2 from France many years ago and arrived at the schedule departure date to no boat. We went to the factory to make sure it was on a truck to Les Sables-d'Olonne and waited a week for them to commission it. The morning they got off the boat we were ready to fuel up, provision and left for the first time on a 3000-mile passage that afternoon to Tortola BVI. Delivery skippers think this is normal.
When delivering a new boat to a charter base, be ready to use only half the boat keeping some cabins and heads unused. Often the skipper will line the stove with Aluminum foil to keep it looking new upon delivery. Many cushions may remain in plastic wrapping from the factory in place. Some skippers will even bubble wrap woodwork below to protect the varnish. If the wind is not up you may be motoring slowly to conserve fuel. At the other extreme, they may reef early or douse the sail and not risk damaging them if the wind picks up too much.
Please make sure you ask more questions before you join a boat. Sometimes asking too many questions will hinder a skipper taking you aboard because he or she may think you will be a difficult crew. But it might be better than you showing up to a delivery that you do not understand and then leads to your jumping off at the next port and leaving the skipper in a bind and a frantic call to me complaining about a crew who did not understand the nature of the delivery as we try and find a replacement.
While I do want to hear feedback about bad skippers (I have banned two skippers from ever getting OPO crew because they did not treat OPO members well). I do not like hearing from crew who complain because they do not understand the overall plan. I often fight the battle trying to convince pro skippers to take OPO crew. Most delivery skippers like to have at least one other pro aboard so they know they can sleep knowing the other person on watch. I try to get them to take one or two OPO members as a 3rd crew or extra 4th crew to give OPO members more passage opportunities. But it only takes one OPO members who does a bad job or criticizes too much that will convince the skipper to never use OPO again. He then tells others pro skippers not to use amateur crew. That will continue the normal practice of having the skipper call his regular pro crew and expect the owner to hire his friends and pay his friends to sail with him. The goal for OPO members is to become one of those friends, not quell future opportunities for other OPO members to meet pro skippers. What I prefer is that OPO members do such a good job that the pro skipper will like you and ad you to their short list of dependable crew to invite next time rather than contact OPO for a stranger. We call that a success story. If we hear back from skippers that we know well that you did a bad job or left them in a bind without crew in a far-away port, then we can tag you as a difficult crew and maybe not suited to offshore sailing. Offshore sailing is much different than coastal sailing. We jokingly say we unteach what ASA or US Sailing teaches. Offshore sailing can also be challenging, uncomfortable and at times scary, but also very rewarding when you overcome adversity and gel as a team.
I hope this helps everyone to become a more trustful and reliable crew so you can grow to become a very competent crew and perhaps boat owner or delivery skipper yourself who will call us to get crew.
Yacht Master Course in Sint Maarten – Some OPO members want to get the British Yacht Masters license so they can get a job on foreign boat. I know some OPO members have spent upwards of $20,000 traveling to the UK and back to train and pass the certification. The courses are also offered in Newport and in Ft. Lauderdale. Another option that you can consider and check put pricing is right here in Sint Maarten. You can check out their web site at www.maritimeschool.net and Call either Garth or Ian for free using whats app at phone number 1-721-5805806. Or e-mail with your questions to info@maritimeschool.net .
You can mention you are an OPO member and know Hank Schmitt if you wish, but it does not matter. Although they offered to give me a referral fee when I told them I would include them in my newsletter, I told them I never ask for any kickback or referral fee when I pass on deliveries to other skippers or refer a boat owner or OPO members to a service. I prefer they tell others about our service and give any discounts or preferential treatment to people we send them and not worry about making money off every transaction.
Double-Handing with a Free Soloer
By Peter J. Bourke
The invitation arrived back in January from my good friend Hank. He asked if I’d like to double-hand a boat from St. Martin to Annapolis, by way of Bermuda, a passage of a little under 1,500 nautical miles. Despite the perils of Covid, I was excited. Hank has spent the last thirty plus years as a delivery skipper, moving sailboats of all sizes and vintages along the US east coast, to and from the Caribbean, and occasionally trans-Atlantic. The offer to double-hand with him promised not only the warmth of the Caribbean for a few days before we reached more northern latitudes, but an opportunity to up my game by sailing with someone who I knew to be a master of the art; Hank learned to sail at 7, I learned at 46, an age where you learn by study, not by instinctive attachment.
Hank wanted to leave in mid-April, an early delivery as the weather systems have yet to settle into their more benign early summer pattern. Storms in the North Atlantic seemed a remote consideration as I sat in my cozy house in Rhode Island and looked out on the blanket of snow covering the back yard.
The boat had the wonderful name of Spray, wonderful because that was the name of Captain Joshua Slocum’s boat when, in 1898, he became the first person to sail alone and unassisted around the world. This Spray was a twenty-year-old Tartan 3700. Tartan is a US boatbuilder with a reputation for delivering strong and attractive boats. The recent history of the boat dates from September of 2017 when she was knocked down as hurricane Irma swept over St Maarten. She didn’t sustain any hull damage from the knockdown, but a hole was punched in the deck. Whatever triage occurred in the days following the hurricane, it took time to address the multitude of injured and dying boats littering the island, and Spray was left to endure a period of languishment. Hank bought the boat for $4,000, no doubt one of the smaller checks he wrote in his saga of bringing this lovely sailing yacht with the sparkling blue hull back to life.
Arrival Shock
The list of old equipment on the boat was very short, as everything from the mast and the sails, to the engine, electronics, sailing instruments and stove were brand new. That said, it was a shock at first sight. Hank had partnered with one of the local yacht workers to rehab the boat, and a crew emerged that seemed unique to this part of the world. They were all islanders of a sort: Caribbean Ben, Kenny Leigh, Ozzie (Aussie) John and Quint; from the islands of St. Lucia, Dominica, Australia and England. Each had some serious competence in boat matters and they all had a loose devotion to deadlines; the type of approach that’s made ‘island time’ something between a philosophy and a time zone. They needed a leader herding them, directing, guiding and encouraging their progress. Hank was hard at work on this role when I arrived, but there was still work to be done as the beautiful new instruments were still sitting in their boxes, no power from the new battery bank had yet been directed to even such mundane uses as the overhead lights, the new stove was awaiting the arrival of a necessary connecting piece and the cockpit was missing the steering pedestal, a rather critical assembly that would house the new compass, steering wheel and instrument pod. The pedestal was crafted by Lewmar, the venerable British maker of boat equipment, but unfortunately their shipping department was also operating on Island Time. Eventually it became clear that this coveted kit would not arrive in time and Hank had it redirected to the states. I’m sure it was annoying to pay the local machine shop to hammer the old wheel back to a roundish geometry, but this was done and the old steering pedestal was reinstalled, even though the grab arm over the top was missing, the compass was a little vague on its recollection of magnetic north, and the instrument pod was gone so the control panel for the autopilot had to be mounted on an electrical box affixed to the pedestal at knee height.
It would have been hard to argue that the boat was ready for sea, but readiness for sea is a spectrum. No boat has ever started a passage without something remaining on the to do list. ‘Seaworthiness’ is another question, and a much more binary one. I would come to learn that there wasn’t anything unseaworthy about this boat. The hull was strong and made its way cleanly through the water. The rigging and sails were new and correct. The rudder and steering system – apart from an ever so slightly out of round wheel – was solid. I would indeed come to appreciate how seaworthy this boat really is, but at that moment I was thinking more about the spectrum of readiness, and had the skipper been anyone but Hank I would no doubt have returned to the airport. I knew that Hank understood what it takes to get a boat ready for sea, or at least ready enough, and I had a hunch that the next couple of days would be like watching the final minutes of a jigsaw puzzle where the remaining pieces fly into place and the finished picture emerges.
St. Martin to Bermuda
Leaving St. Martin heading north you have the familiar consistency of the easterly trades for a few days to speed you on your way, and indeed we only occasionally fired up the engine to charge the batteries. As we left the trade wind belt the winds grew lighter and we found ourselves motoring for most of the last third of the one-week leg to Bermuda.
The only real surprise I had on the first leg was the information release that arrived over dinner one evening when I happened to ask Hank how he’d come by the large 6-person Plastismo Life Raft that was ensconced in a cannister and filling the cockpit. Hank had called me a month or two earlier to ask whether I considered it important to have a life raft on our passage. I’d tried my best to say yes; that I considered it an item of more than passing interest. I’d pretty much put life raft thoughts out of my mind when I arrived in St. Maarten and saw that Hank had acquired a high quality 6-person raft. That sized raft would have given us room to party if we’d needed the refuge, but it was a large cannister, too large for the boat really, and the only space for it was in the well of the cockpit. Apart from the ugliness of having to stare at this huge piece of emergency kit every time you stepped up into the cockpit of the boat, its presence, combined with the absence of any grab rail, led to a certain awkwardness as I moved back and forth to the helm, whether to adjust the autopilot controls or take the wheel. We would be doing a lot of hand steering in the second leg of our passage, but back to the life raft.
Hank told me that he’d been taking out the trash at the marina in St. Maarten when he noticed that someone had left the life raft in the dumpster. There was certainly no sign of degradation or other objective reason to believe the life raft would not provide relief should we require it, apart from the inspection sticker being about ten years out of date.
A conversation in Bermuda
The second leg was a different animal. It began with a couple of days of delightful sailing before moving onto the next acts which included two gales and one very nasty squall. One of the reasons I’d dismissed my own reservations about our weather window was my view that any heavy weather we might encounter would be an opportunity to gain a little more experience. You can’t improve your ability to sail in heavy weather if you never practice, and an opportunity seemed to be opening up. I don’t think for a minute that we were imprudent when we left knowing that a couple of fronts, along with their associated mischief, would be rolling over our route. We had a strong boat and a depth of experience, and there was nothing in the weather situation to indicate that a serious storm might develop while we were at sea. What we did was sacrifice some comfort to keep to a schedule, and in my case to up my game.
The Two AM Moment
I don’t know why, but there always seems to be a two or three o’clock in the morning moment on long boat passages. This one happened at about that time, while Hank was on watch and the breeze was up in the high thirties. I was sound asleep when I heard a loud crash, much louder than the sound made when the hull comes off a wave and you have the bang/thud of the landing. I looked into the main cabin, a part of the boat that had already resembled the living room of a frat house on a Sunday morning. I quickly noticed that the scene in the main cabin had changed from that of a friendly pillow fight to something more violent, as many of the cushions were now pinned down by the door to the forward cabin. The door had apparently swung open, lifted off its hinges and landed with that loud crash. Other than a slight scratch on the door, there was no damage, but the best that could be done was to secure the door. You can’t hang a door with one hand when you’re holding on with the other.
The gales abated, as they all do, but they left behind a damp boat. The boat had wonderful new hatches and ports, but the installer must have run a tad short of sealant as he worked to finish the job. All mariners know that the sea will find your mistakes, and the ongoing molestation of the waves caused some of the new ports to leak. These were leaks of annoyance, not leaks to trigger the bilge pumps. Still, it’s more comfortable if you can keep clothes and bedding dry when you’re heading north in early spring.
Free Soloing
Hank had a PFD (a personal flotation device – aka a life jacket – with a built-in harness) hung belowdecks. As a US Coast Guard licensed captain, I’m sure he would not want to be stopped and have to explain why he didn’t have a PFD on the boat. It looked almost the same as mine, though far newer, and that mystery was explained when Hank mentioned that he’d never worn it. I like wearing a PFD in rough weather; I think of it the way I think of a seatbelt, where the most important benefit is probably its role as a psychological reminder that you’re engaging in a potentially lethal activity. There is of course another approach. Simply stay on the damn boat. Watching the way Hank moved about the boat as it rose and fell, heeled and yawed, and went through the repertoire of movements required to gain passage through the sea, I came to think of myself as climbing with Alex Honnald, the famous free-Soloer of rock climbing. I’m not a climber. The 65 feet of mast on my boat is the most I care to climb, and I always use a rope for that, but that was the comparison that came to my mind. I realized that Hank’s confidence, his sureness of footing, and his in-the-moment focus were the factors that kept him safe. Watching Hank’s movements on Spray, it occurred to me that he didn’t really walk about the boat, he flowed. He was clearly in his element.
The End Game
There was a short list of annoyances on that second leg, and perhaps the biggest was the loss of the engine. It was brand new with barely 150 hours of use when it retired from service while we were still 50 nautical miles east of the Gulf Stream. A check of the fuel filter found it pristine, which was actually bad news as a fuel problem would have been easy to fix. The engine refused to rejoin the program and we both agreed that it was likely an electrical issue. We resigned ourselves to a slower passage as the winds were moderating into the single digits, though thankfully from the southwest which meant for a nice angle towards the Chesapeake. Hank announced that we would hand steer for the remainder of the trip, except perhaps when we were having dinner. The autopilot is the biggest energy consumer on the boat and we had no way to charge the batteries once the engine had gone out. We also powered off the refrigeration, the main sacrifice of that decision being no cream in the coffee. These were smart calls as they ensured that we still had use of the radio, sailing instruments and navigation lights for the duration of the voyage. Hand steering for the last few days of our passage allowed us to manage our energy budget for the duration; or at least the boat’s energy budget, mine was starting to get a little low. The loss of the engine was a setback for Hank as his schedule was much tighter than mine, but for me this annoyance turned out to be a blessing. Hand steering a yacht at sea, along with knowing how to deal with heavy weather, are skills that require practice and development. Hand steering tunes you to the wind and the sea state, but without devoting the training hours it can quickly become exhausting.
The end game morphed into a beautiful sail as we stayed a few miles off the coast on our way to the broad entrance to Chesapeake Bay, the boat sliding along in 8-10 knots of wind. It would have been idyllic except for the realization that, simply due to schedules, we would not be able to take the boat to Annapolis as planned and that we’d have to finish our passage in Norfolk, Virginia. A few minutes before midnight rolled onto the clock we tied up in the snug harbor of Little Creek, just a few miles into the bay. It was far from the hardest passage I’ve made, but it was a long way from the easy list. For Hank, I sensed that it was just another couple of weeks in the work year, the frustrations over parts and delays exchanged for the joy of being at sea.
https://www. maritimeschool.netmaritimeschool.netmaritimeschool.net/https://www
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Free Sailing
OPO Ambassadors
NARC Rally
Dominica
Swan May Passage – SXM to Newport – 2 berths left
Editorial - Time for me to get back to work after a long stretch in the office. December and January are not great months to be sailing between islands in the Caribbean. Every area of the world has a name for seasonal big winds. Hurricanes, Typhoons, Meltemi. While not as bad, in the Caribbean winter big winds are called the “Christmas” or “December” Winds. They regularly blow between 20 and 25 knots with regular gusts into the 30’s. The first big regatta of the year is the Heineken Regatta and they do not host that until the 1st week in March. I fly back March 9th and get Avocation back in the water a ready for the Heineken Regatta and sail to Dominica, both in March. Try not to book a charter for the wife and family if they do not like to be overpowered or sail in big winds.
Free Sailing – I only half joke when I say I am going back to work in the Caribbean when I fly down next week. Our OPO Mission Statement is “To seek, gather and create quality offshore passage opportunities for our members”. Being in the Caribbean on one of the biggest and most travelled to non- French Islands is a great place to meet other yachties and make connections in the winter sailing scene. By participating and sponsoring winter regattas and placing ads in the winter issues of All-at-Sea and the Caribbean Compass magazines (The two free Caribbean Publications), we are where a lot of boats are still in the water and planning to make long passages once the seasons change.
Each year we offer more and more free quality passage opportunities primarily in the spring and fall when boats are moving with the change of season. August through the end of October is prime hurricane season so we do not offer long offshore passages then, but offer shorter near coastal passages. I also look forward to coming back to the office all of April to get ready for the spring migration. I look forward to offering OPO members more quality offshore passages, but remember the real value is in the passages opportunities I do not post because they do not sound like a good passage opportunity to me.
OPO Ambassadors – I know I am not the only sailor that will spend time in the Caribbean or warmer waters this winter. If you are on charter or a passage through us or not you come into contact with other people with similar interests. If the conversation of offshore sailing or needing crew comes up, please do tell any skipper or boat owners who may need crew about us. You can tell them it is a free service to boat owners and delivery skippers looking for crew. Just tell them to check out our web site at www.sailopo.com or call our free 800 number which is very easy to remember. Call-1-800-4-PASSGe 9800-472-7724). You know we will provide a good service and take care of them. Just remember to only tell nice skippers with sea worthy boats about us??. Our OPO members are our best ambassadors with eyes and ears working to help locate more quality offshore passage opportunities for our members.
NARC Rally 2023 – Another winter project is working to hand over the NARC Rally, Newport to the Caribbean, to the SDSA (Salty Dawg Sailing Association) Salty Dawg Rally so they can organize the departure from Newport to the Caribbean moving forward. Last years’ efforts fell apart with the weather forecast delaying the departure of the Chesapeake Bay Fleet.
This year we will double our efforts by working together earlier to promote the Newport departure and create more quality offshore passage opportunities for our members. If you anyone who may be planning to sail their boat south from the New England to the Caribbean, tell them about the NARC Rally (North American Rally to the Caribbean).
Dominica – Great News. Yachtie Appreciation Week (YAW) has been renamed. – Most OPO members know about our work in Dominica that we started in 2012 with a small project to help one of the “boat boys” build a new boat. In 2014 we offered to donate a mooring field to promote more visitors by boat to the island. Most charter destinations line the BVI’s, you eat and drink beach side or aboard and do not venture far from your boat. The island of Dominica is what the Caribbean looked like forty years ago. There is not one dock on the island to pull up to get fuel, water or get your boat worked on.
Instead, there are waterfalls to hike to and swim in pools that nature made. Dominica has the only rivers in the Caribbean that offer a guided boat tour There is a 2 ½ hour hike that’s ends at the second largest boiling lake in the world. The largest being in South Island New Zealand. Then you hike back and swim in a nice cold gorge that blocks out the sun. The highest peak is almost 4794 feet high.
In 2016 we worked with the local Portsmouth Association of Yacht Services, PAYS. (Then knows as the Portsmouth Association of Yacht Security) to donate and install a new mooring field. The working name of the event was Yachtie Appreciation Week. The idea was to promote the new mooring field so other yachties would know to come and spend money enjoying the island. This March 2023 would have been the 7th YAW. The first year we had 25 boats, which was a good thing as the mooring field, nor the PAYS members, was ready The second year we had 102 boats! In 2017 Irma and Maria hit the Caribbean. Dominica was very hard hit. November we sailed down soon after making landfall in St. Maarten with five generators, a chainsaw and two 100 Gallon Coolers full of food. With less boats visiting the Caribbean 2018 third Annual YAW was back down to under 40 boats. Covid took care of any attempt at year four and five. Last year which was not planned well as the cloud of covid still had rules in place discouraging inter island traveling.
Not that Covid is moisty behind us, the Dominican government is taking a bigger interest with the re-naming of the event for 2023. Going forward YAW will now be called.
PAYS Dominica Yachting Festival
March 19th to 26th
The goal was always to have someone rename the event and take over. Who better than the Dominica Ministry of Tourism? The have helped in the past, but by renaming and taking ownership of the week I am sure the event will grow and prosper. We plan to visit every year as long as we keep sailing to the Caribbean. Even if you can’t make it to Dominica that week or this year, do put it on your list to visit if you are ever near the island. Do to Portsmouth and tell them at the PAYS Office that you know Hank Schmitt and wish to experience their island. They will take care of you. I will be very excited to report to you in the April 1st issue of our “Notice to OPO Mariners” newsletter to let you know how this year’s Yachting Festival went and what plans they have to make it grow.
We may have room for one more crew if you wish to join us. I will know more in the next few days, but if you wish to join us let me know and I will get back to you either way.
Hank
Swan May Passage – SXM to Newport – 2 berths left
If you are interested in our two week return passage in May please feel free to contact us to inquire about taking one of the last two berths left open. We have 15 people sailing on three boats and have room for two more.
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
January Home-bound
Dominica
Swan Program
Editorial - In some cultures the first sale of the day or the year bring good luck. OPO numbers our “Crew Requests”. Earlier today we sent out # 23-01. A six-week transit West to East through the Panama Canal on a Swan 51 with one of our best pro skippers. We cannot ask for a better “crew request” to start our new year. We hope 2023 will be a good year for you as well. We will strive to continue to send you free quality offshore passage opportunities. OPO members also get first chance to sign up for our Swan Program Passage Opportunities.
January – Avocation is not the only maintenance schedule for the winter. This week I go in for a walk-in surgery for a navel hernia repair. Something I have had for over 30 years, but want to take care of before it gets to be a big problem offshore where you are not close to an emergency room if something gets twisted. Since I will be close to home this entire month before I fly back to launch Avocation for the Heineken regatta and passage to Dominica I will be happy to take any calls from OPO members who want any advice or help using the OPO system.
Dominica – We just sent the final $1200 to eight PAYS families (Portsmouth Association of Yacht Services) in Dominica via MoneyGram. This will be the last installment of the 2022 “Summer Relief Fund. For the past two we have sent $150 monthly or every other month to help them through covid times. Now that covid is almost over, they have the tools and resources to pay back into the Fund. In March, when we visit, we will see if they are on course to make this Summer Relief Fund sustainable. I have told them that we will raise money in September from OPO members to build the fund to include more families connected to the PAYS organization if they can show progress in putting money away.
Five years before covid we started helping PAYS group with the donation of a mooring field of thirty moorings and the start of an event called Yachtie Appreciation Week to promote the new mooring filed. After Maria hit Dominica in 2017 we pivoted to hurricane relief sailing down with five generators, chainsaws and two big coolers of food six weeks after the storm. In 2020 were on the island when things shut down in March for Covid. With the loss of a winter season we started a Summer Relief Fund, our own PPP, to help eight families of PAYS survive.
While we stopped asking OPO member for more contributions in 2021 we were able to continue to help via MoneyGram by halving the amounts and planting the seeds to make it sustainable. If the new officers at PAYS can show they have been able to save money from their Sunday BBQ’s and mooring fees this year, then we told them we would help grow the summer relief fund next September by asking OPO members to help once more. But if they can’t show that they can help make this sustainable without us, we will not raise more funds next September. If you want to experience a truly unspoiled island before it is too late, plan to come sail down with us in March and see what we have been doing. We will continue to update our efforts in future OPO Notices.
Swan Program 2023 Schedule – Almost all the Swan Passages are full. The Trans-Atlantic in June on the Swan 68 from Newport to the Med is full. Both one-week trips to and from Bermuda with either Tania Aebi or myself skippering are full. Both Murray and I are full sailing from St. Maarten to Newport. The Swan 65 is the only boat left with berths for the two week sail back in May. I will learn who the skipper will be in the next few days.
Open - Heineken Regatta – Race crew who want to stay on the boat is full. But we do have room for mere crew who want to race with us and stay in the villa.
Open - Dominica YAW – Price reduction to fill boat going to Dominica. Price reduced $1000 to fill boat and introduce you to the Natures Island and see why we are helping.
We offer two very unique Caribbean sailing opportunities this winter. The Heineken Regatta and a sail from SXM to Dominica and back the 2nd half of March. Since the Swan Program is the only part of OPO membership that costs money to sail you can invite friend to join you if you wish.
Caribbean options Swan 48 Avocation
Heineken Regatta – Monday Feb 27th to Monday March 6th (8 days)
Avocation sleeps six people in three cabins. But for the regatta we like to have people have their own cabin so we only have four crew stay aboard (two in the aft cabin). We have 4 crew staying on the boat. The master suite in the villa is also taken, but we do have room for three more crew (plus three non-sailing spouses or friends) for the Regatta. If you are looking to get away this winter in a unique sailing vacation which can be sold as a non-sailing vacation to a significant other, here is that opportunity. I can guarantee your spouse will approve of the accommodations.
Crew arrive on Monday and move aboard the boat or into the villa. We finish getting the boat ready to race on Tuesday. Wednesday is practice day and then we race Thursday through Sunday with the final awards night Sunday. Crew fly home on Monday March 6th. Although some crew stay on the boat we do get an extra car so crew can come back to the villa after the race or on days off to use the pool and dine at the main house. The main house has a big outdoor space with a full bar near the pool. My wife Cathy will be with us and not racing. If you would like to bring your spouse, who does not wish to race, they can hang out at the pool during the day and explore the island.
Accommodations at the Villa (single $2250 – couple $3000 and master suite $3500 taken)
Dominica YAW (Yachtie Appreciation Week) – Wednesday March 15th/16th to Wednesday March 29th. (15 days)
We really want to have a full boat going to Dominica. This will be the first year that YAW has been back since 2019. We were caught in Dominica in the 2020 MARCH Covid Meltdown. 2021 was a bust. 2022 restriction were not lifted in time to have a full YAW. This is the first year that we expect a full YAW celebration. Please join us for over 2 weeks on a captained Swan 48 helping a less developed island do better.
This is an event we started after donating a mooring field to the PAYS Association in Portsmouth, Dominica. Crew arrive in St. Maarten midweek and we depart for a 180 miles non-stop passage to the island of Dominica. We then spend a full week exploring the island by car and by small boat. Just like the Heineken Regatta, half the crew will stay ashore and three or four people can stay on the boat. Shoreside accommodations are at Mango Cottages where I have stayed with my wife before.
New Low price - Accommodations Aboard Avocation (2 weeks) $1500
New low Price - Accommodations Ashore Mango Cottages (1 week) $1250 plus $611 or half of $977 to Mango Cottages directly for staying ashore.
Studio is $611 and the house with 2 bedrooms is $977
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial - NARC Rally
Charlie Doane’s New Book
Swan Program 2023 Schedule
Heineken Regatta
Dominica YAW
May Return Passage
June -One-week Option – Tania Aebi
Trans-Atlantic Swan 68 – Murray Jacob
Editorial - NARC Rally – The NARC Rally had a good year. We were able to depart Newport with only a one-day delay and in nice weather. We had 19 boats on our Newport list including 5 from the Salty Dawg Rally. This was the first year I was barefoot by day # 2. The Gulf Stream had a 200 miles meander in the right direction so we jumped in and had a 2-knot boost to Bermuda. Normally in the fall you want to find a narrow part of the Gulf Stream and scoot across as quickly as you can like crossing a street, to ger across and put it behind you. This year we played it like a Newport to Bermuda Race and stayed in it for over 24 hours. We made the 1st leg one hour shy of 4 days, so a quick run. Never had to put in a reef. The 2nd leg was more common with a quick first two days (And yes, we put a reef in the mainsail) and then two days of motoring and then nice trade winds the last day and a half with winds on the beam. A 5-1/2 day passage, which is average.
This was to be my Swan Song organizing the Rally, with hopes to pass on the reigns to the Salty Dawg Sailing Association. However only one of their five departing boats made it to Bermuda. Only two of the nineteen boats from the Chesapeake Bay planning to join us in fact arrived in Bermuda. The rest of their fleet got caught up in the delay caused by Hurricane Nicole that was crossing their path if they planned a non-stop Chesapeake Bay to Antigua route. Since there were no management team from the SDSA to introduce to our contacts in Newport and Bermuda, we will do a “Do-over”. I plan to offer to help get their Newport departure plans in place and organize their arrival in Bermuda next fall 2023. If you are planning to heard south next year, or know anyone who is, please let them know that the NARC Rally will be sailing south next October 2023 from Newport and the Salty Dawg from the Bay.
Charlie Doane’s New Book – We put our one-day delay to good use in Newport. We had time to invite the Rally participants to not just one, but two book-signings. The first was Friday afternoon at the Seaman’s Church Institute, steps from the NARC Rally fleet. Charlie’s new book “The Boy Who Fell to Shore” just came out the week before so this was Charlie’s first book signing. The book had an excerpt in Sail magazine this month and there are book revies in several sailing publications. You can order your book at https://www.latahbooks.com/blank-1/the-boy-who-fell-to-shore
Charlies 2nd book, The Sea Is Not Full, (Seapoint Books, 2017) can be purchased through his blog at WaveTrain.net
The 2nd book signing was a follow up book by Captain William (Bill) Pinkney, a delightful man, who happened to be in Newport the same weekend as our departure. He was signing his new book Sailing Commitment Around the World at the National Sailing Museum located a short walk in the other direction from our marina. Captain Bill was the first African American to sail solo around the world.
Both are very good, make good Christmas presents, and can help whittle away the winter.
Swan Program 2023 Schedule – We offer two very unique Caribbean sailing opportunities this winter. The Heineken Regatta and a sail from SXM to Dominica and back the 2nd half of March. Since the Swan Program is the only part of OPO membership that costs money to sail you can invite friend to join you if you wish. Space is limited so we give preference to OPO members. Let me know if you have any questions.
Caribbean options Swan 48 Avocation
Heineken Regatta – Monday Feb 27th to Monday March 6th (8 days)
Join us for a full week of a truly unique sailing vacation. Half the crew stay aboard the boat for the regatta and half the crew stay in luxurious accommodations in a rented 5-bedroom villa. We sail in the cruising “white sail” division which allows us to sleep in later and enjoy the pool and meals outside overlooking St. Bart’s.
Crew arrive on Monday and move aboard the boat or into the villa. We finish getting the boat ready to race on Tuesday. Wednesday is practice day and then we race Thursday through Sunday with the final awards night Sunday. Crew fly home on Monday March 6th. Although some crew stay on the boat we do get an extra car so crew can come back to the villa after the race or on days off to use the pool and dine at the main house. The main house has a big outdoor space with a full bar near the pool. My wife Cathy will be with us and not racing. If you would like to bring your spouse, who does not wish to race, they can hang out at the pool during the day and explore the island. The Villa is over the top and one crew (with spouse) can reserve the owners suite complete with a bathtub in the room. There are two more king size bedrooms upstairs with a 2nd kitchen and the room under the main floor has another bedroom for 2 more crew. We can easily accommodate 3 crew with spouses and two crew sharing twin beds in the main house. 3 crew can stay aboard and have their own cabins aboard Avocation, but still come to the house for meals and a swim.
Accommodations on the boat ($1750 per person)
Accommodations at the Villa (single $2250 – Couple add $750=$3000 and master suite $3500)
Price does not include provisioning. We all pitch in $200 per person to buy groceries for the house and the lunches for racing during the day. Most melas we eat at the house or on the boat so you do not need a big budget for eating ashore.
Dominica YAW (Yachtie Appreciation Week) – Wednesday March 15th/16th to Wednesday March 29th. (15 days)
This is an event we started after donating a mooring field to the PAYS Association in Portsmouth, Dominica. Crew arrive in St. Maarten midweek and we depart for a 180 miles non-stop passage to the island of Dominica. We then spend a full week exploring the island by car and by small boat. Just like the Heineken Regatta, half the crew will stay ashore and three or four people can stay on the boat. Shoreside accommodations are at Mango Cottages where I have stayed with my wife before. You can Google it. It is not like luxurious accommodations in SXM, but it is very clean and nice up in the rainforest with a view of the water. Rates are cheap and you pay Sylvia and Eddison, who own the place, directly.
Accommodations Aboard Avocation (2 weeks) $2500
Accommodations Ashore Mango Cottages (1 week) $2000 to OPO and you pay $611 or half of $977 to Mango Cottages directly.
Studio is $611 and the house with 2 bedrooms is $977
We provision for the two weeks in St. Maarten for both those staying ashore and aboard the boat. We rent a car for those staying at Mango Cottages to get back and forth to the beach. We spend the week in Dominica touring by tour bus three or four days and attend planned events during the week. There are meals at the PAYS Pavilion and at the Fort on the last day. There will be two full days of sailing, but the emphasis is on hiking into the interior and swimming in waterfalls.
Offshore Swan Program
St. Maarten to Newport with a stop in Bermuda - Tuesday May 3rd to Friday May 19th (18 days)
This is our annual return passage from the Caribbean. We have three Swans sailing north, a Swan 48, Swan 65 and Swan 68. It is a very good 1st time offshore passage as we start in warm trade wind conditions and work up to the more challenging 2nd leg from Bermuda to Newport crossing the Gulf Stream. This year we have added a couple of days and are departing earlier so we can avoid the crowds in Bermuda. The ARC Europe starts Saturday May 6th. This has been our traditional departure date (The first weekend in May) for over 20 years, but now the World Cruising Club in the UK has barged in we plan to depart early and spread out the arrivals in Bermuda
The Ocean Race (Ex-Volvo) is coming back to Newport RI this May 2023. We will arrive in Newport three or four days before the start of the leg from Newport to Europe May 21st. I will reserve dock space for three days in Newport and then we will go out for the start. After the start we will set sail 100 miles to Huntington NY and you will fly home from New York on Tuesday May 23rd. We did this the last time they were in Newport in 2017 and it was great fun. The price for the passage north to Newport is $4000 and the extra stay for The Race and ending in NY is $5000.
Swan 48 Avocation – Extended Ocean Race Option (May 2nd to 23rd May - 23 days) $5000
Swan 65 Aurora & Swan 68 Aphrodite (May 2nd to May 19th -18 days) $4000
Trans-at- Newport to Mallorca, Spain
Saturday June 3rd to Sunday July 2nd
Murray Jacob is one of our most popular skippers and we can guarantee you a great time sailing across with him aboard the Swan 68 Aphrodite. There will also be a fulltime mate aboard for this almost month Trans-At on a big Swan from Newport RI to the Med. The route will most likely be from Newport to the Azores (3-day visit) to Gibraltar (2-day visit) and then to Mallorca by July 2nd.
Swan 68 with Murra Jacob - $5500
ARC Rally from Las Palmas Canary Islands to St. Lucia
This is the big Rally that started it all. Sail with Captain Muray Jacob on the Swan 68 Aphrodite. Enjoy up to a week of pre-rally activities and a visit to Las Palmas before the Start Sunday Nov 19th 2023. It is not too early to let us know that you want to lock in a berth sailing with Murray next November in the ARC Rally 2023. Aphrodite is already signed up for the ARC Rally and just needs crew information. Plan to join as we do not offer an opportunity in the ARC every year. $6000 includes entry fee for the boat and crew.
New York to Bermuda
Please come join us for the only offshore passage of the year where we sail via New York City on our way to Bermuda. This is a great first-time offshore passage as it is sailing at the best time of year to be sailing to or from Bermuda. I skipper Avocation, our flagship Swan 48, from NY to Bermuda. We have crew change on Sunday June 18th. Tania Aebi, who sailed around the world by herself on a 26-foot boat, skippers the return passage.
Swan 48 Avocation with Hank Schmitt
Friday June 9th to Sunday June 18th. (10 days) $2500
Bermuda to NY
Swan 48 Avocation with Tania Aebi $2500
Sunday June 18th to Tuesday June 27th. (10 days)
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
NARC/SDSA Rally
Swan Program - Looking Ahead - Winter Sailing Opportunities
Editorial – I am in Newport with a slew of OPO members getting ready to depart for Bermuda and then St. Maarten in the NARC Rally. We have three Swans filled, but what makes me even more happy is the number of OPO crew on the other NARC Boats who are crewing fir free. I started the NACR Rally many years ago as part of our OPO mission statement “To seek, gather and create quality offshore passages opportunities for our members”. The creating part are things like organizing a rally and sponsoring the Newport Bermuda Race.
We have a one day, maybe two weather delay and plan to leave soon. I will check e-mail when I get to Bermuda. Cathy is taking care of the office while I am offshore.
NARC/SDSA Rally – We have 5 boast from the SDSA joining our rally. Thereare 120 boats departing from the Chesapeake Bay with 19 planning to join us in Bermuda. We just sent everyone a very short emergency “crew request” from a boat owner who used their crew network service. It did not work out well for him. I am not sure if any OPO members can help him out. I told him next time use the OPO crew network to start with and not the SDR site which does not have enough members to work. We will let you know in future OPO newsletters what we plan to do the help rectify any shortfalls to make it a better rally next year.
The following is a repeat from the Oct 1st Notice highlighting our plans for the 1st half of 2023..
Winter Options – When I get back from St. Maarten after this passage soon after Thanksgiving I will let OPO members know we will be taking deposits for the two OPO opportunities to sail with us this winter as well as the dates for the next May’s sail north in the Swan Program and the one-week sail to or from Bermuda. We do have a list of people who have expressed interest in sailing in the Swan Program in May and June as well as the Trans-at with Captain Murray on Aphrodite. Next year is looking to be an even better year for sailing. Two crew have already committed to sailing with me in the May return ending with added days to see the Ocean Race (Ex-Volvo Race) and start from Newport May 21st.
Heineken Regatta Monday Feb 27th to Monday March 6th – One week in the sun. One day of practice and four race days. This is the cruising division using white sails. We do not fly a spinnaker. But we do have fun. You can stay aboard the boat (A requirement of the division to have people living aboard) or you can stay ashore in very nice accommodations with a pool. People staying aboard come up to the pool some days.
Dominica YAW (Yachtie Appreciation Week) – Two weeks - Thursday March 16th to Wednesday March 29th. This is the event we started to get the word out about the new mooring field we donated to Portsmouth Dominica. We still support 8 families in Portsmouth and help Albert get his boat going each fall season. We fly into St. Maarten and get ready to sail the 24 hours to Dominica. We then spend a full week touring the island. March 19th to March 19th to 26th. Half the crew stay on the boat and half the crew stay ashore at Mango Cottages. (Google Mango Cottages Dominica.)
This is a save a date announcement. I do not like taking deposits until the boat is in the Caribbean. If you are interested in either Swan passage this winter, please let me know and I will e-mail you after Thanksgiving to plan for winter sailing fun.
Trans-Atlantic – We are also pleased to announce to members that we are sailing to Europe next June from Newport to the Med. Captain Murray will skipper the Swan 68 Aphrodite. If she sails to the Med she will be sailing back in the ARC Next November. If you have been wanting to sail Trans-Atlantic on a big Swan, this will be your chance. Let me know if you are interested and I will let you know when we firm up dates.
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Annapolis Boat Show
NARC/SDSA Rally
Swan Program - Looking Ahead - Winter Sailing Opportunities
Editorial – The October 1st issue is usually a short “Notice to OPO Mariners” newsletter. Our niche is offshore sailing. Now is a super busy time of year moving boats, going to the boat shows and planning to head south as a boat owner, and rally organizer. Next year I can drop the rally organizing part. Yesterday I drove four hours by car from NY to Pasadena MD to speak for about crew networking and the rally concept to the SSCA, then drove back home.
Annapolis Boat Show – Next weekend we are sailing from Huntington to the Annapolis Boat Show aboard Avocation. The crew and I will be at the show on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. We plan to start sailing back on Sunday.
This year it will be easy to find each other if you want to come and say hi. The last two hours of the show from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm I will be at the Coboaters booth located in Tent C - 40B. This is a new Crew Network Company www.coboaters.com started by OPO member Phil Perut ( he also sailed south in the NARC Rally three years ago). This is more geared toward day sails and coastal sailing and includes power boats. I declined to get more involved because I am cutting back on work at this time, not looking to expand, but think it is a good idea for people that do not have the skills or the time to sail offshore yet. Check it out. Or come by and meet Phil and myself at the booth.
If you are at the show Saturday, we are one of the sponsors of the Latitudes and Attitude Pizza Party at the “727 Nautical Store” next to the show. The old Fawcett’s building. Plan to be there to represent OPO and meet other OPO members.
The sail to Annapolis and back always serves as my tune up to going offshore in the rally at the end of the month. I will be back in NY one week between shows to tweak anything that needs tweaking. All too often people concentrate on getting systems installed and check off list of things to do and do not use the boat for a few months before taking off. Make sure you get sea time in using your boat before you plan to take off for extended cruising.
NARC/SDSA Rally – Our plans for the rally go well. Bermuda weathered their hurricane last week much better than parts of Florida flattened by Ian. Our thoughts are with those and all the boat owners whose boats that were destroyed.
We the final NARC Rally we expect about 20 boats departing from Newport. There is almost always someone who needs crew last minute if you want to be on standby or live near Newport and want to come down on Thursday or Friday. Habe a bag packed and be ready to go and you stand a good chance. If give me your number and I will keep it in my wallet to call as soon as I hear from a skipper that needs crew. When we are in Newport getting ready to depart we often find a boat that is also planning to depart from Newport about the same time and heard we were there. They ask if we have an extra crew who can fill in last minute for someone who dropped out. Let me know if you want to try this route if you do not find a boat departing from near the northeast soon.
Winter Options – We have cut back from offering one-week-charter options to join us sailing in the Caribbean like we did years past. But we still support the Island Time Division of the Heineken Regatta and we still support Dominica. The two events we will invite people to join us this winter will be.
Heineken Regatta Monday Feb 27th to Monday March 6th – One week in the sun. One day of practice and four race days. This is the cruising division using white sails. We do not fly a spinnaker. But we do have fun. You can stay aboard the boat (A requirement of the division to have people living aboard) or you can stay ashore in very nice accommodations with a pool. People staying aboard come up to the pool some days.
Dominica YAW (Yachtie Appreciation Week) – Two weeks - Thursday March 16th to Wednesday March 29th. This is the event we started to get the word out about the new mooring field we donated to Portsmouth Dominica. We still support 8 families in Portsmouth and help Albert get his boat going each fall season. We fly into St. Maarten and get ready to sail the 24 hours to Dominica. We then spend a full week touring the island. March 19th to March 19th to 26th. Half the crew stay on the boat and half the crew stay ashore at Mango Cottages. (Google Mango Cottages Dominica.)
This is a save a date announcement. I do not like taking deposits until the boat is in the Caribbean. If you are interested in either Swan passage this winter, please let me know and I will e-mail you after Thanksgiving to plan for winter sailing fun.
Trans-Atlantic – We are also pleased to announce to members that we are sailing to Europe next June from Newport to the Med. Captain Murray will skipper the Swan 68 Aphrodite. If she sails to the Med she will be sailing back in the ARC Next November. If you have been wanting to sail Trans-Atlantic on a big Swan, this will be your chance. Let me know if you are interested and I will let you know when we firm up dates.
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Newport Boat Show Free Tickets
Boat Owner’s Responsibility
Annual Dues
Swan Program Fall Schedule
Annapolis Boat Show
NARC Rally
Editorial – I can always tell the summer season is almost over as I get calls for short deliveries to move boats away from summer 2nd homes to the marina’s where people bought their boats. Next we start getting calls and e-mails from boat owners planning to head south in a rally or on their own come November 1st. And then we have boats going down the coast, to and from boats shows and boats moving to be sold or were recently sold. There is still a lack of inventory in the bigger sailboat market. It will be a busy couple of months moving boat. If you have trouble landing a crew berth this fall please call or e-mail me and we can talk about how we may be able to help improve your chances
Newport Boat Show Free Tickets – Speaking of boat shows, we have a booth at the Newport Boat Show September 15th to 18th. If we have a booth that means I can buy ($15) discounted tickets and offer one free ticket to any active OPO member who is all paid up by mid-September or who wants to pay their annual dues at the show. If you want a free ticket to the show please let me know. Cutoff date is September 11th to request a ticket. If you already asked I have you on the list.
Boat Owner’s Responsibility – In the January “Notice to OPO Mariners” we review how OPO works and what is expected. When you join we send information about how we should act and to not break a commitment made to help move a boat without a very good reason. But what about the boat owner’s responsibility? I always ask the boat owner or delivery skipper looking for crew to make sure they respond to any OPO members who send them an e-mail offering to crew. If they do not, you have my permission to e-mail them a 2nd time asking them for the courtesy of a reply so you know if you can drop then from your list and keep looking. You are allowed to respond to more than one OPO “crew request” at a time. Some owners take a while to pick a crew (and may miss out) and others take the first crew or two who respond. The early and popular passage opportunities might get filled quickly and have several respondents, but we always run out of qualified crew towards the end of October. You should always expect at least the courtesy of a reply to your offer to help.
However, please realize that you may be responding to a skipper who is sailing offshore and may be out of cell phone/e-mail range. Don’t always think right away that someone is being rude by not responding. But if you think you have been mistreated by a skipper or owner please do let us know so that we can either rectify the situation or ban that skipper from our system. There are two delivery skippers who I have told that can no longer use our services. One because he did not treat our members well and the other one because I think he is dangerous and does not know what he is doing.
Annual Dues – Annual dues remain the same as last year. $150 or $175 for Gold Card Members. We prefer if you can find your checkbook and pay by check. It saves us credit card fees. Please make check payable to “Offshore Passage Opportunities” and mail to OPO PO Box 2600 Halesite NY 11743. No one will be dropped from membership until the first week in October. If you stop getting e-mails from us after Oct 1st you know you have been in-activated. You can also pay online at pay online at www.sailopo.com/store Thanks.
Swan Program
Our Swan Program works well for those who need to plan time off in advance from work or family. It is also a great passage to put on your sailing resume to help you qualify for the free passage opportunities that OPO is all about. Who doesn’t want to sail aboard a quality Swan 48, Swan 65, or Swan 68 with pro skippers? I skipper Avocation. Murray Jacob has a following and always exceeds crew’s expectation. Captain Woody from Latitudes and Attitudes fame (and who sailed around the world on a Cal 33) still organizes the flotilla charters for the “Share the Sail” program. If you are interested here is what we have open. In October we will have dates for the Heineken Regatta and our annual sail down to Dominica in March.
One berth left
Huntington NY to Annapolis Boat Show – Oct 8th to 14th. Sail aboard our Flagship Swan 48 Avocation from homeport Huntington NY to the show. I am the captain. Crew will arrive at the boat on Saturday afternoon October 8th and move aboard. We will depart early Sunday morning and go down the Est River through NY City, down the Jersey Coast, then up Delaware Bay. We may stop along the C & D Canal Tuesday night and finish the sail to Annapolis MD by Wednesday late afternoon. We stay aboard the boat right next to the Boat Show and see the show opening day Thursday Red-Carpet Day and Friday. You make plans to leave the boat anytime Friday Oct 14th. $2000
Two berths left
Annapolis Boat Show Return to Huntington NY - Oct 14th to Oct 19th. Arrive in Annapolis MD anytime on Friday Oct 14th and move aboard the boat. We will see the Show on Friday and all-day Saturday. We will depart Sunday to sail up the bay and to the C & D Canal and then decide to push on to Cape May or wait on weather. We are building in one extra day just in case we have to adjust our float plan. Plan to depart the boat Tuesday night or Wednesday morning the 19th. $1800
Avocation Swan 48 is almost full (one berth). There is still room with Captain Murray Swan 68 or Captain Woody Swan 65.
Newport RI to St. Maarten -Combined NARC/SDR Rally - Crew arrive in Newport on Thursday October 27th. We plan to depart on Saturday October 29th if the weather looks good. It is a 4 to 5-day sail to Bermuda. We stay in Bermuda at least until Monday November 7th. The bigger boats will arrive by Sunday the 13th. You can spend a couple of days and see St. Maarten and fly home Tuesday Nov 15th. $4000
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Annual Dues
Newport Boat Show Free Tickets
SSCA Gam
Swan Program Fall Schedule
Annapolis Boat Show
NARC Rally
Sneak Peek at Spring 2023 “The Ocean Race”
Editorial – August is vacation month. At OPO headquarters we are planning for the fall migration, the NARC Rally and getting ready for the Newport Boat Show. There are always projects on the boat. But we do plan to take some time off this month. I do check e-mail every day and I try and be in the office most mornings. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about the fall season. We pretty much run out of crew for long passages starting at the end of October or early November. If you have offshore experience sailing south in the fall from the USA to the Caribbean you will have no trouble finding a free berth. If you need to get a good offshore passage on your resume to help jump start your offshore sailing goals call about our Swan Program. It is a good way to get that first big offshore passage on your sailing resume and help qualify you for future free offshore passages. Some boats are almost full so please contact us soon if you want a choice of which boat you wish to be on. If you are planning to spend two days at the Annapolis Boat Show, what better way and good value to see the show by sailing down and staying aboard. For your convenience the Fall schedule is listed again in this issue. I am working on updating the web site this month to pen berths to the public.
Annual Dues - Annual dues are due in September. Stopping inflation starts somewhere so I am NOT raising annual dues this year. They will remain the same at $150 ($175 for Gold Card*). We run our calendar year from Sept 1st to Sept 1st so our accounting is simple and we only have to update the active roster once a year. If you joined recently, you DO NOT owe dues and will remain active until the end of Sept 2023. Everyone else owes dues. We very much prefer if you can find your checkbook and pay by check. Saves us credit card fees. Please make check payable to “Offshore Passage Opportunities” and mail to OPO PO Box 2600 Halesite NY 11743. This is the 1st notice to members. The 2nd notice will be in the Sept 1st Newsletter. No one will be dropped from membership until the first week in October. Thanks.
Dominica – Today I am sending $150 to 8 PAYS Families via MoneyGram. We are NOT collecting money this fall in our annual dues. We have enough to pay them October and December as well. Members have been generous and we are good through this year. They have new mooring lines we sent last season. We will support them by attending YAW again in March. This winter season we will see if they can put away money for next summer. If they do we will collect money next Sept 2023 to help them expand their “Summer Relief Fund”, but this year we need to see progress before setting goals moving forward. I am in touch with Albert and Cobra (President of PAYS) and they know we plan to continue to help. By sending money every other month we are reminding them how nice it is to get a monthly check in the offseason, but that they also have to help us help themselves to make this sustainable.
Newport Boat Show Free Tickets – We have a booth at the Newport Boat Show September 15th to 18th. If we have a booth that means I can buy some discounted tickets and offer one free ticket to any active OPO members who is all paid up by mid-September or who wants to pay their annual dues at the show. I am letting you know now so you do not pre-purchase a ticket for yourself. I can start a list. If you want a free ticket to the show please let me know. I will also remind people in the September 1st Newsletter.
SSCA Gam – Two weeks after the Newport Boat Show I get a venders table and speak at the SSCA (Seven Sea Cruising Association) Annapolis Gam. This is to promote our crew network service to help create more passage opportunities for our members. If you are interested in buying a boat and going long term cruising in your future it is a group you may wish to take a look at joining. Their web site is www.ssca.org if you want to learn more about them. The Gam is open to non-members as well. They will have a booth at the Annapolis Boat Show. Not sure about Newport.
*Gold Card Membership – Gold card membership is one way we help certify members that we have gotten to know by sailing with them or sailing with one of my Tier one Skippers. It means you are not only a good crew (meaning you can steer a boat offshore for 2 or 3 hours at a time when the auto-pilot stops working and there are only three crew aboard) but also a pleasant person to hang around with on a small boat in a big ocean. We started the category years ago to try and make sure we only sent good crew to Swan owners who may need crew for free passage opportunities as we did not want a bad apple to spoil the OPO crew network system. In practice we never did end up sending some crew request only to Gold Card members (we decided it was not fair to have a two-tiered system) so in fact the only benefit of being a Gold card member is you get to explain to a boat owner what being a Gold Card member means when they see it on your sailing resume. Not paying the extra $25 and not being a gold card member does not hinder anyone in the least as it is not explained to boat owners who may be looking for crew. If you have any questions about this, please call or e-mail and we can upgrade you if you have been with us for a while and/or have sailed with one me or one of my Swan Skippers on a Swan or on a free passage on another boat..
Huntington NY to Annapolis Boat Show – Oct 8th to 14th. Sail aboard our Flagship Swan 48 Avocation from homeport Huntington NY to the show. I am the captain. Crew will arrive at the boat on Saturday afternoon October 8th and move aboard. We will depart early Sunday morning and go down the Est River through NY City, down the Jersey Coast, then up Delaware Bay. We may stop along the C & D Canal Tuesday night and finish the sail to Annapolis MD by Wednesday late afternoon. We stay aboard the boat right next to the Boat Show and see the show opening day Thursday Red-Carpet Day and Friday. You make plans to leave the boat anytime Friday Oct 14th. $2000
Annapolis Boat Show Return to Huntington NY - Oct 14th to Oct 19th. Arrive in Annapolis MD anytime on Friday Oct 14th and move aboard the boat. We will see the Show on Friday and all-day Saturday. We will depart Sunday to sail up the bay and to the C & D Canal and then decide to push on to Cape May or wait on weather. We are building in one extra day just in case we have to adjust our float plan. Plan to depart the boat Tuesday night or Wednesday morning the 19th. $1800
Newport RI to St. Maarten -Combined NARC/SDR Rally - Crew arrive in Newport on Thursday October 27th. We plan to depart on Saturday October 29th if the weather looks good. It is a 4 to 5-day sail to Bermuda. We stay in Bermuda at least until Monday November 7th. The bigger boats will arrive by Sunday the 13th. You can spend a couple of days and see St. Maarten and fly home Tuesday Nov 15th. $4000
Sneak Peek at Spring 2023 - Ocean Race – Formally known as the Volvo Ocean Race – May 4th to May 22nd. Sail aboard our Flagship Swan 48 Avocation from St. Maarten to Newport RI and then stay aboard the boat for the start of the Ocean Race on Sunday May 21st and then sail to Huntington NY by Monday May 22nd. Plan to fly home May 23rd. You stay aboard the boat and we will be dockside in Newport RI from when we arrive (Most likely Thursday May 18th or 19th) and then watch the start of the Race on Sunday and then we keep sailing to Huntington NY so you would travel home from NY on Monday May 22nd or Tuesday May 23rd. We did this the last time to Volvo was in town and we had a great time. $5000
The berths on the other Swans sailing back in May are $4000, same as the passage south in October. Dates May 4th to May 20th.
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Summer (Winter) Reading list
Swan Program Fall Schedule
Annapolis Boat Show
NARC/SDR Rally
Sneak Peek at Spring 2023
Ocean Race
Editorial – The offshore sailing season screeches to a halt by July 1st with most boats already back from the Newport Bermuda Race or almost to Europe. There will be short passages sprinkled throughout the summer, but most people are enjoying local sailing opportunities and do not need extra crew for short sails and summer coastal cruising.
Some sailors need to plan ahead or who want to lock in a passage to look forward to. Since the spring migration is over we are planning our Swan Program Schedule. We will have three Swans sailing south in the combined NARC/SDR Rally at the end of October. I will sail to and from the Annapolis Boat show in October as a tune up to make sure everything is ready for offshore at the end of the month. This year we are adding a day to each trip so we have more time to see the show and more time just in case we have a weather delay. The only other passage I will be taking deposits for will be for the very special five berths for those that want to sail north next May and then stay aboard in Newport for the Ocean Race Village show and start of the Ocean Race in May 2023. While the prices for the Swan Passages have gone up like everything else, we will NOT be raising OPO dues this year. Stopping inflation has to start somewhere.
Last month we felt obligated to send you to the Latitudes and Attitudes web magazine to sign up for free and subscribe so you could read the articles about us. If you are like me, you probably do not sign up since you already get to much e-mail. This month I am including the longer original versions. The one by Peter Bourke has the real better ending to the story. The 2nd article is about the NARC Rally last year. The October issue of Cruising World magazine is supposed to have an article about last year’s rally written by David Lyman. Enjoy the summer reading.
Summer (Fall) Reading list – Because Charlie Doane 3rd book will not be out until October. I know many of you read Charlie’s 2nd book which had 4 chapters that mentioned us as we were part of the stories. It was titled “The Sea is not Full”. His first book was a very helpful book about What to look for when looking to by an offshore boat. Called “The Modern Cruising Sailboat”. Both Entertaining and Helpful as Charlie is a very good writer. (See
https://wavetrain.net
to order a copy).
No one makes money writing a book about sailing unless it is entertaining to those who do not know much about sailing. I predict Charlie’s third book will be one of those breakout seafaring stories titled “The Boy who Fell from to Shore” is due out in October. An amazing true story meticulously researched by the author. I have already pre-ordered my copy. If you want to be one of the first to get a copy here is the link.
https://www.latahbooks.com/blank-1/the-boy-who-fell-to-shore
Swan Program Fall Schedule – OPO members get a head start to sign up for any of the Swan trips by getting first glimpse. Anyone can sign up for the costal Annapolis Boat Show one-week sails, but I need to speak to all potential crew before they sign up for the Fall Program south or the May Ocean Race sail back from St. Maarten to Newport to make sure you up for the adventure. A $500 deposit will hold the October Boat Show sail and $1000 deposit for the longer 18 days passages to or from St. Maarten.
Huntington NY to Annapolis Boat Show – Oct 8th to 14th. Sail aboard our Flagship Swan 48 Avocation from homeport Huntington NY to the show.. Crew will arrive at the boat on Saturday October 8th and move aboard. We will depart early Sunday morning. We will stop along the C & D Canal Tuesday night and finish the sail to Annapolis MD by Wednesday late afternoon. We stay aboard the boat right next to the Boat Show and see the show opening day Thursday Red-Carpet Day and Friday. You make plans to leave the boat anytime Friday Oct 14th. $2000
Annapolis Boat Show Return to Huntington NY - Oct 14th to Oct 19th. Arrive in Annapolis MD anytime on Friday Oct 14th and move aboard the boat. We will see the Show on Friday and all-day Saturday. We will depart Sunday to sail up the bay and to the C & D Canal and then decide to push on to Cape May or wait on weather. We are building in one extra day just in case we have to adjust our float plan. Plan to depart the boat Tuesday night or Wednesday the 19th. $1800
Combined NARC/SDR Rally – Newport RI to St. Maarten - We expect the combined rallies to open up some good passage opportunities for those that have offshore experienced and can help out boat owners and skippers who may need extra crew. For those that need to plan ahead or want to be on a strong boat in the fall with an experienced skipper, you can sign up for one of the three Swans in our Swan Program.
Crew arrive in Newport on Thursday October 27th. We plan to depart on Saturday October 29th if the weather looks good. It is a 4 to 5-day sail to Bermuda. We stay in Bermuda at least until Monday November 7th and the bigger boats will arrive by Sunday the 13th or spend a couple of days and see St. Maarten and fly home Tuesday Nov 15th. $4000
Sneak Peek at Spring 2023 - Ocean Race – Formally known as the Volvo Ocean Race – May 4th to May 22nd. Sail aboard our Flagship Swan 48 Avocation from St. Maarten to Newport RI and then stay aboard the boat for the start of the Race on Sunday May 21st and then sail to Huntington NY by Monday May 22nd. Plan to fly home May 23rd. You stay aboard the boat and we will be dockside in Newport RI from when we arrive (Most likely Thursday May 18th or 19th) and then watch the start of the Race on Sunday and then we keep sailing to Huntington NY so you would travel home from NY on Monday May 22nd or Tuesday May 23rd. We did this the last time to Volvo was in town and we had a great time. $5000
The berths on the other Swans sailing back in May are $4000, same as the passage south in October.
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Newport Bermuda Race/Sail GP/Clipper Challenge/Sailing Museum
NARC/SDR
Dominica
Editorial – June is still a very busy month for us. June 10th two Swan crews will leave from Huntingtin or Newport bound for Bermuda. Captain Murray is making the round trip aboard the Swan 68 Aphrodite. I will sail Avocation to Bermuda and Tania Aebi will sail her back. Both legs have been filled for months. Another popular run is our October sail to and from the Annapolis Boat Show in October followed by just 3 boats and 17 berths in the NARC Rally.
All OPO members get the opportunity to sign up first. We will post the dates in the July 1st “Notice to OPO Mariners” Newsletter once we are done with the June passages.
More current news are articles in Latitude’s and Attitude’s magazine in Issue N0. 96 which is the summer quarterly issue that just came out. You can read the articles online for free or pick up an issue at your local West Marine or major book store.
Pages 70 to 74 is a very funny article about the sail back on the rebuilt hurricane damaged Tartan 3700 Spray from St. Maarten to the Chesapeake Bay. You can see before and after pictures. The boat is still for sale if you want to see the listing please go to. The broker is Rod Rowan at Crusader Yachts 703-593-7531
Here’s a link to the listing as it appears on YachtWorld:
https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/2003-tartan-3700-8215193/
Pages 108- to 111 is about the NARC Rally last year. If you pick up the issue you will also read Tania’s column which is about her sail on Aphrodite with OPO crew from Palma to the Canary Islands last October.
If you want to go sailing this summer, we have had a cancellation sailing with Murray on the Swan 68 Aphrodite from St. John’s Newfoundland back to Newport with crew arriving Monday August 8th and being in Newport for disembarking 17th days later on Thursday August 25th. There is a $500 discount since the deposit is forfeited because of late cancellation. A couple is welcome to join. Let me know if you are interested in sailing with Captain Murray this August.
Newport Bermuda Race – (And other Events) We like to try and stay current and on the cutting edge of what is happening in the sailing world. Two weeks ago, we were in Bermuda for the Sail GP Pro Series. Some of our Swan Crew went out on the water to view in person. Many more watched from the St. Georges Dinghy and Sports Club where Brenda put out a nice spread of food for our Swan Crew and skippers and watched on TV. The next stop for the Series in in Chicago this month.
When we arrived in Newport we had a contingent of crew visit the newly opened US Sailing Museum in Newport May 19th. The Museum just opened May 6th. I am sure we will try and do something there for our NARC Rally in October.
The Newport Bermuda Race starts Friday June 17th a few days after we depart. Don’t be surprised if we still get a couple of boat owner’s looking for crew for the return passage. We have gotten some good exposure and feedback from the event organizers who like our service. We still have two more races and 4 years on our sponsorship deal with the Newport/Bermuda Race.
While in Bermuda w will also see Sir Robin Knox-Johnson’s Clipper Fleet of boats that have resumed they’re around the world race. The boats are sailing from Panama as we speak. We have two OPO members onboard. Both Carl Forsander and Mike Sotir are on boats sailing from Panama to Bermuda and then to the UK. While the Clipper Race was suspended during covid, both Carl and Mike sailed with us to build more miles for this race. We will visit Carl and Mike while we are all in Bermuda. The Clipper race starts June 19th to clear out before the boats in the Newport Bermuda Race arrive.
NARC/SDR – The NARC is our own North American Rally to the Caribbean which we started and named over 20 years ago as a poke at the British WCC ARC Rally. SDR stands for the Salty Dawg Rally, spelled wrong as the WCC tried to poke back at the renegade SDR start up in protest to their imperial ways, buy buying the domain name saltydog.com. The SDR Rally has taken over the Chesapeake Bay departure with as many as 80 boats signed up. They expect even more this year. They have also expressed an interest in offering a departure point from Newport with a stopover in Bermuda on the way to the Caribbean.
I have never claimed to be in the Rally business but have been happy to help boat owners and boats to the Caribbean safely with a stop in Bermuda by tagging along in our Swan Program. This always created more free passage opportunities for our members. Soon you will start hearing more about how the NARC and the SDR Rally are working together to offer our contacts in Newport-Bermuda and SXM in addition to a final schedule of activities in Antigua. I envision one day in the future where I can just enter my Swan Program into the one rally departing from Newport and still stop in Bermuda, SXM and also add Antigua to our mix. While the first year will still have both brands, we wish to concentrate more on Offshore Passage Opportunities and offering more free crewing opportunities to our members rather than organize and run a rally with 100 boats. I want to concentrate on OPO over the next few years and not spend so much time organizing the NARC Rally.
Dominica – June 1st is also the resumption of our Summer Relief Fund to help PAYS member get through a 2nd covid restricted non-season. Last year we send $1200 a month to eight families. The plan was to have the PAYS member pay back $600, (half the money received back in to the fund) during the busy season and half the money would be repaid from the weekly PAYS BBQ’s. Since it was not a great season we have agreed to help them out one more year. Instead of paying for every month we will send money June 1st and then every other month through and including January 1st 2023. They did save some money so they will pay the $1200 to the 8 families on July 1st, September 1st and November 1st and we will pay the other 4 months, June 1st, August 1st, November 1st and January 1st. WE DO HAVE ENOUGH MONEY LEFT OVER IN THE ACOUNT TO COVER THE 4 MONTHS OF PAYMENT THANKS TO THE GENEROSITY OF MEMEBERS WHO PAID LAST SEPTEMBER. WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR MONEY THIS YEAR.
We did visit Albert and all our friends in Portsmouth this past March. We had four crew stay ashore at Mango Cottages. The plan is for next year, with good tourist season, they will be able to fund their entire Summer Relief Fund by themselves. I want to try and have a big group of OPO members visit Dominica next winter either on their own boats or by sailing down with us from St. Maarten in March for YAW. Maybe we will even try and get a couple of boats chartered from Guadeloupe which is close to Dominica. We will be sure to keep you posted.
*For those who do not know Hank Schmitt and OPO members have donated a mooring field of 30 moorings in Portsmouth Dominica after first donating the materials for a new boat for Albert, one of the founding members of PAYS (Portsmouth Association of Yacht Services). In 2016 we help start an annual event named YAW (Yachtie Appreciation Week) to help get the word out about the new mooring field. After Hurricane Maria and Covid changed everything we started a “Summer Relief Fund” (think PPP in the USA) to send $150 US per month to 8 PAYS families from June 1st to January 1st 2021. We plan to help them this year as well but may have enough money without having to raise anymore.
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Heineken Regatta
Dominica
Local Sailing Opportunities
Editorial – I am glad to be back in the US to finalize plans for the busy migration season. The crew requests have started flowing and many of us will be sailing this season. Our main goal is to keep sending you good passage opportunities. You still need to do your due diligence, as we cannot guarantee every detail, but we try and only send good passage opportunities. Make sure you follow any covid protocols for travel even as they are coming to an end. I look forward to continuing the flow of good passage opportunities to you.
I will also be contacting all the 63-crew signed up for Swan Passages soon. Almost everyone is 100% confirmed for the five Swans sailing north in May (we have one opening to fill a recently cancelled berth), plus the 22 people sailing the one-week option in June, to or from Bermuda. We will let member know about any more openings due to drop outs. We do have a short list started already.
Returning this year after a covid break is our May 1st Newsletter section about inviting OPO member to come day-sailing with you on your own boat. Many OPO member own smaller boats and may like to meet other OPO members who may live near them. For years each May we would list those OPO members who own a boat and ask if they would like to invite any other OPO member, who may live near-bye, to contact them via e-mail for day sailing or short local sailing opportunities.
If you have a boat and would like to be included in this invite section of the May 1st OPO Notice to OPO Mariners, please e-mail me and we can write up a proper invitation to include next month.
However, what if you only had time for local day-sailing opportunities because you do not have enough time off for longer passages? See below……
Heineken Regatta – Two years of covid will make lasting changes. I predict one of them will be the Heineken Regatta. By mid-December 2021 plans for the regatta were very much in question. Without government covid protocols in place, no sponsors (including OPO) had committed. Everyone understood there would be no big bands or parties. We were having own problems filling even one boat as people were admittedly not planning to travel based on covid numbers skyrocketing because of Omicron last December and January.
Somehow the Heineken Regatta Committee were able to pull off a very successful event with nearly 100 boats in a much smaller and intimate setting with only sailors and sponsor invited. Avocation was able to participate by ex-boat partner Jan Breyer and quests chartering the boat to keep our record of 16 Heineken Regattas and 5th year in a row in the “White Sails” Island Time Cruising Division going. We were able to secure a 1st Place finish in the 3rd day (One quirk of the Island Time division is that once you win a race your rating changes each day so you cannot win again). We were able to claim the “Smartest Skipper in the Fleet” honorable mention when I elected to not race the 4th and final day with winds blowing 25 to 30 knots with a squall with over 40 knots that took one mast down on a 75-footer and blew out two jibs in our Island Division alone. The crew of Avocation, already bloody and bruised, were sipping drinks at Orient Beach while the rest of the regatta fleet were battling sails and repairs before the final awards ceremony that night.
My prediction for the event will be that it does not return to the big bands and stages of years past. This will remain the biggest event of the Caribbean season, but they will not spend the big buck and sponsorship dollars for lots of bands, flight for entourages and hotel rooms. The large charter boats fleets are a thing of the past. While there will still be full on race boats, those numbers will not grow. That means the future of building the regatta numbers is increasing the number of cruisers who are out there sailing and wish to shake off some cob webs and sail around the buoys and participate for the “Serious Fun” and not the serious cut-throat arm race of full-on racing. With that prediction we will most likely return as a sponsor of the Island Time Division next year. Cruisers are OPO clients. Not the racers. We hope you will want to join us as we get proper accommodations ashore and do not have to wake up at 7:30 in the morning to make the 8:30 bridge, but sleep in and take the 10:30 Island Time bridge instead.
Dominica – Another near victim of the Caribbean Island Covid Protocols was “Yachtie Appreciation Week” (YAW). By day four I told Cobra and the board members of PAYS (Portsmouth Association of Yacht Services) that we were doing a pretty good job of pretending there was a YAW this year. The health department did not give final approval to the event until the last weekend March 26th and 27th. They did host the largest BBQ to date on Sunday with 60 tickets sold. They repeated on Wednesday with another BBQ in the PAYS Beach Pavilion. They did have discounted tours of the island and free moorings, but without gov’t approval, they could not post an itinerary for the event. Finally, with covid testing in place for all the locals and yachties, they were able to host a big beach day on Saturday and final Free party at Cabrits Fort with live entertainment and awards for yachtie participation and appreciation.
Avocation and crew also had to bend to the times but was able to fill the boat with discounted pricing so we had a full crew to fill “Mango Cottages” (Google it if you want to join us next year) with 4 quests staying ashore at only $500 for the week pp) and three crew staying aboard. We had two great full day tours of the islands swimming in the Emerald Pool, Trafalgar Falls and Tito Gorge.
The best part was being able to visit Albert and all our friends in Dominica for the first time in two years. The mooring field looked great with new mooring lines and painted buoys. The government has installed a new dinghy dock and PAYS has devised a way to secure the Pavilion when not in use. The government has approved plans to add a kitchen so they can put away more money from each BBQ to pay into their “Summer Relief Fund” monthly benefits to help them survive the offseason when there are no boats visiting. Last year OPO Members provided $150 a month for 8 families for 8 month from June through January 1st. Our own PPP. The plan is to make the same payments this year. While it looks like they will be able to build the Summer Reserve from their BBQ’s, the amount will surely fall short because of the lackluster still covid affected season. Luckily we still have enough money left over in the fund to help with the first few months this summer. We will keep you posted.
Getting back to our Local sailing options……
OPO member Phil Perut has started a local on-line sailing community to better address this option. If you are only looking for short boating options, please feel free to contact Phil and sign up for 6 months for free. He explains:
Hello everyone,
First, I would like to thank Hank for his support and dedication to cruising and boating.
My name is Phil Perut, I am an OPO member for a few years and enjoyed several passages with OPO captains.
I launched Coboaters in January 2022 to help crew and boat owners spend more time on the water. OPO focus on Offshore Passage while Coboaters goal is to help local sailors. You can find boating opportunities near you for a daytrip, a weekend or a full season racing program.
Coboaters welcome everyone, any type of boat (power and sail) and any experience level (beginners or very experienced sailors).
On coboaters, you create your boater profile and then publish a notice to explain what you are looking for: a daytrip, a weekend, or a coastal navigation. You publish your availability and your preferred port of departure and arrival.
If you are a boat owner, you can describe your boat, post pictures, and publish notices to find crew members. You publish a notice to describe each sailing event (dates, racing or recreational, number of crew needed, experience levels, etc.…). You can publish as many notices as you would like.
Like OPO, we send Newsletters on a regular basis to inform you about opportunities and available crew members.
Coboaters is based on membership subscription, but since we are launching this new network, it is free for the first 6 months if you register by May 31st on www.coboaters.com.
If you have questions or comments, please contact me at contact@coboaters.com.
Fair winds and following seas.
Phil
www.coboaters.com
www.blogcoboaters.com
401-391-0185
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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PO Members,
Today was travel day. I flew home from St. Maarten and will be home for one month. The April 1st Notice will go out on Monday afternoon.
We did have one crew for the May 5th to May 21st Swan Program cancel yesterday. If you want to sail on a Swan 56 north with us we have a fleet of 5 Swans sailing north this May. Let me know if you want to know more.
Regards,
Hank
OPO
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Newport-Bermuda Race/Scuttlebutt/59 North podcast
Swan Program
Trans-Atlantic Bargain Crossing on a Swan 68
Editorial – The March “Notice to OPO Mariners” almost always starts off saying how we are getting ready for the Heineken Regatta. It was two years ago that the regatta ended and people were watching what was happening in Wuhan China. The regatta was able to finish with not much worry. A week later everything shut down. Last year of course was a no-go.
This year sees a big comeback with just over100 boats signed up. There are 12 boats in the Island Time Division that we have graduated to (or retired to) as we stopped buying racing sails and beating ourselves up racing around the course against much younger crews. While the pandemic numbers were going the wrong way in December and no one signing up we are able to keep our Regatta streak going (we have sailed in every Heineken regatta since 2004) by doing a charter to one group. My former business partner with the boat, who some OPO members remember from past regatta’, has a small group arriving this week. At least it keeps the streak going and money coming in to pay for the boats upkeep.
Avocation was out of the water from November until just last week. The annual bottom painting hull and waxing have her looking great. The race and passage to Dominica and back will be our tune-up for the sail back in May from St. Maarten to Newport along with 4 other Swans.
Newport/Bermuda Race- As you know we are the official crew network for the next three Newport to Bermuda Races. I have a new address book of 35 names from non-members who are very experienced offshore racers as the boat owners and skippers are not interested in teaching people, but rather winning the race. However, if you are an experienced racer and wish to get these e-mails I will be happy to add you on this new list for free since you are an active OPO member. Please do not sign up if you think you are borderline “race ready” as we do have a number of highly qualified “potential crew” on the list who have. If there are any “crew requests” for the return passage only then I will be sending them to all OPO members and you DO NOT have to be on this list extra list.
The reason we are sponsoring the race for the next three cycles is to get more exposure for our crew network service for any time of the year, as well as to get OPO crew for the return passage that do not require race skills. You just have to remember that many of the boats might be stripped out for the race down and may still lack a dodger and amenities that we would normally expect offshore. Remember to ask how stripped out a boat may be for the return passage.
I am happy to explore new ways to find and create more passage opportunities for our members.
Scuttlebutt – is the free sailing industry 5-day a week newsletter that over 20,000 sailors and industry leaders subscribe to. (It is free to you as well if you want to sign up). We run a 6-time insertion Add insertion each spring and fall to let industry leaders and other know about the OPO Crew networking service.
59 North podcast -We also have a 10-episode sponsorship of Andy Shells popular podcast starting in April. All three efforts to improve the quality and number of passage opportunities for our members.
OPO Spring Swan Program Schedule – The offshore sailing comeback is an even better story. As long as current events in Europe do not spill over to the rest of the world, we see a pent-up demand for people to get out on the water and get away from the news. Our Swan Program is pretty much 100% fully subscribed and we have started a waiting list just in case anyone drops out. (We have two spots left out of 28 for the May return and one berth left open from Newfoundland to Newport in August.) All the one-week passage to or from Bermuda are full as well as 3 of the 5 Swans sailing north in May. Please let me know if you are interested in any of the last open crew berths or want to be added to the waiting list.
Trans-Atlantic – The one exception is we still have berths for the Trans-Atlantic passage from Bermuda to Malaga Spain after the Newport to Bermuda Race. The owner just confirmed with me a couple of weeks ago that he does have a signed contract for a charter for the Newport to Bermuda Race which is why crew need to fly to Bermuda to join the boat. Even during this inflationary period this is one thing that costs less than last year. Last year we had a Swan 68 sail from Newport to Spain and had 6 OPO members aboard for $4500 all-inclusive except travel to and from the boat. Since you have to fly to Bermuda we have lowered the price to $4000 to sail on a newer and prettier Swan 68. The Swan 68 Defiance had OPO members aboard sailing from the Canary Island last fall and will be sailing north with us in May, (one berth left for the 2-week May passage north from St. Maarten) but we still have room for crew for the Trans-Atlantic this summer. Here are the details. Let me know if you are interested and wish to learn more. I have known the owner and skipper since 2002. He sailed his Swan 56 to American in 2009 and even kept the boat in Huntington NY for the summer. In 2017 my wife and I visited he and his family in Italy for 5 days. He has owned a Swan 48, a Swan 56 and two years ago bought this very nice Swan 68. I will see him this week in St. Maarten. If you have a Trans-Atlantic on your bucket list and want to sail to Europe this summer, here is a great opportunity to do so. Just let me know and I can tell you more. I know two of the crew who have already signed up and they are very nice guys who I have sailed with before.
June 2022 Swan 68 Defiance Schedule
1) Bermuda to Malaga Spain – June 27th to July 21st - (24 days)- $4000 (great price)
(3 berths left)
June 26th Crew Arrive in Bermuda
July 8th about Azores.
July 21st Thursday. Crew leave the boat and fly home.
Sail on a beautiful Swan 68 from Bermuda to the Azores and then Malaga on the West Coast of Spain this summer. Call or e-mail me for details as there is a lot to talk about if you are thinking of joining this boat. The price is very good and so far the crew signed up are very nice OPO members. There will be a crew of 6 plus mate and skipper on this five-cabin boat.
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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New e-mail address
Editorial
Caribbean Season
Dominica
OPO Spring Swan Program Schedule
New e-mail Address – Some of you may have notices we started using a different e-mail address recently. hank@sailop.com I am using it more and more as the main work e-mail address. The offshorepassage@sprintmail.com will still work but over time the new one will dominate. Sort of like Omicron and Delta. This will help cut down junk mail.
Editorial – What OPO members do not see are the “crew requests” we do not send out. Someone just bought a boat on e-Bay. We hang up. New clueless boat owner looking for a free delivery crew. Sorry Charlie. Unseaworthy boats, novice boat owners, and owners looking for crew on very-very short notice. Not so fast. One rule I have is, “If I would not crew aboard one of my “crew requests”, why would I recommend an OPO members to go?” While it would appear obvious why I do not pass on information about unseaworthy boats and incompetent skippers, there are some good passage opportunities that come in on short notice. A second rule is, “Do not send out the crew request of the skipper is looking for a miracle crew to appear out of thin air.” I think it looks foolish when I send out a crew request asking a crew to be ready in 24 hours or to buy a plane ticket and fly several hours to join a boat in another country on very short notice. But what if we have members who may be ready on short notice? There are crew requests that meet all our criteria of seaworthiness and experienced skipper, but come in too late. There are good reasons to need a replacement crew on short notice in the delivery world of sailing.
Two weeks ago, we had a crew request for one crew for a Trans-At on a nice new Catamaran sailing to the Caribbean Charter Trade with a pro skipper. The problem was they wanted crew in the Cape Verde Islands off Africa in 3 days! I told the skipper I look foolish when I send out a crew request to my members knowing that there might be a one in five-hundred chance that someone would be able to drop everything on short notice.
Before the internet, when I first started OPO, I would ask members who were ready on short notice to respond to short notice crew requests. I would then make phone calls when one came up. The internet has compressed the definition of short notice. However, I still resist sending out crew requests if they seem desperate and unreasonable. When the owner or skipper offers to pay travel expenses it helps, but can still feel desperate. The reason why they need replacement crew is one determination to send or not send. We understand if someone gets hurt or has an emergency at home and may have to leave a boat. Or if the passage runs late because of adverse weather or an unforeseen boat issue, and crew have run out of time. While I still want to help delivery skippers or boat owners in a bind I still cannot justify sending out a something that sounds unreasonable.
In an attempt to test and see if we can provide crew for boat owners and delivery skippers on very short notice, let me ask who is really ready to travel on short notice and would NOT be offended if I send out very short notice crew requests to only a handful of OPO members who are truly ready to leave on very short notice certain times of the year.
If you are ready on short notice meaning two days for domestic travel and 3 days for overseas, please e-mail me and let me know. We will experiment and see how this may work.
Caribbean Season – The Omicron covid numbers are starting to dramatically go down. Last month when we writing about joining us in the Caribbean with skyrocketing numbers, we sounded a little crazy. The surging numbers cut travel plans, but also the price of plane to Caribbean destinations. If you are fully vaccinated you do not test to fly to St. Maarten.
It is not too late to join us for the Heineken Regatta if you can grind a winch and want to stay on the boat for the week. There is room for two more crew to join us from Feb 28th to Monday March 7th. So far we have one crew staying on the boat. $1500 includes a place to stay and racing on the boat. One day of practice and 4 days of racing.
Dominica – By the numbers. ($500 was added to the total since last month.)
We raised $17,819 from OPO members between Dec 2020 and Oct 2021.
We paid out $9,900 in monthly checks to 8 boat boys and one additional person for 6 of the 8 months. (8 families received $150 a month and we added $50 a month for a single guy 3 month in) 8 x 1200 = $9,600 plus $50 for 6 months = $300 Total $9,900
We also sent $2,000 so far to pay for work on the mooring field and we sent $500 to pay the Tropical Shipping Invoice locally. Work done = $2,500 more. We spent $210 in MoneyGram fees so total admin fees were $210. = 12,610 with a balance of $5,209.
We have a balance of over $5200. - $1000 more for the mooring field = $4200 remaining.
Here is your chance to come see our work in Dominica
We have room for two more crew to join us for the sail from St. Maarten to Dominica and back.
Dominica – The Details - YAW (Yachtie Appreciation Week) - If you would like to join us for the sail from St. Maarten to Dominica and back you are welcome to join us. Dates: Arrive in St. Maarten Thursday March 17th - Fly home from SXM Tuesday 29th. Half the crew will stay ashore for the 7 days in Dominica and 3 or 4 crew will stay ashore. If you stay ashore you pay Mango Cottages for their apartments. $500 for the week. 2 Private studio’s and one house with two bedrooms and 2 baths. We will all chip in for provisions. Fuel and dockage included.
Arrive on Thursday for departure Friday afternoon from St. Maarten to Dominica. This is about a 30-hour sail. Half the crew will have the option to stay aboard the boat for the week anchored in Portsmouth Dominica. Four crew can stay ashore for the week at Mango Cottages, a rain forest boutique accommodation not too far from town. This is not a week where you sit on the beach or hang out on the boat, but for people who planned to come and see the island. The cost of the trip and the accommodation ashore are priced cheaply enough so you can budget money for tours and dinners ashore. Expect to spend another $500 to $750 for paid tours, dinners ashore, and excursions around the island for the week. After spending Sunday to Sunday in Dominica we will have a 24-to-28-hour passage back to St. Maarten. I have made this passage to and from Dominica many times and wish to match the crew’s expectations to the trip. This is a nice mixture of almost 400 miles of sailing with a full week seeing a Juristic Park type place without the dinosaurs.
Price is $1000. Option to stay ashore is $500 more. Plus, those staying ashore need to share a car rental.
OPO Spring Swan Program Schedule
The Swan Program is almost full. We are starting a wait list for some of the shorter passages.
St. Maarten to Newport May 2022
Thursday May 5th to Saturday May 21st
We were almost full, so we were glad to recently add a Swan 56 to our fleet. We now have room to take more crew offshore with us. Crew have been assigned boats, but we still have one or two berths on most of the boats. Avocation is full. Both Captain Murray Jocab and Captain Johnathan Ishmael have room for one more crew on the bigger boats. The other Swan 68 sailing north and then to Europe at the end of June has room for both passages. The new Swan 56 we added still has room for two crew.
Crew should plan to fly into SXM on Thursday May 5th for departure on Saturday May 7th. It is a 5-to-6-day sail to Bermuda. We will spend two or three full days in Bermuda and depart on Monday May 16th for the 4-to-5-day sail to Newport. Plan to travel home from Newport on Saturday May 21st or Sunday the 22nd. You move aboard when you arrive May 5th and stay aboard until your flight home The price includes all onboard food, head tax, dockage, fuel and skipper and mate’s wages. Everything, except your travel to and from the boat and meals and drinks ashore. Price $3500
One week Swan Program Option.
Full – All 22 available berths are full and we have started a waiting list. Both Avocation (Swan 48) and Aphrodite (Swan 68) are sailing to and from Bermuda in June. Since this is a popular one-week first time offshore option for many, it tends to fill up quickly. We have started a waiting list just in case someone drips out or better we find another Swan.
Swan 68 Newport to Newfoundland and back. Captain Murray is sailing from Newport to Newfound land in July and then back in August.
Newport to Newfoundland July 12th to July 21st - (10 days) - $2750(2 berths left)
July 9th Saturday Crew Arrive in Newport
July 10th Sunday Depart Newport for Newfoundland
July 14th to 16th Halifax
July 20th Thursday Arrive Newfoundland
July 21st Crew Disembark
Newfoundland to Newport - August 8th to August 25th - (17 days) - $3500(1 berths left)
August 8th Monday Crew Arrive St. John’s Newfoundland
Saint Pierre & Miquelon
Lunenburg?
August 25th Thursday Crew Disembark
Trans-Atlantic
June 2022 Swan 68 Defiance Schedule
1) Bermuda to Malaga Spain – June 27th to July 21st - (24 days)- $4000 (great price)
(3 berths left)
June 26th Crew Arrive in Bermuda
July 8th about Azores.
July 21st Thursday. Crew leave the boat and fly home from Palma Mallorca.
Sail on a beautiful Swan 68 from Bermuda to the Azores and then Malaga on the West Coast of Spain this summer. Call or e-mail me for details as there is a lot to talk about if you are thinking of joining this boat. The price is very good and so far the crew signed up are very nice OPO members. There will be a crew of 6 plus mate and skipper on this five-cabin boat.
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Caribbean Season
Heineken Regatta
Dominica
OPO Spring Swan Program Schedule
New – Swan 68 Bermuda to Palma Mallorca in June
Editorial – With the spike in covid numbers and the threat of more closings it might not be the best time of year to be planning to get on an airplane, but offshore sailing is the safest place to be. We can all wish we could tap our magic shoes and be offshore, but barring magic shoes, the best way to 100% guarantee a passage is by taking control of your time and plan a passage in our Swan Program.
I am confident the numbers will start to go down soon and there will be more free opportunities to go sailing this year. Many boats were sold last year and people will not put off plans forever. Our sponsorship of the Newport Bermuda Race, add campaign in the Scuttlebutt Industry Newsletter and organization and promotion of our Swan Program and NARC Rally continue to keep OPO forefront in the minds of boat owners and industry leaders who need crew. The February “Notice to OPO Mariners” will have our annual “helpful hints” issue with information for new members and a refresher to old members about how to best use the OPO Crew Network. The busy season will return soon after as boat owners make plans to move their boats in April and May.
While we dig in for the winter, it is nice to have something to look forward to. If you would like to sail on a big Swan this year we have two Swan 68’s. Murray will be sailing to Newfoundland and back summer. Defiance is sailing from Bermuda to Palma, Mallorca, a similar crossing to what Murray and Aphrodite sailed last year. If you have been looking for a Trans-Atlantic passage on a nice boat, here is a great opportunity for a very good price. There are only about a dozen open berths out of over 60 we are offering this season so don’t miss out by waiting too long if you want to secure a berth in our Swan Program.
Caribbean Season
Heineken Regatta –Dates Monday Feb 28th to Monday March 7th
This will not be a normal Caribbean Regatta season While there will be racing out on the water, there will be no big Heineken Regatta Race Village this year. No big stage or parties. The regatta organizers are emphasizing that this year will be about the racing and not about the Serious Fun part. We are trying to find the right balance between supporting the regatta and doing nothing. But we also realize that there may be only four or five boats in our division. We cannot support them financially (We have sponsored the “Island Time’ cruising division in the past) but we would like to sign up and support the regatta with our participation. We have room for one or two more crew who would like to stay aboard the boat. The boat is docked near the St. Maarten Yacht Club. If you remember we are looking for one or two crew on the youngish side as we have a silver haired brain trust already signed up. We have a house on the far side of the island. “Boat crew” will come join us for some meals and after race swim. Price for the week all-inclusive except your drinks and meals ashore, $1500.
Dominica – By the numbers.
We raised $17,319 from OPO members between Dec 2020 and Oct 2021.
We paid out $9,900 in monthly checks to 8 boat boys and one additional person for 6 of the 8 months.(8 families received $150 a month and we added $50 a month for a single guy 3 month in) 8 x 1200 = $9,600 plus $50 for 6 months = $300 Total $9,900
We also sent $2,000 so far to pay for work on the mooring field and we sent $500 to pay the Tropical Shipping Invoice locally. Work done = $2,500 more. We spent $210 in MoneyGram fees so total admin fees were $210. = 12,610 with a balance of $4,709.
We had the materials donated for free and even delivered to Tropical near Miami Florida by truck for free. The $500 covered shipping from Miami to Roseau Dominica and then trucking the 700 lbs to Portsmouth. We thank our donor who wishes to remain anonymous. This was a big savings. We still expect to have a diving invoice for installing the moorings.
List of Donors: in Order You should be able to find yourself. – Dave B $51 – Marc S $101 – Susan R $101 – Richard H $201 -Randy B $1001 John K $101 – Chuck M $101 – Vitaly S $251 – Nelson P $100 – Peter B $1001 – Jeff S $501 – Jim C $ $101 – Tania A $200 – Jan B $1000 Theo W $500 – Rory v D $101 – Steve S $501 – Jim S $101 – Larry P $101 – David D $501 – Jocelyn A $30 – Patrick B $251 – John P $251 – Cornelia R $501- Ron N $51 – Tom C $1001 Jeff S $501 Rob S $101 – Mike W $41 – Rob G $201 Ben B $101 – Dave S $101 – Miles B $501 Peter B $500 – Dale C $251 Patrick B $ 350 – Martin M $25 - Jim S $101 – Mike F $501 – Paul M $375 – Mike S $50 – David D $251 – Richard H $101 – Marc S $101 Mike R $150 – Cornelia R $101 – Jim H $100 Rory VD $151 – John P $225 Jeff S $501 Susan R $101 Rob G $201 Babu S $101 Martin J $175 – Jim C $100 – Mark S $175 – Randy B $1000 – John M $101 – Vitaly S - $251 Greg V $51 – Jack H $101 Tom C $150 - Ellen G $50 – Manual C $51 – Chris B $50 – Matt D $25 – Brad $100 – Andrei G $51 – Hud B $50 Brian C $101 Wayne B $101 Greg B $50 Scott A. S $101.
The 8 Boat Boys (Pays Members) get their last $150 check January 1st. In theory the season starts each year in January and they should have income from now through May. June 1st the Summer Relief Fund will start paying $150 a month again to at least 8 boat boys and see if they want to add more names and expand the program. But this will come from their own efforts and we are not raising more money at this time. They are supposed to pay back $600 of their earned money back into the Summer Relief Fund Pool and $600 each is supposed to get paid back from income from the weekly BBQ’s they host on the beach. With the upgraded mooring field and the return of YAW (Yachtie Appreciation Week) we hope they can start the BBQ’s again so they can put away money for the Summer Relief Fund 2022. We have a balance of over $4700.
Half that will go to finishing the mooring field installation. We can reserve the balance to add to this year’s Summer Relief Fund or we may use part of the money to subsidize the weekly Sunday BBQ’s. We want to get them into the habit of having one each week and putting money away to pay back the other half of the monthly fee. This is how we plan to make this sustainable with their own money.
Here is your chance to come see our work in Dominica
Dominica – YAW - Dates: Arrive St. Maarten Thursday March 17th - Fly home from SXM Tuesday 29th. If you would like to join us for the sail from St. Maarten to Dominica and back you are welcome to join us. Notice we are reducing the price because we want to have a full boat of people to bring with us and to spend money. Half the crew will stay ashore for the 7 days in Dominica and 3 or 4 crew will stay aboard. Half price is now $1000 per person. That is less than $100 per day. If you stay ashore you pay Mango Cottages for their apartments. $500 for the week. 2 Private studio’s and one house with two bedrooms and 2 baths. We will all chip in for provisions. Fuel and dockage included.
Arrive on Thursday for departure Friday afternoon from St. Maarten to Dominica. This is about a 30-hour sail. Half the crew will have the option to stay aboard the boat for the week anchored in Portsmouth Dominica. Four crew can stay ashore for the week at Mango Cottages, a rain forest boutique accommodation not too far from town. This is not a week where you sit on the beach or hang out on the boat, but for people who planned to come and see the island. The cost of the trip and the accommodation ashore are priced cheaply enough so you can budget money for tours and dinners ashore. Expect to spend another $500 to $750 for paid tours, dinners ashore, and excursions around the island for the week. After spending Sunday to Sunday in Dominica we will have a 24-to-28-hour passage back to St. Maarten. I have made this passage to and from Dominica many times and wish to match the crew’s expectations to the trip. This is a nice mixture of almost 400 miles of sailing with a full week seeing a Juristic Park type place without the dinosaurs.
Price is $1000. Option to stay ashore is $500 more. Plus those staying ashore need to share a car rental.
OPO Spring Swan Program Schedule
The Swan Program we published in the December 1st “Notice to OPO Mariners” is almost full. We have not even published it on the web site yet nor promoted heavily to non-members. We have added four more legs with Murray which we already sent you. They will be posted on the web site later this week. Also new is the Trans-Atlantic option the sail a Swan 68 to Palma Mallorca. Not Aphrodite, but the other Swan 68 Defiance that is also sailing north with us this May. We now have the dates to sail from Bermuda to the Palma Mallorca just like Aphrodite did last June. But this year departing from Bermuda after the Newport Bermuda Race. We have priced it $500 less than last year so you can get to Bermuda. The distance is about the same.
(Only 6 berths left out of 20 spots) SXM to Newport with a stop in Bermuda-Thursday May 5th to Saturday May 21st
Crew should plan to fly into SXM on Thursday May 5th for departure on Saturday May 7th. It is a 5-to-6-day sail to Bermuda. We will spend two or three full days in Bermuda and depart on Monday May 16th for the 4-to-5-day sail to Newport. Plan to travel home from Newport on Saturday May 21st or Sunday the 22nd. You move aboard when you arrive May 5th and have a place to stay until a day or so after we arrive. The price includes all onboard food, head tax, dockage, fuel and skipper and mate’s wages. Everything, except your travel to and from the boat and meals and drinks ashore. Price $3500
One week Swan Program Option.
(Might be 1 berth left) Leg # 1 Huntington NY to Bermuda Friday June 10th to Sunday June 18th
(Full) Leg # 2 Bermuda to Huntington Sunday June 18th to Monday June 27th
I skipper the Avocation, our Swan 48 to Bermuda and Tania Aebi skippers her back from Bermuda to New York. Eight-day commitment includes arrival to the boat with a day to get settled followed by a 700-mile non-stop passage to or from Bermuda. You move aboard the day before and stay until you fly home from Bermuda Sunday June 18th. Monday June 27th from NY for those on the return leg with Tania. The passage will take five six days. The price is all-inclusive paying for everything except travel to and from the boat and meals and drinks ashore. Cost $2400.
2022 Spring and Summer Schedule for Swan 68 Aphrodite
Sail Captain Murray Jacob
SXM to Newport - May 5th to May 21st - (16 days) - $35004 boats with 20 berths.
(2 berths left)
May 5th Thursday, Crew Arrive
May 7th Saturday Depart SXM
May 20th Friday Boat Arrives in Newport
May 21st Saturday Crew Disembark
Newport to Bermuda – June 10th to June 17th - (1 week) - $2400(1 berths left)
June 10th Friday Crew Arrive
June 11th Saturday Depart Newport
June 15th Wednesday Arrive Bermuda
June 17th Friday Crew Depart.
(Bermuda to Newport – June 28th to July 4th - (1 week) - $2400(Full)
June 28th Tuesday Crew Arrive Bermuda
June 29th Wednesday Depart for Newport
July 3rd Sunday Arrive Newport
July 4th Monday Crew Disembark
Newport to Newfoundland July 12th to July 21st - (10 days) - $2750(2 berths left)
July 9th Saturday Crew Arrive in Newport
July 10th Sunday Depart Newport for Newfoundland
July 14th to 16th Halifax
July 20th Thursday Arrive Newfoundland
July 21st Crew Disembark
Newfoundland to Newport - August 8th to August 25th - (17 days) - $3500(3 berths left)
August 8th Monday Crew Arrive St. John’s Newfoundland
Saint Pierre & Miquelon
Lunenburg?
August 25th Thursday Crew Disembark
New Dates and Addition – Besides sailing north with us in May now you can sail Trans-Atlantic this June. All Open as we are just announcing the opportunity today!
2022 Swan 68 Defiance Schedule
SXM to Newport - May 5th to May 21st - (16 days) - $3500
May 5th Thursday, Crew Arrive
May 7th Saturday Depart SXM
May 20th Friday Boat Arrives in Newport
May 21st Saturday Crew Disembark
2) Bermuda to Palma Mallorca – June 26th to July 21st - (24 days)- $4000 (great price)
June 26th Crew Arrive in Bermuda
July 8th about Azores.
June 21st Thursday. Crew leave the boat and fly home from Palma Mallorca
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial – December is always a slow month for crew requests. Boat are already put away or in place for the holidays. I will not go back to Avocation util February after the winter winds die down a bit. I always enjoy the short respite between the end of the busy fall migration ticking off winter projects for the next 8 weeks. Other than a short 5-day visit to SXM for planning purposes Dec 14th to 18th I will be in or near the office until going back to the boat. We will be busy planning for the spring migration and the Swan Program. We once again are not planning an ambitious winter program due to the uncertainty of Covid protocol relaxation. We do plan to support the Heineken Regatta and Dominica in 2022.
NARC Rally Wrap up – Whether by prayer or good luck, we had an easy passage south this year. We left one day late that gave everyone a slight reprieve to get negative covid test results back and finish last minute preparations for the sail south. The 21st NARC Rally was the first time I had to use jerry jugs of extra diesel that I usually reserve for the 2nd leg. Most boat motored for more than two days on this 4-5-day passage. The weather did blow hard while we were in St. Georges Harbor tucked in by the dunking chair and adjacent to the White Horse Tavern. The WHT was our NARC Rally headquarters and location for our annual Rally fish fry. While Covid cancelled public Remembrance Day Celebrations, half the fleet spent a week enjoying the islands as it was their first visit.
After a short weather delay, the 2nd leg was also an easy passage with mostly perfect aft-the-beam reaching conditions to our final destination of Simpson Bay St. Maarten. Also new this year was a full week of extra activities running through Thanksgiving Day.
Dominica – The good news is that our mooring supplies were placed on a ship going to Dominica last Oct 28th. They are in Dominica. While I was at sea it looks like PAYS was able to convince the gov’t to pay for the shipping of the 750 lbs. of materials sent to replace all the moorings lines on the 27 remaining moorings that we donated five years ago. If you remember the materials were donated and even the transportation to Miami was donated. If it’s true that we got the materials shipped for free then there will be extra money left over to pay PAYS members to complete the renovation of the mooring field and also money left over even after the final payment to PAYS members January 1st. Next month we will have an accounting of the money raised, paid out and left over. There will be a surplus. Please do not send any more money.
Also, good news is that we are planning to visit Dominica by sail in March for “Yachtie Appreciation Week”, the event we started to get the word out about the mooring field in Dominica is supposed to happen this year. We price it very cheaply and offer boutique rain forest accommodations ashore for four people who wish to join us for the sail to Dominica. You need to be adventurous and be willing to exploring the island for the week. We are there to see the island and spend money touring the island and seeing this less visited island in the Caribbean. Do not come if you do not plan to get out and take advantage of some of the tours and events planned for visitors.
Caribbean Season
Heineken Regatta –Dates Monday Feb 28th to Monday March 7th
This is not a normal regatta year. There will be no Heineken Regatta Village and no big stage or parties. The regatta organizers are emphasizing that this year will be about the racing and not about the Serious Fun part
Option # 1
Cruising Island Time Division:
For the 5th year in a row Avocation will be sailing in the “Island Time Cruising Division”. We only have room for three or four crew since the owner of the boat wished to take three of his friends along that week. We are looking for crew in good shape who can grind winches and help out on the foredeck. You will stay aboard the boat dockside at IGY Marina SXM. The boat will not be stripped out for racing as this is a cruising division and people have to live aboard to comply with the rules and spirit of the division. While there will be no large gatherings we will get together as a crew some nights and at our mini-race village across from the St. Maarten Yacht Club. If you are interested in joining us and staying aboard the boat blet me know.
Option # 2
Full on Race option: There is a good chance that we will have some berths to race on a Swan 68 in the regatta this year. I will not know the full details until Mid-December. I want to make sure the boat gets to St. Maarten from Europe first before I take any deposits for the race. Let me know if you are interested in racing on a big Swan in the Regatta and I will make sure we do our best to get you aboard at a good price. Most likely the usual $1500 to live-aboard and $2500 if we get accommodations ashore. We will let you know 100% either way before Christmas.
Dominica – YAW - Dates: Arrive SXM Thursday March 17th - Fly home from SXM Tuesday 29th or March 30th.
Arrive on Thursday for departure Friday afternoon from St. Maarten to Dominica. This is about a 30-hour sail. Half the crew will have the option to stay aboard the boat for the week anchored in Portsmouth Dominica. Four crew can stay ashore for the week at Mango Cottages a rain forest boutique accommodations not too far from town up in the hills. I have stayed here with my wife in past years. Each day we will have places to tour and things to see. This is not a week where you sit on the beach or hang out on the boat, but for people who planned to come to see the island and what is offered. The cost of the trip and the accommodation ashore are prices cheaply enough so you can budget some money for tours and dinners ashore. Expect to pay another $500 to $750 for paid tours, dinners ashore, and excursions around the island. After spending Sunday to Sunday in Dominica we will have a 26-to-29-hour passage back to St. Maarten. I have made this passage to and from Dominica many times and wish to match the crew’s expectations to the trip. This is a nice mixture of almost 400 miles of sailing with a full week seeing a Juristic Park type place without the dinosaurs.
Price is $1300. Option to stay ashore is $2000 (Price included rental car to get to and from the accommodations.)
OPO Spring Swan Program Schedule
SXM to Newport with a stop in Bermuda- Thursday May 5th to Saturday May 21st
Crew should plan to fly into SXM on Thursday May 5th for departure on Saturday May 7th. It is a 5-to-6-day sail to Bermuda. We will spend two or three full days in Bermuda and depart on Monday May 16th for the 4-to-5-day sail to Newport. Plan to travel home from Newport on Saturday May 21st or Sunday the 22nd. You move aboard when you arrive May 5th and have a place to stay until a day or so after we arrive. The price includes all onboard food, head tax, dockage, fuel and skipper and mate’s wages. Everything, except your travel to and from the boat and meals and drinks ashore. Price $3500
One week Swan Program Option.
Leg # 1 Huntington NY to Bermuda Friday June 10th to Sunday June 18th
Leg # 2 Bermuda to Huntington Sunday June 18th to Monday June 27th
I skipper the Avocation, our Swan 48 to Bermuda and Tania Aebi skippers her back from Bermuda to New York. Eight-day commitment includes arrival to the boat with a day to get settled followed by a 700-mile non-stop passage to or from Bermuda. You move aboard the day before and stay until you fly home from Bermuda Sunday June 18th or Monday June 27th from NY for those for the return leg with Tania. The passage will take five to at most six days. The price is all-inclusive paying for everything except travel to and from the boat and meals and drinks ashore. Cost $2400.
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial – This will be very short and early this month as we depart tomorrow in the NARC Rally. We have two Swans in the Swan Program with 11 crew. Plus there are 17 OPO members on other boats in the rally. About half the rally boats have one or more OPO crew. Some are new and some are repeat crew for owners they met through OPO members and are now good friends and regular crewmates.
Cathy will be running the office while I am at sea, but I will check in Bermuda next weekend. Tere may still be a few more crew requests going out, but we are nearing the end of the fall migration season.
After I get back November 21st I will be working on the Winter schedule and spring Swan Program return passage after I see what things look like in the Caribbean. We hope to be doing the Heineken Regatta “Island Time” white sail division like we have the last 5 years. We also hope Dominica will be open and we visit for Yachting Appreciation Wek which is in late March. If travel between islands improves we may sail to the BVI’s for a week or two, but this does not look promising right now.
NARC Rally – We have 17 boast departing Sunday Oct 31st from Newport and 4 boats departing from the Chesapeake Bay. I will have rally wrap up in the December Notice.
Dominica –Our donated supplies have arrived in Florida and should be on a ship to Dominica this week. They have two more months of PPP monthly checks and we have money to send to pay some PAYS members to finish upgrading the mooring field.
The December 1st Notice will have an accounting and maybe an invite to join us for the sail to Dominica in march.
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial – Looks like offshore sailing is back. Everyone has seen and enjoyed the many “crew requests” we have been sending out the last few weeks. We expect to keep busy for a few more weeks before winter sets in and everyone is where they need to be. If you have the time and the experience and pleasant disposition that people look for in a good crew I am confident you will get aboard a passage this fall. We often run short of crew as members sign up for passages leaving less of a pool to draw from. If you are ready on short notice at the end of October and early November I am sure you will be able to jump in a help someone in need if you do not find anything before then. If you are having trouble I am in or near the office all next week before sailing to the Annapolis Boat Show and back as a tune up for the sail south Oct 30th, so e-mail or call and I will be happy to speak with you.
The updates address book will be completed before we depart for the Annapolis Boat Show October 10th. If you stop getting e-mails then you know you have been dropped from the active address list for not paying your annual dues. Mistakes happen so if you stop getting e-mails and want to stay active or did pay your dues then by all means contact us. But most members have paid by check, online or joined late in our calendar year so did not owe dues now. If you intend to stay active and have not paid your annual dues yet, please let me know so I do not delete you and then have to add you back in. I am happy to keep you active if you are away from home, need a little more time or normally just procrastinate and did not get this done. I can keep you active and remind you to pay your dues when I have time after the fall migration is over.
Annapolis Boat Show –The sail to and from Annapolis is a good tune-up sea trial for Avocation before the long offshore passage to St. Maarten at the end of the month. I also get to sail there and back with 10 new crew and see some OPO members. Our plan is to sail down Monday and be there Wednesday afternoon or early evening for the start of the show on Thursday Oct 14th.
Since I do not have a booth I do not have any discounted show tickets to give to OPO members. Sorry. But I do plan to be at the show Thursday and Friday to meet any OPO members on the upper deck of the show at the Annapolis Waterfront Hotel just up the steps from the Pusser’s Rum booth. We usually meet back under the roof away from the band so we can talk. Let’s plan to meet each day between 1:30 and 2:30 pm after the lunch crowd has subsided on both Thursday and Friday. I look forward to seeing any members who will be there the first two days of the show.
If you are just in town on Saturday, Avocation, our Swan 48, will be docked right next to the show at the Annapolis Basin Marina. We plan to depart Saturday morning after 10:00 am. That means you are welcome to come over to the boat with your cup of coffee and I will have some donuts to share and we can chat before the show opens. We are a two-minute walk from the show so you can come visit between 8:30 or 10:00 am (but not earlier). This is the marina before the entrance of the show closest to the opening bridge going to Eastport. We usually get assigned a slip at the outermost dock in front of the Annapolis Yacht club. We may be the only three spreader white carbon Fiber mast, so should be easy to find by looking at the masts.
21st Annual NARC Rally – We should top 20 boats for the NARC Rally this year. Last June we thought covid was over and we would be back to a normal cruising season this winter. Not so fast. Right now, Bermuda and Antigua are two of the worst countries in the world. Ten thousand people or 1/6 of the population of Bermuda is in quarantine this week. Antigua has a $200 fee, per person, to get covid tested to enter by boat. While Bermuda is not closing down, reports like this are discouraging some people from going south and others know they will not be traveling from island to island as much. Still, we have eleven crew in our NARC Swan Program on two boats and another 10 or 12 OPO members on other boats in the fleet. In total, we have 38 people in the Swan Program sailing from Europe to the Caribbean, in the NARC Rally or to and from the Annapolis Show in the next two months. If you wanted to join a boat in the NARC Rally and did not find a boat yet, let me know so I can see what I can do to help. It seems the more hurdles we have to jump to go sailing the more special time spent at sea is.
Newport Bermuda Race and SSCA Gam – As requested our multi-year sponsorship deal with the Newport Bermuda Race (NBR) was announced just before the Newport Boat Show. I got a good response from people in the industry and sailors at the show who race more than cruise and pay attention to these things. This bodes well for OPO through the next three races and five years.
I also just got back last Sunday from the SSCA Gam near Annapolis MD where we spoke to a nice group of boat owners. We are becoming knows as a reliable crew network for the many members of the SSCA. We continue to network with other rallies, race organizers and sailing organizations to keep locating good quality passage opportunities for our members.
Dominica Infrustucture Bill – As you know OPO started our own PPP for PAYS with eight families receiving $150 each month via MoneyGram. This runs through January 1st. That was already fully funded. Our recent Fundraiser raised $6,213 more dollars. In December, after I am back from St. Maarten, I will have a final tally and list of donors (by initials) and a settlement report.
The new materials are being assembles this week and will be shipped to Tropical Shipping in Florida next week addresses to the Minister of Tourism and Urban Renewal so the materials will be gifted to avoid paying Duty. Pays President Andrew O’Brien, aka Cobra, has already organized a work crew and the first MoneyGram for $1000 was sent this past week to get the mooring cleaned up and ready for anti-fouling paint on the bottom and to pay the diver for surveying the mooring field. We expect the materials to get to PAYS in the next month (we will know which ship they get on once the materials arrive in Florida) in the next couple of weeks. The plan is to have the mooring field 100% ready by Christmas.
PAYS and the Dominica Government have also picked the dates for Yachtie Appreciation Week which are March 20 to March 27th. It is way too early to make plans to visit yet as covid restrictions still require a four-day quarantine where crews are limited to what they can do. In the December Newsletter we will ask who wishes to join us for the return of our ten-day sail from SXM to Dominica and back. Save the dates around that time if you are interested.
Boat Boy of the month – Patrickson “Fire” Lockhart,
Born and raised in the community of Portsmouth on March 8th, 1967.
At the tender age of 12 years old, Patrickson began his interaction in the Tourism world. From creating necklaces and shell designs to be sold to arranging fruit packages, Patrickson embarked on feeding his passion. He moved up the ladder by doing security for the boats at night and when the guests were out on tour during the day to eliminate theft. Soon, he engaged in basic tour guiding activities where he developed and fine-tuned his skills.
To this very day, (popularly known as “Fire”) he has contributed 42 years in this rewarding industry. Although he has been in the picture since day one, he became an official member of Pays about a year or two after it was formed. He is also an Executive member of PIRTGA (Portsmouth Indian River Tour Guide’s Association) continuing to contribute to the trade.
With his hard work and dedication, he is Secret Bay Hotel’s main Indian River tour guide. Before Hurricane Maria in 2017, Patrickson owned two motorboats. One was extensively destroyed during that devastation.
Like many of the tour guides will say, this Covid -19 pandemic has put a huge strain on the industry and for Patrickson, it is the same struggle.
‘’This covid thing you know already. We are all struggling. This Summer Fund Program helps in a big way and I appreciate the help”, Fire stated.
He expressed his thanks to Mr. Schmitt and his OPO community of sailors and looks forward to the continued partnership. Please come visit.
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Annual Dues
Fall Boat Shows – One Free Boat Show ticket per active OPO member. Newport Show only.
Dominica – One Last Fundraiser – OPO Infrastructure Bill
Swan Program Fall Plans – 36 of 38 berths are full.
OPO tip of the month - Beware the boat owner who contacts you months later.
Editorial – We run our calendar year from September 1st to September 1st to coincide with the start of the fall migration season. Boats will not set sail for the Caribbean until the end of hurricane season still two months away. However boat owners will start looking for crew soon. Until then we have the fall boats shows season to get the industry vibe on where things stand. Fingers crossed vaccination numbers continue to go up and we see a leveling off and then drop in covid cases. Last year we did a “Sailing to the Caribbean during Covid Video” with David Lyman. We are helping gather information about where we go and helping David with an updated video or two. We will let you know when they come out.
If you are not vaccinated you can’t sail from country to country so don’t plan on sailing overseas. According to other countries covid protocols, if there is one unvaccinated person aboard they can consider all crew unvaccinated and require a much longer quarantine. In other words you can’t go without proof of vaccination. Right now we can still expect to have to take a test upon arrival in most places. St. Maarten has a $25 covid health insurance entry fee. Dominica has a 2 to 3 day quarantine period. Travel from island to island will still not be easy this winter in the Caribbean. Bermuda is the same $75 as last year for one and up to 4 tests if you stay 14 days. Antigua charges $200 per person for testing upon arrival. The cost and trouble of sailing to many islands this season will have to be factored in. Fingers crossed things get better for the winter season. I will let you know what winter plans are after I get back in late November. While we may not be offering weeks in the BVI or other Caribbean Islands yet, we do plan to participate in the Heineken Regatta Cruising Division in early March and Yachtie Appreciation Week in Dominica later that month.
Annual Dues are due – While costs in the Caribbean and at the grocery stores have gone up, OPO is holding the line on price increase for one more year. Annual dues are due. They are the same as 2019 with no price increase. Last year we offered a Covid Discount. Annual Dues are back to $150 for most people and $175 for Gold Card membership. Skip ahead to pay your annual dues. https://www.sailopo.com/store.aspx or if you still have a check book, checks are better as I do not have to pay credit card fees. Thanks.* Before clicking to pay your dues read about our Last Fundraiser for Dominica.
Completing our Dominica Relief Efforts – Boat Boy Lawrence “Meggy” Roberts was born in Portsmouth September 2nd 1969. From a young age Lawrence shown a keen interest in the water and the Indian River Conservation. This passion inspired him to become a certified tour guide. He is one of the original 14 PAYS members from its formation in the late 1990’s. Lawrence business grew over the years to include land tours across the island with three vans and two rowing boats in addition to his one motorized lead boat. But since the pandemic most of this has been sidelined. Lawrence tells us:
“Due to the heavy blow we received from Hurricane Maria back in 2017, the members of PAYS have struggled and are still fighting their way to survive. With nothing in place to assist the members from that catastrophe, times are much worse now with covid-9 pandemic. It has been 16 months since I’ve worked to make money to pay my bills ie loans, utilities and for upkeep of my family. The PAYS Summer Relief Program has been a great help to me as I am able to apply some funds to my outstanding loans and settle some debts.” Andrew Obrien, aka “Cobra” adds: Lawrence extends his gratitude to Offshore Passage Opportunity members for working so closely with Hank Schmitt so that this is possible for me and the seven other families in the program to get us to the start of the next season. We hope to make this a fully sustainable program moving forward but we need to have tourist come by boat to see for themselves what a beautiful island we have.
One last Fundraiser - As you know OPO started their own PPP for PAYS with eight families receiving $150 each month via MoneyGram for 8 month. With recent donations from OPO members who know of our long term efforts this is now 100% funded through January 1st 2022. If done right and with some help from us this will become a sustainable program. Now it is time for the OPO Infrastructure Bill to pay for the refurbishment of the PAYS mooring field. As most members know we donated a mooring field. There are 50 mooring blocks in place with 30 buoys paid for and shipped from the USA by OPO members. The new Cement Dinghy Dock in front of the PAYS Pavilion is almost complete. This was paid for by the government.
Or plans are to ship another 600 foot 4” mooring line on a pallet along with 200 lbs. of donated thimbles and shackles to PAYS this October so they can replace all the worn mooring lines to our donated mooring field. Since the materials are donated by an OPO member with connections in the marine industry, we only have to pay for shipping by truck to Florida and Tropical Shipping Company to Dominica. We expect to have local charges to get the bundle moved from the port to the north side of the island plus some money for local supplies and dive time. This one last fundraiser is to pay for the refurbishment of the mooring field that was first donated 6 years ago. Our own infrastructure bill is to insure there is a secure mooring field for the PAYS Association in Portsmouth. We want to encourage boats to visit the island and spend money and help the tourist industry rebound.
No one is looking forward to normalization of inter-island travel than our friends in Dominica. Our one last Fundraiser will give the members of PAYS a good chance to get through the pandemic with a sound footing and secure mooring field for this season and for the next few years ahead. The money we raise now will go towards shipping the donated materials, buying some local supplies and hiring a PAYS work crew to get the job done with work commencing after Nov 15th when the hurricane season should be over and the start of the season before Christmas. The influx of materials and scheduled work force will insure the work gets done rather than waiting for volunteers. By hiring some PAYS members they can start to repay their $600 half of their Summer Relief Money. With the renovated mooring field and a successful YAW (Yachtie Appreciation Week March 2022) the Sunday BBQ’s will resume in the new year 2022 and $600 a week for 8 weeks can be earmarked to replenish the Summer Relief Fund so it can sustain PAYS through next Summer without our help.
One Last Fundraiser – Thus we ask members who feel blessed and fortunate to help one last time to leave PAYS with a very good chance to keep the Summer Relief Program in place. The mooring field will last a few more years and they can grow the fund without more donations from us.
You can make a donation to PAYS when you pay your annual dues. Any money paid over your dues of $150 or $175 I will know goes towards PAYS. If you are paying online we are set up to make donations ending with $1 to help easily distinguish donations from annual dues. 100% of your donation goes to PAYS. We will have an end of the year accounting of the raised funds and reporting in the January Newsletter. And more news as it seems of interest to print about Dominica.
Anyone wishing to join us in sailing down to see our work and meet some of the PAYS members are welcome to join us this March when we sail down for Yachie Appreciation Week which is to commemorate and advertise the mooring fields to sailors all over the Caribbean.
Newport Boat Show – The Newport show is Thursday September 16th to Sunday the 19th. We will have a booth at the show. That means I can pre-order tickets and give one free ticket per member. They used to be pretty cheap so I could offer two or more, but they now cost $14 each so only one ticket per person. Sorry. I do not want anyone to wait in line at the show office to pick up one ticket so I will mail you a ticket to your home address we have on file the week before the show. Please let me know if you want a free ticket and confirm your mailing address if you think it is different from the one we have and I will mail you a ticket a week before the show starts. If you are not sure if you are going to the show it is ok to ask for a ticket and NOT use it as I will not have to pay for any tickets not used. Just do not give it away to a non-member since then I will have to pay for it. I am happy to mail you a ticket if you are not sure. Please do not ask for me to leave a ticket for you at the “Will Call” line at the show. It is often a madhouse. The last thing I want to do the start of each boat show day for you or for me is to stand in line to leave or pick up tickets for late planers. If you are planning to attend the show just reply to this e-mail and I will acknowledge you and confirm I will mail you a ticket.
Annapolis Boat Show – The show this year is a week later as the Power Boat Show proceeds the Sailboat Show as they alternate the Columbus Day weekend. The Sailboat Show is Oct 14th to 18th. Avocation will once again be sailing down (Sorry we are full) and we plan to attend the show on Thursday and Friday before sailing back on Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning. In the October 1st OPO Notice I will let you know where we can plan to meet one night. Since I DO NOT have a booth at this show I cannot order tickets to give away to members.
SSCA Annapolis Gam – Not technically a boat show and only open to SSCA members, this is the 2nd year in a row we are promoting OPO and speaking during the Annapolis Seven Seas Cruising Association Gam the weekend of Sept 24th to 26th at the Maryland Yacht Club. Last year John Kretschmer was the keynote speaker. This year Bob Bitchin will be back for the Saturday night main event. OPO will be promoting our crew network services to the organization and talking about sailing offshore.
Annual Dues* –Each September annual dues are due. Annual dues for the rest of 2021 through Sept 2022 are $150.
Gold Card Membership $175.00
I will send one more reminder Mid-September and one last one just before the end of the month. In early October we update our OPO membership roster for the next year. If you recently joined OPO you do not owe annual dues.
While the number of passage opportunities remains below pre-pandemic levels, we expect things to get back to normal in this 2021/2022 season through next summer. Your annual membership continues to be one of your best and perhaps for some only avenue you need to pursue what you are looking for. Please feel free to call or e-mail anytime if you have questions about pursuing the offshore sailing lifestyle.
631-423-4988.
To pay dues go to https://www.sailopo.com/store.aspx
*Or even better if you still know where your check book is please make check payable to
“Offshore Passage Opportunities”
And mail to
OPO
PO Box 2600
Halesite NY 11743.
*If you recently joined OPO or paid annual dues you do not owe annual dues now and will be active until the end of Sept 2022.
Swan Fall Program –
Swan 65: World’s coolest yachts
Yachting World has been asking top sailors and marine industry gurus to choose the coolest and most innovative yachts of our times, and Tracy Edwards, who skippered the first all-female crew in the Whitbread Round the World Race, nominated the Swan 65.
All of the berths are filled for the 7 legs we have planned for this fall with the exception of two open berths on the Swan 65 Aurora from Newport to St. Maarten in the NARC Rally. If you would like to have a 100% sure planned passage south this fall on one of the World’s Coolest Yachts with a pro skipper, just let me know. The dates are to be in Newport Thursday Oct 28th and fly home from SXM Nov 17th.
Tip of the month – It has been a couple of months since we included a tip of the month, but a recent call from an OPO member leads to this bit of advice.
Beware the boat owner who contacts you directly weeks after I send it out– One goal of OPO members is to meet boat owners with nice boats who may ask them to crew again after meeting through OPO. That is an example of a good boat owner contacting you for another passage. But we have had a couple of scenarios where we sent out a crew request for a boat owner, but then got another call or e-mail from him days or weeks later asking us to send out the crew request again as things changed. Sometimes this is understandable, but often it leads me to believe that we are wasting our member’s time or putting them in a bad and perhaps dangerous situation so we do not send out a revised or updated crew request. You would be surprised how many passage opportunities I could send out if I did not care of they were any good or not. Many times I try and talk with the owner or skipper if things do not sound right or they do not give me enough information. It saves you the time of finding out that the owner is not ready or incompetent and would be a waste of time to join.
A recent example: We sent out a crew request for crew to join an ex-Whitbread 68 footer that the owner had spent 6 years working on. Plans to depart in mid-summer from the Great Lakes out the St. Lawrence to Halifax and points south got delayed so I told the owner I could not keep send out another notice for him. So he contacted the OPO crew who had been in touch after the first OPO “crew request” posting and sked them to join him with his revised plan. One of the three OPO members called me soon after he left the boat after a number of issues, two members are still with the owner who has relinquished or delegated command of the boat to the OPO crew to repair, navigate and command. I have e-mailed to two crew who have stayed with the owner to get him as far as Halifax, but I know we will not be sending out crew requests for the next leg as the boat is not ready for the open ocean.
This has happened a couple of time where owners keep the e-mails addresses and sailing resumes of OPO crew. They then contact crew directly when they know I will not send one out another crew request for them. The best time to contact a boat owner for a crew berth is soon after we send out the e-mail. You know the crew opening is current and the boat owner is anxious to hear from you. Any other time you reach out to the owner or them to you, the chances of causing problems multiplies. It will be interesting to hear the rest of the story on the passage to Halifax. Please stay safe out there.
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Newport Bermuda Race Sponsorship
NARC Rally
If you want to sail across the Atlantic
Dominica
Editorial– While not sailing offshore during hurricane season we are hard at work promoting our crew network and making plans for the busy fall migration season and beyond. Plans for the NARC Rally are in full swing. We are getting ready for the Newport Boat Show with a booth. Active OPO members get one free ticket for the show. I will start a list after the Sept 1st Issue. We sail to the Annapolis Show. I will also be speaking at the Seven Seas Cruising Association Gam in September at the Maryland Yacht Club September 24-26th. This will be the 2nd year in a row I have a venders table to explain our crew networking services to them.
August is also a good time to try and take some time off and recharge. I hope you are enjoying your summer.
Newport Bermuda Race sponsorship – We are happy to announce that we just signed a 3 cycle 6 year sponsorship deal to become the official crew network for the Newport/Bermuda Race from 2022 through 2026. While most boats are crewed with friends who have practiced for many years, some owners need to meet new crew for ocean races. More often we are happy to offer OPO crew for the return passage after the race as most friends and outboard crew do not want to take the time off from work to make the return passage. This will open many free passage opportunities sailing back from Bermuda to their home ports after the race on boats that have been fully inspected for offshore racing and have already made the outbound passage. Many years ago we tried placing ads in their Race Journal but never got much response because by the time they handed out the Race Journal the boat owners already knew who the return crew were. Now, as an official sponsor for six years all boat owners and crew will know they can contact us to get crew for the return passage after the race each June on even years, but also may get some crew requests for crew to race down as well.
NARC – Our first full page ad came out in Cruising World Magazine and we are starting to get new sign-ups for the rally. If you know any boat owners planning to head south please tell them about our rally. The web site has the schedule so just send them this link https://www.sailopo.com/NARC2021 We will add new events to the online calendar as they come in. The press release for the Rally is also on the web site. We have hired a young European couple to help organize a few days of fun after we arrive. It will be fun to see what they come up with.
The rally is free and this year we are adding five days in Bermuda and five days in St. Maarten for sailors visiting for the first time and not in a rush. We organize the rally so if anyone needs crew we pass these free passage opportunities on to our members.
If you want to make sure you sail with us this year in the rally we still have open berths with Johnathan Ishmael on the Swan 65 Aurora and with Andrew Burton and his Baltic 47.
If you want to sail across the Atlantic this year is your year. Most years we offer no trans-Atlantic Passage Opportunities in our Swan Program. The Swan 68 Aphrodite was delayed from the ARC 2020 so is entered this year. She is full. We have two other Swans that we have a history with so timing this year finds us with three boats departing on the same date Nov 21st. All Our trips are all inclusive except travel to and from the boat. When will you ever be able to sail Trans-Atlantic on a big Swan for $4995? Other offshore programs charge more than we do for a 10 day trip. ($5,500 for 10 days) Next year we have zero boats planned for an East to West crossing. If you have always wanted to go across the ocean, here is your chance. This is an easier passage than the fall NARC Rally Swan trip. These are 90% downwind and warm sailing. Call and I will tell you more about the last berths we have left on the two boats Swan 56 and Swan 68 and I can tell you more about the passage. The owner of the 68 is a very nice man who I enjoy spending time with. My wife and I spent a week with his family at their summer home in Italy.
The Swan Program is not restricted to OPO members. We just posted the dates on our web site for non-members to see. If you have any friends who you know might be interested in a Trans-Atlantic on a Swan for less than $5000, please tell them about our Swan Program. If you run into someone who sails and offshore sailing comes up and you think they might be interested please do tell them to check us out. You know we will take care of them and they will thank you for recommendation.
Dominica Summer Relief Program – The 3rd installment of $150 to 8 PAYS families was paid this week. We have known PAYS member nicknamed “Uncle” Sam almost as long as Albert. He is 53 years old and is one of the original 14 PAYS members. His yellow 21 foot boat keeps him busy for 5 months a year, but since the pandemic he has been working a local cargo ship taking produce to Guadeloupe.
Three years ago when his wife was in the hospital with his 2rd child, he called asking for money because of complications. Thinking like someone from the US I was thinking he needed thousands of dollars, but all he asked for was $300. We were happy to MoneyGram it to him and his daughter and wife are fine. Next month we will feature another “boat boy” we are helping. There are eight families out of 14 PAYS members getting assistance.
In the September Notice to OPO Mariners we will have an accounting to date for the Dominica Summer Relief Fund. Annual Dues are due in September This year we will be asking for a small donation to finish monthly payment through January 1st 2022 and also to see about sending some materials for the mooring field. If they give us an inventory of what they need we may try and send another bundle of mooring line and shackles so the Mooring fields we donated to PAYS can be in excellent shape for the 5th Yachtie Appreciation Week this March 2022. This is an event we started after donating a mooring field to the PAYS Association in Portsmouth Dominica 6 years ago.
Our Plan is to go visit Dominica in March for the Yachtie Appreciation Week. It is a 24 to 28 hour passage from St. Maarten to Dominica; We spend a week on the island and then sail back. So it is about a 10 day trip. Before taking deposits I want to make sure they relax their covid restrictions so it is not an ordeal to go visit. Let me know if you might be interested in getting on the preliminary list for this 10 day trip in the middle of March 2022
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial – The Spring Swan Program comes to an end in the next few days. I flew back from Bermuda last night (and leave tonight with the outgoing tide at midnight for another deliver which is why this is going out a couple of days early).Tania Aebi is sailing Avocation back by this weekend.
Murray just left to Azores for the last leg to Palma Mallorca. The storm hurricane season is starting to register in the Gulf of Mexico and off the Western Shores of Africa so offshore trips are coming to an end as well. We sailed through Claudette last week.
We will continue to have some short coastal passage opportunities for the next couple of months before things pick up and the end of the summer as people plan their passages south and the Rally season begins.
The ARC Swan passage with Murray next fall is already filled. There are only 2 berths left to go with Tania. Since I am in a rush this month and short on time there will be a mid-July “extra” OPO Notice with the last exclusive chance for OPO members to sign up for a passage with us next fall before we open it up to then public. I don’t have time to see exactly what is left.
OPO members who are looking for crew for local sailing opportunities – Each spring or summer we ask if there are any OPO members who have boats and wish to invite other OPO members who may live near them to join them for short daysails. If you do have a boat and are looking for crew for daysails or short overnights please e-mail me in the next 10 days and I will include the offer in the July 15th (or there-abouts) Notice. Send what kind of boat, size, where it is docked and what you are looking to do along with your e-mail address only. We will print the offer in the July 15th notice.
Dominica Summer Relief Program – The 2nd installment of $150 to 8 PAYS families was paid this week. MoneyGram is a quick and accepted way to send money to three PAYS members to distribute to 5 others. And it only costs $30 a month.
Each month we want to tell you about one of the PAYS members we are taking care of.
Our first contact on the island was boat boy Albert Lawrence. By chance Albert was there to receive my lines and help guide us to a mooring in 2012. For the next several years Albert has been our point contact in Portsmouth. Several years ago we supplied and paid for the building of a new boat for him. Three years ago his sickle cell got the better of his left leg and they had to amputate from just above the knee. He still gets around just fine on his boat. But he, like many others, had very little business this season and is glad to be receiving $150 a month from the PAYS Summer Relief Fund.
NARC –We are also waiting to put the final details on the NARC Rally itinerary and list of discounts and wish to share that with OPO members before it goes up on the web site next month. In the July extra notice I will also ask who wants to offer their offshore expertise to boat owners who need extra crew for the NARC Rally this year. Our goal is to have 40 boats this year.
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Winter Project
Dominica Summer Relief Program
21st NARC Rally or 1st Post Coved NARC Rally
Fall Swan Passage South
Fall Trans-at Passage Opportunities
Editorial – The wet weekend washed away many plans for boating. Avocation was delayed departing from NY to Bermuda with 5 OPO member and Johnathan Ishmael as skipper because of the Northeaster pummeling Long Island Sound. Nevertheless they did depart and should have a good passage to Bermuda. Also we finally got the go-ahead to send the Swan 68Aphrodite to Europe with a full complement of OPO crew and Murray Jacob as skipper. This passage had been planned since last year and like everything was delayed waiting on new coved protocols. Three of the six original crew are still going and we had three replacement crew. This means we will have a smaller Swan fleet sailing from Newport to St. Maarten in the fall, but a lot of good Swan Passage Opportunities sailing from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean. Look at the Swan itinerary for next fall and let me know if you are interested. This is the first time we are publishing the dates and giving OPO members the first opportunity to reserve a berth with a small deposit. Sailing from Europe to the Caribbean is a bucket list passage for many. Here are three great opportunities to do just that.
As more of the population gets vaccinated we are returning to a more normal boating season, expect more passage opportunities as things improve. We plan to have a banner year come this fall as there is great pent up demand to get back to living and sailing offshore. We have committed to another NARC Rally and will be offering active OPO members a free ticket to the Newport Boat Show in September.
Winter Project – Our Tartan 3700 Project had to take a back seat to our Swan Program. I had to leave the boat in Little Creek Virginia so I could get back home in time to get coved tested, vaccinated and fly back to St. Maarten May 6th to sail with our three boat fleet from SXM to Newport. All three boats bypassed Bermuda as they were still in lockdown requiring 4 day quarantine at anchor before being allowed ashore. But all three boats made it and 17 OPO had a great time. This past weekend Avocation departed NY for Bermuda with Captain Johnathan Ishmael. On June 10th crew arrive in Newport for the delayed Trans-at from Newport to Palma Mallorca. We finally got confirmation that the Swan 68 with Murray Jacob will depart June 12th.
This week I will go get the Tartan 3700 and finish the delivery to Port Annapolis Marina to put in the brokerage area for Crusader Yachts, the Tartan dealer in Annapolis. I will let the OPO membership know when it is listed on Yacht World so you cans see the pictures of how it turned out.
Dominica Summer Relief Program – We are introducing a “Safety Net” for 8 PAYS (Portsmouth Association of Yacht Services) members and their families in Portsmouth Dominica. Starting June 1st (today) we are sending $150 US each month to 8 PAYS member from now until January 1st when the tourist season should start to come back to this undeveloped island. Many members know that we have been helping out the PAYS Association since 2008. Over the years we have provided the materials for a one-legged boat boy (Albert) to build a new boat, donated a mooring field and funded hurricane relief after Hurricane Maria. Now we are providing relief in a monthly stipend to 8 of the 14 PAYS members most in need. They had almost zero tourist season this winter and even in a good year they live a subsistence life in the summer. Each month we will profile one PAYS member receiving money from us. The money will be paid back into the fund next tourist season between January 1st and June 1st by the members and by contributions from their weekly BBQ fundraisers on the beach in season. The plan is to have them pay the money back and grow the fund to include all 14 members in the future so they have a sort of “teacher’s credit union” to draw from when they are in times of need. Leave it to OPO to bring unemployment benefits or PPP to Dominica.
The mechanics are simple. I send three MoneyGrams from the CVS drugstore down the street from where I live. (Seems everything from banking to coved test and vaccination can now be done at your local drug store.) $450 to Albert, $450 to Cobra, and $300 to Lawrence. Each one will give $150 to one or two other PAYS members. The cost to send (administrate) is only $30 per $1200 once a month. OPO will pay the administrative fees and keep track of the money collected and distributed. This is much better than trying to set this up locally in Dominica or hire a local lawyer to administer. And we have 100% accountability and 100% of the funds go to the intended people we are helping. We did collect enough money from OPO member over the Christmas Holidays to fund this through next November so we are NOT ASKING FOR DONATIONS NOW.
We will keep you posted on progress. We look to grow this fund with one more year of support to see if we can make this a sustainable Summer Relief for PAYS members.
21st NARC Rally or 1st Post Coved NARC Rally – We were very happy to get our 20th Anniversary NARC Rally completed in 2019 before the pandemic hit. In the fall of 2020 we cancelled what would have been the 21st Annual NARC Rally and the entire winter season. However we did sail 3 Swans with 17 crew and 5 pro sailors aboard from Newport to St. Maarten last fall. This year it would be much easier to simply decide to not try and keep organizing the NARC Rally and concentrate on just the Swan Program. After all it is a free rally and takes a lot of time to organize. But the NARC Rally makes it more fun for the people sailing in the Swan Program. It also creates some good free offshore passage opportunities for our member. This year I decided to let the marine industry in St. Maarten decide what I would do. I told them that if they would support the 21st Rally and offer good discounted sponsorship offers to boats and crew in the rally then I would go ahead and organize the 21st NARC Rally.
Looks like they have agreed and we plan to make the rally as big as possible. You should see full page ads in Cruising World magazine this summer and we have our boat show booth at the Newport Boat Show reserved. (Remember active OPO members get a free ticket to the Newport Boat Show.) We hope to get as many as 40 boats in the rally this year and we will be able to offer a number of free passage opportunities for our members on boats in the rally who may need additional crew.
But if you want to make sure you will be part of the fun and have a berth on a Swan next fall, please learn more about our Swan Program next October and November 2021. OPO members are getting the following information first before it gets posted to our web site July 1st. Contact me if you are interested.
Fall Swan Passage South – The dates for the 21st Annual NARC Rally (and 23rd Annual Sail from Newport to St. Maarten in the Swan Program) are to meet in Newport Thursday Oct 28th for planned departure the 30th and end in St. Maarten after a stop in Bermuda about November 17th or 18th. With the Swan 68 just confirmed this week to be going to Europe and then back in the ARC, we may have only 10 to 15 open berths in the Swan Program sailing from Newport next fall. However we are not taking advantage by raising prices, but rather leaving the prices the same at $3500 per person all-inclusive except transportation to and from the boat. If you want to sign up please contact me soon and we can talk about your past sailing experience and see if you are up for this offshore “baptism by fire” passage opportunity on a Swan in the fall departing in cold and often blustery condition right from the start. If you are not ready for the fall passage we can talk about the spring passage back next spring. A $500 deposit can reserve a berth for you for either the fall or next spring and the balance is not due until 45 days before the passage.
Fall Trans-at Passage Opportunities – Believe it or not a better first choice for a long offshore passage is from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean in November. The entire Trans-at is in much warmer weather and you will be sailing downwind. Plus all the Swans we have sailing this November are big boats with at least two pro crew aboard. You still have to know how to sail and be ready for a 16 to 19 day non-stop offshore passage.
ARC – One of the three Swans is the Swan 68 Aphrodite with Murray skippering her back in the very popular ARC Rally. The dates are to depart Sunday November 21st From Las Palmas and sail to St. Lucia. Crew are invited to come up to a week early for some of the pre-departure seminars and parties that lead up to the 200 plus boat departure. This is a huge event in the sailing world and was much diminished last year because of the pandemic. The entry fee has been paid and we are now offering OPO members the opportunity to reserve one of 6 berths for this Trans-at in the ARC. The cost is $6000 per person for up to a week before arrival. This includes everything including the Rally fees, up to a month on the boat for the rally and some time in St. Lucia at the other end and all onboard food and boat expenses.
NARC – In Europe the NARC is known as “Not the ARC”, or NARC for short. I purposely picked the name for my rally to tweak the Brits who own and run the ARC Rally since we are rivals. If you do not believe me watch Andrew Bishop rolls his eyes when you meet him and say “Hank Schmitt says Hi” and that you are an OPO memberJ.
They run a good event and the ARC is worth doing once, but many other boats make the crossing without the ARC. We have two Swans departing the same dates November 21st from Tenerife. A sister Swan 68 is sailing to St. Maarten and a Swan 56 is sailing to Antigua. Both boats have history with OPO. The owner of the Swan 68 used to own the Swan 56 “Why Knot” that we had in our program 5 years ago when she sailed to America. “Why Knot” even spent the summer in Huntington NY. Two and a half years ago Cathy and I visited the owner in Italy. He is a very nice man. This last year he bought the Swan 68 “Defiance” and he is sailing her back to the Caribbean Nov 2021 and to the US East Coast in the spring of 2022. The boat will be sailing Trans-at and then north and south with us for the next two years.
The other boat, the Swan 56 named “Libertad” is also departing Tenerife the same date November 21st from the same marina as the Swan 68 but sailing for Antigua. Andreas, the skipper, and owner bought the boat from the Swan Broker in Newport RI three years ago. He got two OPO crew to sail with him from Newport back to Norway and it went very well. Like most Scandinavians his English is very good and he is looking to transition from life during coved ashore to sail to the Canary Islands and then to Antigua in our Swan Program He also plans to sail north with us next Spring so we will have a big fleet of 5 or 6 boats like we used to have back in the days.
The price for both the Swan 68 and Swan 56 is a very reasonable $4995 which includes all except travel to and from the boat and meals and entertainment ashore. All boat expenses and provisioning for the passage are included. If you would to sign up for any of the three Swans for the Trans-at next November, please let me know and we can talk about it before you place a deposit to secure a berth. Deposits for the Trans-at are $1000 with the balance due 45 days before departure. The ARC and two Swans will also fill up pretty fast but OPO members have a one month lead time to think about it and let me know before we offer to the non-OPO member public.
Both Aphrodite and Libertad have feeder legs to the Canary Islands.
While we have details for Libertad, Maurizio (the caretaker and co-skipper along with Tania Aebi for the feeder leg) is still at sea so we do not have firm dates, but plans will be to move the Swan 68 from the Med to Las Palmas Canary Islands for the start of the ARC so about three weeks sailing with Tania and Maurizio with a stop most likely in Gibraltar and Madeira. We will post the dates as soon as Maurizio makes landfall later this week.
Andreas with the Swan 56 Libertad will depart Henån, Sweden on Oct 16, sailing to Santa Cruz de Tenerife with likely stopovers at Brest, Lisboa before arriving in Tenerife (approx. Nov 6). The cost for this passage from Sweden to Tenerife is a very reasonable $2000 including all except your transportation to and from the boat. Let me know if you are interested in either passage.
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Winter Project
Sail GP
Quality over Quantity
Editorial – Just when we thought covid was getting under control, the rest of the world seems to be getting worse. While the US is doing fine along with the UK and Israel, the rest of the world including Bermuda not so well. I arrived in Bermuda yesterday and we depart tomorrow. (See winter project) Bermuda is in lockdown with an 8 pm to 6 am curfew. While they got us tested and cleared in one day, nothing is open so it really does not matter. Also of little help is being fully vaccinated. (which I am not since I have been out of the USA since Jan 16th, but have an appointment for my first shot next week before I fly back to St. Maarten for our May 8th Swan Passage. Being vaccinated helps little. You still need to get covid tested before you arrive and then upon arrival and in quarantine until you get your negative results. I had to e-mail all the crew about this today so they will be compliant upon arrival.
So the message is, “If you want to sail internationally get vaccinated!”
Winter Project – We test sailed our rebuilt Tartan 3700 with an 835 mile passage from St. Maarten to NY. The boat did great and everything worked very well. With nothing open and nothing to do in Bermuda, we depart in the morning for the 2nd leg to the Tartan dealer in Annapolis MD where she will be hauled and put in the brokerage section of Port Annapolis Marina. I will have one or two days back in NY to get vaccinated and also tested to fly back to St. Maarten next Thursday for departure Saturday May 8th. It is great being offshore not having to work on boats and spend a lot of time with my laptop. While I am away Cathy will be taking care of the office.
GR Series in Bermuda - Since we had a slow passage north and a delay getting St. Maarten paperwork bureaucracy we missed the Grand Prix racing in Bermuda. We arrived Sunday and were in quarantine for the final day of racing. It was very thrilling (we heard) as Japan and USA had a port/starboard collision taking out both boats followed by a spectacular capsize. This was the first race of the new season. Sorry we missed it.
Quality over Quantity – One day I should make a list of the passage opportunities that I DO NOT send out to you. My mission is to save you time wasted chasing bad passage opportunities and to keep you from making poor choices about what boats to sail on. Last month we explained that since covid kept most boats home there are les crew requests going out. While we expect more to be sent out in the next few weeks before the official start of hurricane season, we know there will not be as many as in non-covid years past. While I love being offshore I look forward to marketing our services to the yachting industry and making sure OPO is the option of choice for boat owners and delivery skippers needing crew.
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Dominica Summer Relief Fund
21st Annual NARC Rally – Creating more passage opportunities for members.
Winter Project
Sail GP
Fall Swan Program Preview
Winter OPO Tip of the month – The sailing resume.
Editorial:
Getting the “Jab”
While many Americans are getting their “jabs” as know overseas, don’t expect too much in the form of relaxation for travel from country to country this spring. Expect to have to get a PCR nasal swab test even if you have been fully vaccinated. They are making us work for the privilege to escape offshore for a couple of weeks. All crew signed up for the May or June passage will be sent the latest covid protocols a couple of weeks before your planned passage since they may still change.
Another friend has a book published. – Ben Thompson is the new skipper of the Swan 56 Amerigo that Captain Murray first skippered when new and the owners hired him away from our Swan Program in 2002 after they sailed in our Swan Program. This is not a self-published book. The book is hot of the press as it was just released this week. I have my copy ordered. If you like to dive and sail and want to hear about how a pro skipper got into the business, you can google https://www.amazon.com/Tanked-Up-Divers-Ben-Thompson or try the link below which he sent me.
https://www.amazon.com/Tanked-Up-Divers-Ben-Thompson/dp/1784778117/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=tanked+up&qid=1617215555&sr=8-1
‘From a young age, I was flirting with the sea and its power…' says Ben Thompson.
This is the colourful and moving story of a boy who realised at an early age that the sea was his calling and followed his dream. By the age of twenty-five, Ben Thompson was being paid to dive the world's most exquisite coral reefs. Few people have worked as dive instructors in such varied locations around the world as he has. From exploring the far reaches of South East Asia by local yacht to off-roading through sub-Saharan Africa looking for new dives, Ben sees the world through a diver's mask. Along the way, he dives one of the world's only vertical wrecks (at a top-secret location) just as it ruptures its gas tanks and causes an international incident, is held up at gunpoint by a militia group in the Philippines, rescued by pirates in Indonesia, and visits the Caicos with America's largest naked diving group.
His story will fascinate divers, travellers, seafarers, and adventurers of all stripes. It's an exhilarating tale of escaping the humdrum, and also a cheering love story as his ever-patient partner and dive buddy, Vic, accompanies Ben on his escapades around the world.
Dominica – Our summer relief program will commence June 1st and last through January 1st 2022. At least 6 and maybe 8 families will rely on the $150 to $200 US a month for eight months. We will profile a PAYS member in some of our newsletters. We have enough money to get from June until September. In September OPO members can help out one last time to establish this annual social program we are calling “The PAYS Summer Relief Fund”.
How will it work? - This is the first year since 2008 that we have not visited Dominica. The original plan was to finish the project boat in time to allow a sea trial from St. Maarten to Dominica and back. Covid travel restrictions would have made this impossible since they have a 5 day quarantine. Rather than spend money to hire an accountant or lawyer in Portsmouth Dominica to distribute the money or give it to Cobra, PAYS president to distribute is not a great option, I have another plan. Instead I will use what I have been doing since Hurricane Maria hit Dominica to send money to Albert and a couple of the other boat boys. “Moneygram “allows me to send money for a $10 fee. Three boat boys, Albert being one of them, will be wired enough money for himself and two others that they will distribute their monthly allotment to. Breaking it up to three people per MoneyGram keeps the amounts small enough to not be a problem on the receiving end and makes it more honest by being in the open and having three people distribute relief money each month and not one . The $30 per month trans-action fee is cheaper than hiring a local accountant or lawyer. Plus we get to pay the funds monthly so we know when we will run out of money and when to ask for more to get us through to January 1st 2022. By February the busy Dominica Tourist season will be back in full swing and they should have a good winter season to pay back half their “Relief Fund” money, so they can draw from it again next summer.
21st Annual NARC Rally – We did not run the 21st Rally during the pandemic 2020 fall sail south. We did depart with three Swans and crew. We started the rally in 2000 since we have a fleet of eight Swans and decided to invite private boats owners heading south to join us. Sailing in a rally made it more fun for the crew on the Swans but the main reason to organize a rally is because it creates more passage opportunities for OPO members since some of the boats in the rally always need additional crew. Two years we had as many as 30 boats.
Since I have been working in St. Maarten it has allowed me to meet and get to know the marine business owners much better.
Since we were able to get our 20th Annual Rally in before the pandemic I thought it might be time to stop all the extra work of organizing the rally each year. But I told the Marine Trades Association in St. Maarten if they wanted to pull out all the stops and help organize a better reception, I would plan to have the rally post pandemic. So I am happy to announce that we will be doubling down rather than stopping on our NARC Rally in 2021. I know this will help fulfill part of the OPO mission statement which is to “seek, gather and CREATE quality offshore passage opportunities for our members”.
Winter Project – The Tartan 370 rebuild projects seems to be on schedule for departure about April 15th. The boat was splashed last Friday and ran under her own power to the fabrication company FKG who will help finish installing and commissioning some systems. The plan is to sail her to the Tartan dealer in Annapolis MD and then fly back to St. Maarten for the Swan Annual departure May 8th.
Sail GP – The first in a series of Grand Pree races over the next few months, the 1st match up of 8 teams will be in Bermuda the weekend of April 24th and 25th. This is the reason why we will be stopping in Bermuda on the passage north and if possible see one or both day of the races. All the big names in sailing from the Americas Cup will be there.
Fall Preview:
In years past I have never planned the next Swan Program Caribbean passage until the reciprocal passage north or south was already completed. But there is so much pent up demand to sail a long passages in the foreseeable future that we wanted to give OPO members a preview of our schedule for next November and ask if you want to be put at the top of the list for notification once we do finalize plans this summer. You DO NOT have to place a deposit at this time. This will just be a list we start now to help give OPO members more time to think about it and plan as well as give them the opportunity to get aboard before we invite non-members to sign up.
Fall Passage South from Newport to St. Maarten:
The dates are to arrive in Newport RI for 2021 is Thursday Oct 28th. Plan to arrive before dinner so you can start bonding with your skipper and crew. If need be you can arrive on Friday, but we like to have crew arrive and move aboard the boats 2 days before the planned departure Saturday Oct 30th.
We build in extra time for the fall passage south just in case there is a weather delay. Over the past 21 years we have left on time about 1/3 of the time, had a one or two day delay half the time and twice had delays of 3 to 5 days. If we have a long delay we spend less time in Bermuda. If we depart as scheduled we usually have four full days and five nights in Bermuda, a long delay may result in 2 days and one night in Bermuda.
We plan to depart Bermuda Monday Nov 8th. It is 850 miles and about 5 to 6 day sail so we arrive in St. Maarten by Sunday the 14th. I advise crew to book flights for Tuesday the 16th or Wednesday the 17th. If we arrive early you have the option to move your flight up and leave early or enjoy a couple of days in the Caribbean before flying home. If need be you could fly home as early as Sunday, but we don’t like to have people worrying about missing flights and ruining the offshore experience.
The cost for the passage is $4250 including everything except your flights to and from the boat and any meals and drinks ashore outside of the rally socials. You move aboard the boat on Thursday Oct 28th and can stay aboard until Wednesday Nov 17th so there are no hotel or rental car expenses. All onboard food, dockage, fuel, crew wages, head tax and customs fees, and Rally socials (usually one meal or party in Newport, Bermuda and St. Maarten) are also included.
I do not start taking deposits until we complete the passage north. But you can let me know now if you want to pre-sign up now without any deposit. Once the spring migration is complete and we have a better idea of how many open berths we will have sailing south from Newport next fall I will ask for a deposit. Now is just the time to get on our list so we can contact you this summer when we know how many open berths we will have..
Anyone interested in a Trans-Atlantic on a Swan 56 or Swan 68?
If yes, ask to be on list number # 2 for Europe to the Caribbean next November.
We may have two boats sailing from Tenerife to the Caribbean around Nov 20th 2021? I know one of the owners very well and the other has gotten crew from us before and has been in touch with me for the past year. If the Swan 68 Aphrodite is allowed to sail to Europe in June (She has been fully booked and waiting since last year) then she will also have openings for the ARC next November about the same time as these two non-ARC Swans will be crossing. Anyone want to sail in the ARC from Las Palmas Canary Islands to St. Lucia next year? No deposits now. But let me know if you want one of the much sought after ARC crossing berths on a big Swan with Captain Murray Jacob. But first Europe has to open borders by July so she can sail to Europe this June.
Winter tip of the month.
Your Sailing Resume
When I first started in 1993 there was no internet or e-mail. OPO members filed al paper survey which they mailed back to us. In 1996 we started out first web site and the idea then was to increase “clicks” or eyeballs to your site. So we had people fill out an online survey so they could tell boat owners in need of crew to go to the OPO web site and look at their online profile.
Now we ask crew to have a sailing resume ready to click and paste to a boat owner or delivery skipper to make it easy and efficient for an owner to learn about you and decide to invite you to go sailing with them for free.
A sailing resume looks like a work resume with the emphasis on passages made and sea-time and miles logged. Also any courses taken, boats owned etc. Don’t forget to include any mechanical or cooking skills, languages spoken or medical training. Also where you went to school, did for a living or other hobbies and sports you have. You never know what reasons a boat owner will choose you to join them. It could be as simple as you went to the same college, lived in the same city at one point, are a scuba diver or have a hobby like bone-fishing or bowling in common.
While anything may help, the biggest things they look for is compatibility and that you are a team player and know how to work under the direction of a captain and fit in with other people in tight quarters.
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Mega Yacht crashes into St. Maarten Yacht Club twice!
Pandemic Winter Project
Scuttlebutt Promotion
America’s Cup – Covid may delay the finals which were to begin this weekend (Friday night in the US).
Editorial – Winter has added more angst to latest chapter of a very bad 12 month period. This month marks the end of a full year since lockdown has eliminated travel for weeks and then severely restricted the travel industry which of course OPO is a part of.
With many OPO members reporting getting their first shots, and vaccinations on the rise we should be back to a near normal operations by the 2nd or 3rd quarter this year. One bright spot has been our Swan Program as we have shown that proper planning and good logistics can still allow us to get away for a deserved break from land.
During the pandemic boat sales were up. More boat sales should equal more need to move boats. Many boat owners cancelled plans to sail south last fall. That should mean record numbers planning to go this year.
We are expecting a banner year as the human race beats the pandemic and good times as we move forward.
Mega Yacht crashes into St. Maarten Yacht Club twice! – Normally I do not pass on things like this, but since I am in St. Maarten, and this just happened this week, I could not resist. Today (March 1st) would have been the day our Heineken crew would have arrived for the regatta starting this week. It would have been a disaster for the Regatta and the club if they had to host the regatta without their dinghy dock. https://www.superyachtfan.com/yacht/go/
Pandemic Winter Project – What do you plan for a winter of lockdown in the cold north? Never one to stay home during the winter and despite the foresight of cancelling our usual winter Caribbean Schedule, last fall a plan came into place. As mentioned in our December newsletter “Why stay up north in lockdown if you can work remotely?” Cathy and I along with some OPO members moved south for the winter taking advantage of the extremely cheap rents for accommodations in the Caribbean.
But we are not sitting idly at the beach. My personal winter project has been resurrecting a hurricane damaged Tartan 3700 in St. Maarten. Not only is it keeping me busy 6 days a week, it feels good to bring a quality boat back to life. The plan is to finish her in the next few weeks and sail her back to the Tartan dealer in the Annapolis this spring to sell. Plus it helps keep me in shape as I have lost 20 pounds and counting this winter.
Not everything is cancelled – While we have watched many regattas and events cancelled over the course of the pandemic one bright spot has been offshore sailing. If crew are tested (twice, days apart) before departure for a long passage, offshore sailing is safe. What better way to social distance from the world by making a long offshore sail. While the crew network services of Offshore Passage Opportunities has suffered with many boat owners deciding not to sail south to the Caribbean and curtail inviting crew to join them, the Offshore Swan Program has been the exception. Last July one full crew sailed from Newport to Bermuda and back along with two other Swans and in the “Spirit of Bermuda” Rally thrown together by the Tallship Foundation of the same name after the Newport Bermuda and the Annapolis to Bermuda Race were cancelled. In October three Swans with 17 paid crew successfully sailed from Newport to St. Maarten with a stop in Bermuda. In May and June 2021 we have 43 deposited crew sailing from St. Maarten back to Newport after stopping in Bermuda again, followed by four sets of crew making a one way, one-week sail to Bermuda or back the end of May and again in June and a Swan 68 going Transat from Newport to somewhere in Europe (TBD) in June. We have a short wait list just in case any crew drop out.
So while things still seem to be getting worse in the near term as more borders and islands close their doors, testing before departure and upon arrival with days at sea counting as quarantine, offshore sailing is not only still possible, but proven safe.
Swan Program Capacity – While there many OPO members and sailors wishing to have a quality offshore sailing experience we know that we need more Swan Program Opportunities to satisfy the demand. When I took over the program in 2000 we had as many as 10 Swan to move north and south for a Swan Charter Company. They went out of business years ago but we kept the program going with anywhere from 3 to 6 boats north and south between Newport and St. Maarten. Always looking ahead and looking for more capacity and options for our members, we have a bright future as it looks like we may have a 2nd Swan 68 to add to from Europe to the Caribbean next November (and north to Newport in May 2022), but also a Swan 56 the following year. As OPO members you will hear first about the itineraries and have the first opportunity to sign up.
Free Passage Opportunities – But we want to get back to offering many more quality free passage opportunities as well. As mentioned we expect a banner year as travel becomes safe again. To help get the word out to the marine industry and boat owners we are promoting our service to a new ad campaign in the Scuttlebutt industry daily e-newsletter. The plan is to run the following ad with links targeted to different segments of the sailing industry. Here is the ad with links already on the web site. Please feel free to cut and paste and send to anyone you know in the industry or a boat owner looking for crew. If you have never heard of this e-newsletter publication take a look and sign up. https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com
Offshore Passage Opportunities (OPO)
Free Crew – Free Service – SAVE MONEY - Find new clients
# 1 Crew Networking Service since 1993.
Depending on whether you are an industry professional or amateur sailor, we can help. For the Marine Trade, delivery skippers and boat owner, our service is FREE. If you want to crew, all the passage opportunities are FREE after you join, except for our Swan Program.
If you are a Yacht Broker and have a client that needs to move a new purchase or is in need of a delivery crew. http://www.sailopo.com/yachtbroker
If you are a Charter Operator and need boats moved between charter bases. http://www.sailopo.com/charteroperator. Plus a great suggestion to sell more boats and charter weeks.
If you are a boat owner or Delivery Skipper and need crew http://www.sailopo.com/freecrew
If you are a sailor who wants to improve your sailing skills, expand your horizons http://www.sailopo.com/sailforfree
America’s Cup – Many people have strong opinions about the America’s Cup. During the last few pandemic weeks I have gone from watching the blood sport unfold first in Washington DC (which is hopefully over and behind us) to New Zealand. If you have not been paying attention the final series between defender New Zealand and the Italian entry starts this week. The 10:00 pm live start time (EST) does not help many fans, but I have not missed a race. While it was disappointing to See American Magic exit early on it has been fun rooting for the underdog Italian Team for two reasons.
And as a further up to the minute update, the host city of Auckland is in stage 3 lockdown because of three cases in ne family last week so as of this minute we are still not sure if the finals will start on time this weekend. (With the time difference to watch live it is Friday and Saturday evening about 10:00 pm and not Saturday Sunday weekend.) Imagine what would happen in the US if our leaders tied to shut down for three positive cases.
My interest in the Americas Cup started in the early 1970’s when I attended high school in Portsmouth RI and was living there for two Cup Cycles. While classes keep me off the water each September I did manage to get out on the water for a race in 1977. Before live onboard coverage and the slow pace of the twelve meters class, it was pretty boring to watch. But in following years I have organized two rallies to the AC. In 1999 I organized the “Millennial Rally” bringing 11 boats to the first NZ defense in 2000. For the Americas Cup in Bermuda in 2017 I organized “The Rally to the Cup” with 30 boats sailing from East Coast ports to meet in Bermuda. And yes, we had OPO members aboard some of the boats in each rally.
Our Italian Connection and reason to root for them – Our Swan Program Swan 65 is owned by an Italian doctor living in Brooklyn NY. The Swan 68 Aphrodite has an Italian 1st mate taking care of the boat six months of the year and is going to Europe this June. The 2nd Swan 68 being added for some ocean passages next year is owned by another Italian who my wife and I visited and stayed with in August 2018 after hosting his previous Swan 56 “Why Knot” in Huntington NY two years before. Thinking ahead while I will most likely not endeavor to organize another Rally to an America’s Cup I do envision an AC win by the Italians will give good reason to sail to Europe and back. Go Luna Rosa! (The name of the Italian entry.)
The finals begin this week!
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Heineken Regatta (cancelled)
Dominica
OPO Nuts and Bolts – How to best use our OPO Crew network service.
Editorial – a winter issue is a good time to review how OPO works. A recap for long-time members and further explanation for new members how OPO works and how you might help yourself sign aboard a boat.
The pandemic continues to restrain movement of boats between islands and countries keeping the number of offshore passage opportunities low. One Rally group who sailed to Antigua last November are in trouble because there 90 day visas are about to expire and they cannot sail anywhere else because of Covid. Imagine sailing all the way down to the Caribbean and staying put in one island the entire season? Who needs crew if you cannot move about?
While we can see the light at the end of the tunnel things will slowly start to get better and we hope to have a near normal sailing season by this summer or next fall. Our Swan Program is one bright spot as we are full. With month of notice and pre-planning, sailors will still jump through a few hoops to get away for a long offshore passage. Most people do not want to take unnecessary chances while we are so close to getting our vaccines. An offshore passage with vaccinated crew or twice tested crew before venturing offshore has proved safe.
Two events we would normally support are the Heineken Regatta and “Yachtie Appreciation Week” (YAW) in Dominica which we started and named 6 years ago with the donation of a 30 buoy mooring field in Portsmouth Dominica.
Heineken Regatta – There is a country song titled “Sometimes you need to know when to hold‘em and know when to fold’em.” Our pandemic times have played havoc with many sports schedules. While the America’s Cup is going on in the covid-free island nation of New Zealand, the Tokyo Olympics in Japan are still a possibility minus fans; two weeks ago the Caribbean RORC 600 was cancelled. Last year the Heineken Regatta was the first and last big regatta of the season. The regatta ended March 8th and the USA shut down March 13th. While the organizers of the regatta still insisted the 2021 regatta would go on as of their Press Release Monday January 25th, the St. Maarten Government overruled them and canceled the regatta two days later. I truly felt that it would not be worth the effort. How do you have a regatta with a small number of boats ranging from 24 to 80 feet with a mix of pro-boats, non-spinnaker charter boats, catamarans and mostly local island boats? Heineken wanted little part of being a super-spreader event. Add this to the added stress of having to travel to and from the island and spend $125 to get tested to go home you know that this is a year to not even try. Since I never got a very good response from members to sign up even at the discounted rate I never took a deposit for the regatta.
We have been a sponsor of the Island Time Cruising Division for the past 5 years as it helped publicize our OPO crew services to the cruising public. I am glad I did not pay to be a sponsor this year as I am sure there are no refunds.
Dominica – In the USA and Europe governments have had to step in to help keep businesses afloat and put money in people pockets to survive through the pandemic. Our adopted island of Dominica and the families of PAYS members (Portsmouth Association of Yacht Services) has no safety net. Dominica got their independence in 1978 and was hit by major Hurricane David in 1979. Back then the USA stepped in to help.
This winter’s short tourist season is the 2nd “lost season” in a row for an island that even in the best of times sees few visitors. There is not one marina or slip on the entire island. They have no sandy beaches. On the plus side 75% of the island is still totally undeveloped and nature rules even after the devastating hurricane two years ago that took off 95% of the rooves in Portsmouth. With only one good season between Hurricane Maria and Covid, two devastating years in a row leave our friends in a desperate situation to make it through to 2021/2022 season.
During Covid while many people and business have been suffering, others have been turning lemons into lemonade with new ideas and opportunity to start something that will have a lasting effect. Here is our chance.
OPO, with members help, is forming a “PAYS Summer Relief Fund” to not only get them through this summer until boats return next year, but to create a fund to dole out a small check per month during the offseason. To date we have raised over $5000 (the list of donors is below) which we will grow and add to in order to help the families of PAYS not only this season, but will become a sustainable “Summer Relief Fund” each summer. PAYS members will pay back the fund from yachties visiting next year and from money they generate with the donated mooring field and weekly BBQ’s they organize in season.
Donations to date:
OPO - $1001 / David B-$51 / Marc S - $101 / Susan R - $101 / Richard H - $201 / Randy B - $1001 / John K - $101 / Chuck M - $101 / Vitaly S - $251 / Nelson P - $101 / Peter B - $1001 / Jeff S - $501 / Jim C - $101 / Tania A - $201 / Jan B - $1001 / Theo W - $501 Rory V - $101 / Total $5417
If you would like to be a part of this life saving effort to directly help a small community of fellow seaman (The PAYS members are licensed “boat boys”) please go to our web site https://www.sailopo.com/store.aspx and donate at the web store. 100% of your donation will go to the PAYS Summer Relief Fund. The plan is for me to sail down there in April to set up the fund with local supervision accountable to me. PAYS has new leadership and they are cleaning house to make sure only deserving and full active PAYS members in need receive the monthly checks. I am aiming to pay out $150 US a month starting in May and lasting through next January 1st. The money will be paid back during the busy season next year partially offset by revenue they generate from Sunday BBQ’s they host for visiting yachties during the busy season.
If you are ok financially and/or have been helped by anyone, government entity or a kind sole, and wish to pass on a little charity we have identified this deserving way to help... Many people want to help, but need direction. Here is your chance! By keeping PAYS whole, combined with our past efforts of creating and maintaining a mooring field, we help the entire town of Portsmouth by bringing needed tourist dollars each winter season. In the PAYS office there is a wooden plaque with 45 brass nameplates with the names and US State of the major OPO donors ($375 or more) who donated a mooring 4 years ago. We keep good track of all your donated money and will keep you posted on this all year long. One day you will be able to visit Portsmouth Dominica and tell them you were part of the OPO effort and see how your dollars and the mooring field have made a huge difference. There are few, if any, philanthropic opportunities where 100% of the money goes to those in need. We will see not only a big difference but this is the start of a sustainable fund to help them each summer for years to come.
Click here to help. https://www.sailopo.com/store.aspx You will notice all donations end in $1 so it is very easy for me to see what money goes to the PAYS fund and what money is for OPO dues and passages. Please try to follow this simple trick to help me keep track.
OPO – Helpful information
Many OPO members have been with us for years and know the ropes. You can ignore the rest of the newsletter. But new members and those who would like a refresher on how OPO works can read on.
AS you know OPO is not only the premier crew network service but it is also the most user friendly. We do not make members go to our web site every day so they do not miss an opportunity. We stress quality over quantity so you do not have to sift through a lot of bad passage opportunities to find the gems. We pre-qualify the majority of “crew requests” we send to you. The one exception to the free passages is our Swan Program where we offer an excellent affordable option for those who wish to sail offshore on a Swan. This is a great way to kick-start and move forward your offshore sailing goals, gain confidence and experience and add to your resume to help sign aboard the free passages we offer.
Once you become a member, all you have to do is create a sailing resume and have it ready to cut and paste when you reply to a “crew request” we send to you. We know many people are busy and can’t take advantage of many of the postings but keep the dream alive for when they have more time and look for more meaning and options in life. Whether you plan to buy a boat or wish to meet others who have boats, OPO is the best way to meet new people who know how to sail and to increase your sailing skills and build confidence. If you want to become a better tennis player or skier, you play tennis and ski with people better than you. Same happens with sailing. If you never sail with other people and only sail your own boat, you will take a long longer to learn more. OPO proverb “It is easier to make new friends who already know how to sail that is to teach your friends.”
The Perfect Crew
To get a perspective from the owner’s side of the equation I will describe a perfect crew.
OPO member Mark from NJ joined OPO years ago when he wanted to make the transition from coastal sailor to offshore. Mark is a very good offshore cook, is mechanically inclined, and loves to drive the boat rather than watch the auto-pilot. He often does more than his fair share of steering. He is also a small plane pilot and is a pleasant person who has stories and can talk to whittle away watches. He did many passages with OPO over the years and bought his own boat four years ago and now contacts OPO for crew when his friends and family can’t join him.
This is how we present out service (you) to boats owner and skippers who are looking for crew:
Delivery skippers and boat owners – As they (should) know, our service is free to delivery skippers and boat owners. They contact us and let me know what they are looking to do. If it sounds like a good opportunity I collect the information, write up a crew request and send it to all our active OPO members at the same time.
In rare occasions when there is not a lot of notice before departure because of the reason why they need crew (last minute emergency at home etc) we may not have time to do as much pre-screening as we like and will let you know in the body of the crew request. But mostly we do a good job.
I always instruct the owner or delivery skipper to make sure they respond to any OPO members who contacts them, even if it is only to let you know they have chosen crew and do not need you. That way you know you can go on to the next potential crew opportunity. It is common courtesy. Since they are not members and pay no fee to me I can’t 100% enforce this, but it is good that you know we try. As an OPO member you can respond to more than one passage opportunity at a time. Some owners take a long time to decide and they lose out. Others will take the first crew who contacts them because they are confident of their own skills and just want a body or two to keep them company and wake them when something seems amiss.
Conversely we do not want OPO members agreeing to make a passage with someone and then cancel on them without a great reason and making every effort to find replacement crew by letting us know right away so we can send out another crew request as soon as possible. Just as you rely on the skipper or owner to have the boat ready for offshore, a big part of this is having the right crew in place. If one person drops out last minuet it puts the rest of the crew in a bind and possibly bad situation being short-handed at last minute. This will reflect badly on you and OPO and the owner and skipper will not use us again and worse tell others that OPO does not work.
The cardinal sin that may get you in trouble is:
OPO works on the honor system. Please do not pass on any OPO Passage Crew request to non-members. You can tell others about the service and tell them they can see the crew posting on our OPO web site message board for free since they lack the contact information. But if you send them crew request and they get aboard then we consider it theft of service. If a non-member takes a crew position away from a member, it hurts that member who has paid a fee and your friend has not. We have been successful in the past finding the odd non-member that gets aboard. If it ever gets to the point this becomes a problem we would have to add complexity and delay to our system. So far members have been great.
The other minor sin is contacting a boat owner and saying you want to get paid. If the owner is offering a stipend for travel or other inducement because it is short notice we will let you know in the body of the “crew request”. If you think you should get paid then you have outgrown OPO and can start looking for a job on your own. We do help people gain the experience and the skills to work towards getting a captain’s license or get into the business. After all the more skipper we know the more crew passage opportunities we will have, but boat owners and delivery skippers do not want OPO members asking for money or travel expenses unless we tell you they are willing to pay. We service a small niche in the industry and do not want to get into the mixing pro crew and amateur sailors like you.
OPO Code of Conduct
The purpose of the Honor Code is to establish some ground rules and state flat out what is expected from a good crew. Even one bad crew experience can hurt the program for everyone since the offshore sailing community is a small group and a bad experience with one of our OPO crewmembers may get around quickly
1) Owners love their boats. Plan to treat the boat both above and below decks like you were in your boss’s living room. No feet up on the couch, no crumbs spilled anywhere and quite often leave your shoes in the basket on the dock.
2) Wait for permission to first board a boat, just like you ask before you enter someone home by knocking..
3) Always be courteous of others and follow the skipper’s orders. Anytime you get several new people together and especially on a boat at sea, it is good to be on ones best behavior and courteous of others just like the first day of school.
4) Always make sure you are safe and tethered in when the situation warrants. You put others at risk if they need to turn back for you. We like to say “If you fall overboard you are dead, because we will come back and get you and then kill you for falling overboard”.
5) No sleeping on watch. Take a 360 view every 10 minutes
6) Keep noise to a minimum on night watches and when anyone is sleeping below. Do not drag your tether hook around the cockpit.
7) Be respectively of others privacy and space
8) Keep all common area clean. (Cockpit and main saloon)
9) Be very mindful of scratching the teak interior or cabin sole. When at sea be always cognizant of the movements of the boat and do not expect objects and food items to stay in place.
10) Offering to cook or clean up after a meal will endear you to the crew forever. But likewise if the cook wants to keep you out of the galley, stay out.
11) Never open the fridge or freezer hatch for long and always check with the head galley person before opening new caches of food or ingredients that might be necessary for a particular recipe or meal.
12) Make sure to tighten or close all lids, drawer stops, and latches. We do not want swinging doors are lockers to break. If you do not close the lid on the “Joy” soap bottle and it runs empty, there is no convenience store around the corner.
13) Keep toilet lids down and sit when in doubt.
14) Conserve power, turn off fans and lights, especially the nav light is the morning
15) If you smoke know the rules. Better yet quit before you leave the dock.
16) Know the drinking policy at sea and respect the rules of a dry boat. Most boats, like OPO, has a no drinking policy at sea, but many European boats have no problem serving a sundowner once a day.
17) Behave in port. No stumbling on board and damaging the boat or yourself.
18) Beware of shipboard romance.
19) Buy dinner at the end of the trip. (optional, the owner should be being the crew dinner).
20) Do not leave anything behind so someone has to mail you your forgotten item(s).
Explanation of the obscure OPO Gold Card Membership
The Gold card membership is something we started years ago after I became the President of the American Swan Association. It has morphed into one way we can distinguish crew excellence and give Gold card members a response to boat owners who ask. “What do you mean when you say you are a Gold Card OPO member?” on your resume or in conversation.
Since 1998 I have sailed the passage from Newport to St. Martin annually aboard a Swan. Since 2000 I have been making the round trip running our OPO Offshore Swan Program sailing the Swan Charter Fleet between Newport and St. Martin. In 2004 we bought our flagship Swan 48 Avocation that we have campaigned in the Winter Caribbean Racing circuit ever since, now just the Heineken regatta.
We have also participated in the last two Swan American Regattas in Newport, seven BVI Swan Rendezvous and two Swan Worlds in Sardinia Italy. All this has put us in the unique position of having a good relationship with both the American Swan Owner’s Group and the American Swan representatives and brokers here in the USA. In fact I got so involved with the American Swan Association that I was the President for two years. That post gave me all the Swan owners’ e-mails. For two years I wrote a “Swan Tales” Newsletter to them. This relationship allowed us to offer our OPO crew networking service to Swan owners, first in the US, and hopefully later all over the world. The answer to how we could help ensure we only sent good crew both skill-wise and personality-wise was the birth of the OPO Gold Card Membership. However we needed to be careful implementing the new OPO membership to make sure we only sent qualified, courteous, neat and reliable crew to Swan owners and their skippers. We felt that if we sent even one bad crew to the Swan Group that word would spread through the clicky Swan Owners Group and ruin our hard fought OPO reputation and we would not get any more free Swan passage opportunities to pass on to members..
It turned out that this never became an issue. One, there were not a lot of Swan passage opportunities that we had to worry about and Two, we never did send any OPO crew posting to only Gold Card Members. Every member always got the same opportunities.
But it did allow us to reward OPO members who we had met and done a long passage with to invite to become a God Card Member if we felt they were a good candidate. The answer to the above question about what Gold Card Membership means is.
“Gold Card Membership means that I have offshore miles and the right amount of deprecations and humility to endure even the most finicky and tyrannical Swan owner.”
Just joking-sort of.
The idea is that you know what you are doing on a big boat and will leave no doubt in the skipper mind that OPO is a good outfit that they will use in the future and tell their friends about. Gold Card membership means that we have met you and we would be happy to sail with you again anytime. We know you will treat the boat well and know how to appease a difficult owner or another crew without them even knowing you are kowtowing to them.
That said it is not something we want OPO members to feel bad about if they are not a Gold Card member yet. It may simply mean we have not met you. We also don’t want to insult anyone’s sailing skills. Even I learn more when I go sailing. We do not make a big distinction in any of our newsletters and is not something you need to have. It does not get mentioned to the boat owners. It simply allows you to say somewhere in the body of your resume that you are an OPO Gold Card member. When they ask hat that means, you explain that you have been a member for a while and have sailed with Hank or one of his Tier One skippers and they confirm you have offshore miles, are very helpful, and are pleasant to sail with. So a small distinction that can reward the time and effort that you put into your sailing plans and OPO membership.
When dues are due in September you may see the OPO Gold card click which costs an extra $25 per year. Please DO NOT pay extra unless you know you are a Gold Card member. To date, there is no formal way to Gold Card membership. If you do a long passage with me or any skipper you are welcome to bring up the subject or ask the owner to give you a good recommendation to me at the end of the passage and we can slowly build the Gold Card Membership base to help you in the future. There is a small added value to being able to sail aboard Swans or similar big boats of all sizes and to get the chance to make connections with full time skippers and owners that may lead to an invitation for another passage or to crew in a regatta or even a job.
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Heineken Regatta
Swan Program
Dominica
Editorial – I normally shy away from end of the year reflections or predictions for the next. Covid was and is the storyline that dictates everything we do. OPO is not immune to delays beyond our circumstances. For OPO to return to full operations the number one requirement is getting people comfortable traveling and international borders open. That’s means a vaccine for all who want it.
Last June 3rd we lost Patrick Childress to Covid in South Africa. December morning we lost another OPO skipper and good friend Rick Butler. Not to Covid, but to stomach cancer. Rick was the 2nd OPO member to make the transition from member to full Swan delivery skipper. Back in 2003 when Rick knew he would be retiring soon from the Mars Candy Company in Ontario Canada, he joined OPO (# 1161) and planned his next 20 years. I always told him he worked harder after he retired. Rick started Grass Roots Sailing School which expanded to include charters in the Caribbean, Greece and Croatia. Rick borrowed our OPO booth for the Toronto Boat Show. We would meet by car half way in upstate NY to exchange the booth. I did the first weekend with him in 2008. I think Rick was responsible for about half of our Canadian OPO members. While he was in remission, it was great seeing Rick last winter in St. Maarten for the Heineken Regatta just before Covid shut things down. His boat won 2nd prize for the “Most Serious Fun” party boat as they all wore Pirates garb. When cancer returned late this summer Rick elected not to do another round of Chemo. We will miss him.
One big benefit of delayed plans gives us more time to work on our philanthropic effort in Dominica. December was a bad month to be asking people for money. The new timeline gives us more time. Read more on how you can make a huge difference. More than 100% of your donated money goes to PAYS since I even pay the 2.38% credit card fee if you pay by credit card. That is why we prefer check. To date we have raised almost $4000. https://www.sailopo.com/store.aspx
Heineken Regatta – Anyone wanting to join us for the regatta this year is welcome to join us. The dates are from Monday March 1st to Monday March 8th. We race in the Island Time Cruising Division which is four days of racing and a day of practice. The regatta will be very different this year with a lot less sponsorship and no big parties planned. We have also greatly reduced the prices for past years and it will be a much smaller event, but we will have a great time and get to know each other well.
I do have a 3 bedroom/3 bath condo with semi-private pool on the beach a 15 minute walk to the boat (or 3 minute drive). Some crew can also stay aboard the boat. Staying on the boat for the week is included in the $1000 fee. Staying ashore is $500 more per room/couple. If interested please let me know and we will make plans.
Swan Program – Our Swan Program is full through the summer. There is no reason to sign up yet for the fall 2021 Passage from Newport to St. Maarten since it so far off and I see no reason to hold on to your money for so long. As active OPO members you will be given the first opportunity to sign up when we start taking deposits this summer.
Dominica – In the December “Notice to OPO Mariners” newsletter we explained how we are encouraged by new leadership at PAYS in Dominica. While our donated mooring field is still in place we have not helped with maintenance since we were not given direction nor happy with the way money collected was being distributed equally. With Andrew O’Brien, aka Cobra, newly elected President of PAYS, we are helping once again, initially by helping them get through the Covid-induced drought season before we worry about donating materials for the mooring field next season. Here is Cobra’s response for our newsletter:
Hi Hank,
I have read the newsletter and I feel touched by the fact that goes with it.
You are a straight shooter and I am happy to have such information from you.
You all have helped PAYS mightily and are continuing in this endeavor. I can promise as president I will do what it take to make sure that transparency and the proper operation of what is the forward action development for PAYS and you and your team efforts to help us.
We will be proud to show progress in the future... because of your help and support from all your members.
We will stay focus despite the very rough times. Many thanks and
Best regards.
Cobra
Cobra also know that PAYS members will have to sign something like the sample below. The money will not be distributed until near the end of this winter’s season since they should be able to hang on with the few boast that visit until then The real problem will be when they realize that they have nothing saved to get them through the always dire off-season.
My plan is to sail down to Dominica in early April to set up distribution of the money on a monthly basis to the PAYS members who sign a pledge to pay back into the PAYS Summer Relief Fund next year so it will exist for them for years to come. Since we have been helping and visiting since 2008 you know we will keep on top of this and make sure it works under new leadership.
You will see a couple of more appeals to help out this month. Please do not feel bad if you are not in a position to help now. I know most of you, like me, donate to several places since they need is so great this year. This is one way to help a group of fellow mariners on one of the poorest islands in the Caribbean make it through to 2022 and build a sustainable program to help them until you can visit one day and see what we have been talking about for years. Dominica is a very special island that OPO helps our members discover. One day you will visit and see what we are boasting about.
Please make a donation online or even better send a check before I fly to St. Maarten January 16th. After January 16th only payments online will work this year. All donors will be kept in the loop for the duration of our efforts.
PAYS Members Summer Relief Fund Program (PSRF)
I __________________________________________ want to participate in the PAYS SRF. I understand.
1) Any money borrowed from the fund is a loan from the fund and will be paid back.
2) Year 2021 loans will be free of interested.
3) Year 2021 loans will only have to be pay back half the amount starting next February 1st 2022 and paid in full by May 1st 2022.
4) Even then, half of the loan may be paid back by working to make the Sunday and Wednesday BBQ’s profitable so that a percentage of every BBQ will go towards paying back your half of the loan so build up the PSRF for summer 2022.
By signing this agreement you are part of the PAYS FIRST SUMMER RELIEF PROGRAM as a stakeholder and member in good standing to borrow again as long as you honor this commitment to pay back starting Feb 1st 2022 and ending May 1st 2022.
_____________________________________
(Signature)
Amount being borrowed __________________
Example:
$100 a month from February 1st 2021 to Jan 1st 2022= $1200
In February 1st 2022 you would owe $600, not $1200 back.
If everyone pays back their share by the end of April 2022 then there will be money to lend back for the summer 2022 starting in May if you wish to borrow again. It might be $100 a month for 6 months with 5% interest, but at least you will have your own money to keep the fund going and try to build it up any way you can.
Please note we are not a 501 anything so you cannot deduct donations from your taxes. You help because you believe in the need and you know we have the track record to not only help, but start a long lasting effect with a new boat for Albert, a mooring field and YAW for PAYS and the town of Portsmouth and now with the creation of a “PAYS Relief Fund” that will benefit them for years to come if done right with oversight and your initial donations.
Relief Fund $1001______ $501_____ $251______ $101______ Other___$1___
You can donate online at our web site. https://www.sailopo.com/store.aspx. We will also collect money by check (which saves 2.48%) made out to “Offshore Passage Opportunities”. Please note all donations end in a 1. That is a simple, way for me to keep track of what money is going to the relief fund, and a good way to collect an extra dollar from each of you towards PAYS members.
Mail check to OPO, PO Box 2600, Halesite NY 11743.
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial –
Swan Program - Spring 2021
Heineken Regatta – Huge savings
Trans-at with Murray & ARC 2021 Aboard Swan 68
Dominica – No Yachties/No income
Escape from Covid - Caribbean Option
Editorial – I’d rather be lucky than good. Have both on your side leads to a very pleasant passage south. If you are not making six knots crossing the Gulf Stream in the fall it is best to turn on your engine and get through it. This year‘s Swan Program early departure Oct 26th coincided with a great weather window. We motored through the Gulf Steam and even caught a mahi-mahi for breakfast upon exiting. Usually I don’t even put a line in the water on the 1st leg because it is too cold, too rough and half the crew are seasick. For the 2nd leg from Bermuda to St. Maarten we departed on time on the morning of November 4th. Our election night result party felt more like a father’s waiting room back in the 60’s when you had to wait anxiously for hours to hear how your life would change. It was only the 2nd time in 23 years that I made the 835 miles 2nd leg in less than 5 days. The wind was between 80 and 100 degrees off the beam for the entire reach down I-65. Fast passages are not easy, and going fast is fun, but it gets old day after day when hatches need to be kept closed and you are cooking down below. Bunk fans are life saving!
This month’s issue is very busy with our Swan Program schedule, the Heineken Regatta “special” pricing and our one last big fund raiser for our friends in Dominica. We end with a bonus piece about isolating yourself from Covid in SXM until you can get in line for a vaccine shot. Since we have so much news this month we are therefore holding off our epic announcement until the January 1st Newsletter. It is epic and you will love it because it will benefit all.
Swan Program Spring 202021 - Until now we have not asked for any deposits or booked any passages for the new year. First we wanted to make sure all three boats made it to St. Maarten. We feel safe enough now to go ahead with plans for the return next May from St. Maarten to Newport. Plus the Swan 68 that was booked to sail to Europe last year is planning to go this year in June.
We had 28 crew who still had deposits from last year’s covid cancelled calendar. The first thing I did was ask which one of original list of crew wanted to sign up for which of the 2021passages before I sent them to you. While some of the boats are full we expect to have a few open berths. Please let me know if you are interested in any of the following and I will let you know if it is still open.
1) Sail North in May 8th from SXM to Newport. 2 weeks ($3250)
2) Trans-at Newport to the Med on Swan 68 Aphrodite with Murray skippering. 3 ½ weeks ($5000)
3) Sail from NY to Bermuda May 29th or Back Bermuda to NY June 6th. 8 or 9 days ($2200)
4) ARC Rally Nov 2021. ($5500)
Heineken Regatta – Covid is still causing so much havoc that it is hard to make plans and invite people to get on a plane and fly to the Caribbean this winter. The last thing I did on the way to the airport in SXM two weeks ago was have lunch with Michele who runs the Heineken Regatta (and the SXM Yacht Club) pretty much on her own this year. Heineken and many sponsors want no part of an event that might become a super spreader. Michele did say they would have a regatta this year even if it were mostly local Caribbean based boats and the race- boats that take passengers for hire. Like us! To say the obvious, there will not be as much of the usual theme of “serious Fun”. We are convinced we need to support the regatta so are inviting members to come join us, but at a big discount. The regatta is not until March. You can fly to the island if you get Covid tested 72 hours before arrival, or some people may have gotten the vaccine by then. I just paid $110 on Jet Blue to fly from NY to SXM. If you would like to join us for the regatta this year we are offering the chance to join us for the very low price of $1000 per person (last year it was $1750). The dates are from Monday March 1st to Monday March 8th. We race in the Island Time Cruising Division which is four days of racing and a day of practice just like everyone else except we leave at the 10:30 bridge opening and not the 8:30 bridge so can sleep in. I do have accommodations ashore for up to 8 people in an 8-plex a 15 minute walk to the boat (or 3 minute drive) with 3 main bedrooms for couples and a couple of pullouts. Plus we have 3 cabins on the boat. We hope to have the Tartan 3700 newly launched and ready to race white sail, non-spinnaker division as well. You can stay ashore in one of the bedrooms for an extra $750 per couple or $500 for a pull out. Staying on the boat for the week is included in the $1000 fee. These are very low prices. Of course if things fall apart and we can’t get to the boat because of Covid everyone will get a 100% refund. We only ask for a $500 deposit now and the balance not until two weeks before the regatta. Let me know if you want to get away in the middle of the winter for a week of sailing on the water on a safer and sunnier outdoor climate.
Dominica – Many of our members know about or relief efforts in Portsmouth Dominica starting soon after our first visit to the island in 2008. In fact many members have donated over the years and 40 have their names inscribed on a plaque in the PAYS office for donating an entire mooring for $375. We first help PAYS (Portsmouth Association of Yacht Services) “boat boy” member Albert Lawrence build a new boat, then we donated a mooring field with 50 moorings. After Hurricane Maria we sailed into Portsmouth 6 weeks later with 5 generators, a chainsaw and 2 100 lb. coolers filed with frozen chicken parts.
To help get the word out about the new mooring field 5 years ago we started an event called Yachtie Appreciation Week (YAW). By the third year we had over 100 boats, last year everything was cancelled the week before because of Covid. The entire world shut down and the 16 members of PAYS were deprived of their biggest week of the year and rest of the season. As we all know most of the world is shut down and as predicted we know there will be a lot less people traveling to the Caribbean this year. Many rallies have been cancelled and less than 60 boats are in the ARC Rally this year when there have always been well over 200. Avocation has no plans to leave St. Maarten this season (as of Dec 1st 2020) and there are no dates for the 5th YAW in 2021 and there are no protocols yet in place for visiting Dominica by sea. Dominica is sandwiched in between the two large French Islands, Guadeloupe and Martinique, both closed until further notice.
It is not hard to predict what will happen this season to our friends at PAYS. The exist on what they can make the short winter Caribbean Season. We call our season from when we arrive in mid-November until our early May departure. In reality Portsmouth and PAYS get 80% of their visitors in 31/2 months, February, March and April, with a small trickle still heading south in May to Grenada and Trinidad. With no charter boats visiting from Guadeloupe (only 20 miles away), way less visiting yachts to the Caribbean from the USA and Europe, quarantine issues travelling between island, and No Yachtie Appreciation Week, who will be visiting and using the services of PAYS this year? Hardly anyone is the answer. If they do not have a season this year how will they ever have a chance of making it through the summer season and surviving until the winter of 2021/2022? This is a serious situation and I think we have one more fundraiser in us to help PAYS and the families that the 16 members support.
OPO Members also know that I have not been 100% happy the way proceeds from our donated mooring field and YAW week were distributed to all the members. Three years ago I wanted to start a PAYS Relief Fund to put money away for a “rainy day” and also a Fund to help them get their boats ready each December so they would be ready for the winter season. Sort of like a Teacher’s Credit Union borrowing from themselves’ to pay themselves’ back, with interest, to grow the fund. I started the fund three years ago and although some donated money was repaid; the past” Board” of PAYS did not set aside money from each “BBQ PAYS Party” and put a percentage into a saving account to build the account so they would have a Rainy Day Fund.
Two years later:
I foresee a crisis coming and want to raise a sizable amount of money so we may be able to provide a subsistence monthly check to 12 to 14 of the most active and needy PAYS members. Half the raised money will be a gift to the member, but half will have to be paid back (zero interest) starting February 2022. Even though the world is looking at a vaccine to end the pandemic in the next few months, it will be too late for the PAYS season and they will have a very small income until the 2021/2022 Caribbean sailing season. I feel strongly that they need help to make it until then.
Just before I left for the Caribbean last October I was told they had new elections for PAYS and there is a new President (Andrew O’Brien aka Cobra) who I feel we can work with to get through and then build the Funds back up with repaid money so they can sustain themselves in the future.
OPO member have been very generous in the past. 100% of the collected money has always gone to whichever relief effort we were spearheading at the time. In this case I think we may need to hire a local lawyer/banker to set up an account with the collected money in a lump sum and a plan to distribute through 2021 and collect 50% starting next year 2022. So there may be some small percentage going to administer the fund. Our Fundraiser will last only the month of December and end January 1st. We will then know how much per month each PAYS member may get. Half the money will be a gift, but 50% of the money will be paid back to go into the PAYS “Relief Fund” to build up for when it is needed again. The fund already has some money in it since this is not a new idea and some money given to a few of the PAYS members has in fact been sitting in an account. I know it is less than $1000. I will find out how much is in this account and it will be the start of the tally for the month of December.
I know some members are not well off, but if you feel blessed and lucky to be living in America, with a roof over your head and food in your belly, then I ask you to contribute, not just Giving Tuesday, but anytime this month. In fact we will close the collection January 1st and NOT take any money after that. Like always we will keep good records and report back to members about progress. As always OPO (Cathy & I) starts with a donation, this time $1000, towards a goal of building up a big enough fund to provide subsistence for up to 12 months as many as 16 PAYS members and family.
See below for donations:
Please note we are not a 501 anything so you cannot deduct donations from your taxes. You help because you believe in the need and you know we have the track record to not only help, but start a long lasting effect with a new boat for Albert, a mooring field and YAW for PAYS and the town of Portsmouth and now with the bones of a “PAYS Relief Fund” that will benefit them for years if done right with oversight and your initial donations.
Relief Fund $1001______ $501_____ $251______ $101______ Other___$1___
You will soon be able to pay online at our web site. www.ailopo.com I will let you know when it is set up. We will also collect money by check (which saves 2.48%) made out to “Offshore Passage Opportunities”. Please note all donations end in a 1. That is a simple, way for me to keep track of what money is going to the relief fund, and a good way to collect an extra dollar from each of you towards PAYS members.
Mail check to OPO, PO Box 2600, Halesite NY 11743.
Escape from Covid - Just as there are not many boats at all visiting Dominica, numbers are also way down for SXM and the rest of the Caribbean. While SXM has a lot more going for it than Dominica there are still many houses that are not going rented this year. While I do not want to take advantage of someone else’s misfortune, there are many owners in SXM that are starting to realize that there might not be much of a season this year and therefore there are some good deals to be had for long term rentals.
When we arrived in SXM last Nov 10th, one of my crew said he was going to take a look at renting a place for one month in SXM for he and his wife to return to and get away from the spiking numbers in the US. That got me thinking about our relationship with Mike at Remax/Island Properties on the island. Years ago when we did the BVI Spring Festival and Antigua Sailing Week regatta’s we would charter a big cat to put crew aboard and act as our mothership. Mike was a yacht broker/charter agent from Canada. He was not making enough to live on the island with a wife and 2 kids selling boats so he bought the local Re-Max franchise and also has an “Island Properties Rental”. (and yes Mike can still sell you a boat). On Monday before I left SXM, Mike and Victoria showed me a few properties since I planted the idea in Cathy’s head that since we were not seeing grandchildren and parents at home we could just as easily not see them from sunny and warm St. Maarten. I have therefore rented one house for one month and then another 3 bedroom condo for two months near the boat. I am renting the first house on the hill overlooking Oyster Pond for one month for less than we paid for one week at the Heineken Regatta last year. The 3 bedroom with a full kitchen and new bathroom is less than my monthly mortgage in NY. If you are working remotely and want to be on an island with very few cases, where you eat outside all the time and it is sunny and 80 to 85 degrees every day, then think about contacting Victoria or Mike at Island Properties and tell them Hank sent you.
Victoria (Island Properties Online) info@islandpropertiesonline.com
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Swan Program
Dominica – Elections
USA - Elections
Editorial - This month’s newsletter is short and sweet. All three Swans arrived in Bermuda in the last 48 hours. Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good. We were able to depart on time Oct 26th and had the easiest Gulf Steam crossing since I first started sailing a Swan south every year since 1998. But of course there is no perfect 4 day weather window in the fall and we had 20 to 25 with gust to 30 forward of the beam the last 18 hours, but were able to get in the lee of Bermuda without having to beat into a freshening SW breeze.
We left a little early this year so we could be in Bermuda for election results. Also we wanted to give us the best chance of getting to St. Maarten and home before the Caribbean shuts down again. With numbers going up in Europe and America no telling what this winter will be like for the Caribbean Islands.
Swan Program winter 2020/2021 - With so much uncertainty we have made no plans for this winter. OPO members are used to me not publicizing dates for the winter until I get back from the Caribbean after sailing south each November. I will speak with Michele, who runs the Heineken Regatta when I get to SXM, and we will see if we want to take deposits for this year’s Regatta.
Dominica – Just before I left New York for Newport 10 days ago I got an e-mail from PAYS (Portsmouth Association of Yachts Services) in Dominica. They recently held elections for the PAYS organization. They have elected a new president. We think this is a good thing as they have not had new leadership in over 10 years. The new President, Cobra, is working with the Dominica Gov’t to implement Covid Protocols for this season and to pick a date for Yachtie Appreciation Week (or not) this winter. Like the Heineken Regatta we will let you know if we think plans are in place and there will be a good chance of having OPO members join us this season.
If we do take deposits it will be with eyes wide open and crew need to be prepared for cancellation just in case. No one lost any money this past year. We were happy to offer refunds or book crew from last year crossings for a passage this year. The one problem is that with so many holdovers from last year we may not have much capacity for new people to join us in May and June. I will keep all active members informed when I get back from the Caribbean in a couple of weeks.
Elections – I have been offshore for every election since the hanging chads in 2000, I think the first modern year in a long time we did not know the results by the following day. Months ago, when looking at dates to depart Newport for the Caribbean, I decided to depart early so we could watch the results in Bermuda. I am sure most of us can agree no matter who wins we wish for a peaceful outcome and an end to Covid restrictions with a vaccine or some sort of immunity so we can all look forward to better times. Either way we set sail for SXM on Wednesday (as long as we have a good forecast) and look forward to getting back home to support our country and to try and get along with each other for a better world.
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial –
SSCA OPO Webinar
Winter Plans
Annual Dues
Editorial – Finally the dams have broken open and I have been sending out some good passage opportunities. More to follow. After we update the active member address book, there will be an even smaller pool of able bodies and ready sailors left available to crew. While we know there will be less people sailing south, those that are going are not finding it easy to sign up friends and family who can get away easily. I expect this season will be like most past fall migration seasons and we will run out of qualified OPO members to fill all the passage opportunities. Since most skippers sailing south leave about the same time between the end of October to the mid-November, members can only commit to one trip, so your chances improve with each filled opportunity. I am usually right when I say if you have your sea-bag packed and you are capable then you will find a passage in the next few weeks. While I am at sea Cathy will send out the “crew requests” so some may lack some of the details I can usually fill in.
SSCA OPO Webinar - Our SSCA Zoom webinar about Sailing to the Caribbean during Covid had over 80 sign ups last night (Sept 30th). I have already heard from one boat owner that has decided to head to Bermuda first before heading down to the Caribbean. And yes, he is getting crew from us. The edited version will be ready by early next week. I will send an e-mail to remind you when it is up on our site. I fully expect the video to help create more passage opportunities for our members. One of our core mission statements.
Winter Plans – Because of the uncertainty of Covid numbers we are not planning any firm sailing dates for OPO members to join us this winter. Michele, who runs the Heineken Regatta (and the St. Maarten Yacht Club), says there will be a regatta even if it is only locals.
I also speak with our “Boat Boy” and good friend Albert in Dominica on a regular basis. There are no dates set for Yachtie Appreciation Week and PAYS has not had a meeting lately. Albert is well and understands when I tell him I can send him only half of what I normally do.
This is not to say that we will not attend events if they are planned and it looks safe to participate. If inbound crew are fine having testing before arrival into Caribbean islands and can fly freely, we will offer active OPO members the opportunity to join us this winter. You know we will keep you posted upon our return. I will be at sea for the Nov 1st OPO Newsletter. The next “Notice to OPO Mariners” will be sent from Bermuda just before Election Day.
I hope we will be able to invite you to join us this winter.
Annual Dues* – Only this year, as a reward to OPO members paying annual dues now, we are limiting re-activation for the rest of the OPO calendar year. With less crew re-activating there will be a smaller pool of sailors getting the passage opportunities until next September 2021. Those paying up now will have a better chance of getting aboard the limited number of offshore passage opportunities. In-active members will be able to re-activate membership until next summer. There is no penalty other than missing out on our monthly “Notices to OPO Mariners” and first crack at any of the winter sailing opportunities or Swan Program.
You also miss the Spring’s migration 2021 passage opportunities. While new members can join, non-dues paying members will remain inactive until they are allowed to re-activate next summer.
Please pay annual dues online or by check soon. We have offered a reduced option to help members stay active. In return we reward continued membership by working hard to find and pass on quality and safe offshore passages.
If you are planning on sending a check or staying active please let me know this week. By the end of next week I will find time to update the OPO active e-mail address book for the 2021 season. If you let me know I will not delete you next week. If you stop getting our Newsletters and “crew requests’ soon you will know you did not pay your annual dues.
Annual Dues* – Since we expect less passage opportunities and because we realize some people are trying to save money in these trying times we are offering a Covid-19 3 tier pricing option to continue membership until the end of Sept 2021 for $100. Normal membership dues are $150 for most people and $175 Gold Card membership. The $100 lower tier both acknowledges the challenging times many people face, and the reality of a diminished service because of the pandemic. If you are still working and doing well, please pay your regular membership to support us. In all fairness asking for a reduced $100 dues for 2020/2021 season is the right thing to do. If you are feeling hardship and cannot pay dues, feel free to reach out to us for an extension and we can keep you remain active until you recover your footing. Sail now, Pay later? Those that have already paid, Thank You. Others please pay your dues soon at https://www.sailopo.com/store.aspx
Or even better if you still know where your check book is please make check payable to
“OPO”
And mail to
OPO
PO Box 2600
Halesite NY 11743.
*If you recently joined OPO or paid annual dues you do not owe annual dues now and will be active until the end of Sept 2021.
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Hi All OPO Members,
September 1st Newsletter in the open or as an attachment.
Editorial
Annual Dues
Swan Program Fall Plans
SSCA OPO Webinar
Editorial – I don’t think anyone can predict what the Caribbean Winter sailing season will be like this year. Since I visited Bermuda in July we know the Covid protocols in place for the first leg. St. Maarten is still closed for flights from the US. I am in touch with people in St. Maarten. There is no guarantee that things will change before we arrive. If we need to change plans St. Thomas and Puerto Rico are options. They should offer the most flights in and out. As of today we know the USVI is closed once again because of an increase in cases. They just extended the closure for another week. (Just spoke with a good friend yesterday who lives there.) The BVI is still closed to outsider.
Another source for deliveries and delivery crew are for Boat Shows and regattas. With the Newport, Norwalk and Annapolis boat shows cancelled and a greatly curtailed racing scene the only boats planning to need crew this year will be boats moved for storage, changing owners or the intrepid still planning to sail south. There will be some movement starting soon, but it would be silly to pretend this will be a normal season. It is impossible to social distance on a boat so many people may stay near-coastal and sail short-handed. Those going offshore, as in our Swan Program, should expect to get tested for Covid-19 before departure. We are looking into group testing in Newport before we depart.
When responding to any passage opportunities this year with please add covid related questions to your inquiry. Remember we lost fellow skipper and good friend Patrick Childress in South Africa last June.
We have always offered our Swan Program as serious option for OPO members wishing to gain valuable offshore experience. The passage provides a good chance of seeing some heavy weather sailing experience with some covid required protocols in place. This may be one of the best quality options this season. It is nice to have a set date and plan for sea miles this season. You get to sail on a Swan with a pro skipper leading the team. We expect half the number of normal passage opportunities going out the next few weeks. If you are looking for the safest and best organized sailing experience during Covid, please join Murray Jacob, Johnathan Ismael or myself sailing a big Swan offshore from Newport to the Caribbean this year.
Annual Dues* – Since we expect less passage opportunities and because we realize some people are trying to save money in these trying times we are offering a Covid-19 3 tier pricing option to continue membership until the end of Sept 2021 for $100. Normal membership dues are $150 for most people and $175 Gold Card membership. The $100 lower tier both acknowledges the challenging times many people face, and the reality of a diminished service because of the pandemic. If you are still working and doing well, please pay your regular membership to support us. In all fairness asking for a reduced $100 dues for 2020/2021 season is the right thing to do. If you are feeling hardship and cannot pay dues, feel free to reach out to us for an extension and we can keep you remain active until you recover your footing. Sail now, Pay later? Those that have already paid, Thank You. Others please pay your dues soon at https://www.sailopo.com/store.aspx
Or even better if you still know where your check book is please make check payable to
“OPO”
And mail to
OPO
PO Box 2600
Halesite NY 11743.
*If you recently joined OPO or paid annual dues you do not owe annual dues now and will be active until the end of Sept 2021.
Swan Fall Program Dates – We have been organizing the NARC Rally since the year 2000 when I took over the Swan Program. The rally made it more fun for crew on the Swans so we invited other boast to join. This would be our 6th Presidential Election since we started. Last year in Bermuda we had a party thanking Customs and Immigration for 20 years of service to the rally. This year we are planning an election result late night gam.
For the last few years we have been leaving Newport at the end of October. This year we are moving it up a little earlier so we still have four or five days built in for a weather delay.
This year crew arrive in Newport and move aboard Saturday October 24th for departure Monday October 26th. Even with a one to four day weather delay we will still be in Bermuda by Tuesday night November 3rd. We will not depart Bermuda until Wednesday October 4th. For planning purposes, plan to fly home from St. Maarten Thursday November 12th. This will still give you a couple of days in St. Maarten.
The full 20 days aboard a captained big Swan sailing 1500 miles from Newport to Bermuda and then to St. Maarten is $3500 all-inclusive except travel to and from the boat and meals and drinks ashore. Please note that this is not the best 1st time offshore passage since we start in colder and rougher conditions rather than the spring passage that starts in warm trade wind conditions. Please e-mail me first and then we can speak on the phone before signing up for the Swan NARC Rally Passage so we can make sure you are ready and up for the challenge. 631-423-4988
If you are interested in joining us this fall please contact me before making a $500 deposit online. https://www.sailopo.com/store.aspx
SSCA OPO Webinar – At the end of the month OPO will be hosting a webinar about sailing south this year. There should be no doubt that this year will be a very different year in the Caribbean. No one has the answers. This is the reason why we are not organizing an official Rally. I will let members know when to register for this free webinar. It will include information about how boat owners can contact us to get OPO crew volunteers. Helping coordinate the effort will be Skipper David Lyman of Camden Maine who is our expert photographer and person who put the non-Patrick Childress videos together on our web site.
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Swan Program Fall Plans
NARC Rally Dates
Swan Program Annapolis
Bermuda Rally
Sailing with others this summer
Editorial – This spring migration season did not end until last week when we returned from our annual passage to and from Bermuda. Only four boats signed up for this late conceived replacement Rally/Race “Spirit of Bermuda Fundraiser” organized by the Spirit of Bermuda Foundation, the East End Mini-Yacht Club and the non-profit “Sailing Yacht Research Foundation who is working on a new SYRF Scoring system for racing sailboats starting from different locations.
It was a much different passage this year as we had to jump through hoops to be allowed to go ashore in Bermuda. All crews had to be Covid tested before we left and again upon arrival. After 24 hours we got our results and were allowed to go ashore.
We start planning to fall season once we are done with the spring migration. One month late I now look ahead to the fall passage south. We still have to look through Covid dimmed lenses to see that the abby-normal year will continue. I am reluctant to organize the normal NARC Rally to the Caribbean when many Caribbean islands are still closed. A predicted fall surge will not help making planning any easier. While I do not plan to officially have invite privately owned boats sign up for the rally we will still run our Swan Program with at least three Swans and 15 crew berths to offer. We will stick to our NARC Rally dates and allow some private boats to join us, I will not be seeking to grow the event and have to deal with ever changing plans that thwart our best intentions.
New NARC Rally Dates – We have been organizing the NARC Rally since the year 2000. We are almost always offshore for US elections results since Election Day is the 1st Tuesday in November. We always leave Newport before then. This year we are leaving a little early so we can watch election results in Bermuda. So the dates this year are:
Crew Arrive in Newport and move aboard Saturday October 24th for departure Monday October 26th. Even with a one to four day weather delay we will still be in Bermuda by Tuesday night November 3rd. We will not depart Bermuda until Wednesday October 4th. Plan to fly home from St. Maarten Thursday November 12th. This will still give you a couple of days in St. Maarten.
While this is the first announcement opening up the 15 available crew berths to OPO members, several berths are already filled from holdover crew who had deposits for trips planned with us that were cancelled because of Covid. Even though crew berths are in short supply we are not taking advantage by raising rates. We expect to have Captain Murray Jacob and Johnathan Ishmael skipper the other two Swans. Many people like to sail with Murray and Johnathan as they have been with us for many years for good reason. The full 20 days aboard a captained Big Swan sailing 1500 miles from Newport to Bermuda and then to St. Maarten is $3500 all-inclusive except travel to and from the boat and meals and drinks ashore. Please note that this is not the best 1st time offshore passage since we start in colder and rougher conditions rather than the spring passage that starts in warm trade wind conditions. Please e-mail me first and then we can speak on the phone before signing up for the Swan NARC Rally Passage so we can make sure you are ready and up for the challenge.
Since there is a lack of “crew requests” looking for “strangers” to fly in and crew for free we expect our three Swans to fill up just from OPO members. We will open up berths to non-members September 1st. Just as we required people to get Covid tested before they joined us for the sail to Bermuda, expect to be required to take a test before sailing to Bermuda this fall as well. By then it should be much easier to get teste and get results quickly. If you are interested in joining us this fall please contact me before making a $500 deposit online.
Swan Program Annapolis Boat Show Passage – The Newport Boat Show has already been cancelled. At this point I do not think we will be sailing to the Annapolis Boat Show either. If things change you will be the first to know.
Bermuda Rally – Avocation, along with Andy Shell’s two Swans and one other boat, were part of a small fleet of four that signed up for the last minute “Spirit of Bermuda Fundraising Rally.” The organizers thought there would be a lot of boats that prepared for the cancelled Newport to Bermuda Race or the Annapolis to Bermuda Race and would have more boats sign up. Since crews had to get Covid tested before departure, pay a $500 donation and $200 for a Yellow Brick Tracker, most race boats decided sailing to Bermuda in July would not work.
Turns out we had a mostly upwind sail to Bermuda and a motor boat ride back so sailing to and from Bermuda in July is not the best time to go, but at least we were part of history as we were the first international event in Bermuda since last March.
What may prove interesting to us in the future is if they make this an annual event with more lead time to sign up more boats. We would like nothing better than to have someone else organize an event to Bermuda in June that was not a race costing thousands of dollars to prepare for. It would be run in June rather than July. International Dark’n’Stormy Day is June 9th 2021 so we may be scheduling next year’s June passage to be in Bermuda to arrive in time to celebrate.
Sailing with other OPO members this summer - We had only one OPO member extend an invitation for others to join him for sailing this summer. Last month I sent out a request to see if any boat owning OPO members wish to invite other OPO members who live by to see if they want to join them for day sails or longer sails this summer.
Only one OPO member responded, but he is a very nice guy with a nice boat who recently moved this season from Newport to the Chesapeake Bay area. John is an OPO member who did a Swan Passage, liked the boats so much he bought one and fixed her up. He is retired now and has most of the work done is planning to sail south this year. So while we do not have a lot of local sailing opportunities due to the Covid season, it is a great opportunity to meet a s fellow OPO member and skipper with plans to sail south this fall. So you may strike up a friendship that gets you an invitation to sail south this fall. If interested please e-mail John directly if you wish to meet him. Remember any passage opportunities like these the owner is not adopting you so expect to chip in for provisions and some running expenses.
“Hello Hank. Sounds like you’re getting along well during the pandemic. I am too. I’m not much of a risk taker. I’m hoping to be the last person alive.
Like everyone else, I have quite the COVID story where my boat and sailing are concerned. I won’t bother you with it here. Just know that I had to break a few rules to get into Rhode Island and break SWANDA out of the Newport Navy Station Marina. LOL it was a successful operation.
Then a couple of buddies helped me sail her down to the Chesapeake prior to Memorial Day. I like it here. It’s a lot less expensive and my slip is in a sleepy little town. A welcome reprieve from Newport.
On the down side, I left a decent network of people to sail with in Rhode Island. So I would like to see if there is anyone near me that would be interested in some day sailing.
- SWANDA is a 1994 Swan 40 - new sails, new aux power, etc.
- LOCATION: West River Yacht Harbour, Galesville, MD a little south of Annapolis.
- WHEN: I have a lot of free time coming up so weekdays or weekends
- I believe the right way to do this is with a max of 4 people aboard, masks worn inside, and maybe outside too depending on circumstances. I’m certainly willing to discuss this with prospective crew.
- Anyone interested can just shoot me an Email.
One last thing... the plan is to sail south after the November 2020 election. What date are you shooting for to start the next NARC south?
CapJon67 CapJon67@aol.com”
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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he open and as an attachment,
Hank
OPO
Notice to OPO Mariners July 2020
Editorial
Sailing During Covid
Writing During Covid
Answer to Question # 4
Editorial – Avocation will be one of the first boats to allow crew to step ashore into Bermuda since Covid Closed last March. Avocation has been making the passage between NY and Bermuda for the past ten years. The first four were as participants in the Bermuda Cruising Rally organized by Dan Goldberg and Tania Aebi between 2009 and 2013.
In the 2020 season so far delayed twice, we finally depart this weekend July 5th for a start 12 miles south of Bermuda at 1500 hours Monday July 6th. I will send you the yellow Brick tracking information once they send the link to me. This was an idea thought up after the Newport to Bermuda and Annapolis to Bermuda Race were cancelled. Organized as a “Sprit of Bermuda” Tallship fundraiser host Yacht Club the “East End Mini Club” and the Sailing Yacht Research Foundation have all partnered to welcome back sailors and signal that tourism is open once again.
Neither the planned opening nor the numbers of participants are going as planned but they have three Swan planning to make landfall in Bermuda by July 11th, perhaps making all the more special for the few intrepid crew making the effort. All crew had to commit to the round trip since what we thought might happen seems to be happening, no US Flights into Bermuda by the planned July 1st because of rising US infection rates. All crew have had to get covid tested (I just got my test back, negative thank you) and we will monitor and record our temperatures on the trip down.
This is the first time the East End Mini Yacht Club has ever hosted a Rally like this. I will bet me 1st born son that this becomes an annual event. I will let you know his fate in the August 1st newsletter when we get back.
Sailing During Covid – Since not many boat owners are asking for crew we have to thank the delivery skippers, who are essential employees, moving boats out of the hurricane belt. Murray is ready to go back for his 3rd trip of the year this weekend, all on Swans, with OPO crew or crew in the Swan Program.
Breaking News- Covid Related. Just announced the Newport Boat Show has been cancelled. My take on this: While big arena sports, boat shows and concerts are out, the scuttlebutt is that RV’s and boats are back! Boats of all sizes seem to be selling well as boating is a great way to social distance. Three months ago I predicted travel would not come back until people could test and get accurate results within minutes. A Saliva test. We may be throat swabbed in Bermuda with results within 2 hours on top of the nasal swab in the US this week before departure. As soon as there is a near instant saliva test I do not think we will see a lot of boat owners inviting strangers to join them for long passages on small boats. Let’s hope we have this in place by the busy fall migration season.
My trip to Bermuda and back and Murray sail up from St. Thomas next week might be some of the last offshore trips this season as hurricane season sets in. We will still look for and have some short trips as in past years, but only time will tell how busy it will become.
Enjoy your local sailing.
- If anyone is looking for other OPO members to join them I will be happy to put a list together of OPO boat owners who may wish to have other OPO members join them for day sails or short holidays this summer. We have done this in the past. But please talk about Covid and if you have been social distancing or tested recently before sailing together. If you feel comfortable looking for crew please e-mail me where your boat is, what she is and what kind of sailing you are looking to do. No money changes hands unless crew are planning to join for overnights and want to chip in for expenses agreed upon before arrival.
I am in all this week. Then setting sail this weekend. I will try and put a short list together to send out before I depart and update it Bermuda. If it takes a few days to get a good list going I will send it from Bermuda.
Writing During Covid – Another prediction I had is there will be a lot of bad books coming out since many people have been cooped up at home too long. Last month I wrote up “answers” to Cruising World editor Mark Pillsbury “5 Question” column. That led to senior editor Herb McCormick asking for 900 word for the next issue of CW about sailing during Covid. It will be in there August/September Issue.
If you did not click to the June 2nd CW “5 Question” article, here is my answer to question No 4 about weather routing. Disclaimer: I did e-mail our NARC Rally Weather service WRI for a pre-departure forecast for this late season sail to Bermuda.
4. Did you use a weather router?
People laugh when I tell them that, except for my annual North Atlantic Rally to the Caribbean (sailopo.com/NARC_Rally_NARC_Rally_Overview.aspx), I never pay for a weather service. There are so many people in each sailing port talking about weather, you can get your report sitting at any bar. Of course, with COVID-19 closing those establishments, that option needs revisiting. But there is still enough scuttlebutt on the docks and from talking with friends on WhatsApp to know if there is a good weather window or not.
Full disclosure: I did, after listening to a weather service’s podcast offering one, sign up for a free weather departure forecast. But this is not to be confused with actual weather routing. This is just a report at the time of departure that provides a several-day forecast that diminishes in accuracy over time.
But before I had a chance to read it, we had a good weather picture from talking to other sailors, so we decided to depart Red Hook a day early and double-handed. When we arrived within cell phone range of Montauk, we learned that Tropical Storm Arthur was holding up a lot of boats with its early May arrival and path across the route leading from the Caribbean to the US. Since we had no satellite phone or communications while at sea, we were happily ignorant of a 40-knot depression that might have caught us if we had decided to get lazy and sail slow—something that never crossed our minds. And, when I checked my e-mail upon arrival, the weather departure report was in my inbox with a recommendation to wait until the following week of May 16. I am glad we did not delay.
I have a friend who did a passage with me last year, and who bought a boat this year and made it as far as Georgetown, Bahamas. He was buddy boating back last month with three other boats. A weather router based in Florida convinced the skippers of the other three boats that they had better get to Florida ASAP. That ended the nice four-boat buddy-boat trip. I fear the cruising sailor is giving up too much freedom to weather reports and weather geeks sitting in offices far away. We are losing sight of having your boat prepared for anything. Although I recognize that knowing bad weather is lurking ahead is a great idea, it shouldn’t come at a cost of independence and self-sufficiency.
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial - Patrick Childress
Swan Program – Bermuda Rally - Swan 67 –
How was your Passage North aboard Avocation?
Sailing During Covid
My friend Bob Bitchin
Editorial – This is a very different newsletter than the one you would have gotten if I had sent this one out on time. Covid is still running the show. The reason for the first delay was that delivery skipper Murray Jacob was waiting to hear about getting another Swan out of St. Maarten to St. Thomas by getting a charter flight to take him to there. After he sails the Swan 65 back from St. Thomas to NY next week, he would then go back to get the Swan 67 as an additional Swan Passage Opportunity for another 6 OPO members in about three weeks. Just today, Murray called to say the flight to get the boat was cancelled. Then a few e-mails later I got an e-mail my July 6th flight back from Bermuda being cancelled, and most tragically on top of all this our good friend and fellow captain Patrick Childress passed away in South Africa with his wife by his side this morning. Patrick was 69 years old.
I did not meet Patrick until we were both in our 40’s. We met thought the Swan Program before OPO took it over. He met Rebecca, his wife, 10 years later in our Swan Program as Patrick was one of my regular skippers the first 8 years of our NARC Rally. There is a picture that used to be on our web site with Patrick, Charlie Doane, Nick Popovich, Murray Jacob and myself on town wharf in St. Georges Bermuda by the dunking chair. The caption was “You do not have to have facial hair to be a captain.” The implication being, if the shoe fits…
Cathy and I went to their wedding one July 4th in Newport. The got married on the bow of their boat “Brick House” at the Treadway (Now Newport Harbor Marina) and then had a cash bar in a room next to the boat at the hotel. It was all about saving for their sailing cruising kitty. They had over 10 great years living the dream. Rebecca is still grieving and figuring out the next step. Sell or complete the circumnavigation. As you can imagine her thoughts all over the place being in a foreign country with no flights in or out. I am in touch with her dad in Massachusetts. Stay safe.
Back to sailing
Swan Program – Bermuda Rally - Swan 67 –
The best remedy is to go sailing offshore for a few days. While many of us now have the time.
Most private boat owners are still reluctant to not take any extra crew and sail short-handed. Ninety percent of boats coming up from the Caribbean are sailing the “Coastal Route” along the Bahama Chain to Florida or departing from the Caribbean and first hitting a US port south of Hattaras. They are doing this on the advice of weather routers and her mentality in the Salty Dawg Rally. They are doing a good thing by helping 185 boat owners get north, but the scuttlebutt has been not to take extra crew if you do not need to. Plus until recently many islands were not still allowing crew to fly into their countries.
Delivery skippers are still moving boats. There are many boats still trapped in the Caribbean with owners paying a lot of money to charter a plane to get to islands closed to commercial traffic. Yet, according to the most recent Cruising Compass both the BVI’s and St. Lucia are arguing as who has opened to tourism first. One month ago when I was still in Red Hook St. Thomas the BVI said they would be closed until September 1st. But if you pay an authorized unemployed Ferry skipper he will happily delivery your boat to the USVI for $1500. A 10 mile trip!
Since we cannot control the Virus, we can create a few more quality passage opportunities in our Swan Program. Here are several berths that may become available in the next few days sailing aboard Avocation to Bermuda and back and also sailing back with Murray on the Swan 67 you will read about from St. Thomas to Newport.
As mentioned my flight back from Bermuda was cancelled for July 6th. So our 2nd attemt to move our annual June passage from June 13th to June 27th have both been cancelled. A lesser man would give up and I was about to until I got the following information this morning about a Bermuda Rally sailing to Bermuda departing July 6th. Since this is being organized by the people in Bermuda I am giving it one more shot.
Swan 48
Because of the changes I am sure we will lose some of our original crew, especially if we need to sign crew only who are prepared to make the round trip. Three of the 5 crew are already sailing both ways. Those crew already signed up will have the first choice about doubling their commitment and making a round trip if need be. Even if we cannot fly home from Bermuda because flights might not be running, I am sure we will be able to go ashore and spend three or four nights ashore before sailing back. Each leg is 5 days so 10 days of sailing, 3 or 4 night in Bermuda, plus a couple of days at the beginning to get oriented. By only taking crew ready to go both ways, we would avoid the problem and weeks of worry about if the flights were able to resume. We could leave six crew stuck in travel situations that did not envision. Three being stuck in Bermuda with no flights home and three crew being denied entry and missing the return passage. Once again, “What a mess?” If anyone has two weeks and would be interested in more information about the passage to and from Bermuda about July 3rd to July 21st, let me know and we will see how many of the original crew have to drop out because of time commitments.
Swan 67
Murray Jacob’s next boat is a Swan 67 sailing from St. Thomas to Newport. We will not know the exact dates until we can confirm when the boat will get out of St. Maarten. Murray has the Swan 65 passage to complete in the next two weeks. I know many people could really benefit from getting away from land for a couple of weeks. Since there are not many private owners seeking crew here are some more berths for those who want to get away at very fair prices. I am starting a list of who would be interested to fly to St. Thomas a couple of days before departure and then sail with Murray to Newport. I will let you know as soon as we have the dates to finalize plans. We think the dates will be to depart June 27th and make landfall 9 days later about July 6th. You would want to arrive at least two days early in St, Thomas to acclimate and get a good night sleep, so you would need to travel to the boat about June 25th. Or it could be the following week.
We are not used to working this way, but we are all coping with the new normal. Thanks for working with us and here’s to getting offshore. It does wonders.
Sailing During Covid
You may have notices that I am not taking extra crew on short deliveries I have this time of year. I would always take extra crew on short deliveries with me. It was a chance to meet OPO member and let them get some sea time for their OPO resumes. Now I make passages under 18 trips by myself or one other person and a 3-day trip with just two crew. No more 5 people on a boat for 24 hours on 40 footer several times a month. The new normal is asking those questions. We ask our crew in the Swan Program to let us know if they may have been compromised and we have had crew cancel because they may have been on contact with someone infected. We can’t stay under a rock forever, but we also don’t want to rush off to a concert or boat show. I still hope to see and sail with some of you this season.
Avocation Passage North – A few people have been asking about the trip up this year. The question is answered in an online column called “Five Questions?” by Mark Pillsbury on Cruising Worlds new online edition. I will send you the link for the full list of questions when it comes out.
Question # 3. How was your sail home to New York from St. Thomas?
I have made the passage from the Caribbean to New England every year except one since 1999. Most times, we stay east and sail almost due north on a beam reach to Bermuda before making the second, more challenging leg, from Bermuda across the Gulf Stream to Newport, Rhode Island. Departing from St. Maarten is always easier; since you start 90 to 100 miles further east than if you depart from Nanny Cay or St. Thomas. Just having those extra 100 miles of easting allows you to relax the helm a bit and settle into keeping the wind just aft of the beam in anything over 15 knots true wind, and forward of the beam for speed if the winds falls below that.
I seldom set a waypoint sailing offshore, but rather try and find a comfortable and quick sailing angle for the first half of a passage. As long as you are within 20 or even 30 degrees of your desired course, you are OK, as long as you have a good idea of which way the wind will shift in two or three days. It only gets more important to follow a compass course to a waypoint the last couple of days before arrival.
On this passage, even with the 100 miles more western departure from Red Hook, we did not have to try stay east to get to Bermuda because it is closed except for emergency stops. We started with three days of great sailing in trade winds out of the East and little South of East (SSE). By the time we hit the latitude of Bermuda, we were 160 miles West of the island, and shaved 100 miles from the traditional passage.
Often the winds will kick in from the Northeast North of Bermuda, which allows you to crack off and continue to sail on a near beam reach, just forward or aft of beam as best suited, and get West to cross the Gulf Stream further West since you know the flow will bring you back 30 to 40 miles East in the crossing. Sailing at 330 degrees brought us across 70 degrees west and less than 2 degrees from our rounding at Montauk Point, at the tip of Long Island, New York. When the winds clocked to Southwest as is normal this time of year we were able to tack over and sail north to cross the Gulf Stream with the winds and current running in roughly the same direction, in 20 to 25 knots of true wind. It was definitely aft-of- beam conditions, and fast sailing with 8- to-12 foot waves. Our course was north, but we were making Northeast course over the ground while sailing in the stream.
We rounded Montauk eight and a half days out of Red Hook, and were docked before noon, just shy of a nine-day passage dock to dock.
4. Did you use a weather router?
I will send you the link to 5 Questions when they come out so you cans see my answer.
Of course how to we reconcile continuing to sail offshore with crew when it is impossible to social distance and we know Patrick did not survive.
Here are some guidelines to running an event or a boat in an event. We expect and ask any OPO crew member who feels unwell or has been exposed to let us know. We will make a full refund or delay your passage until next year. Testing is getting much better and soon we will ask everyone who can practically take a test to take one before getting on a plane. Soon we should be able to get some of the quick 5 minutes tests.
The first duty of a captain is to keep his or her crew safe. There can be no arguing this. Race sponsors have a duty to safety as well, and I believe must do everything reasonably in their power to assist captains in their duty to crew safety. I hope nobody finds either of these two concepts controversial.
In this Pandemic era, NORs and Sailing Instructions need to be modified to require captains keep a record of crew and their contact information for each race. This also should not be controversial, as most of us do this anyway.
NORs and Sailing Instructions need to be modified to require three things:
Captains must certify to the race organizer they have set up a system whereby a crewmember on their boat is required to notify the captain if the crewmember suspects or has been confirmed to have COVID-19, or has been exposed to a confirmed COVID-19 case.Captains must certify to the race organizer they have a system to notify their entire crew with the date(s) of any race this crew member was aboard, reaching back for at least 14 days prior to the COVID-19 diagnosis. It is 100% the crew member’s option whether they want to be identified to the rest of the crew. The captain must relay the notification to the crew within 48 hours.Captains must then notify the race organizer if there is a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 case among their crew, with the date(s) of any race the crew member was aboard reaching back for 14 days prior to the COVID-19 diagnosis. Again, it is 100% the crew member’s option whether they want to be identified to the race organizers. The captain must relay the notification to the crew within 48 hours.Upon receiving a notification from a captain of a COVID-19 case, the race organizer must promptly notify all captains who registered for the affected race(s), communicating the boat’s name, marina, and slip number along with the relevant date(s) of the race(s). If the crew member consents, the crew member’s name can also be included in the notice from the race organizers — but this is not required.
Sailors are very used to the idea of pulling together to ensure the safety of each member of our sailing community. It is one of the things that made me fall in love with sailing. If we can all set politics aside for a moment, the rules suggested above are not all that different than the rules mandating safety equipment, safety training, and safety certifications part of all NOR/SIs for every organized race we participate in.
I understand the notification bits may raise privacy concerns for the individual diagnosed with COVID-19, which I why I believe it is important the individual controls whether their name is released to the rest of the crew or the race committee. The identification of the individual is not necessary for other crewmembers and crews of other boats to take whatever health precautions they individually feel are necessary.
These rules should help local sailing communities to remain healthy and not become “super spreader” cells like we’ve seen with other organized activities.
Mark’s guideline for crewed sailboat racing focuses on total crew aboard and where people are closest together, on the rail upwind.
Up to 26 footers 3 max crew per boat – Only 2 allowed to sit over the sideOver 26 foot and up to 31 foot – Max of 4 crew – only 2 allowed to sit over the sideOver 31 foot and up to 36 foot – Max 5 crew – only 2 allowed to sit over the sideOver 36 foot and up to 41 foot – Max 6 crew – only 3 allowed to sit over the sideOver 41 foot and up to 46 foot – Max 7 crew and only 4 allowed to sit over the side
My friend Bob Bitchin – Half the time when I am at a show and I am speaking with Bob and another person walks up that Bob knows (and Bob knows everybody or everybody knows Bob) he will tell them how I have been the longest advertiser in his magazine starting with the 2nd issue.
I was at opening red carpet day at the Miami boat show in 1997 and someone walked by handing out a free new sailor’s magazine. With nothing else to do for the first hour, since the start of all boats shows starts with the gate going directly to the boats so the booths are dead quite on a Thursday morning at 10:00 am, I start reading the magazine and I am lapping it up like a 15 year old discovering “Mad” magazine. I sent in a picture for his centerfold and started with a classified ad. I have let in run continuously ever since. “Bob, you may be older than me, but I have been in the sailing business longer.”
Anyhow, Bob asked if we could help spread the word about his new online free version of Latitudes and Attitudes magazine. The name he got back 18 months ago. But that is another story for a another time.
Hank,
We discussed you helping me get the word out about the on-line version of the print issue of Lats&Atts being available for free for your people. Below is what I am hoping you will send out to your email list for me to get it started.
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Here’s a FREE GIFT from us and the folks at Latitudes & Attitudes Magazine to help get thru this pandemic. It is a safe link to get the 222 page current issue of the #1 selling boating lifestyle magazine in the US absolutely free, with no obligation and none of your info will be captured.
It’s simple. Just download the pdf below and click to read the new issue, and if you like you can also click to receive each new issue as it comes out, at no cost whatsoever.
If you prefer not to download the PDF below, you can Click Here to read the new issue.
And if you like it and want to get each issue as it comes out Click Here to register for FREE.
AND, if you prefer to get the full print issue, you can Click Here!
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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June 1st edition will be delayed until the end of this week. We are still waiting for a couple more things to fall into place. I have a very short 26 hour delivery Tuesday am into Wednesday. I will be home Wednesday afternoon. In this crazy world there is no rush to meet a June 1st deadline.
The best news – Patrick Childress is still doing better and improving a little each day the last 3 days. His gofundme has almost 1000 donors and $60,000. Rebecca has recovered. Not having to worry about immediate money problems was one thing solve.
Hank
In the June Issue out Friday
Editorial
Patrick Childress
Passage North
Swan Program – Swan 67? June 27th St. Thomas to Newport?
My friend Bob Bitchin
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
What will this boating season look like?
Swan Program
Quarantined in Paradise
Editorial – There is not a lot of new information to report since the April 22nd extra newsletter. Some good news is that the OPO skipper and crew who flew in yesterday had no problems flying in or getting to the boat. The National Guard did take their temperature, but that was it. No questions asked about where they were going or anything about quarantining.
No so luck is OPO skipper Johnathan Ishmael who flew to Buenos Aires Argentina March 13th to hang out in a $15 a night nice Air BnB until things settled down. Argentina shut down all airspace even internally so Johnathan is stuck looking for an evacuation flight or taking up residence until September 1st. If he can’t get out soon we have a replacement skipper lined up to skipper our Swan 46 north this month.
What will this boating season look like? It is still too early to tell. A lot depends on where you live. For a short time it looked like there would be no season in NY. But the Connecticut Governor reminded the Governors in NY and NJ that they had agreed to work in concert to open up so they all got onboard with letting marinas start launching boats. It looks like family boating will be back in vogue this season.
Maybe OPO will start an adoption service this summer so OPO members can go sailing with other members this season. I know many boats will still have to be moved for the usual reasons and we will keep you posted as the need returns.
No one has a crystal ball to predict what will happen, but optimistically we can hope that the pandemic will slow down quickly as is seems to be doing in South Korea and China. I will say no more on the subject as there are strong feeling on both sides to how to move forward. I ask that you all stay safe. Follow your own instinct to best protect yourself and your family. A lot depends on where you live, what circumstanced you are in and how well you can shelter in place and stay whole. We are all in this world together so we should all try and work together.
Swan Program – We have been in touch with all the crew for the Swan Program this spring. While many of the passages are delayed or cancelled I have been able to stay in touch. Those still wanting to go sailing to escape the stress and boredom at home, are still planning to join us later this month to sail north. One boat looks like she will leave in early June and we are still hoping we can make the sail from NY to Bermuda by the middle of June. Only time will tell.
Quarantined in Paradise – I know many of you saw the NY Times about all the boats quarantined in the USVI. Several OPO members forwarded me the article. In fact I was on the VHF radio net one morning when they reached out to anyone who wanted to call a NY Times reporter to tell them their situation. Although usually a marketing gorilla, I refrained from advertising to the world that I was suffering in the USVI.
I do have plans to depart in 10 days for a quick double-handed, non-stop sail home with my electronics technician from Long Island. Who better to have aboard if my auto-pilot goes out? For many reason I need to get home and run OPO from our headquarters on the north shore of Long Island. I already have two short deliveries planned soon after I get back. As usual, while I am sea, Cathy can send out crew requests. I will be checking e-mail until May 9th and then when I am back home about the 20th.
Offshore Passage Opportunities
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Hank Schmitt |
P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 |
(631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
When will OPO start posting “crew requests” again?
Where am I now?
59 North
Swan Program
Editorial – Many OPO members are stuck at home. Some are heroically working in our “war” against the Covid-19 Virus. We thank those on the front lines. I especially feel for those American who work paycheck to paycheck and are not working. I think most OPO members are in better situation and mostly just climbing the walls at home. The uncertainty of not knowing when things will end does not help. As we speak all 50 states are reporting when they thing they may start lifting stay at home orders. Virginia will not lift restrictions until June 10th
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When will OPO start posting crew requests again?
Just because the Covid-19 virus has dealt the world a bad blow, does not mean that boats have disappeared. Quite the opposite. Many boat owners are starting to worry about how they will get their boats outside the hurricane belt. Others will be thinking of selling their boats while others might find good buys. There are many reasons why people hire delivery skippers and owners have to move their boats. Spring is traditionally a very busy time of year. Once it is safe to travel again there will be a big demand for crew.
The quandary is, “When will borders open up? When will flights be allowed to transit to many closed islands? When will our OPO members feel comfortable getting on a plane and then be on a small boat with others for a finite time without an option to get off or get to a hospital?” There are no easy answers. Anyone saying otherwise is just guessing. Hopefully things will be clearer as the country slowly opens up with either better and quicker tests widely available. OPO members will be the first ones to start seeing the “crew requests” startup again with the caveat that we may not be able to guarantee any plans you make with boats owners and delivery skippers. We cannot be liable for any decision you make to join a boat. Let’s, hope and pray that this will not take many weeks, months, or the entire season. Think about it, would you attend a boat show anytime soon.
“Where are you now?” Andy Schell of 59 north has a couple of podcast. I have been featured in two episodes. One about OPO and one about our hurricane relief efforts in Dominica and St. Maarten. OPO also sponsors his “How I think about sailing” podcast. Andy starts each podcast by asking, “Where are you now.”
I am still in Red Hook St. Thomas on the East end of the island. It is another IGY marina, but what I would consider a stepchild that they bought years ago and have not remodeled. I am on the end “T-dock” of the first dock arriving by sea. It is only half filled, but there are no other live-aboards, which is a good thing for social distancing. There is one charter day pontoon boat next to me and a handful of smaller day-charter power boats and charter fishing boats. There is no business as everything is shut down. Tourist are not allowed to come to the island for vacation. I pay to be dockside so I have good internet. Nearby are an open grocery store, post office and pharmacy. Restaurants serve takeout, which I am not using to both save money and to social distance. I wake up to the start of the ferry boat service each morning going to St. Johns. I hear the comforting three toots of the horn all day long as they back out.
59 North – I have been following Andy and Mia Schell for a few years. I have sponsored three-month stints of his podcast. Most of our young OPO members come from this effort. Andy also has a Swan 48 and now runs a 2 Swan Program with a Swan 59 similar to our Swan Program except that he ranges farther afield and for longer periods of time with few one-week options. He also moved to Sweden and has both boats flagged outside the US since he married a nice gal from there.
I have told Andy he could be the next Gary Jobson if he had only half the good looks of his wife. Now that Andy has two boats and is a daddy he is building a team of young skippers and crew (one is the daughter of an OPO member) to help out. He has taken on two partners to help grow the business.
Andy and team face some of the same challenges we do with shortened or cancelled season. Andy and crew are much more media savvy than I. They are using the down time to brainstorm and come up with ideas to stay engaged with the public. Their goal is to expand participation and share the exhilaration of offshore sailing. Yesterday April 14th they had their first test of the software they plan to use to expand their Media presence. They had 175 house bound sailors from all over the world partake. They are having another session this Friday April 17th about weather and next week April 23rd about sailing from BVI to Bermuda. The sessions are free for now. I will be signing in and watching to see how they do. I invite OPO members, who also may be stuck at home, to join in. You can google “59 North” or click on Offshore Sailing - 59 North Sailing
www.59-north.com › seminarcalendar › live-weather-bvi-bermuda
Let me know what you think.
OPO is a niche business. Offshore Passage Making. I started a rally to make it more fun for people in the Swan Program. I purposely did not replicate other rallies by offering seminars and a teaching experience for people outside the Swan crew. Other rallies can complicate their lives and offer them. We are not in the rally business, but have no problem sending first time cruisers, who may benefit by paying a big fee for included seminars, to join another rally to do so.
We have five videos that can be found Patrick Childress’s YouTube channel. We are happy to get the exposure and help grow his channel, but we are not in the YouTube video business. Likewise Andy and company are starting this new Media “Empire” to promote offshore sailing and help educate and get more sea miles for people who want to one day pursue more offshore sailing and maybe buy a boat and take off. That is out goal at OPO, but we are not in the Media building business. So I am happy to guide our members to Andy and Mia’s 59 North new media service.
Swan Program – We will have to decide in the next 10 days to two weeks what to do with the Spring Schedule. We know we will miss the original May 2nd departure from St. Maarten to Newport. I hold a very small chance of having the fleet assemble in St. Thomas and depart from St. Thomas to New York or Newport since Bermuda may still be closed.
You will hear what we have decided in the May 1st “Notice to OPO Mariners”. If you are signed up for a passage with us this year you have already heard from us as we have e-mailed the May 2nd crew on a weekly basis and kept all other Swan crew informed about passages later this year.
There is a small chance, after speaking with the owners of the other three boats owners and the skippers (Murray, Tania and Johnathan) if they want me to try and fill in with replacement crew from the OPO ranks. If the answer is yes I will try and give as much notice as possible to OPO members. Your main goal if you want to join us is the same advice we are all getting. “Stay safe and away from other people so you will feel 100% sure you are not sick.”
Please take care of yourselves and your family. I look forward to more normal times and getting you offshore as soon as possible. Offshore, not more than ever, is the best place to be.
Sincerely,
Hank Schmitt
OPO
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
SXM Expulsion
www.customscorner.com
Swan Program
Editorial – What a crazy time we live in. I hope everyone is staying safe and taking care of their families and their homestead.
As many of you know I am in St. Thomas, one of the last islands that still has flights in and out. It is also US territory.
Many boat owners are scrambling to make plans to get their boats put away for the hurricane season or trying to figure out how to get them home. If owners, skippers and crew can’t fly in, there are not many options. I have already heard that insurance companies do not care there is a virus. Your boat coverage will be dropped if you are not out of the hurricane belt by the stated date on your policy.
Most OPO members have prioritized their lives to stay at home and take care of family be it spouses, children or parents. My wife, Cathy flew home from SXM right after the Heineken Regatta and just a few days before things went to hell in a hand basket. She is safe although in the epicenter of the virus in Suffolk County LI, a big commuter town where many people work in NYC. Our Parish had 26 friends and family perish on 911. Now this.
But there are still some OPO members who may wish to self –quarantine on a boat at sea, have cabin fever, or who have lost their job and want to run away to sea. Once airlines start regular flights it still will be near impossible to send out crew requests for boat owners and delivery skippers. But as soon as things improve we will be back in business. We will keep you posted.
What I think will be a game changer would be to see some of the quick 5-minute tests that we hear about being developed. Then crew can test and make sure they are ok before getting on a plane and test again a few days later before leaving the dock. We do not want to emulate the Cruise Industry that has clusters at sea begging a port to let them in.
I hope soon to start sending out OPO notices again, but with the caveat to both boat owners and crew that I am not responsible if plans fall apart due to circumstances out of our control. I don’t want to get panic phone calls or e-mails from owners complaining that OPO members had to bail on them because of a family emergency, 2nd thoughts or cancelled flights.
SXM Expulsion – Many of you read Charlie Doane’s Blog about my expulsion from SXM. I wrote the story, but he added the pictures. Here is the link once again. What I forgot to say is that it helps if you can post comments to the site since the people in St. Maarten will see them. You can also reply to any comments if you disagree. The purpose is not to scold and be vindictive but……
Here is the link or you can read the story at the bottom of the newsletter if you do not like to open links.
WaveTrain: https://wavetrain.net/2020/03/29/evicted-from-sxm-virus-tales-from-the-caribbean/
One thing not mentioned in the article or the blog was that even after I dropped anchor 11 hours too late, I watched a mega yacht “Seven Sins” being allowed in. So when you read about sympathetic people saying they are only trying to keep the virus out and their grandparents say, I say Bullshit! If you have money they let you in. This mega yacht had crew and guests that were returning from an infected French island. I was coming from Dominica alone . Dominica as many of you know is about as far away and isolated as any place in the Caribbean with very few visitors even in the best of times.
www.customscorner.com – We are all familiar with the saying turning lemons into Lemonade. I have actually had this idea for a few months, but last Friday after I pulled into St. Thomas even before going to sleep (I had time to think about this on my overnight solo trip from SXM to St. Thomas) I contacted Lee our Web guy, to buy the domain name customscorner.com I will start writing the content next week since I have time and will finish the beta stage this summer to have it up and running by the start of the Caribbean sailing season next year.
The purpose of the site is not to be vindictive or petty but to give feedback to the countries that have problem customs officials and also to warn cruisers what to expect before entering a port.
We will use the carrot and a stick. Cruisers can also tell us about nice officials they run into and places that do a good job (Think Bermuda). We will have annual awards with Plaques for most improved so they can hang in their customs office. We can offer prizes or even cash a bonus as an inducement to get officials to smile. We will have a rating system where you can let us know what you think with a grade A to F.
We will offer feedback to the marine trade services in each country and to the government officials who sometimes can exert some pressure to improve the cruisers experience upon entering a country. We will keep you posted and let you know when we go live
POWER TO THE PEOPLE!
Swan Program – We have over 60 OPO members and other sailors with plans to make a passage this year with us. What was one going to be our best year ever is now in question. (Anyone having to cancel will get a full refund when I return to the states and can process them.) I have been in touch with the boat owners, skippers and crew for our May 2nd planned departure from SXM. Surprisingly almost half of the crew are still able and willing to join us. Moving to St. Thomas may work out. There are still flights in and out. SXM is closed for now. The other Swans will come to St. Thomas or will try and get here. One boat is in St. Lucia as I write. I will continue to keep all the crew for the May trip informed with a weekly update. At least everyone is getting their flights to SXM refunded. New flights to St. Thomas are cheaper and can be booked days before we go.
If you are signed up for a trip with us at the end of May from to Bermuda and back or the June trip making the same round trip, I will be in touch with you very soon. If you are signed up to sail on the Swan 68 to or from Europe or one of the legs in Europe, I will be in touch with you this week. The owner still has hopes of getting to the Med to do the Trans-at to and the ARC back, but the # 2 leg from Cork Ireland to Marseille France is cancelled. Crew will get a full refund or an option to put a their deposit down on another trip. The 300th Anniversary of Cork YC was cancelled just the other day so no reason to sail there.
So everyone hang in there. Please be safe. We want to see you and get you back out on the water ASAP. If you are looking to get away from the virus and sail away to sea, we hope to be able to help you soon.
Best Regards.
With Love,
Hank Schmitt
OPO
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Heineken Regatta
Swan Program
Editorial – March 4th is Excellony Day. The only date in the English language that is a complete sentence. The imperative “March 4th!” (March forth!) At least according to my High School German teacher. He would buy a sheet cake and tub if ice cream each March 4th and host a dorm party. It has stuck in my head each year in March and now I pass it on to you.
Heineken Regatta – This will be a very busy week as crew arrive today for our 15th Heineken Regatta. As you may know we now sponsor the Island Time Cruising Division promoting OPO skippers who may need crew. We have also started a six month trial ad campaign in the two Caribbean sailing publications, “All-at-Sea” and “Cruising Compass” to create more opportunities for our members. During the week I will only check e-mail early each morning or late at night. Think about joining us for next year.
Swan Program – We have not been talking much about e-opo. They are still getting up and running and working on building membership. Just as when I first started OPO in 1993 in took a while to catch on and build membership and educate boat owners and delivery skippers about our free crew network. But they have been successful in selling some of the Swan Program Passages, especially in the ARC. Our Swan 68 Program is almost full. I did ask our e-opo team to stop selling the ARC spots so I want to save the last two for USA OPO members. The ARC is not until next November 15th . In Europe the ARC is a big deal. They recognize that our opportunity to sail on a Swan 68, with a small crew and for less than others charge is a great opportunity. So I have saved the last two berths left in the ARC for OPO members for a few more weeks before letting e-opo fill them later this summer. Besides the ARC we have only one berth left sailing from Ireland to Marseille France in Mid-July with Captain Murray Jacob.
May Swan Passage St. Maarten to Newport - April 30th to May 17th We have one berth left on the Swan 68 sailing with Tania Aebi from St. Maarten to Newport. Sailing is one of the few sports where you get to sail with celebrities and get to know them well. If you are a woman who wants to sail with one of the few woman legends, this is your chance. This is the only spot left of the 4 Swans in our northbound fleet. Let me know if you are interested in this last berth, male or female.
Offshore Passage Opportunities
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Hank Schmitt |
P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 |
(631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
NARC DATES 2020
Swan Program – Atlantic Circle – New itinerary for Swan 68 –
ARC 2020
Editorial – On Monday Feb 3rd I fly back to the Caribbean for our winter season. We have a full crew for the Heineken Regatta. We sponsor the Cruising Division which is called the Island Time Division. After 11 year of full on racing taking days to get the boat ready and put back after each race, we got smarter and older and switched to the easier and just as enjoyable cruising, white sails, division. Our OPO crew get to sleep in until the second bridge opening in the morning. We have also upped our shore side accommodations with a hilltop villa with private pool overlooking the rage village.
Our other two week winter option is our 180 miles sail to Dominica and back for our annual visit during Yachtie Appreciation Week (YAW). After a 24 hour sail to the island, half the crew move ashore and take over ¾ of the accommodations at Mango Gardens in Dominica. YAW is an event we started to introduce our OPO donated mooring field to this impoverished island. With not one dock or marina on the entire island, our mooring field offers the best option to visit and explore this least visited island in the Caribbean.
Our main focus remains finding and creating more free sailing opportunities for our members. By sponsoring the Island Time Division and helping out in Dominica we meet a lot of new boat owners and skippers who may need crew. The “good will” we get by helping out in Dominica and hosting our own party for the cruising Island Time Cruising Division in St. Maarten leads to more sailing opportunities for you. Plus we like our friends in Dominica and want to continue to help out.
NARC Rally Dates 2020 – What better week to announce the dates for the 21st Annual North American Rally to the Caribbean (NARC). Every election since the 2000 “hanging chad” year 2000 we have been offshore. The traditional end of the hurricane season is Nov 1st and Election Day is always the 1st Tuesday in November so we have been offshore every election year since 2000. Sometimes we are on the first leg to Bermuda; sometimes we depart Bermuda Monday before Election Day. In 2008 we arrived to celebrations in Bermuda that would have made you think Obama was the newly elected president of Bermuda. In 2000 and 2016 we had just left Bermuda on Monday the day before the elections and missed the entire “hanging chad” fiasco since we did not make landfall in St. Maarten until the weekend after the elections. For President Trumps 2016 we were also offshore on the 2nd leg and so our “Breaking News” was a two minute sat phone called simply saying Trump won and nothing more. In 2020 waiting until after Election Day would be moving the departure date from Newport too late into November, so we will depart on Tuesday Oct 27th 2020. This date still allows for a weather delay and time to reach Bermuda by Election Day results Tuesday night November 3rd. The fleet will depart Bermuda no earlier than Wednesday November 3rd and arrive in St. Maarten 5 or 6 days later. The new dates have posted to our web site.
So vote absentee and plan to depart before the elections in November. Watch the results in Bermuda. We will depart the day after as long as the weather looks fine. No matter which side you are on and who wins, you can vote with your course and continue to sail away from the USA if it makes you feel any better.
If you only wish to sail for free please ignore the following announcement. But if you want the opportunity to sail on a Big Swan with our most popular skipper, please take a look at our 2020 schedule. This is the 1st time we are announcing this so all berths are open. The ARC last year filled up in one week.
Swan Program – Atlantic Circle –We are happy to announce a full itinerary for the Swan 68 Aphrodite. The owner wishes to have her in Cork Ireland for 300 Anniversary celebrations in July. Then have the boat in the Med for the Swan Worlds in Sardinia and CCA Cruise in August and September. The boat will then sail from the Med to Las Palmas for the ARC 2020. This allows us four passage opportunities to offer our members first dibs.
Of course our Offshore Swan Program does not work without getting the best skippers to sail aboard. Captain Murray Jacob has agreed to skipper the boat from 1) Newport to Ireland, 2) Ireland to the Med and in the 4) ARC 2020. The boats caretaker, Maurizio (who is sailing with Tania Aebi from St. Maarten to Newport this May 2020), will skipper from the 3) Med to Las Palmas and then sail as 1st mate with Murray in the ARC 2020. This itinerary gives OPO members the 1st opportunity to sign up for any one or more of the 4 legs. Here are the dates and the price for each leg. The later dates and final destination will be set in stone in the next few weeks so do not book any flights until we 100% confirm with us first. The dates for the 1st leg to Ireland are set as well as the dates for the ARC Rally start. We will let you know soon if the boat will stay in St. Lucia or finish in St. Maarten after the ARC.
The boat will leave Newport RI right after the start of the Newport/Bermuda Race. The reason being that Aphrodite will be the starting committee boat for the race. Crew will arrive two or three days before departure to be familiar and ready and then get off the boat for the start of the race. I would suggest going to “The Inn at Castle Hill” to watch the start from shore. Then the crew and Murray will depart the next day bound for Cork Ireland.
Here are the proposed dates and costs. More details to follow.
Swan Program Transatlantic Aphrodite Swan 68
Leg 1 Skipper Murray Skipper
Three Week Option
Newport to Cork Ireland - June 20th to July 11th. Crew arrive June 17th or 18th. Crew leave boat no later than Saturday July 11th (or Sunday the 12th). (Should arrive about July 7th or 8th)
(Cost $4000)
Leg # 2
Two ½ Weeks Skipper Murray Skipper
Cork Ireland to Western Med – Crew arrive weekend of July 25th for departure the 26th or 27th. Two weeks trip arriving Mediterranean Weekend August 8th 9th. Final destination and departure date TBD in the next couple of weeks. (Cost $2250)
Leg # 3
Two 1/2 to 3 weeks Skipper Maurizio
Mediterranean Gibraltar, Madeira to Canary islands – Early October for two or three weeks. Final destination and departure dates TBD in the next couple of weeks.. (Cost $2250)
Leg # 4
Four Weeks Skipper Murray Jacob with Maurizio 1st mate.
ARC
Las Palmas Canary Islands to St. Lucia – Arc departs Sunday Nov 22nd. Crew arrive up to one week before so would arrive as early as 15th November. Ends Weekend of December 12th or 13th or you can stay a few more days and make the final trip to St. Maarten and fly home from there. (Cost $5000)
*Costs include all onboard food and dockage at the beginning and end of each trip. It includes the skipper and fuel for the boat as well as all boat costs and maintenance. The price does not include dockage or mooring fees in between the start and finish of the trip as well as additional customs and immigration fees and money for alcohol or exotic foods. So expect to kick in a small amount for extras, but most provisioning for the offshore legs and boat expenses are included. For Leg # 1 and # 4 the price includes docking at both ends and the price for the ARC Rally Fee.
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Helpful tips to get aboard. (Plus bonus # 1 Secret Way)
OPO Code of Conduct # 1
OPO Code of Conduct # 2 Boat Owners
Editorial– Happy New Year to the OPO member family of sailors and friends. We look forward to our 27th year helping our members plan and complete safe offshore sailing passages this year. It is nice being in a business that slows down for the Christmas Season since boats are mostly where they plan to be for the winter and not many people plan to be offshore. It gives me time to get caught up after the busy fall migration where we can update our membership roster and close the books on another year.
Our Winter season is fully booked and our three Swans are filled for the May passage sailing back from St. Maarten to Newport as well as the round trip to Bermuda in June. If I find more Swans for the program I will let members know. Most people join for the free passage opportunities anyway. The extra time not having to spend promoting the Swan Program will be added to looking for and creating more quality free passage opportunities. If you ever hear of boat owners or delivery skippers looking for crew, please tell them about our free crew network service and tell them to contact us. This includes talking online in chat rooms and open board discussions you come across this winter. Simply tell them to call 1-800-4-PASSAGe or e-mail us at offshorepassage@sprintmail.com. Our members can also help grow the pool of passage opportunities.
Helpful Tips – We understand how busy life has become. That is why OPO has focused and stayed in our niche of making it very easy to continue to pursue your offshore sailing goals at the pace that works for you. As a member you do not need to do anything but read your e-mails as we send the opportunities to you as they come up. If you are interested you send the skipper your sailing resume, if you can’t make it work, you simply delete until the next one arrives in your inbox. Since we pre-qualify many of the opportunities we save you from wasting time sifting through message boards filled with inappropriate opportunities not planning to, or safe enough, to venture offshore.
Tip # 1 is to have a good sailing resume ready to cut and paste when replying to a skipper. The New Year is a good time to update your sailing resume that you plan to cut-and-paste this year. Everyone should have a sailing resume ready to e-mail to a boat owner or skipper when you respond to an OPO crew request posting. Your sailing resume can look like a work resume except you start with passages you have made and any sailing or sailing related courses you may have taken. Do not worry if you have not made many or any offshore passages yet. That is one reason why you joined OPO. Everyone needs to starts somewhere. A sailing resume of course can include you work history and education, but don’t forget hobbies and interest since you never know when someone might pick you over someone else because you both have an interest in Butterfly Collecting, or Barbershop Quartet Competitions. List skills such as, culinary, diesel engine mechanics, electrical troubleshooting, medical training, scuba-diving (some people are looks for dive buddies), navigation, and languages spoken (depending on where you may be sailing to or from). The main thing they want to hear is that you are a nice person and are willing to be a team player. I think we all should step aboard a boat like it is the first day of school and everyone wants to be on their best behavior and want to make friends with each other. All our members are unique individuals but we have the common goal of pursuing offshore sailing where everyone becomes equal very quickly. I am sure you can think of more things to add more to your resume to help yourself promote your way aboard a boat. It can also help to include a picture or a link to a site where they can see you. In return you may also ask them for a picture or a link to a picture of themselves and/or their boat, the latter being more important.
The Secret - But what if you are newer to sailing and do not have a good sailing resume because you do not have a lot of sea time (or any offshore sea time at all)? This is the number way most OPO members get their first opportunity aboard. Once you get the first passage under your belt then it is much easier to get aboard the next time. Some members pay to go with us in the Swan Program. Yes, this is one way to start building miles. When you contact a boat owner or delivery skipper and tell them you have sailed 1500 miles on a Swan between the Caribbean and Newport, they will be much more likely to take you over someone who has never been offshore.
But most members joined to sail for free and do not want to pay or do not have the money to pay for a Swan Passage. Many OPO members get their first passage opportunity because they can breathe….and because they are available on short notice. If you are retired, self-employed, or have a specific time off each year, you can pretty much be assured of getting several good “first- time” passage opportunities simply because you are alive and the delivery skipper or owner just needs a nice person who can stay awake and wake them up if they see something that needs their attention.
We get many calls each year from boat owners or delivery skippers who thought they had crew all lined up. But emergencies do come up where crew have to leave last minute. More common friend or family cancel as crew on short notice because they forgot to ask the boss or spouse for time away and put off mentioning it to the skipper. Most insurance companies require three crew. Many skippers like to sail with three or four people. When someone drops out and they need crew on short notice your chances of getting aboard go way up. So if you are ready on short notice, by which I mean one or two weeks, then you may get aboard simply because you are ready on short notice. If the opportunity is really short notice, one to three days, even better. In those cases there might even be a travel stipend involved. I personally have a bag packed and can be ready to depart on a two week passage in about 10 minutes.
This is also a good time of year to review what we can do to be good OPO crew.
OPO Code of Conduct
The purpose of the Honor Code is to establish some ground rules.
1) Plan to treat the boat both above and below decks like you were in your boss’s living room. No feet up on the couch, no crumbs spilled anywhere and quite often leave your shoes in the basket on the dock.
2) Wait for permission to first board a boat, just like at neighbors front door.
3) Always be courteous of others and follow the skipper’s orders. Anytime you get several new people together and especially on a boat at sea, it is good to be on ones best behavior and courteous of others just like the first day of school.
4) Always make sure you are safe and tethered in when the situation warrants. You put others at risk if they need to turn back for you. We like to say “If you fall overboard you are dead, because we will come back and get you and then kill you for falling overboard”.
5) No sleeping on watch. Take a 360 view every 10 minutes
6) Keep noise to a minimum on night watches and when anyone is sleeping below. Do not drag your tether hook around the cockpit.
7) Be respectful of others privacy and space
8) Keep all common areas clean. (Cockpit, main saloon and heads)
9) Be very mindful of scratching the teak interior or cabin sole. When at sea be always cognizant of the movements of the boat and do not expect objects and food items to stay in place. No hard luggage and be careful with the wheels and handles on soft luggage.
10) When closing hatches make sure it is dogged down evenly and well, otherwise some water will still get in.
11) Offering to cook or cleanup will endear you to the crew forever. But likewise if the cook wants to keep you out of the galley, stay out.
12) Never open the fridge or freezer hatch for long and always check with the head galley person before opening new caches of food or ingredients that might be necessary for a particular recipe or meal.
13) Make sure to tighten or close all lids (anyone like pickle juice all over the fridge?), drawer stops, and latches and swinging doors. If you do not close the lid on the “Joy” soap bottle and it runs empty, there is no convenience store around the corner.
14) Keep toilet lids down and sit when in doubt.
15) Conserve power, turn off fans and lights, especially the nav light is the morning
16) If you smoke know the rules. Better yet quit before you leave the dock.
17) Know the drinking policy at sea and respect the rules of a dry boat.
18) Behave in port. No stumbling on board and damaging the boat or yourself.
19) Beware of shipboard romance
20) Buy dinner at the end of the trip or at least offer.
21) Do not leave anything behind so someone has to mail you your forgotten item(s)
22) Do not pass on opportunities to non-members. Any opportunity that a non-member gets, takes an opportunity away from an OPO member who has joined and support us. Please do tell your friends and family about OPO and pass on an e-mail as a teaser, but do not pass along the contact information. If we find out OPO has the right to expel you from membership and we would have to consider a call in type of communications to control the contact info thus slowing up the process.
OPO Code of Conduct (Boat owners included)
The following is something that we ask all OPO members and boat owners and delivery skippers that are looking to go sailing or looking for crew to read and adhere to. At this point we will not insist that anyone needs to print a copy and sign it and mail it in, as long as everyone plays by the honor code and follow some simple rules of conduct.
Boat Owners/Delivery skippers
1) I will answer all calls or e-mail from OPO members that contact me requesting a crew position, even if I have already filled that position.
2) If there is a change of plans I will make every effort to contact the crew as soon as possible to let them know.
3) I will be honest in stating the planned departure date and will let the crew know if it is a firm departure date, if it highly dependent on weather, or if it is a target date subject to change.
4) I will spell out in advance what the financial arrangements are (if any) or exactly what shared expenses means and includes.
5) And the most obvious – I will always strive to be courteous to crew, just as I expected to be treated when I was a crew, before becoming the master of my own boat.
____________________________ ____________
Signature date
OPO members that would like to crew –
1) After I commit to crewing for someone I will not cancel on him or her because a better crewing opportunity comes along.
2) I will be honest about my experience, abilities and health.
3) I will honor all the financial commitments we have made before the trip.
4) Overseas passages - I will have made travel arrangements home after the trip is complete.
5) I will follow the owners instructions while on board and respect the boat as if it were my own.
6) I will not bring any illegal drugs aboard and will follow the drinking rules established by the owner. (In most cases this means no alcohol while underway.)
____________________________ ____________
Signature date
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
NARC Rally Wrap up
Heineken Regatta
Dominica
Swan Offshore Program
Editorial – I am back 10 days from the 20th Anniversary NARC Rally from Newport to St. Maarten. We had three Swans and 12 other OPO members sailing aboard other boats in the rally. Organizing the rally each year makes more opportunities for our members. Now that I am back in the office until early February I will have time to spend looking for and creating more passage opportunities for our members. We rekindled our relationship with the Seven Sea Cruising Association. We have opened dialogue with the Ocean Cruising Club based in the UK but with strong US membership for a co-promotion with our new e-OPO partners. In our January 1st newsletter we will tell you more about our expansion into Europe and how things are progressing with e-OPO.
The rest of the two months home will be spent getting Avocation ready for the winter season. She is presently hauled out in St. Maarten for her Annual Bottom paining. We are re-rigging the rod rigging as it is now 11 years old. We look forward to seeing some of you at the Heineken Regatta. Any OPO members with a boat in the Caribbean are encouraged to join the Island Time Division of the Regatta in early March and join us for YAW in Dominica soon after March 15th to 22nd. The reason why we buy boats is to go sailing in some of the fun places at the right time of year.
Also since I am home it is a good time of year for OPO members to call if they are looking to do anything special or have any questions. I try and keep good office hours during the winter months and mornings are best but call anytime at 631-423-4988
NARC Rally Wrap up – The 20th year went off very well with special celebrations in all three ports. Highlights were presentations of 20th Anniversary Commemorative plaques to “Customs and Immigration” in Bermuda and to our 5 major sponsors in St. Maarten. Fifteen boats left from Newport and Little Creek Virginia to meet in Bermuda for a 5 day stay in perfect weather. Boats that left on time beat the southeast breeze that last day into Bermuda. It took some delayed boats over 24 hours to make last 50 mile beat into port.
The 2nd leg also set records for some boats that had five days of wind right on the nose. This was my longest passage from Bermuda to St. Marten in 22 years taking just over 7 days. All bashing to windward is forgotten after a couple of days ashore at happy hour and working on the boat in 80 degrees.
Next year will be the start of the next decade of the NARC Rally and I am sure it will grow with help from our partners in St. Maarten. We had three Swans in our Swan Program and all three crews agreed they were on the best boat with the best skippers.
In their own words:
Hank, Thanks for the note. We were very fortunate to have Johnathan as a skipper. He took the time to give us an excellent orientation to the boat and provided outstanding instruction and guidance throughout the trip. Swan 48 Catch-22
I couldn't have asked for a better skipper, crew, boat and overall offshore experience. Hopefully I will find additional opportunities with OPO.
Happy Thanksgiving! I just signed up as an OPO member using the custom amount in the Swan program/custom payment. Thanks for a great trip on Aphrodite with Murray and a fantastic crew. After trips both North and South with the Swan Program I am now looking for my next adventure. Swan 68 Aphrodite
Next year we will depart on Saturday October 31st, or best weather window after that date. The Swan Program passages have been filling up quickly. If you need to plan well ahead of time or you know you want to sign up for the Swan NARC Rally next November, please let me know.
Heineken Regatta – Monday March 2nd to Monday March 9th.
This will be our 4th year sponsoring the Cruising Division. Cruising Division means roller furling genoa and taking only two hours to get the boat ready. Cruising Division is making the 10:30 bridge instead of 8:30 am each morning. Cruising Division means a dip in our own private pool after the race. We have the same villa as we had last year with a private pool overlooking the race Village in St. Maarten. Last year we had every meal in the house after a visit to race village. Here is a link to the villa. We also rent two cars to move us around.
Here is the link you requested of the villa:
https://www.islandpropertiesonline.com/st-maarten-villas/vista-almond-grove-st-maarten
The option to stay on the boat is full with 4 crew already staying on the boat. We have one private Queen size suite with private bath and another room for two singles with private bath in the mail house. If you would like to join us for 5 days of sailing (7 nights in the villa) in the 40th Annual Heineken regatta please let me know. $2500 to stay in the villa (or just $750 more for your spouse to join you) $3250 for a couple. This includes the cars, the boat, the 5 star villa and all entry fees. It does not include food and drinks. We will divide the provisions by the number of crew. Last year it was about $225 per person which was food and drink for the week since we ate in most days.
If interested you e-mail me before making a $500 deposit on our www.sailopo.com web site. The balance is not due until the end of January.
This is a great opportunity to treat yourself to a fun week at the Heineken Regatta sailing on a Swan 48 in the Island Time Division. Our rented villa overlooks the Regatta Venue and we have our own private pool Monday to Monday. If interested please give me a call with any questions you have so we can solidify our crew in advance.
Dominica – YAW week is from March 15th to March 21st. Sail on a Swan for only $750 a week! This is a two week trip including the sail to and from Dominica. Crew need to fly into St. Maarten Thursday 12 March and fly home from St. Maarten two weeks later on Wednesday March 25th. It is a 24 to 26 hour sail to and from the island and we spend about a week exploring the island. There is an option to stay ashore for about $65 & $75 a night in a very nice and comfortable mountain/rain forest setting. This is the 5th annual YAW and our 12th or 15th visit to Dominica over the last eight years. Please plan to join us for two weeks. Since we like to sail down with a full crew, we offer a very good deal. Two weeks in the Caribbean for $1,500 plus splitting provisions (About $200 for 2 weeks) Everything else included from boat to linen to fuel etc) and about $450 $550 more if you want to stay ashore for a full middle week of the two week vacation. (Plus we rent a car to get back and forth, so we split the car rental fee among the crew.) Again if interested you can make a $500 deposit on the www.sailopo.com web site and the balance is not due until the end of January. You pay for the room directly to the owners when we arrive. I do not profit from this transaction. I have stayed here with my wife twice over the last few years and she likes to stay, but will not be joining us this year since she will already have been in the Caribbean for 5 weeks by YAW.
Swan Offshore Program – The May return Swan Passage is my favorite passage. We start in warm trade wind conditions and work into more challenging sailing the 2nd leg from Bermuda to Newport. Two boats are already filled for the May passage so if you wish to join us please let me know. The dates are to fly into St. Maarten on Thursday or Friday April 30th or May 1st and move right aboard the boat. We will be in Newport RI two weeks later so you can plan to fly home Saturday evening or Sunday morning May 16th or 17th. The cost is $3250 per person all-inclusive except travel to and from the boat and meals and drinks ashore. If interested you can place a $500 deposit on the www.sailopo.com web site and the balance is not due until 45 days before the passage. Please feel free to call or e-mail if you have any questions and to make sure we still have room. We only have a couple of berths left. 631-423-4988
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Swan Offshore Program
Avocation Winter Schedule
Editorial – We usually celebrate Halloween in Newport RI getting ready to depart for the Caribbean in our own NARC Rally. This year we picked an earlier departure and arrived in Bermuda by October r 31st so got our Halloween and “All Saints Day” in Bermuda
The 20th Annual NARC Rally had 16 with a small fleet of 4 departing from Little Creek Virginia. All told we had over 30 members between sailing in the Swan Program and in about half the privately owned boats in the fleet. . We do not charge for the rally and only organize it to make it more fun for the crew who sign up in the Swan Program and to offer and create more sailing opportunities for our members.
November is also a short “Notice to OPO Mariners” since I am in Bermuda and we are getting ready for the first of out three parties in 5 days on the island. Please try and plan to join us for the 21st next year.
I fly home November 21st and will immediately start work on finishing up our plans for the winter season in the Caribbean. We have the dates for the Heineken regatta and the 5th Annual “Yachtie Appreciation Week” in Dominica as well as the May return passage and I have repeated that information from our October Notice. If you wish to join us for any of the events please let me know and we can take care of getting you ready to join us when I get home towards the end of this month.
We have luxurious accommodations in St. Maarten for the regatta and we sponsor the Cruising Division. We donated the mooring field in Dominica and started the event called “Yachtie Appreciation Week”. There is an option to stay ashore in Dominica where your view up on the hill is looking at the rain forest in one direction and the Caribbean Sea on the other. These are truly two unique adventure travel vacations and very limited to small crews. It is priced very well and a lot cheaper than anything else of the same quality. Race aboard or sail on a Swan 48 and stay in a $7500 a week villa at the busiest week of the year and special accommodations in Dominica because we know the owners through our contacts in Dominica. I hope you will join us.
I fly home November 21st, but will check e-mail through Nov 4th and then again after November 12th to 21st from St. Maarten. Cathy has been sending out crew request notices while I am at sea.
Heineken Regatta – Monday March 2nd to Monday March 9th.
This will be our 4th year sponsoring the Cruising Division. Cruising Division means roller furling genoa and taking only two hours to get the boat ready. We have the same villa as we had last year with a private pool overlooking the race Village in St. Maarten. Last year we had every meal in the house after a visit to race village. There is also an option to stay on the boat since parts of the race rules are to have some crew stay on the boat. We do not strip the boat and there are no sails flaked down below so it is a comfortable stay. The crew on the boat still come up to dinner at the house if they wish. We also rent two cars to move us around.
If you would like to join us for 5 days of sail off the island of St. Maarten in the 40th Annual Heineken regatta please let me know. This is aboard our own Swan 48 Avocation. The price is $1750 to stay on the boat and $2500 to stay in the villa or $3250 for a couple. This includes the cars, the boat, the 5 star villa and all entry fees. It does not include food and drinks. We will divide the provisions by the number of crew. Last year it was about $200 per person which was food and drink for the week since we ate in most days.
If interested you can make a $500 deposit on the www.sailopo.com web site and the balance is not due until the end of January.
Annual Dominica Visit – YAW week is from March 15th to March 21st. With the sail to and from Dominica crew need to fly into St. Maarten Thursday 12 March and fly home from St. Maarten almost two weeks later on Wednesday March 25th. It is a 24 to 26 hour sail to and from the island and we spend about a week exploring the island. There is an option to stay ashore for about $75 a night in a very nice and comfortable mountain/rain forest setting. This is the 5th annual YAW and our 12th or 15th visit to Dominica over the last eight years. Please plan to join us for two weeks. Since we like to sail down with a full crew ready to see the island, (half can stay ashore) and plan to spread a little money around a very poor island, we offer a very good deal. Two weeks in the Caribbean for $1500 plus splitting provisions (About $100 a day. Everything else included from boat to linen to fuel etc) and about $500 more if you want to stay ashore for a full middle week of the two week vacation. (Plus we rent a car to get back and forth, so we split the car rental fee among the crew.) Again if interested you can make a $500 deposit on the www.sailopo.com web site and the balance is not due until the end of January.
Swan Offshore Program – The May return Swan Passage is my favorite passage. We start in warm trade wind conditions and work into more challenging sailing the 2nd leg from Bermuda to Newport. One boat is already filled for the May passage so if you wish to join us please let me know. OPO members do not even need to place a deposit down now. I will hold a berth and let you know before it fills up. The June trip is full so this is the only offshore long passage in the Swan Program next spring that is still available. Return Passage is $3250 per person all-inclusive except travel to and from the bat and meals and drinks ashore. If interested you can make a $500 deposit on the www.sailopo.com web site and the balance is not due until 45 days before the passage.
Avocation Winter Schedule - This is the first years we have no plans to visit the BVI. Last year the charges us $841 in fees to visit for 8 days and were charges $13.50 for one painkiller. It is a great place to spend a week if you do not minds spending like you are there for just one week, but there are many other places to visit in the Caribbean. I will let members know in the December 1st Notice if we have any plans to offer any one week or bit longer options to join us this winter. The main issue picking dates has nothing to do with sailing and more to do with my 85 year old mother who needs her children around more.
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Annapolis Boat Show
Annual Dues
Swan Offshore Program
Avocation Winter Schedule
Editorial – I spent this past weekend at the Maryland Yacht Club Seven Sea Cruising association Gam. One entry from the NARC Rally was there and we signed up another boat to depart from Little Creek Virginia. We expect the same number of boats as last year departing from Little Creek. Last year we have 5 boats. I am pretty sure one of the two skippers will be looking for one more crew for the passage. Most of the members seemed to be taking the ICW or hopping down to Florida to go to the Bahamas.
We expect our Newport NARC Fleet to grow to twice last year’s 20 boats. We are finalizing plans and putting together the final lists to forward to our port sponsors. All three Swans in the Swan Program are full as well as a Swan 65 in the ARC. We will continue to send out more crew opportunities for the next few weeks until the end of the fall migration. If you hear of anyone looking for crew please do tell them about us.
Annapolis Boat Show – We depart early Monday morning from Huntington NY to sail thought NY City and then down to the Annapolis Boat Show. The sail to and from the show is a great way to make sure everything is working fine before the passage south in the NARC Rally at the end of the month. I will be at the show Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Since we do not have an exhibit at the show I cannot offer anyone a free ticket.
I always like to meet up with members at the show. Andy Shell e-mailed me this week that he made last minuet plans and will have his Swan 57 “ICE BEAR” in the show. Plan to stop by and see the boat and his program. This will also be where we can plan to meet towards the end of each day. Let’s meet at Andy’s (and Mia’s) boat at 5:00 pm to say and maybe make plans for each evening. Friday evening at 6:30 to 8:00 Andy has a function at the Federal House, but I think it is sold out. There are bars right next to the Federal House and we can make plans after if you can’t get in. If you see me walking around the show stop me and say hi.
Annual Dues – Thanks to the majority of members who paid their annual dues. Charlie Doane’s books, The Sea is Not Full have arrived in my office and I am posting them a few each day. My friend, John Kretchmer, was the main speaker at the SCCA Gam this past Saturday night and sat at our table for dinner. He mentioned what a good book Charlie wrote and how it was a shame most people will never read it. I agree. You can buy it on Kindle or Amazon. The 20th Anniversary T-Shirts are being mailed to us this week and I will be sending them out after the Annapolis Boat Show. If you asked for a T-Shirt and are planning to be at the Annapolis Boat Show let me know and I will try and remember to bring it to the show.
At the end of the week I will reserve some time to update the 2020 active roster. If you stop getting the # e-mails and the November “Notice to OPO Mariners” you know you did not pay your dues. If you did not pay your dues yet and wish to stay on the list, just e-mail me and tell me you plan to pay soon and I will keep you active and can remind you again if need be. It is much easier to keep you in the system than to take you out and then add you back in when you realize you are dropped. OPO membership continues to grow a little each year and we have about 375 active members.
Avocation Winter Schedule – While we have not decided the full schedule since we have been so busy, we do have the dates for the Heineken regatta.
Heineken Regatta – Monday March 2nd to Monday March 9th.
This will be our 4th year sponsoring the Cruising Division. Cruising Division means roller furling genoa and taking only two hours to get the boat ready. We have the same villa as we had last year with a private pool overlooking the race Village in St. Maarten. Last year we had every meal in the house after a visit to race village. There is also an option to stay on the boat since part of the race rules are to have some crew stay on the boat. We do not strip the boat and there are no sails flaked down below so it is a comfortable stay. The crew on the boat still come up to dinner at the house if they wish. We also rent two cars to move us around.
If you would like to join us for 5 days of sail off the island of St. Maarten in the 40th Annual Heineken regatta please let me know. This is aboard our own Swan 48 Avocation. The price is $1750 to stay on the boat and $2500 to stay in the villa or $3250 for a couple. This includes the cars, the boat, the 5 star villa and all entry fees. It does not include food and drinks. We will divide the provisions by the number of crew. Last year it was about $200 per person which was food and drink for the week since we ate in most days.
If interested you can make a $500 deposit on the www.sailopo.com web site and the balance is not due until the end of January.
Annual Dominica Visit – YAW week is from March 15th to March 21st. With the sail to and from Dominica crew need to fly into St. Maarten Thursday 12 March and fly home from St. Maarten almost two weeks later on Wednesday March 25th. It is a 24 to 26 hour sail to and from the island and we spend about a week exploring the island. There is an option to stay ashore for about $75 a night in a very nice and comfortable mountain/rain forest setting. This is the 5th annual YAW and our 12th or 15th visit to Dominica over the last eight years. Please plan to join us for two weeks. Since we like to sail down with a full crew ready to see the island, (half can stay ashore) and plan to spread a little money around a very poor island, we offer a very good deal. Two weeks in the Caribbean for $1500 plus splitting provisions (About $100 a day. Everything else included from boat to linen to fuel etc) and about $500 more if you want to stay ashore for a full middle week of the two week vacation. (Plus we rent a car to get back and forth, so we split the car rental fee among the crew.) Again if interested you can make a $500 deposit on the www.sailopo.com web site and the balance is not due until the end of January.
Swan Offshore Program – The May return Swan Passage is my favorite passage. We start in warm trade wind conditions and work into more challenging sailing the 2nd leg from Bermuda to Newport. One boat is already filled for the May passage so if you wish to join us please let me know. OPO members do not even need to place a deposit down now. I will hold a berth and let you know before it fills up. The June trip is full so this is the only offshore long passage in the Swan Program next spring that is still available. Return Passage is $3250 per person all-inclusive except travel to and from the bat and meals and drinks ashore. If interested you can make a $500 deposit on the www.sailopo.com web site and the balance is not due until the end of January.
Offshore Passage Opportunities
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Hank Schmitt |
P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 |
(631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Podcast “Shooting the Breeze”
Fall Migration Season
Annual Dues (2nd Notice)
Newport Boat Show Tickets
Swan Offshore Program
Avocation Winter Schedule
Editorial – Boat Show season is upon us. If you would like a free ticket to the Newport Boat Show please let me know by Tuesday Sept 10th. After that I will not leave a ticket for anyone who asks simply because it means I have to take a ticket, wait in line at will call before the show starts and then get to my booth to open up. There is no reason not to let me know in advance. If you do not make it to the show and do not use the ticket it does not cost me anything so even if you think you are going please let me know. It will not be wasted if you do not use it.
Podcast “Shooting the Breeze” – Last month before flying to Italy I did another podcost. This one called “Shooting the Breeze” by Jeff Wettig. He is based in the Chesapeake Bay area, but of course his podcast have interested to sailors all over. If you are into Podcasts you can listen in at http://theescapepods.com/?p=766 and add him to your lost. Feel free to add comments and let Jeff know you listened to it.
Fall Migration season – Hurricane Dorian is threatening the East Coast of the USA getting everyone attention. But boats will still be departing towards the end of October and the first two weeks in November. We will be promoting our free crew-networking service to owners and delivery skippers at the boats shows and SSCA Gam. What you do not see or the 25% of passage opportunities that we do not post. We try our best to weed out bad opportunities to save OPO members the nightmare scenario of falling into a bad situation with an owner who misrepresents the opportunity. I almost always speak with the skipper or owner and sometimes question their plans. Sometimes they give me more information or adjust their timetable and sometimes we do not hear back after I ask those questions meaning they do not have good answers. We believe in quality over quantity.
e-OPO is also just getting started and we hope to have some European passage opportunities to post this season.
Annual Dues – Annual Dues are due in September. This is our 2nd notice to pay your annual dues. Please pay your dues and let us know if you wish a free gift of either Charlie Doane’s Book or a 20th Anniversary NARC Rally T-Shirt. Many members say this is the best money spent all year. Keep the dream alive for the price of a good winch handle.
Annual Dues are due September 1st, but as usual you have until the end of September to pay. Dues have not gone up in several years so there will be an increase from $135 to $150. Anyone who pays dues before Oct 1st will get a choice of one of two free gifts. (A Value of $24.95) You can see and choose which gift (Book or shirt) on our web site at www.sailopo.com and click on the web store. There is a $10 shipping and Handling charge so please note that dues are $160.00 with the free gift option. If you already have the book and do not want a shirt simply pay $150.00 We prefer checks if possible and if anyone still has a check book and still uses it. Please make check payable to OPO and mail to
OPO
PO Box 2600
Halesite NY 11743
If not please pay online. We will mail you your free gift towards the end of September. If ordering the t-Shirt please make sure you let us know what size.
Boat Show Season – We will have a booth at the Newport Boat Show September 12th to the 15th. Since we have a booth we can offer one free ticket to each member who has paid their annual dues. Please let me know if you would like a ticket and I will leave it for you at the “Will Call” desk outside the main show office. Note this year it will be in a new location closer to the Seaman’s Church Institute. This is up to a $35 value.
After Newport I will be exhibiting at the SSCA Gam near Annapolis MD the weekend of September 27th to 29th. We will be promoting our crew network to the many boat owners who are making passages or planning to make an offshore passage soon and may need crew. If you will be attending the Seven Sea Cruising Association Gam I will see you there.
Swan Offshore Program
The Annapolis Trip is Full
Avocation and Aphrodite with Murray are almost full for the NARC Rally
The ARC Is full
The Avocation May return trip is half full
I took our 4th deposit for the June trip to Bermuda in May
We have a 3rd Swan and 2nd Swan 48 added to our Swan Fleet. Pro skipper Johnathan Ishmael will skipper the boat. Johnathan has made the passage with our Swan Fleet about a dozen times. He will be flying from New Zealand to join us.
The May and June trips are great 1st time offshore passages. In June we only have one boat and 10 berths. You only need one week for this trip. I tell you so far in advance only because almost half the berths are spoken for.
Please let me know if you want to join us for a Swan Passage in our Swan Program.
Avocation Winter Schedule – I will be planning out Winter Schedule for Avocation this month. OPO members will get advance notice to join us. We may bypass BVI this year since they charged us over $750 for an 8 day visit last year. Crazy Cruising Permit fees.
We know the Heineken Regatta will once be on the schedule as this will be our 5th years sponsoring the Cruising Division. Also Dominica should be on the list with the 5th Annual Yachtie Appreciation Week. This will be the first year we are not helping organize the event, but still plan on attending.
I am also thinking of a trip from St. Maarten to St. Croix, the Spanish Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. If we have any OPO members that wish to charter the boat for a party of their own, I will also entertain that idea and itinerary. We like to try and accommodate OPO members requests.
I will send OPO members the itinerary once we have put it together.
Offshore Passage Opportunities
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Hank Schmitt |
P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 |
(631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial - Woodstock trivia
Annual Dues
Gold Card Membership
Newport Boat Show Tickets
e-OPO
Swan Offshore Program - OPO Members placement guarantee
Editorial - We have had a web site at www.sailopo.com since 1996, pretty ancient in the web world. Our 4th iteration went live August 1st. Please take a look at the new site at the same address www.sailopo.com . All the Swan Passage Opportunities have the correct dates. The new www.e-opo.com will go live later this month and will start our expansion into Europe so we may provide more offshore passage opportunities to our members and invite Europeans to take advantage of our services.
Woodstock Trivia – If everyone who said they were at Woodstock 50 years ago were there, it would number in the millions. Last Sunday the NY Times reprinted the picture they had on their Sunday Times cover 50 years ago. Trivia Question: “Who is the one woman in the picture that you can make out?” Answer: That’s my wife’s sister Eleanor. She told her parent she was visiting friends for the weekend. She was busted when her parents saw the Sunday Times. She still has the Concert Ticket since no one collected them at the gate. And yes she admits it was a mess as she lost her friends and her shoes that weekend and had to hitch hike back to Queens NY.
Annual Dues – Annual Dues are due in September. Annual Dues are due September 1st, but as usual you have until the end of September to pay. Dues have not gone up in several years so there will be an increase from $135 to $150. Anyone who pays dues before Oct 1st will get a choice of one of two free gifts. (A Value of $24.95) You can see and choose which gift (Book or shirt) on our web site at www.sailopo.com and click on the web store. There is a $10 shipping and Handling charge so please note that dues are $160.00 with the free gift option. If you already have the book and do not want a shirt simply pay $150.00 We prefer checks if possible and if anyone still has a check book and still uses it. Please make check payable to OPO and mail to
OPO
PO Box 2600
Halesite NY 11743
If not please pay online. We will mail you your free gift towards the end of September. If ordering the t-Shirt please make sure you let us know what size.
Gold Card Membership-We set up a Gold Card membership a few years back to try and make sure we sent good crew to Swan Owners who might contact us to get crew. Back then I was president of the American Swan Association and we wanted to make sure we did not get a bad reputation among Swan owners by sending a bad crew to Swan owners and the word got around. So Gold Card members are members who sailed with us and whom we got to know well enough to be both good sailing crew and pleasant people. The one big advantage of being a Gold Card Members is being able to tell a skipper looking for crew that you are a Gold Card member and explain what that means. It might help get you aboard. It costs $25 more to be a Gold Card member and does not get you any more “crew request” postings than any other member, but you are welcome to continue to be so for bragging rights. If you think you should be a Gold Card Member you can petition to become one if you have sailed with us or one of our Swam Skippers who can sign you off as being a very good crew and nice person.
Boat Show Season – We will have a booth at the Newport Boat Show September 12th to the 15th. Since we have a booth we can offer one free ticket to each member who has paid their annual dues. Please let me know if you would like a ticket and I will leave it for you at the “Will Call” desk outside the main show office. Note this year it will be in a new location closer to the Seaman’s Church Institute. This is up to a $35 value.
In October I will be sailing to the Annapolis Boat Show and spending 3 days at the show Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The trip is full. Since I do not have a booth at the show, I do not get offered discounted boat show tickets to buy and give to members. Sorry about that. But Avocation should be docked next to the show and I will let members know in the October 1st Newsletter if we will have a nightly gathering.
In between the two boat shows I will be exhibiting at the SSCA Gam near Annapolis MD the weekend of September 27th to 29th. We will be promoting our crew network to the many boat owners who are making passages or planning to make an offshore passage soon and may need crew. If you will be attending the Seven Sea Cruising Association Gam I will see you there.
e-OPO - The new e-OPO web site is going live any day. We know it will take a few months and into next year to gain traction on the other side of the pond. We plan to be able to start offering more passage opportunities in Europe and the Mediterranean in the future. You will follow that success in our postings.
Swan Offshore Program
The Annapolis Trip is Full
Avocation and Aphrodite with Murray are half full for the NARC Rally
The ARC Is full
The Avocation May return trip is half full
I took my first deposit for the June trip to Bermuda in May
OPO Members are Guaranteed first option to sail in the Swan Program - I mention this not because I want to get deposits from people months in advance. We always offer the Swan Program passage opportunities to OPO members first. The prices are the best in the business and sailing aboard a Swan is special. However, we have people wanting to sign up month or even a year in advance and I do not want to tell them no. If you are interested in any of our Swan Offshore Passages Opportunities please let me know and I will pencil you in for now and I will ask you if you want to make a deposit before I fill the last berth on a particular trip. You do NOT need to make a Deposit to get penciled in. This is a sort of guarantee to OPO members that you will get first dibs on all the trips. Just let me know if you are interested in any annual Swan Passage and I will make sure we save you a berth.
Offshore Passage Opportunities
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Hank Schmitt |
P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 |
(631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial -
New Web Site
Annual Dues
Boat Show Season
NARC Rally
Swan Offshore Program
Free Paper Charts
Editorial - We have had a web site at www.sailopo.com since 1996, pretty ancient in the web world. Our 4th iteration went live last night. Please take a look at the new site at the same address www.sailopo.com . All the Swan Passage Opportunities have the correct dates. The new www.e-opo.com will go live later this month and will start our expansion into Europe so we may provide more offshore passage opportunities to our members and invite Europeans to take advantage of our services.
Annual Dues – Annual Dues are due in September. Along with a small price increase for annual membership we are offering a free gift this year. You will be able to pay your annual dues online on the new web site and choose between two gifts.
I will send out a notice August 15th with the dues increase and description of one of two gifts you can choose from. This is not a Bill. Do not Pay NOW. I will e-mail you in two weeks. Thanks.
Boat Show Season – We will have a booth at the Newport Boat Show September 12th to the 15th. Since we have a booth we will be offering one free ticket to each member who has paid their annual dues. I will ask for a list of people who wish to receive a free ticket in the August 15th e-mail as well as the September 1st “Notice to OPO Mariners”. I am only telling you now so you do not buy a ticket in advance if you only need one free ticket. ($35 savings)
In October I will be sailing to the Annapolis Boat Show and spending 3 days at the show Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The trip down is full, but I have two berths left for the return trip. Since I do not have a booth at the show I do not get offers of discounted boat show tickets to buy and give to members. Sorry about that.
If you would like to see the Annapolis Boat Show and have a place to stay aboard for two nights at the show and then sail two full days back to NY then please think about signing up for the return trip.
In between the two boat shows I will be exhibiting at the SSCA Gam near Annapolis MD the weekend of September 27th to 29th. We will be promoting our crew network to the many boat owners who are making passages or planning to make an offshore passage soon and may need crew. If you will be attending the Seven Sea Cruising Association Gam I will see you there.
NARC Rally – You can also sign up online for the NARC Rally. We are very excited to be planning the 20th Anniversary Rally. This year is extra special Rally with a full week itinerary planned in Bermuda and a big “IGY Start of the Season Party in St. Maarten”. A special plaque will be given to each participant along with a commemorative T-Shirt for each crew. With a bigger fleet there will be several more free crew opportunities for members looking for a ride this year in the rally. Some people who want to make sure they have a berth guaranteed can pay for a berth in our Swan Program. If you know of anyone planning to sail south either from Newport or the Chesapeake Bay this year, tell them about the NARC Rally. If you hear of anyone sailing south, ask them if they know about the Rally. Remind them it is free and they can take great crew along like yourself. They can look at the web site or tell them to call 1-800-4-PASSAGe. A very easy number to remember.
Swan Offshore Program – We have picked up a 3rd Swan for the NACR Rally. There are two Swan 48’s and the Swan 68 Aphrodite with Murray skippering the boat south before taking 5 days off and then sailing a Swan 65 in the ARC from Las Palmas Canary Islands to St. Lucia. The dates and prices are on our new web site at www.sailopo.com. We offer priority sign up for OPO members and then we ask non-members if they wish to join us. Please let me know if you are interested in sailing on a Swan with us this fall or for that matter even next May or June as people are asking about signing up sooner each year sp we are taking deposits now. Don’t wait too long to sign up even for the May or June passage next May and June 2020.
Free Paper Charts
OPO member Ken has the following paper charts to give away. As he states, he does not have the heart to throw them away. Anyone wishing to pay for the shipping costs of any of the following charts and can use them please e-mail Ken at flowerskenneth@hotmail.com
“I have the following new charts in print on demand format, corrected through June/July. I detest seeing them get thrown away or sitting around.”
Free, but shipping needs to be covered.
Port Arthur TX
11342
11343
11341 – Calcasieu Pass to Sabine Pass – approach chart to Sabine River
Sailing Charts for Gulf to Key West
411 – Gulf chart- big sailing chart
11340- Miss River to Galveston
11006- Key West to Miss River
11360- Cape St George to Miss R Passes
11366- Approaches to Miss. River
11400- Tampa Bay to San Blas
11420- Havana to Tampa Bay
11434- Florida Keys- Sombrero Key to Dry Tortugas
11013- Straits of Florida and Approaches
11450-Fowey Rocks to American Shoal-
Sailing Charts up to Norfolk
11460 Cape Canaveral to Key West
11480 Charleston to Cape Canaveral
11520 Hatteras to Charleston
12200 Cape May to Hatteras
11009 Cape Hatteras to Straits of Florida
Wilmington NC-
11537- cape fear river
11536- coastal chart for cape fear.
Charleston
11523 Charleston Harbor Entrance
11524 Charleston Harbor Approach
11521 Coastal chart for Charleston approach
Savannah
11505 Savannah River Approach
11512 Savannah River
Jacksonville
11490 Approaches to St. Johns River
11488
11491 small craft fold chart to Jacksonville
Port Canaveral
11478
11481 approach to Port Canaveral
Port Everglades
11470-Port Everglades/ Fort Lauderdale
11466- Approach to Port Everglades and Miami
Miami
11468- Miami harbor
Key West-
11477 harbor
11441
11422 approach
Tampa
11415
11416
Mobile
11376 approach
11377- Mobile Bay lower bay and approach
11380 Mobile Bay
New Orleans- via Southwest Pass
11361
11364
11368
11369
Offshore Passage Opportunities
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Hank Schmitt |
P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 |
(631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial –
20th Anniversary NARC Rally
Swan Program
Local Sailing Opportunities – If you have a boat and wish to invite other OPO members to come sail with you, please e-mail me with the details and I will post them this month only. We include two offers in this issue.
Les Voiles de St-Tropez 2019 – If interested in sailing in St- Tropez please contact PYR directly.
Editorial – Last month we announced e-OPO. The official launch of the e-OPO web site and start of e-OPO is August 1st. New this month was the debut of our first video that we sent out last Friday. Patrick Childress is one of our Swan Skippers who met his bride in the Swan Program. They are now in their 11th year of their circumnavigation and started doing You-tube how-to sailing videos a few months ago. He asked me to do some filming and this was the result. He did a great job of editing. I am sure we will get better. I have a couple of ideas for the next two videos. We will keep you posted. In the meantime Patrick tells me to please beg everyone to share the link with friends and make sure to watch it all the way through and to like it etc. Sounds like a bunch of self promotion to me, but that is how social media works. If you like it please share it with others. I want more people to know about OPO so we get more requests for crew.
Here is the link again: Patrick Childress’s first Pro skipper videos.
https://youtu.be/vVHXcKdGAEk
20 Anniversary of the NARC Rally – Registration for the 20th Anniversary NARC Rally will be open soon. I have just been home only one week (and squeezed in a Newport to Southport CT delivery) and will have the rally information in place very soon. Please pass the word on to anyone you know or hear that might be sailing south from New England or the Chesapeake this year. We now have a departure from Little Creek at the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay. We have an extended itinerary in Bermuda and other perks to celebrate the 20th Anniversary. I will e-mail the OPO membership when the web site is ready for registration. We also have a lot of information on the best way to sail to the Caribbean on our web site at www.sailopo.com
Swan Program
Registration for next season is now open. This is the earliest we have taken deposits for the following season. Most OPO members are looking for the free opportunities that come in all year long. However some like the certainty of signing aboard a Swan in one of the four Annual Passages we make. Since people to not need to be OPO members to sign up, some of the berths are already filled by people who are not OPO members, but placed a deposit already. So this is a notice for you to let me know now if you are interested in signing up for one of the following so I can make sure we save you a berth. We like to say we give OPO members the opportunity to sign up for any of our offshore Swan passages. Please let me know if you want to make the trip to or from Annapolis in October for the boat show or the NARC Rally with me or Murray on the Swan 68. We are not posting the winter Caribbean schedule since I have not given it much thought. But you should know that we will be going to Dominica for the 5th Annual Yachtie Appreciation Week in March just after the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta in early March.
1) Annapolis Boat Show – Sail from Huntington NY to Annapolis MD to see the show. Or make the return passage and see the show first and sail back.
Arrive in Huntington NY Monday Oct 7th. Crew change Friday night with new crew coming to see the show Friday and then sail home Saturday after the show or Sunday morning depending on weather and be home Wednesday 16th October. Price $1000 per person all-inclusive except travel.
2) Narc Rally October 24th to November 13th. Sail from Newport to Bermuda to St. Maarten on a Swan 48 or 68. All-inclusive except travel to and from the boat $3500.
Skippers are Hank Schmitt and Murray Jacob. We may add one or two more boats later in the summer.
3) May 1st 2020 - Sail from St. Maarten to Bermuda to Newport RI. Two weeks all-inclusive on a Swan for $32500.00
4) June 13th 2020 - Swan Program passage from NY to Bermuda and back. This is on our Flagship Swan 48 Avocation. I skipper the boat to the island and Tania Aebi has been skippering the boat back the last few years in June. The price is $1800 per person, all-inclusive except travel to and from the boat.
Local Sailing Opportunities
Here are two OPO members who are interested in sharing their boats with other OPO members this summer. Please contact them with your sailing resume if you are interested.
Hank
OPO
Local sailing Opportunities with OPO members/Long Range Planning
Lake Ontario
I'd like to invite OPO members to cruise Lake Ontario with me this summer on my 1996 C&C 36Plus. Lake Ontario has many beautiful cruising grounds (Bay of Quinte & Thousand Islands) and lovely Canadian harbor towns to visit. The trips are free and the invitation is for a few days to a week. The boat is based in Sodus Bay (near Rochester, NY.)
The aim is to meet OPO members who might be interested in joining me in 2020 for bits of the "Down East Circle Route" -- the St. Lawrence Seaway to the Atlantic and back via the Hudson River/Erie Canal.
I've completed six passages to/from the Caribbean, one Atlantic and one Mediterranean crossing in the last five years.
Regards,
Jack Huttner <jhuttner@gmail.com>
Narragansett Bay RI
I wanted to send you a note inquiring about the OPO effort to bring Owners and Crew together for local sailing opportunities. I’m under the impression there ended up not being much interest. I have new-found interest in this as my Swan 40 is ready to sail and I’ll be in the Narragansett Bay area all summer. I’m partially retired, so I’m able to go out almost any day the weather permits. If you know of anyone in New England that wants to do some day sailing, for whatever reason, I’d love to take them out.
Although projects on my boat continue, the partial refit I set out to do this winter at JBY is complete. SWANDA is safe to sail and I’m eager to shake her down. She is currently moored at Coasters Harbor Marina, NAVSTA Newport. You can see her clearly when crossing the Pell Bridge, if you know where to look.
JON STEPHENSON
capjon67@aol.com
Offshore Passage Opportunities
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Hank Schmitt |
P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 |
(631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial - And the big news is…
20 Anniversary of the NARC Rally
Swan Program
Feedback from a Happy Boat Owner
Editorial – I am sure many of you thought the big news would be about the NARC Rally. But the OPO Crew Network has always been and will always be our main focus. Dominica and the mooring field gives us purpose and challenges. The NARC Rally creates more opportunities for our members. But we are all about helping our members go sailing for free helping others move boats. We have wanted to expand our coverage for the past few years.
June 1st 2019, this Saturday, Cathy and I are flying to the UK to train a staff member at Performance Yacht Racing (PYR) in Cowes England. We have known Andrew Middleton and Christian Reynolds for many years competing against them in the Caribbean Big Boat Circuit. Some of our members who races with us have met them or raced against them. Remember “Northern Child” a Swan 51?
While Avocation has retired to the Cruising Division, PYR still offers full-on racing as well as access to the Fastnet Race in the UK and the Middle Sea Race in the Med starting in Malta and sailing around Sicily. Both races on many sailors’ bucket list. However the biggest benefit will be more opportunities for OPO members to sail in Europe for free helping delivery skippers and private boat owners move their boats, just like we offer on this side of the Atlantic.
You will read more about this in future OPO Notices and in your e-mail box as we work into the European market. I will include the PYR schedule soon.
20 Anniversary of the NARC Rally – This is not to relegate the 20th Anniversary NARC Rally off center stage this year. We are excited about the 20th Anniversary of the NARC Rally. I have been putting posters up in the Caribbean and talking to people as we sailed north this year. I have spoken with all five sponsors in St. Maarten that make coming to St. Maarten so Special, IGY Marina, Budget Marine, St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, Bobby’s MegaYard and FKG Rigging and Fabrication. St. Maarten is the place for repairs and provisioning before going to other islands. It has the largest airport with direct flights to more US cities. It is duty free. I carried my new Harken Hydraulic Vang as a free checked bag. In July we will start signing up boat in the rally and postings for crew will follow towards the end of the summer. I still have one more sail from NY to Bermuda aboard Avocation and Tania Abei is sailing her back at the end of June. Once the spring season is over I will concentrate on the 20th NARC Rally.
Swan Program
In the July 1st Notice to OPO Mariners we will start taking deposits for the October trip to the Annapolis Boat Show and for the fall NARC Rally. The passage from Newport to Bermuda in the fall is not the best first time offshore passage opportunity for most people, so please do not be disappointed if we suggest you wait for the Spring sail north or one of the island hops we make this winter 2020.
Feedback from a Happy Boat Owner
If you ever want feedback from a boat owner who has gotten crew from us several times over the years to help learn what they are looking for when you have less experience. Here is how he describes the best OPO crew candidate.
Hi Hank.
I wanted to put in a good word for OPO member Dave xxxx. He was excellent. He rose to all occasions, often on his own. He was focused, and asked appropriate questions when he needed to. That is exactly what we want and need of crew who don’t have the most extensive blue water resumes. No hesitation to recommend him.
Thanks, Bennett
Having the right attitude and willingness to learn and asking questions is a great start to getting aboard with an experienced skipper. If you do not have ocean miles you do not want to sail with a boat owner who has less miles than you do. We once had a crew sign up for the fall Swan Program and lied about his age. He was 82. I explained we are sailopo.com, not match.com so not a good place to misrepresent oneself. However, enthusiasm and a pleasant personality go a long way it getting aboard. That and a decent and interesting resume ready to send to prospective skippers. Some people do call or e-mail references so if you can list a couple that can help.
Offshore Passage Opportunities
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Hank Schmitt |
P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 |
(631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial -
20 Anniversary of the NARC Rally
Lack of Integrity in Sailing Trade Magazine (Blue Water Sailing Magazine fails the smell test)
Swan Offshore Program
Editorial – We leave for sea on Saturday. Three Swans, 15 crew, 1500 miles, first stop Bermuda. Skippers arrive in St. Maarten today, crew May 2nd for departure the 4th. The goal, to become experienced crew to qualify for the free OPO passages where one needs to be able to stand a three hour solo watch especially if the auto-pilot breaks. The two week May trip is the perfect time to earn your badge and have a great time filled with stories to brag about for the rest of your life.
For OPO members already qualified to go we are starting early with plans for the 20th Anniversary of the NARC Rally. In fact next month we will have big news to announce in the June 1st OPO Notice that will greatly expand the range and quantity of offshore passages into the future. Look for the June 1st “Notice to OPO Mariners” for this exciting news.
OPO still sends out crew requests while I am away. I can work from St. Maarten and Bermuda until I go to sea. Last check will be Friday afternoon. Cathy checks e-mail and phones while I am away and can send out crew requests while I am offshore. I will be back in NY about May 19th or 20th and in the office the 21st.
20 Anniversary of the NARC Rally – We are excited about the 20th Anniversary of the NARC Rally. I have been putting posters up in the Caribbean and talking to people as we sail around. I have spoken with all five sponsors in St. Maarten that make coming to St. Maarten so Special, IGY Marina, Headquarters for Budget Marine (Like a West Marine Mega Store, 2 stories), St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, Bobby’s Marina and FKG. St. Maarten is the place for repairs and provisioning before going to other islands and a great place to keep your boat with the best flight from the US.
When I arrive in Bermuda May 9th for three days I have meeting with Bermuda Yacht Services and The St. Georges Dinghy and Sports Club to answer the question, “How to we make the 20th Anniversary Special” and I have some idea for them. We will keep you posted. Out team in Newport is already onboard and we look forward to having a lot of boats in this year’s rally so there will be free opportunities as well as the Swans to sail south aboard. Running our own rally is one way we identify and create more quality passage opportunities for our members.
Swan Offshore Program – I have to comment on the recent windfall one OPO member has gotten for being able to go on a $3000 trip for free in our Swan Program only paying his way to and from the boat. This spring we had three crew have to cancel due to family emergency or health (hurt back). While we understand things happen, any refund is based on the quandary of getting a replacement crew who will pay to replace you. The first crew that cancelled five weeks ago, we were able to apply his fee to another trip (or get a refund) since we were able to get another crew to go on the trip and pay full fare. The second crew cancelled 3 weeks out and we were able to send out a notice and get a crew to pay half, so the canceling crew only lost $1500. When the 3rd crew dropped out yesterday there was no time to get a replacement crew to pay anything. There are two things in play when a crew cancels on short notice. 1) The skipper and crew of the boat is short one crew which messes up the 2 person watch schedule that we adhere to in the Swan Program. 2) The costs are the same if we have 4 or 5 crew and if one crew cancels then the numbers do not work out and the Swan Program ends. The Swan Program could survive if we doubled our prices or if we overbooked like the airlines and crammed more people on the boats, but that is not the type of program I want to run. OPO members who sign up have to understand that if even one person drops out a gets their money back then OPO loses money as the last crew is the profit for the trip if everything goes well. To expect to get money back when cancelling at the last minute does not work. I had a banker member dispute his credit card after he was told there was no refund. It took a couple of months but the credit card company decided in my favor and I was paid for the trip. We are not a cruise ship, nor hotel. We are happy to make a refund if we can get replacement crew, but if something happens on your end at the last minute and we can’t find a paying crew, then your forfeit the money. If we cancel the trip because stuff happens and it is our fault crew would get a 100% refund. This did happen to us in 2008 when we had to cancel a trans-Atlantic. Everyone got a full refund. We run a very reputable business but expect OPO members to understand that it is a business and I also need to make a living. Thanks for understanding.
Swan Program Openings – The May and June passages are full as long as we do not have any last minute cancellations. The Swan 65 we have entered in the ARC Nov 2019 has only one berth left. Once the spring passages from St. Maarten and to and from Bermuda are done at the end of June we will start taking deposits for the 20th Anniversary NARC Rally departing Oct 26th 2019.
Offshore Passage Opportunities
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Hank Schmitt |
P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 |
(631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial - Winter Wrap
Heineken Regatta
Dominica
OPO Members are our Eyes and Ears
Swan Offshore Program
One berth opened up NY to Bermuda June 15th
ARC November 2019 Swan 65
Caribbean Racing/Sailing in Europe
Editorial – I am back in our NY office for the month of April planning for the May return passage from St. Maarten to Newport with 15 crew. It is also the start of the busy season as you have noticed with the increase of crew opportunities. This will continue for the next few weeks so it is good I will be home this month. We post the free crew opportunities separately when they come in. We realize that many members read the crew requests and monthly notices on a small screen and do not want the free passage opportunities to get lost in the monthly notices. So we will continue to send the free opportunities on their own and save the pay-to-play Swan Passage trips and the paid racing opportunities to the monthly Notices along with editorial about the latest news.
You will read that we have one crew berth open up for the June one-week Bermuda trip since one crew cancelled. At the end of the “Notice to OPO Mariners” you can see some other paid crew opportunities for Antigua Sailing Week next month, the UK Summer Season, the Middle Sea Race and ARC Rally. We are looking at increasing passage opportunities in Europe and will keep you posted to any new developments and opportunities on the other side of the Atlantic. If you are interested in sailing with Performance Yacht Racing please contact them directly.
OPO Members are our Eyes and Ears – OPO members are a great source to help find more passage opportunities for members. When you meet boat owners and delivery skippers please tell them about the OPO crew network and let them know it is a free service to boat owners who are looking for crew. You know the system and how we work. You also know to only tell boat owners with nice boats who seem like nice competent sailors about our service. Please do not tell the guy who can’t get crew because he is a captain Bligh or can’t hold his liquor about us. You are our eyes and ears to help find new good crewing opportunities for fellow OPO members. Just tell them to e-mail us at offshorepassage@sprintmail.com or go to www.sailop.com or call 1-800-4-PASSAGe. Thanks
Heineken Regatta – Many of you saw that we did well in the 39th Annual Heineken Regatta. We admit we had such nice accommodations ashore that we had dinner at our villa every night of the regatta after going down for the daily awards and a drink in the Race Village each evening. The Villa with private pool and deck overlooking Simpson Bay was so nice we have already revered it for next year. Next year we also plan to offer options to race not only in the Island Time Cruising Division, but also aboard a full on race boat for those crew who want to compete at a higher level.
Dominica – The crew of Avocation had a great time celebrating the 4th Annual Yachtie Appreciation Week. With the help of some visiting yachties, most of the 30 new moorings balls were in place. Since we have been visiting for so many years we have our needs and expectation down to a winning formula. Half of our crew stayed ashore while three stayed on the boat for the week. We had a prime free mooring location right in front of the PAYS Pavilion and had a front row seat to all the festivities. Next year we will experiment to see how well PAYS will be able to take over full running of the event so we can visit and concentrate on helping a couple individuals. It is PAYS turn to step up to the plate and take over the care and maintenance of the mooring field. We will of course still visit next year, but not three times over the season like we have the last two years in November, mid-season and in April at the end of the season. We will pass on dates for the 5th Annual Yachtie Appreciation Week once they have decided.
Swan Offshore Program – All three Swans are filled for the passage from St. Maarten to Newport in May. Last month we had one berth left sailing back from Bermuda with Tania on our own Swan 48 Avocation. That leg is now filled, but we had one cancellation on the sail down with me June 15th. Here are the details for that one leg. If you would like to sail with me from Huntington NY to Bermuda sailing through NY City, please let me know and I can tell you how to sign up. You just need one week off from work.
June Trip NY to Bermuda on a Swan 48 Avocation - Avocation will be sailing back to Bermuda in June. I will skipper the outbound passage departing from Huntington NY June 15th and sailing through NY City. Tania Aebi will once again sail the boat north from Bermuda making landfall in Newport. The dates are:
Depart Huntington NY Saturday June 15th (you can travel to the boat on Friday June 14th).
Crew fly home and new crew flies in Sunday the 23rd.
The price is $1800 per person all- inclusive except travel to and from the boat. (Food, fuel, head tax in Bermuda, dockage and even linen and cleaning are all included).
The return passage is now full.
ARC 2019 – In the June 1st Notice we will start taking deposits for the NARC Rally on the Swan 65 with Murray Jacob. I want to wait until I see Captain Murray in May in St. Maarten to make plans when he wants to arrive in Las Palmas and meet crew for the ARC. This is only the 2nd year we have offered berths in this granddaddy of all rallies. We are working to fix that problem by offering more opportunities in collaboration with Performance Yacht Racing in the UK. Here is their schedule for the next few months.
Offshore Passage Opportunities
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Hank Schmitt |
P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 |
(631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Heineken Regatta
Dominica – 4th Annual Yachtie Appreciation Week –
Swan Offshore Program – 3rd boat added to May northbound fleet
Editorial – I am in St. Maarten for the Heineken Regatta sitting on the porch of our Villa on top of the mountain overlooking Race Village and Simpson Bay Lagoon. Next week we set sail for Dominica and the 4th Annual Yachtie Appreciation Week, like Sylvester Stallone said in Rocky # I, I invented. March 21st I fly back home for one month to get the spring season going. Boat owners and skippers are starting to look for crew for the passage north and up north boats will start going back in the water. If you want a guaranteed berth this spring we have added a 3rd Swan to the fleet going north. Besides filling the boat I am looking for one mate to go at a big discount so let me know if you have two weeks from May 4th to the 18th available. I may be slow getting back to you since we are very busy with the regatta and the villa, although fantastic, has a very slow internet.
Heineken Regatta – The pressure is off. This year they added a day to the Heineken Regatta so there are 4 days of racing instead of the normal 3. We are in the island time Division which we sponsor. We won Feb 28th first race. There are only 1st place winners each day and they change your rating each day based on the results of the day before. So we know we will be on the Podium on Saturday and can relax a bit more. We plan to put a deposit on the Villa after the regatta for next year so think hard about coming next year if you want a week of living like the rich and famous or you just want to have a great time.
We sponsor the Island Time Division and throw our own party the first night so we can meet other boats owners who may need crew and also who may be sailing south in the NARC Rally next year. It will be the 20th Anniversary and we are working on the rally already. In past years we did nothing until the summer after we were done with the Spring Swan Program which ends July 1st when Tania sails back from Bermuda skippering Avocation home to Huntington NY.
Dominica – We have been visiting Dominica for the last 8 years. Helping Albert, our ace one legged boat boy build a new boat 6 years ago, replace the aging mooring fleet stating 5 years ago, and helping with Disaster relief since Maria hit them in October of 2017. We have a full crew for the 8 days we will be in Portsmouth Dominica after a 180 sail down to the island and back after the event. New this year is we will have 3 crew stay ashore at Mango Cottages up the mountain near Portsmouth and 3 crew staying on the boat. Rooms are only $60 to $75 a day.
We expect well over 100 boats and will host a raffle to raise money to kick start their new “Summer Relief Fund” that we are forcing on PAYS to put money aside for the winter and help all 4 PAYS members get through the summer months when there are no cruisers and no work.
Swan Offshore Program
Spring Passage North St. Maarten to Newport – The Swan 53 Aurara has not sold yet so she will be sailing north with us. That means Murray Jacob, who has skippered her the last two times between Newport and St. Maarten, will be skippering the Swan 53 and Maurizzio will be in charge of the 68. If you are signed up on the 68 and want to sail with Murray you can switch boats. Just let me know. If you would like to join us here are the dates. I am happy to answer any questions.
The dates are to fly into St. Maarten on Thursday May 2nd or Friday May 3rd and depart May 4th. We will be in Bermuda through the following weekend May 11th/12th and arrive in Newport by Saturday May 18th. If you would like to sign up for a sure passage this May please let me know and I will answer your questions and help you secure a berth with a $500 deposit. The balance is not due until 45 days before the trip.
June Passage to Bermuda – Don’t have two weeks for the passage north. We have one berth left to sail with Tania Aebi on the return passage in June. This is a rare chance to sail with a celebrity skipper (she hates when I say that). You would fly into Bermuda on Sunday June 23rd and arrive in Newport by the flowing Sunday. You have the option to depart from Newport or sail back to Huntington NY and travel home from NY. Price is just $1800 for the week all-inclusive
Offshore Passage Opportunities
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Hank Schmitt |
P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 |
(631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial –
NARC Rally expose’ –Sign up is open for the NARC Rally
Heineken Regatta
Dominica – 4th Annual Yachtie Appreciation Week – We still have room for one more crew. Two weeks $1500.
Swan Offshore Program – New this month ARC 2019 on a Swan 65!
Editorial – I flew back to the Caribbean last Thursday and launched Avocation on Saturday. Boats, like women, do not like to be ignored. I am getting systems back up for our first cruise to the BVI this weekend. We are joining Bob Bitchin’s “Cruising Outpost” magazine BVI Cruise. We will meet other boats owners and solidify our relationship with the staff of this fun national magazine.
NARC Rally expose’ –Sign up is open
2019 is the 20th Anniversary of the NARC (North American Rally to the Caribbean) Rally. While we usually wait until the summer to start work on the rally since it is not our main business, we do want to make the 20th anniversary a big rally so I am starting early. I have already posted information about the rally and a sign up page on our web site. at https://www.sailopo.com/rally
We are not in the Rally business, but started the rally since we were moving a fleet of Swans starting in 2000. We invited others to join us since some of the boats in the rally need crew. So this creates more quality opportunities for our members. If we get 40 or 50 boats this year we will have a good number of free opportunities for members to help sail boats south.
Please do read the Rally expose on the web site. There is a history of the rally concept on the East Coast of the USA. We also explain why it is best to depart from Newport. There is only one reason to depart from the Chesapeake Bay and if you do it makes more sense to sail to Bermuda first. Read why.
Heineken Regatta – We are full for the regatta at the end of February and first 3 days in March. This is our 4th year sponsoring the Cruising Division. Cruisers are our main source of passage opportunities so by sponsoring the rally and getting to know our competitors we tell them about our crew service and help create more quality sailing opportunities for our members.
Dominica – The 4th Annual Yachtie Appreciation Week is March 10th to 17th so this is a two week trip sailing from St. Maarten to Dominica and back.
We still do have room for a couple more people because we have accommodations ashore in Dominica for up to three people. We like to bring people to see Dominica and to help celebrate. If you are interested here are the details.
You have to fly into St. Maarten Thursday March 7th so we can set sail on the 8th and arrive in Dominica Saturday March 9th. We plan to be in Dominica for the full week Sunday the 10th to Sunday the 17th and sail back to St. Maarten to make flights home departing Wednesday March 20th. The cost for the two weeks is only $1500. We make it so cheap because we want you to spend money seeing the island and exploring outside of the town of Portsmouth. Meals ashore are cheap ($20.00 for two of the socials and the final party on Saturday is free). Day tours cost about $75 including tip. There is an option to stay ashore for the week for less about $75.00 per person per day for 7 days $525. Cathy and I have stayed here and we rent a car for the week. Nothing fancy like for the Heineken Regatta, but clean and nice. If you would like to join us for our annual trip to Dominica to see what we have been doing the last few years, please feel free to sign up and sail to this island with us. This is a very echo friendly island where you can get off the boat and explore an unspoiled island.
Swan Offshore Program
Spring Passage North St. Maarten to Newport – Addition of Swan 68 to our May Sail north! Four berths are already filled so we just have room for one or two more crew.- Our Flagship Swan 48 that I am skippering is already full. But we have added the New Swan 68 Aphrodite to the fleet. (She used to be a Swan 46 but grew) The dates are to fly into St. Maarten on Thursday May 2nd or Friday May 3rd and depart May 4th. We will be in Bermuda through the following weekend May 11th/12th and arrive in Newport by Saturday May 18th. If you would like to sign up for a sure passage this May please let me know and I will answer your questions and help you secure a berth with a $500 deposit. The balance is not due until 45 days before the trip.
June Passage to Bermuda – Seven of the ten berths are already full. (Five crew out and five back). I have one spot left and Tania Aebi has two open berths. Details are on the web site or in the last January 1st Notice. We know this will full up, but if an OPO member wants to go they can let me know. We always like to offer the Swan berths to members first before we post to non-members. I will not post the following ARC opportunity until we set the price and offer OPO members that first chance to join.
ARC 2019 on a Swan 65 – We are not signing folks up yet, but we just agreed to sail a Swan 65 from Las Palmas Canary Islands to St. Lucia and then on to St. Maarten in the 2019 ARC. The boat is already signed up for the ARC Cruising Class and we have our one of our most popular skippers, Murray Jacob, committed to making the passage. It is way too early for me to take your money for a deposit this far in advance, but if you want me to let you know when we plan to start signing people up when we have figured out the numbers, I will get in touch with you at the end of March or early April when I am back in the office in NY.
Offshore Passage Opportunities
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Hank Schmitt |
P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 |
(631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Heineken Regatta
Dominica – 4th Annual Yachtie Appreciation Week
- New Mooring lines in 2019
Swan Offshore Program – Swan 68 Aphrodite
Sailing Online and Sailing Movies
Editorial – An easy resolution for the New Year is to go sailing more. Easy because it is something we enjoy. They say a day on the water does not add a day to your lifetime. If you want to get away from the cold this winter we offer two opportunities to join us. The one week option in March is for the Heineken Regatta and then a two week trip to Dominica after the regatta. The Dominica option is only $750 per week.
If you are looking for a lot of sea miles and prefer to make plans months in advance we have added the new Aphrodite, a Swan 68, to the May trip north. The old Aphrodite was a Swan 46 that was in our Program and that I sailed in the 2014 ARC with OPO crew. She just sailed across from Europe this past Fall and is docked at the end of what used to be the fuel dock at IGY Marina in St. Maarten.
Of course there will be a lot of free passage opportunities that will be sent out with more frequency starting at the end of March and all running through the Spring.
Our philanthropic efforts continue in Dominica. The 4th Annual Yacthie Appreciation Week (YAW, which we created) should see the completion of the mooring field which was interrupted by hurricane Maria last year. Last week a 575 pound, 600 foot spool of 12 strand line arrived in Dominica. This will be enough line to connect the 30 new moorings balls to the 2500 pound cement blocks for the mooring field. The line was donated by an OPO member who sailed down with us this past fall in our Swan Program. He had his company ship the line to Miami and OPO paid for the transportation to Dominica. It is in Customs this New Year’s Day and should be released for duty free and should be on their way to Portsmouth Dominica in the next few days. Come join us for the annual sail down to the island for YAW.
Last New Year’s Day we included a list of sailing sites composed by an OPO member who made it a hobby. If you can’t join us this winter we have repeated and updates a list of fun U-Tube Videos, blogs, sailing movies to whittle away the winter non sailing months. New this year is our plugging of Patrick Childress and Rebecca’s Taft’s blog/instructional videos, as they are once again making progress on their circumnavigation. Patrick and Rebecca met through OPO and are about 10 years into their circumnavigation. https://youtu.be/lakH18f2_tA
Heineken Regatta – Come join us for the biggest Caribbean Regatta of the season and the only one we still sail in. The dates this year are from Monday Feb 25th to Monday March 4th. Half the crew can stay on the boat and the other half can stay in accommodations ashore. Take a look at the dates and see if you want to join us for 4 days or racing with time to have some ”Serious Fun” in the sun at the right time of year. $1750 to stay on the boat and $2500 to stay ashore. We have reserved a luxurious villa for one week which is pretty close to the Heineken Event Village at Puerto de Plaisance Marina and Casino. We have 4 Bedrooms for 3 couples and two singles crew. Cathy and I will be in one suite. This place has our own Pool and outside dining area. It is truly over the top and costs a small fortune, but it will be a great week. If you want to pamper a friend or spouse, who may not wish to sail, you can bring them for another $750 so the price is $3250 per couple. We even include two cars to get around. We will all chip in for food for the boat and the villa and the 4 crew staying on the boat will be able to come up to the villa to eat dinner one or two nights. To See the Villa click here www.jennifersvacationvillassxm.com and look under 4 bedroom options, the property is called “Villa Vista” in the Almond Point Section near Puerto de Plaisance where the Heineken Village will be.
We sail in the Cruising Division which is more laid back and safer. This year is the 1st year they are adding another day of racing so there will be 4 days and not just three. Offshore Passage Opportunities sponsors the Cruising Division. This is our 4th year of sponsorship.
Dominica – The 4th Annual Yachtie Appreciation Week is March 10th to 17th so this is a two week trip sailing from St. Maarten to Dominica and back. You have to fly into St. Maarten Thursday March 7th so we can set sail on the 8th and arrive in Dominica Saturday March 9th. We plan to be in Dominica for the full week Sunday the 10th to Sunday the 17th and sail back to St. Maarten to make flights home departing Wednesday March 20th. The cost for the two weeks is only $1500. We make it so cheap because we want you to spend money seeing the island and exploring outside of the town of Portsmouth. Meals ashore are cheap ($20.00 for two of the socials and the final party on Saturday is free). Day tours cost about $75 including tip. There is an option to stay ashore for the week for less about $75.00 per person per day for 7 days $525. Cathy and I have stayed here and we rent a car for the week. Nothing fancy like for the Heineken Regatta, but clean and nice. If you would like to join us for our annual trip to Dominica to see what we have been doing the last few years, please feel free to sign up and sail to this island with us. This is a very echo friendly island where you can get off the boat and explore an unspoiled island
Swan Offshore Program
Spring Passage North St. Maarten to Newport – Addition of Swan 68 to our May Sail north! Our Flagship Swan 48 that I am skippering is already full. But we have added the New Swan 68 Aphrodite to the fleet. The dates are to fly into St. Maarten on Friday May 3rd and depart May 4th. We will be in Bermuda through the following weekend May 11th/12th and arrive in Newport by Saturday May 18th. If you would like to sign up for a sure passage this May please let me know and I will answer your questions and help you secure a berth with a $500 deposit. The balance is not due until 45 days before the trip.
Sailing Online, Blogs, Tutorials, Movies.
Here is an updates list from our January 2018 (one year ago) “Notice to OPO Mariners:”
We thought we would start off the New Year with some fun and a project for the cold winter months. OPO member Kevin Rich retired last year and has already made two long passages with us. He told me his wife gives him grief for watching too many sailing U-tube videos, movies and online blogs sites. So I said: “Tell your wife that you are doing research and making a list for Hank to send to his members.” I have not had time to check out everything yet, but did enjoy “Chasing Bubbles” which I had heard about from several other people about the self-proclaimed worst sailor in the world. I plan to check out more this winter.
klrss258 klrss258@aol.com
Patrick and Rebecca have started a sailing educational blog.
Patrick Childress
Rebecca Childress
SV Brick House
Http://www.WhereIsBrickHouse.com
https://youtu.be/lakH18f2_tA
You can also check Tom Tursi’sMaryland School of Sailing teaching videos.
We also sponsor Andy Schell’s 59 North Blog Site
Below are Youtube videos to watch.
https://youtu.be/BPt9JOzCAaI Drake Paragon- Sailing with his girlfriend in the Atlantic Ocean. A true hardcore sailor.
https://youtu.be/2uBS3HcAaRI SV Delos- Two brothers sailing from California, picking up friends along the way to sail around the world.
https://youtu.be/lAye0mf2A8g Sailing Uma- A couple who buy and refit an old boat and sail around the Caribbean.
https://youtu.be/28TAdDu5L6U Christian Williams- A sailor from California who sails solo back and forth from California to Hawaii. This video includes many stories from his childhood.
https://youtu.be/FEoBn6-hMNI This is a couple who lived the sailing dream for the past 30 years sailing the Pacific Ocean.
https://youtu.be/ibP5IQxId34 Chasing Bubbles- A documentary of a young man from Illinois who lives his dream of sailing for adventure.
https://youtu.be/SMVd-4wfA_8 RAN sailing - A Swedish couple sailing from Malmo to the Caribbean Islands.
https://youtu.be/SMVd-4wfA_8https://youtu.be/cRBQQj2zLoo Beyond the West Horizon- A British couple from 1952 sail around the world in a 30 foot sloop. An excellent documentary.
https://youtu.be/TKm2FX9kKZ4 Sailing la Vagabonde - A young Australian couple who sail the oceans with little sailing experience.
Blog Recommendations: (I added this category and wanted to get things startet)
www.wavetrain.com – Blog by Charlies Doane
www.sailfeed.com – Group of Sail Magazine Bloggers
Movie recommendations
1. A BBC series that can be seen on NETFLEX called 'THE ENDS OF THE EARTH' A three part series about a square-rigged sailing ship set in 1812. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Jared Harris and Sam Neill.
2. 'ADRIFT' A true story about Tami Oldham Ashcraft and Richard Sharp as they sail directly into a hurricane in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
"Longitude" - Starring Jeremy Irons
"Kon Tiki" By Thor Heyerdahl A reenactment on how early sailors were able to sail from Peru to the South Pacific Islands.
"White squall" - starring Jeff Bridges Young kids learning to sail on an old wooden ship.
"Master and Commander" -The Far Side of the World 2003 A captain is ordered to find a French ship in the South American waters.
"Dam, the Defiant" - Alec Guinness and Anthony Quayle 1962 British navy on the high seas.
"Billy Bud" - 1962 starring Robert Ryan and Terrance Stamp Opposes the cruel Master -at- Arms
"Dead Calm" -starring Nicole Kidman and Sam Neil and Billy Zane 1989 Murder on the high seas
"The Mutiny on the Bounty" Starring Clark Gabel 1935
"The Mutiny on the Bounty" Starring Marlin Brando 1962
"The Bounty" Starring Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins 1984
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
NARC Rally
Dominica – 4th Annual Yachtie Appreciation Week
Winter Caribbean Program
Swan Offshore Program
Patrick and Rebecca (OPO Skipper and Mate )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lakH18f2_tA
Editorial – It was a very busy fall season. Enjoy the NARC Rally recap. Next year will be our big 20th Annual NARC Rally. Hopefully you can join us.
Already half the winter and Swan Program opportunities are full. We have two berths left for the BVI two week trip. Just one aboard Avocation for the trip north in May. We have splurged this year on an over-the-top villa for the Heineken Regatta Week. Follow the link to take a look and join us. We are once again sponsoring the Cruising Division. As usual we want to bring a full boat to Dominica and also have a couple of suites ashore for the full week after the sail down.
We are also happy to tell you that it looks like things are working out well in Dominica. As you will read we did make a quick visit to PAYS in November and I think I am wearing them down to my way of thinking. This year should see the completion of the mooring field with 30 new mooring buoys in place, painted and with new moorings lines that are being shipped down as we celebrate this holiday season. We did not ask for money for PAYS this year since they have enough resources to finish the field and put on a good 4th Annual Yachtie Appreciation Week. As you will read I am helping get a few of the business up and running and have promised them one more year of support if they do a few things this year. Those things include a “PAYS Credit Union” and a “PAYS Summer Reserve Fund” which you will learn more about this summer if things work out.
In the meantime of you want to join us for the sail down to Dominica and one full week visiting the island please sign up. We do have some accommodations ashore for singles or couples to stay for only $75 per day. Some crew can also stay on the boat, but there are no docks and we stay on one of the moorings all week. It is a special island and we get off the boat and explore a lot.
We did raise some money for Albert and next week I will be writing an update to those who contributed. The best news is that his leg has healed well and he is cleared to work again on the water.
Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help you move your goals forward. I am in or near the office the next few weeks working on the web site and marketing for the New Year. Please do think about joining us this winter or for a passage this spring.
NARC Rally – The 19th Annual NARC Rally (North American Rally to the Caribbean) bounced back to pre-hurricane numbers with seventeen boats. New this year was a five boat contingent from Little Creek Virginia. Yes, there are now three Rallies departing from the USA Chesapeake Bay.
With a scheduled departure from the US Saturday October 27th the NARC Rally had a two day delay from Newport departing with a blustery 15 to 20 knots but coming from the right direction, Southwest, then West and finally Northwest by late afternoon. Many boats had impressive runs near 200 miles the first 24 hours under reefed sails. Avocation had an eye popping run of 210 miles the first day.
The Gulf Steam was a non-issue compared to most years. This was the 2nd year in a row we were down to shorts and t-shirts during the day before we arrived in Bermuda. A telltale sign of the warm Southeast winds that came in the 4th day of the passage and handed the tail end of the fleet with a slog to windward.
The rest of the month winds were more out of the Southeast than East, which made it very challenging for many boats to get south this year. A large number of boats from the Caribbean 1500 and Salty Dawg Rally also stopped in Bermuda. Weather as a fuel depot or haven for repairs, God put Bermuda there for sailors heading north each year and it is a sin not to stop, so why not offer it as an official stop each year?
If you are departing from the US East Coast Chesapeake Bay or South of it you want to “head East until the butter melts and then turn South” if you want to sail or have to sail as in the days or old before self-propulsion. In fact one of the five boats in the Chesapeake Fleet made it to within 30 miles of Bermuda, but decided to continue on and not stop since the sailing angle was good enough and they did not need fuel. The four other boats made the scheduled stop, but time ran out and the planned book signing party in Bermuda had to be cancelled.
Out of the 17 skippers in the fleet there were three real authors. We had planned book signing party at the St. Georges Dinghy and Sport Club while in Bermuda. The authors in the fleet were.
Tania Aebi, who wrote “Maiden Voyage” Random House Publishing. Tania tells her story about sailing around the world by herself on a 26 foot vessel starting in 1985. Her first visit after departing NY on her first offshore solo leg was to Bermuda.
Second Author, Charles Doane. Charlie was to have copies of his 2nd book “The Sea is Not Full” Ocean Sailing Revelations & Misadventures. Printworks Global Ltd. Charlie has visited Bermuda many times on several vessels. This is his newest boat a Boreal 48 named Lunacy that is just coming out of the Annapolis Boat Show.
Third author, Peter Bourke, who wrote “Sea Trials” A lone Sailors Race towards Home.by International Marin McGraw-Hill. Peter took part as the only American entrant in the 2009 Ostar single handed trans-Atlantic Race from England to Newport RI.
Peter has also been sailing to Bermuda for many years on his own and solo in the Bermuda one-Two. His latest boat is an Outbound 44. Peter is hosting our new NARC Start in Little Creek Virginia.
But Tania forgot to bring books, Charlie was the lone boat making a direct run to Bermuda and Peter arrived late as he was delayed with a repair in Little Creek. Although pretentions to educate steerage passage failed, Bermuda never disappoints and the single word “manicured” describes the island. The entire island from a visitor’s perspective looks great.
The 2nd leg was a battle to get Easting in as the winds stayed just forward of the beam on a direct course the first three days, but eased a bit more East as we got closer to St. Maarten. St. Maarten has bounced back from Irma quite well although the airport is still working out of tents. All the marine services are up and local eateries abound.
Next year will be the 20 anniversary of the NARC Rally bringing boats from the US to Bermuda since 2000. One cannot have a big 20th year without starting with the 19th which is already a rebuilding after the storm season last year. The 19th is now over and we have already started making plans for the big 20th anniversary next year. If you are planning to head south next year or know anyone that is please tell them about the NARC Rally. We will keep you posted on our plans to make this 20th year a very big rally and open up a lot more free opportunities for our members. Please tell anyone you know heading south to think about joining us from Newport or Little Creek Virginia in 2019.
Dominica – While many of the skippers and crew we either celebrating their arrival in the Caribbean or licking their wounds depending on their experience, at least one skipper was not done yet and was thinking to the future Caribbean season down island.
Hank Schmitt, who organized the NARC Rally, had a three day turn-around to finish stocking up and bringing things to friends in Portsmouth Dominica. He left St. Maarten November 14th to deliver things in time to fly home the next week for the American Thanksgiving holiday. First on the list was a new Aiken Dive Compressor for Dive Master and Dive shop owner Fabien Honore in Portsmouth Dominica. This past August Fabien e-mailed Hank asking him if he could pick up a dive compressor in Newark NJ, not too far away from Hank’s Long Island New York home. That one word yes, turned into a six week logistical adventure lugging the 140 lb. skid mounted machinery in a car and then by boat for the next several weeks lashed below to the main salon table. Miraculously there was not a scratch to the interior teak or the compressor during the 1700 miles delivery by sea. We are happy to announce that there is now a fully operational Dive Shop in Portsmouth Dominica.
We also dropped off some bottom paint to paint the 30 new moorings to complete the mooring field. The 30 new moorings are numbered and has “PAYS” written on the side. As we go to press new mooring lines are being shipped to the island and we expect the entire new mooring field to be in place by the 4th Annual Yachtie Appreciation Week March 10th to 17th 2019.
During the quick 36 hour stop in Dominica we also consulted with Jeff Frank, President of Pays, about his new “Seabird Bar and Grill” that will be open this season. The new equipment was already in place. Andrew O’Brien, also known as Cobra, is taking back his “Bush Bar” at the head if the Indian River, to offer a few more amenities to those that make it to the “Heart of Darkness” up the Indian River.
Many sailors have been bypassing Portsmouth Dominica over the years. Now you have more reasons than even to stop in and see the changes and how PAYS is working to make this a number one stop for eco-tourism in the Caribbean.
Caribbean Winter sailing opportunities with OPO
BVI Week – We plan to start off the season with a visit to the BVI in Support of their “Welcome Back to the BVI’s” flotilla. I have signed us up to join the Cruising Outpost Flotilla. We have been a longtime supporter of Bob and his magazines over the years so we decided to give his event a try.
Fly into St. Maarten and sail over to the BVI with us (or fly into the BVI Feb 1st) and we will tag along with the fleet. Some people will be paying big bucks to be on a chartered boat. Other boats like us will pay the $100 per person fee and let someone else plan the week for us. There are two options. You can join us for the BVI Cruise only (Fly in Feb 1st and home Feb 10th) or fly into St. Maarten January 29th and stay 14 days until February 13th flying back from Antigua.
Again the dates are.
Two week option:
Fly to St. Maarten Tuesday January 29th. Sail to BVI, one week cruise in BVI and then sail back to Antigua aboard Avocation and fly from Antigua February 12th or 13th.
BVI Cruise Week only:
Fly into and out of Tortola:
Fly in Friday Feb 1st and then fly home after the event is over February 10th 2019. Spend the full week taking part in the Cruise.
Our price including the $100 per person fee is
One Week Option:
Fly into Beef Island BVI February 1st and depart from Beef Island Feb 10th.
One Week is $1750 per person for 10 days Feb 1st to the 10th.
Two Week option is $2250 per person for 15 days. The price does not include provisioning and dockage which we will split 5 ways so about $200 to $250 per person. But does include fuel, dockage in St. Maarten and Antigua and the bridge tax.
Heineken Regatta – Come join us for the biggest Caribbean Regatta of the season and the only one we still sail in. The dates this year are from Monday Feb 25th to Monday March 4th. Half the crew can stay on the boat and the other half can stay in accommodations ashore. Take a look at the dates and see if you want to join us for 4 days or racing with time to have some ”Serious Fun” in the sun at the right time of year. $1750 to stay on the boat and $2500 to stay ashore. We have reserved a luxurious villa for one week which is pretty close to the Heineken Event Village at Puerto de Plaisance Marina and Casino. We have 4 Bedrooms for 3 couples and two singles crew. Cathy and I will be in one suite. This place has our own Pool and outside dining area. It is truly over the top and costs a small fortune, but it will be a great week. If you want to pamper a friend or spouse, who may not wish to sail, you can bring them for another $750 so the price is $3250 per couple which includes two cars to get around. We will all chip in for food for the boat and the villas and the 4 crew staying on the boat will be able to come up to the villa to eat dinner one or two nights. To See the Villa click here www.jennifersvacationvillassxm.com and look under 4 bedroom options, the property is called “Villa Vista” in the Almond Point Section near Puerto de Plaisance where the Heineken Village will be.
We sail in the Cruising Division which is more laid back and safer. This year is the 1st year they are adding another day of racing so there will be 4 days and not just three. Offshore Passage Opportunities sponsors the Cruising Division. This is our 4th year of sponsorship.
Swan Offshore Program
Spring Passage North St. Maarten to Newport
This is my 22nd year making the passage north. We may have as few as one boat in our fleet, Avocation, our flagship Swan 48 that I will skipper. (I don’t think you can call it a fleet if you have one boat, so we will have to work on this.) The Swan 53 Aurora is for sale as the owner has bought a bigger boat in Europe. So too soon to tell if she will sell and if she needs to be moved this spring. Naia’s owner plan to sail her north for the fun of it this spring. We can’t blame them since the spring passage is a better passage than the fall since we start in warm trade wind conditions. That means we only have five confirmed berths at this time. I am sure the boat will fill up quickly this year. Three years ago we had six boats sailing north. I will start a waiting list and will contact some of the Swan owners we have worked with in the past to see if we can find more berths. Please let me know if you want to reserve a berth or get on the waiting list. We could raise the price, but we are doing our part to keep inflation down and will be charging the same as last year, $3000.
June Trip to Bermuda and Back Swan 48 Avocation
Avocation will be sailing back to Bermuda in June. I will skipper the outbound passage departing from Huntington NY and sailing through NY City. Tania Aebi will once again sail the boat north from Bermuda making landfall in Newport. The dates are:
Depart Huntington NY Saturday June 15th (you can travel to the boat on Friday).
Crew Change to fly home from Bermuda is Sunday June 23rd.
Old crew fly home and new crew flies in Sunday the 23rd.
The boat will make landfall in Newport RI to clear customs by Sunday June 30th. You can fly home from Providence RI or make the final leg back to NY and fly home from there Monday or even Tuesday July 1st or 2nd). The price is $1800 per person all- inclusive except travel to and from the boat. (Food, fuel, head tax in Bermuda, dockage and even linen and cleaning are all included).
Offshore Passage Opportunities |
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Hank Schmitt | P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 | (631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial – Annapolis Boat Show
FREE NARC RALLY T-SHIRTS
Swan Program
Dominica Mooring Field
Albert
Editorial – As always annual dues are due each September*. I have repeated instructions at the end of the newsletter to help you pay them this month. Since we are setting sail on October 1st for the Annapolis Boat Show everyone gets a 10 day reprieve to pay their dues. When I get back October 10th I will update the address book and if you have not yet paid dues you will be put in the inactive folder. So if you stop getting e-mail later this month you know you did not pay the annual dues. We thank everyone who did already pay and especially those who pay to help us keep the doors open for the next people who come along and want help upping their sailing game and sailing offshore.
Albert – We have raised $1290 for Albert so far for his new house. I will be visiting Dominica right after we arrive in St. Maarten and I will be bringing Albert home goods items from the mega Ace store in St. Maarten. I sent Albert $2400 this summer (3 money grams over three months) to go along with the free donated wood that from an NGO. The money went for windows and doors and the biggest item, labor, since Albert needs help since he has only one leg. I will make a list of donors and send you an update when I get back in November. It is not too late to send in a donation for Albert. If you already paid your dues you can use the OPO web site and make a small donation. We are truly making a big difference in the life for Albert and his family.
Annapolis Boat Show - Since I do not have a booth at the show I cannot buy discounted tickets and give them to members. I also do not have a booth for us to meet at.
We used to meet on the 2nd floor show restaurant at the hotel by the show, but not this year.
Since I have a great spot to keep Avocation at the show I have decided to invite people to meet at the boat each night after the show. Avocation will be at the Annapolis Basin Marina right next door to the show next to the Annapolis Yacht Club. The show ends at 6:00 pm so we will meet at the boat between 6 and 6:30 after the show. We will then decide where we might want to go after we have a drink or two. Avocation should be easy to find. She will probably be the only white-three spreader rig in the marina. The name is also written on the sail cover as well as the transom.
FREE NARC RALLY T-SHIRTS – I will have a limited number of NARC Rally T-shirts. If we have any nice days for the show I will give any member a free NARC Rally T-shirt of they wear it during the show. Come meet us at the boat after the show any day Wednesday night to Saturday night. I will be at the boat and will give you a free shirt to wear the next day.
Swan Program
NARC Rally – All the Swans in our Program are full. But if you are having trouble getting onboard another boat or if you have just found out that you have time to join us, there is a Baltic 47 also taking paying crew joining the rally. The price is the same as our sail south $3000. The skipper’s name is Andrew Burton. Andrew started the Swan Program back in the 1990’s. He bought a ship model business and continued to delivery boats. He was a full time writer for Cruising World and still sometimes writes articles for the trade magazines. He is an excellent skipper and good guy. He tells us more about the opportunity:
With his Baltic 47, Masquerade, Andy Burton is continuing Adventure Sailing, the successful offshore sailing program he created and ran during1990s to early 2000s to help sailors understand, cope with, and enjoy the challenges involved in taking a small boat to sea. Burton is a skipper of vast experience, having logged more than 350,000 miles under sail.
Masquerade is a comfortable Finnish-built racer/cruiser that has just undergone an extensive refit, including new batteries and a full B&G electronics package. She boasts four double cabins, three of which have upper and lower berths. She also has two heads; one electric and one manual.
During the passage south you will practice and discuss all aspects of making a successful passage, from provisioning to avoiding seasickness to storm tactics.
Andrew Burton
http://sites.google.com/site/andrewburtonyachtservices/
+401 965-5260
Andrew Burton <a.burton.sailor@gmail.com>
Two opportunities to join us in the Caribbean this winter.
Heineken Regatta – Come join us for the biggest Caribbean Regatta of the season and the only one we still sail in. The dates this year are from Monday Feb 25th to Monday March 4th. Half the crew can stay on the boat and the other half can stay in accommodations ashore. Take a look at the dates and see if you want to join us for 4 days or racing with time to have some ”Serious Fun” in the sun at the right time of year. $1500 to stay on the boat and $2000 to stay ashore. We sail in the Cruising Division which is more laid back and safer. This year is the 1st year they are adding another day of racing.
Dominica – The 4th Annual Yachtie Appreciation Week is March 10th to 17th so this is a two week trip sailing from St. Maarten to Dominica and back. This is the same week people depart after the Heineken Regatta with crew moving aboard Thursday March 8th for departure the next day. We plan to be in Dominica for the full week Sunday the 10th to Sunday the 17th and sail back to St. Maarten to make flights home departing Wednesday March 20th. The cost for the two weeks is only $1500. There is an option to stay ashore for the week for less about $500 per person. If you would like to join us for our annual trip to Dominica to see what we have been doing the last few years, please feel free to sign up and sail to this island with us. This is a very echo friendly island where you can get off the boat and explore an unspoiled island
Dominica Mooring Field – Update – We did not raise money to complete the mooring field this year. We sent 30 mooring last season and only 4 were in place for the season so decided not to send more mooring until we saw the 30 in place. There are 50 cement blocks for 50 moorings so they can still use smaller lobster type floats for the other 20 if they can get them all rigged.
Another reason for not raising money this year is to pressure more accountability and more planning to sustainability. If PAYS cannot work to help al its members and also show that they can sustain what we have given them, then we will finish the mooring field next year. I will be visiting Dominica after we sail to St. Maarten and I will have an update on PAYS and Albert’s place in the December 1st Notice.
Thanks for everyone’s help.
Annual Dues*: The fee is $125 if you mail a check or $135 if you pay online. By paying online the extra money goes to credit card fees so why not keep the money and pay the $125 by check. Make checks payable to OPO and mail to OPO, PO Box 2600, Halesite NY 11743. Or go to www.sailopo.com and pay thought the web store.
If you recently joined OPO you do not owe annual dues this September.
Offshore Passage Opportunities
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Hank Schmitt |
P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 |
(631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Swan Program
Editorial – We trust everyone is having a good end of the summer holiday weekend. If you are not on the water maybe we can help you make plans to correct that.
As always annual dues are due each September*. I have repeated instructions at the end of the newsletter to help you pay them this month. I will send out one more reminder mid-September and then one more before we update the active address book. If you want to help put a roof over our # 1 Boat Boy in Dominica, Albert Lawrence, then please add a few more dollars to your annual dues and we will make sure to keep you posted.
If you are planning to attend the Newport Boat Show and wish to have one free ticket, please let me know and I will be happy to accommodate your request. Details also repeated for your convenience.
The fall passage opportunities are starting to come in. I am impressed with skippers and owners that are willing to help with travel expenses for qualified crew. This is not the norm and we do not want OPO members to get spoiled, but more often captains want to know they have a reliable crew willing to join them and perhaps forge new friendships. Some OPO members have no trouble responding to and qualifying for the requests for experienced crew. But if you are looking to jump start your resume and up your desirability, there is no better way than sailing with us. And maybe you need to add passages to your sailing resume. We offer several low cost sailing opportunities to join us on a Swan with a pro skipper. We do not need to charge a lot compared to other passage opportunities because we do not have to pay for the boats. By adding a Swan Passage to your resume you will dramatically help yourself get aboard the free and paid travel opportunities. Why not jumpstart the effort with a trip this fall. To help you plan a sail with us here is a list of passage opportunities in our Swan Program that are still open:
Annapolis Boat Show – The trip down is full, but we still have two berths left for the return passage. If you are planning to see the Annapolis Boat Show you can see the show Friday and Saturday October 5th and 6th, stay aboard Avocation and then sail back with me to Huntington NY. Since this is over the Columbus Day holiday weekend you may only miss one day of work.
NARC Rally – Sail aboard a Swan in our 19th Annual Rally from Newport to the Caribbean. For many people this is the passage that kick starts their sailing goals. The 1500 miles look great on your resume and you get to sail with a pro skipper who can mentor you and steer you in the right direction. Sail with Tania Aebi, Murray Jacob and Johnathan Ishmael or myself and add a great reference to your sailing resume.
Dominica Twist – I will be sailing to Dominica in November right after our sail south to check on our friends at PAYS. This will add one more week to our trip, but if two or three crew from the Swan program want to sail to and from St. Maarten to Dominica and sail home a week later in November (We will still be home for Thanksgiving) you are welcome to join me. Call for details. Or if you just want to fly down to St. Maarten and make the trip with us, plan to fly to St. Maarten November 13th and fly home the following week. Call for more information.
Heineken Regatta – Come join us for the biggest Caribbean Regatta of the season and the only one we still sail in. The dates this year are from Monday Feb 25th to Monday March 4th. Half the crew can stay on the boat and the other half can stay in accommodations ashore. Take a look at the dates and see if you want to join us for 4 days or racing with time to have some ”Serious Fun” in the sun at the right time of year. $1500 to stay on the boat and $2000 to stay ashore. We sail in the Cruising Division which is more laid back and safer. This year is the 1st year they are adding another day of racing.
Dominica – The 4th Annual Yachtie Appreciation Week is March 10th to 17th so this is a two week trip sailing from St. Maarten to Dominica and back. This is the same week people depart after the Heineken Regatta with crew moving aboard Thursday March 8th for departure the next day. We plan to be in Dominica for the full week Sunday the 10th to Sunday the 17th and sail back to St. Maarten to make flights home departing Wednesday March 20th. The cost for the two weeks is only $1500. There is an option to stay ashore for the week for less about $500 per person. If you would like to join us for our annual trip to Dominica to see what we have been doing the last few years, please feel free to sign up and sail to this island with us. This is a very echo friendly island where you can get off the boat and explore an unspoiled island
We normally do not take deposits for the May and June trips until after the 1st of the year, but since we have been getting requests to sign up earlier we are giving you the dates and opportunity to sign aboard now. Just let us know if you want to think about joining us and I will check in with you after the New Year. So you do not need to make a deposit now. I will e-mail you after the holidays.
May Return – If you are looking at the dates for the sail back in May from St. Maarten to Bermuda and then on to Newport they are Thursday May 2nd to Sunday May 19th.
June Passage to Bermuda – In June we sail to and from Bermuda to allow those with only one week off to spend 4 or 5 days at seas. This is usually the middle of June departing from Huntington NY and sailing down the east River through NY City and then straight to Bermuda. The return passage is the following week flying to Bermuda and then sailing to Newport to clear Customs.
Annual Dues*: The fee is $125 if you mail a check or $135 if you pay online. By paying online the extra money goes to credit card fees so why not keep the money and pay the $125 by check. Make checks payable to OPO and mail to OPO, PO Box 2600, Halesite NY 11743. Or go to www.sailopo.com and pay thought the web store.
If you recently joined OPO you do not owe annual dues this September.
Free Newport Boat Show Tickets - If you will be attending the Newport Boat Show (September 13th to 16th) we have a booth at the show which means we can buy discount tickets and give one free ticket to any active OPO members. Please let me know if you are planning to attend and would like a ticket. I can mail your ticket (please confirm your mailing address) or I can leave your ticket at the “Will Call” desk. Please just let me know which you prefer.
Offshore Passage Opportunities
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Hank Schmitt |
P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 |
(631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
NARC Rally
Dominica – Mooring Field
Dominica - Come join us
October Means Annapolis Boat Show (only miss one day of work)
Swan Program
Editorial – We hope and trust everyone is enjoying their summer. More opportunities to crew have been going out than we would normally expect. Granted some on short notice for delivery skippers moving new boats to replace boats lost last year during Irma and Maria. If you want to reserve a guaranteed berth aboard a boat this year you can sign up for the 19th Annual NARC Rally. We have 4 Swans and already 5 people have signed up so one boat is full. Both skippers Murray Jacob and Johnathan Ishmael are signed up to repeat this year. I still have a couple of berths open on my boat and we have one legger making the 2nd leg only so we have room for one person who does not have a lot of time and can only make the 1st leg and miss 5 days from work. Let me know if you want to sign aboard.
NARC Rally - 2019 will be the 20th anniversary of the NARC Rally. The North American Rally to the Caribbean. New this year is the Chesapeake Bay start from Little Creek Virginia right inside the mouth of the entrance to the bridge/tunnel. We have two experienced skippers leading the way. Tell any boat owners you know heading south about our new southern departure port. Boats will sail from Little Creek to Bermuda to join the main fleet from Newport and then depart together from there to St. Maarten or another island of your choosing. In Bermuda they will have the head tax waived and dockage at the St. Georges Dinghy and Sports Club or in town along the wall. They will get a free T-Shirt and there will be a fish fry in Bermuda and a dinner on Little Creek Friday Oct 26th and a Weather Report WRI.
Dominica – Mooring Field – This year we will not be asking for money for Dominica. We want to see the 30 moorings we sent last year in place and the PAYS organization hitting a few target requests (Demands) we have for implementing a maintenance system and also putting in place a few accounting measures to benefit all PAYS members. I will be making another early visit to Dominica in November after the NARC Rally to check in and see how they are working together (or not) and to make sure the 30 new moorings buoys are in place and they have close to 50 moorings in working order. We will be still pay for ads for YAW and will be participating, but I told them no more money until we see results.
Dominica - Come join us - This year will be the 4th Annual Yachtie Appreciation Week. New dates this year are to let the December and January Christmas winds die down to make it easier for boats to make it to Dominica. The new Dates are from Sunday March 10th to March 17th. This means anyone wishing to sail down aboard Avocation would fly into St. Maarten right after the Heineken Regatta on Wednesday March 7th to get ready to sail down to Dominica March 8th to arrive by Sunday March 10th. Like last year we plan to have the option for up to three couple stay ashore while in Dominica for $125 per couple per day in a nice place run by one of the boat boys and his wife, or you can stay on the boat for the week. Singles can have the same apartment for $100 a day. March 10th we will depart Dominica and make one stops on the way back to St. Maarten to arrive for you to fly home Thursday March 21st. So this is a two week vacation with a 24 to 30 hour sail at the beginning then seven days ashore or on the boat and then the trip back to St. Maarten.
The trip is for people who want to explore the island and participate in the Yachtie Appreciation Week tours and festivities, so you will need to have some money for day tours (discounted to $60 to &75 a day, so figure two or three days of tours). The idea is to visit and participate and spend some money. (It is a very inexpensive island with meals ashore costing $10 to $20.) If you are interested in joining us as a couple or on your own please let me know so we can tell you more about the experience. Last year this trip filled up quickly but then couples panicked and cancelled after the Hurricane season. We still went down for the week with replacement crew and had a great time. The price for the two week trip is only $1800 per person if you are staying on the boat and $1500 if you are sailing with us and staying ashore plus chipping in for provisions and fuel
$1800 is just $900 per week if you are staying on the boat. If you want to stay ashore the middle week March 10th to 17th the cost is $100 per day for a single and $125 per day for a couple. ($700 or $875.) . For those staying ashore it is $1500 plus $700 ($2200 total for a single person or $3000 plus $875 (2 people $1500 plus $875=$3875.) The accommodations ashore come with separate shower, bathrooms and balcony). Cathy and I will be taking one unit. This is the 3rd year we are staying at the same place.
October Means Annapolis Boat Show – We know many people are still working and cannot take two weeks or more to go sailing offshore. The annual trip to and from the October Annapolis Boat Show sailing from and to Huntington NY is for people with a lot less time or want to try a shorter two day passage before committing to several days at sea. The Annapolis oat Show is over the Columbus Day Holiday so if you meet us in Annapolis on the weekend to see the show and sail back with us departing Sunday you will only miss one day of work if you already get Monday off. The cost for the two days sailing non-stop to or from the show and two nights aboard the boat to see the show is only $900 all-inclusive except travel to and from the boat.
Dates:
Arrive in Huntington NY on Sunday Sept 30th or Monday morning October 1st. We leave Monday at noon to catch the outgoing tide sailing down the East River in NY City, then we sail down the Jersey Shore, up Delaware Bay through the C & D Canal and then down to Annapolis. We should arrive late Wednesday afternoon or early evening to be dockside by Thursday morning, the start of the show. We will see the show on Thursday and Friday. The crew sailing down depart Friday after the show and the new crew some in Friday October 5th to stay aboard the boat Friday and Saturday for departure Sunday morning to be back in Hunting NY by Tuesday October 9th. If you are interested in joining us please let me know soon. Already two of the 8 berths are taken and this fills up quickly since it is a great way to see the Annapolis Boat show and not having to pay $200+ a night for a hotel room with a 2 or 3 day minimum. You can reserve a berth by making a $500 deposit on our web site at www.sailopo.com and letting me know.
Swan Program – Another part of our summer work is organizing the Fall Swan Passage south. If you want to make sure you will crew in the NARC Rally and need to plan well in advance you can sign up on a Swan with a pro skipper. We have 4 Swans sailing south with us this fall. Avocation Swan 48, Naia Swan 60, Aphrodite Swan 46 and Aroura Swan 53 (With new Dodger). We expect to have Murray Jacob and John Ishmael back as skippers. The program has become very popular since it was started in 1996. (I have been running it since 2000). If you want to sign up the dates are to be in Newport by Thursday or Friday October 25th or 26th and plan to fly home from St. Maarten or BVI Wednesday November 14th. Call or e-mail if you have any questions. The cost is $3000 for almost 3 weeks and includes everything except your travel to and from the boat and any meals and drinks ashore outside the rally socials. Three boats will be going to St. Maarten and the Swan 60 will be sailing to the BVI after Bermuda. You can pay a $500 deposit online at www.sailopo.com
Offshore Passage Opportunities
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Hank Schmitt |
P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 |
(631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
NARC Rally
Swan Program
Editorial – There are almost no offshore passage opportunities during the summer season. First, it is Hurricane Season. Second, boats are where they are going to be for the summer so owners do not need crew for long passages.
Last year we were very busy with the America’s Cup in Bermuda and our own “Rally to the Cup”. We were sailing back from Bermuda last year at this time. This summer I will only be doing a few very short (less than 24 hour trips) so I can spend more time near home and with grandchildren. Ten of them between age 2 and 8. But that does not mean we are not busy working almost every day.
NARC Rally - 2019 will be the 20th anniversary of the NARC Rally. The North American Rally to the Caribbean. You can’t have a big 20th fleet next year if you do not start rebuilding the fleet for 2018. After the storm devastation in the Caribbean last year and the smaller fleets sailing south, this will be a rebuilding year for all rallies.
We love the rally concept and are happy to offer our crew network services free to anyone sailing in a rally, or not sailing in a rally. We started our own NARC rally from Newport after the Caribbean 1500 left Newport in 2000 and started their rally from Hampton Roads Virginia. Since we were already moving a fleet of 10 Swans from Newport (In 1998 we actually had 7 Swans in the 3rd Caribbean 1500) we invited other boats to join us. The most boats we have ever had in the NARC were 30 boats. The biggest reason why we run our rally and offer our services to other rallies is that it creates more opportunities for our members to go sailing offshore for free as many of the boat owners in rallies need crew when they find out their friends and family still have jobs and can’t take off for a week or two to help them sail longer distances.
To help rebuild the NARC fleet we will be placing ads in some of the smaller free reginal publication, Point’s East, Windcheck and SpinSheet. There is no reason to pay for National ads for a reginal event. For the first time we are also going to invite boat owners from the Chesapeake Bay area to join us in Bermuda. Neither of the two rallies leaving from Virginia, The Caribbean 1500 or the Salty Dawg Rally, offer a sanctioned stop in Bermuda. Being in an organized rally waives the $35 per person head tax, gets you reserved dock space and we have a party to celebrate our arrival. Since we had boats depart from several East Coast ports last year for the “Rally to the Cup”, we see there is no reason not to offer two departure points from the USA to Bermuda in the fall. This way there will be more opportunities for OPO members on the Chesapeake Bay area to get a ride from their area and not have to come to Newport.
The third way we can build our 19th Rally is by having our OPO members spread the word to any boat owners or other sailors they meet about the rally. If you meet anyone planning to sail south let them know about our NARC Rally. It is a free rally with a $100 per person fee to cover the socials and T-Shirt. We think our rally is better than the other two because that they do not offer stop in Bermuda. You can get a 4 or 5 day weather window, but you can’t get a good 7 to 10 day weather window. The first leg from either Newport or Norfolk to Bermuda is 4 or 5 days. From Norfolk to BVI is 7 to 10 days.
Also if you want to sail from the US to the Caribbean, the saying is “Sail east until the butter melts and then turn south”. This means if you are departing from mouth of the Chesapeake Bay in November you sail east until you are just southeast of Bermuda and then you sail south so you can sail a nice 5 day reach to the Caribbean. Since you sail so close to Bermuda, then you might as well stop and take a rest. “God put Bermuda there for sailors heading south and it is a sin not to stop” is another saying. So if you want to sail from Virginia and not leave with 10 jerry jugs to motor to the Caribbean, tell boat owners to join the new NARC Rally departure from the Chesapeake and meet us in Bermuda. That way they can sail and not motor to the Caribbean.
Swan Program – Another part of our summer work is organizing the Fall Swan Passage south. If you want to make sure you will crew in the NARC Rally and need to plan well in advance you can sign up on a Swan with a pro skipper. We have 4 Swans sailing south with us this fall. Avocation Swan 48, Naia Swan 60, Aphrodite Swan 46 and Aroura Swan 53 (With new Dodger). We expect to have Murray Jacob and John Ishmael back as skippers. The program has become very popular since it was started in 1996. (I have been running it since 2000). We already have 3 crew deposited for the 20 berths. In August I will invite non-OPO members to join us, but we give you the first opportunity to sign up for the Swan Program. I have three berths left with me. If you want to sign up the dates are to be in Newport by Thursday or Friday October 25th or 26th and plan to fly home from St. Maarten or BVI Wednesday November 14th. Call or e-mail if you have any questions. You can pay a $500 deposit online at www.sailopo.com
Offshore Passage Opportunities
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Hank Schmitt |
P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 |
(631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Volvo Race 9 Start Newport to Cardiff Whales
List of Local Passage Opportunities
Editorial – May and June are the busy months for moving boats around getting ready for the summer season. Besides our annual sail north from the St. Maarten to Newport we are kept busy with one and two day short deliveries that some members can take advantage of. Also next week I sail back to Bermuda with five OPO members and five more will be making the return passage with Tania Aebi. This one week Swan Program option also better fits many people’s busy schedule.
In this issue we also list the local passage opportunities that OPO members sent us this month.
Many of the members posting today can use me as a reference since I have sailed with over half of them. I have listed them by location and what kind of boat they have. I was very impressed with the number and the scope of the list. I list them in no particular order starting with two of the same boats, 21 foot trimarans that I never heard of. We have two OPO members who own the same type of boat. Also two of the most exotic are towards the end so make sure you read the entire list. Of course you will want to contact any that are near you since that is the point of the list, but there are also several out of the US that may work if you travel to one of the places listed. There are also a couple of opportunities to sail for a week or more so make sure you read them all. The two longer opportunities would be long enough to travel to and you can take advantage of even if you do not live near the boat listing. If you are joining someone for a long weekend or longer please try and offer to chip in for provisioning and some running expenses even if they say you do not need to.
Volvo Race 9 Start Newport to Cardiff Whales - Our Spring Swan Sailing Program officially ended with our three day layover in Newport for the start of Leg 9. Four OPO members stayed to visit race village for the in-port races and the start on the water. If you can find the You-Tube Video of the start of Leg 9 , skip to 1 hour,13 minutes and 13 seconds and you will see the camera zoom in a see Avocation 100 feet to leeward of Team leading Mapfe as she pinches up to make the Red Bell right off Castle Hill RI. We were one of two sailboats hanging out by Castle Hill and we were the only sailboat to follow the fleet out past Castle Hill. After that, we port tacked the fleet to pass behind them and then sailed the 15 hours to Huntington NY to end the 2 ½ week adventure. Next month we will start looking at filling the return passage in the 19th Annual NARC Rally from Newport back to St. Maarten.
List of Local Passage Opportunities
I only posted e-mail addresses except for the one member who referred text msg. When responding to a posting please send the skipper a copy of your sailing resume and your contact information about where you live or what your thoughts are on joining them for sailing opportunities this summer. Some OPO members might live near each other and not know that any other way that our postings in this issue. I am happy to try and foster new friendships with other OPO members.
Eleuthera, Bahamas - Sea Pearl 21’ Trimaran
I have a Sea Pearl 21 Tri that I keep in Alabaster Bay in Central Eleuthera Bahamas just north of Governor’s Harbour.
If there are any OPO members planning to visit the island, I go on day sails almost every day that I am on island when the weather is nice.
I can bring 4 adults easily and the boat is very kid friendly
My schedule is pretty flexible and I can accommodate different schedules.
The Sea Pearl has a very shallow draft that allows me to beach her on some beaches that are only accessible by boat.
Sailing season is year round as long as there are no hurricanes pending.
I would be more than happy to show others around my little bit of paradise
Please contact me at:
bferri@mac.com
Moorhead City area of NC - Sea Pearl 21’ Trimaran
I sail a 21' trimaran Sea Pearl in the Moorhead City area of NC. I am also active in sailing at the NC Maritime Museum in Beaufort. I usually do day sails and would like a short sailing resume. Please apply if you are fit and near normal weight. I hold a 50 ton license with towing and sailing endorsements. Ed Miller Edddsad4yb@gmail.com
Annapolis, MD – Bristol 29.9
Please add me to your list. I have a Bristol 29.9 here in Annapolis and would welcome other OPO members on board, mostly for day sails and short cruises. We sail out of the South River.
Jon Gray jgray2676@yahoo.com
E. Greenwich, RI - Cape Dory 30ft Cutter
I would be happy to take some OPO members and their family out sailing, and give them a chance to “take the helm". Will be doing some day sails and short cruises all season long. She is an alcohol free boat.
Where: She lives in a slip at Prime Marina in E. Greenwich, RI
About the boat: Pochade is a 1981 Cape Dory 30ft Cutter that has been very well cared for by her previous owners. I have just finished outfitting her with all of the latest in electronics, standing and running rigging, and new sails.
I have been a member of OPO for several years, hold a 100 ton Masters, STCW, and am in the USCG Auxiliary.
Contact Lisa Goodwin - goodwinstudios@me.com
Boston, MA- 1985 Baltic 35
1985 Baltic 35 based at Savin Hill Yacht Club, Boston
Race every Wednesday evening Boston harbor PHRF, race most Saturdays as well. Most races are fully subscribed but will to entertain any OPO members needing to get their racing fix in. We also day sail many non-racing weekend days.
Mark FitzGerald tongamhf@yahoo.com
Carolina Beach, NC - Catalina 34
Thanks for this opportunity.
My boat: 1987 Catalina 34 (well maintained)
Location: Carolina Beach, NC
Type of sailing: day sails, weekend ocean sailing
Jim Conner jconner927@gmail.com
Baltimore, MD - Com-Pac 27
Yes, please include my information, if there are any members in Baltimore, I would be happy to meet up and go sailing! Here is my info:
Opportunity: Day (weekends) or evening (weeknight) sails from Baltimore, MD
Contact: laura.ladenheim@gmail.com
Thanks, Laura
Portsmouth, RI – Sabre 34
I have a slip for the summer in Portsmouth, R.I. at a Brewer Marina
My winter residence is in Boulder Colorado but I plan to be on “Firefly” a lot this summer. I already have a few cruises planned but there are many times when I am on board alone and would enjoy going for day sails on Narragansett Bay or an overnight to Block Island, Cuttyhunk, or Long Island Sound, as well as other harbors. So please post this info and I look forward to hearing from OPO members that live in the area
Thanks,
Tony Smith tonysmith101@me.com
New Buffalo, MI - Beneteau Oceanis 46
I have a Beneteau Oceanis 46 (2012) that is docked in New Buffalo, MI. New Buffalo is a small tourist town that is 65 miles from downtown Chicago. I recently turned 70; an additional hand would be appreciated. We use the boat primarily for day sailing. My contact info:
Ralph Musicant
ralphmusicant@gmail.com
SE of Baltimore on Jones Creek - Tartan 27
I keep my boat at Young’s boatyard just southeast of Baltimore on Jones creek. I do day sails and occasional overnights and longer on the Chesapeake. May attempt a Delmarva circumnavigation this year and it would be nice to someone else along for the ocean and Delaware bay parts of that if not more. Dennis Drenner <dennis@dennisdrenner.com>
Light House Marina on the western end of the Toms River – J 24
I am looking for sailors to join me on my 1983 J24, named Vitesse, for some day sailing on the Toms River and Barnegat Bay this summer. I have owned her for 10 years and have fun sailing on her. It should be a great summer to sail, with gas prices high, a lot of power boats are not in the water.
Vitesse is docked at the Light House Marina on the western end of the Toms River. Exit 81 off the Garden State and about 1 mile away. Great marina with swimming pool and nice clean showers. Bring the family along even if they don't want to sail.
Even though it is at the end of the river it is an easy sail out to the bay using a headsail. We bring a lunch and enjoy a day sail. I have several OPO members that sail with me know but they work full time and are usually only available weekends. I can arrange my schedule to be available most days.
Kathryn Paul tandemrider3@yahoo.com
Norwalk Cove Marina in CT – Catalina 27
Carolyn and I have a Catalina 27 that we just moved from Haverstraw on the Hudson to Norwalk Cove Marina in CT. We are putting her up for sale in mid-summer and are looking to buy a Beneteau 473 next spring. We are interested in meeting other sailors (in the CT area especially).
Dave Meindl dmeindl22@gmail.com
Coecles Harbor, Shelter Island NY – Baba 30
Day and Short Trips from Coecles Harbor, Shelter Island New York on 1984 Bob Perry designed Baba 30 double-ender cutter, "Framboise". Alan Sugarman has owned the boat since new and the boat is well maintained with safety equipment and electronics. Alan is an ASA Sailing Instructor, with a (lapsed) Coast Guard license. The boat has been to Bermuda three times. Alan joined OPO in the Heineken Cup in 2017. Alan is frequently looking for crew for day sailing or one- three night trips to Block Island, Cuttyhunk, Newport, and Martha’s Vineyard. He is flexible and prefers to work when raining and sail when sunny but will sail when raining. Looking for one or two sailing crew, frequently on short notice. He prefers crew who have taken formal sailing courses or with some keel boat experiences and knowledge of navigation and who will stand watches in the rain. No booze when sailing. No smoking. Alan will collect e-mails and send out a blast whenever he is heading out to Shelter Island. Shelter Island is a 5 minute ferry ride from Greenport, LI, which is served from NYC by the Jitney and LIRR, or can be reached by driving from NYC in 2.5 hours. Alan Sugarman sugarman@sugarlaw.com.
Saint Thomas, USVI - Lagoon 500, 51’ LOA, Catamaran
You can add me to the list.
Boat: SY Pegasus, 2006 Lagoon 500, 51’ LOA, Catamaran, 8-person Liferaft, twin 75-HP diesel, watermaker two freezers, two fridges, spacious. Also, a 14’ Caribe dinghy with a 40-HP Yamaha outboard; nice dinghy. I’m refitting the electronics this week: all Garmin. Also, the foresail is new, and I have a new mainsail coming tomorrow. The boat should be in great shape by July: safety gear, new sails, new electronics, etc.
Saint Thomas, USVI
I charter the boat most of the time between Nov 1 and July 31. However, there are occasions where a fellow OPO member can join me on the boat for a week and cruise the USVI and/or BVI and/or possibly other islands. On or about July 23 of this year, I and my charter crew (Keith and AJ) will be taking her down island to Grenada to get out of the hurricane zone (for the most part) until mid-October. It will be about a 425 nm trip, and we plan on doing a little island hopping as well as diving. So, if a fellow OPO member or two (couples also) wants to join the fun, you can have them contact me. Pegasus has four queen cabins each with their own head and shower, so I have two cabins available: two couples, two individuals, etc. It will be Dutch treat: Everyone covers their costs; I’ll cover any fuel. They need to get their way to STT and back out from Grenada. The crew and I will be leaving the vessel on August 13, but I have a buddy watching it for a month until the crew returns about mid-September. There is a chance that whoever wants can stay on the boat until then or possibly later if they desire, and they are capable and good people .LON GOWEN LONGOWEN@msn.com
East Boston, MA - Metalmast 30
I'd be interested in meeting meeting some sailing buddies.
I have a 1979 metalmast 30 in East Boston. She is a 30' racer cruiser and I'm slowly transforming her into a performance cruiser.
I'm new to the area, I relocated from Chicago where I was sailing in Lake Michigan a year and a half ago. Currently I'm just daysailing as I refresh the vessel but am interested in doing some longer trips. Erik Lindahl
EJ Lynd elindahl312@gmail.com
Atlantic Highlands Marina in NJ - Beneteau 37.3
Hope all is well with you.
You can add me and my boat can do day sailing around the home port of Atlantic Highlands Marina in NJ.
Also have a plan to sail July 14th weather permitting to Martha’s Vineyard and maybe Nantucket for 10 to 14 days, no one have to stay the whole trip, i will provide the provisions during the trip.
There is a ferry from Manhattan to Atlantic Highlands Marina where the boat is.
I do normal Cursing as local sailing.
Boat name: Serendipitous
Length: 37.3 Benentau 2004
Nav: chart plotter with AIS. Up dated
Location: Atlantic Highlands Municipal Marina
My cell: 201-919-7274
Email: nicolasm@euroceramicainc.com
Better by text msg
Nicolas Marjieh
Turkey – Jeannue SO-389
Since we’ve made our own transfer from Canet (delivery marina- France) to Ayvalik (home marina-Turkey) in June 2016 with our Jeannue SO-389 we couldn’t make offshore sailing due to business priorities but we do make coastal sailing trips along Aegean coast of Turkey (usually north to south and back) and to the close by Greek islands.
Any OPO member is more than welcome contact us for sailing together and racing together (races and trophies organized by Marmaris International Yacht Club and/or Rhodes Cup).
Best Regards, Arif & Elena
Arif Çelen arif@celenltd.com
Canada Barrie Ontario (about 45 minutes north of Toronto) – Tanzer 26
I have a Tanzer 26 in Barrie Ontario (about 45 minutes north of Toronto)
She is great handling equipped at the sweet spot between comfortable and bare bones.
Every Tuesday we have friendly races within the Kemendfeldt Bay
I also enjoy easy day sails on the bay and Lake Simcoe
If you are in the Toronto area and have some time to kill.... drop me a line. Jean-marc McCabe jeanmarc109@hotmail.com
Offshore Passage Opportunities
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Hank Schmitt |
P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 |
(631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Dominica
Passage Opportunities
Editorial – We just got back to St. Maarten today from our last visit to Dominica for the season. This crew leaves in the morning and new crew arrive Thursday and Friday for the two week passage back home. We have 15 OPO members on three boats and we will arrive in Newport for the start of the Volvo. Last year we were getting ready for the Americas Cup. We try and stay in the middle of events in our location on the Eastern Seaboard of the US all the way south to the Caribbean. We like to offer and share these opportunities with our members.
Another annual program we like is collecting information from OPO members who have boats and would like to invite members to join them. Some OPO members have boats that are not offshore boats, but they enjoy coastal sailing. Some OPO members meet on passages and become good friends. It is one reason why people join OPO. In our June issue we like to collect information from OPO boat owners who would like to invite other OPO members in their area to day sail and maybe offer short weekend trips in their area. It is another way for OPO members who may live near each other to meet and become good sailing friends.
If you have a boat and would like to invite other OPO members to join you please send us information about sailing with you in a short paragraph or two and we will include the information in our June 1st Newsletter. We will only use e-mail addresses and you can write up the opportunity anyway you like. I will collect them when I get home about May 22nd and will include your opportunity to sail with and meet other OPO members who may live nearby. I look forward to hearing from you.
Dominica-Since Hurricane Maria we decided to visit Dominica in November, February and just this past week to help them recover at the end of the season. Last month we sent you the accounting for our efforts and next month we will have more time to report on where we are and what our plans are for next year. We have no firm plans as we will see how they work on their maintenance program for the mooring field and also see how they will work together to take responsibility for the mooring field. We know we will be supporting them for one more year at least, but unless they can work together we may or may not be asking for more money next season. It is time for them to step up and take ownership of what we have started. Next year will be year 4th Annual Yachtie Appreciation Week and the completion of the mooring field in Portsmouth. It has taken longer than we anticipated, but we are pleased with what we have done with your help and look forward to helping them help themselves to bring this to the next level. You know we will keep you posted.
Passage Opportunities – We are still in the busy season and will keep sending you the passage opportunities as they come in. We are looking forward to our sail back home this week. You should also look forward to your next offshore passage.
Offshore Passage Opportunities
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Hank Schmitt |
P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 |
(631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Fall Rallies
Heineken Regatta
Swan Program (May trip full)
Dominica April 24th to May 2nd (Full)
New York to Bermuda (2 berths left)
Editorial - Just when you think you have seen the last of the snow, we get 5 inches April 2nd the day after Easter. Every year as soon as we have seen the last of the snow the number of opportunities goes up. The snow has to end sometime. More opportunities to come in the next few weeks.
Our Swan trips are full with the exception of a couple of berths with me sailing from NY to Bermuda in June. The Swan Program continues to be popular with first timers and those who need to plan time off from works well in advance.
Patrick Childress sail as skipper in our Swan Fleet last fall. He returned to his boat, a Valiant 40 named Brick House”. He also wrote an article for Blue Water Sailing about the Swan Fall trip that just came out in the April Issue. If you were on his boat make sure you get a copy on newsstands in marine stores now.
Patrick has also started a series of YouTube How to videos. Please do see what Patrick and Rebecca Taft, his wife, are up to. He e-mails from the South pacific
“I am working hard at putting up "How To" videos on my new You Tube channel. I want to put up a bunch before we leave Sri Lanka in a couple weeks. We will then be heading to Chagos and other remote places in the Indian Ocean where there is no internet.
Fall Rallies & Dominica Next Year – We were hoping to have some exciting news about our Fall Rally, but that has to wait until later this year since negotiations are taking a lot longer than anticipated. I also will have a report about our relief efforts in Dominica. I will have a tally of how much we raised and where we spent the money. This will be ready before I fly back to St. Maarten April 20th
When I get back from our Caribbean season and have time this summer I will tell you more about our last trip to Dominica in April and also about our plans for next year. We are not done yet.
Heineken Regatta – I already sent an e-mail out that we did well at the Regatta and collected another First place trophy. That’s two out of three years we have been on the big stage at the Heineken Regatta.
Dominica Visit in April – We have a full boat sailing down to Dominica to check up on our friends in Portsmouth and the new mooring field. We want to make sure they have a good plan to take care of the moorings during the offseason. I plan to make a trip down to visit them in November right after we sail down in the NARC Rally. We want to make sure they have every chance to be ready for next season. In the May 1st notice I will have a recap of donations taken in and where we spend the money.
May Swan Program – (Volvo Ocean race start May 20th in Newport RI.) All three boats were filled last week.
June Passage NY to Bermuda and Back – The trip back from Bermuda with Tania Aebi is already filled up, but I have two berths left for the sail down with me departing Huntington NY June 9th and sailing through NY City for the 5 day sail to Bermuda. You would fly home the following Sunday June 17th. We depart 6 days before the Newport Bermuda Race starts.
Offshore Passage Opportunities
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Hank Schmitt |
P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 |
(631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Heineken Regatta
Swan Program
Dominica April 24th to May 2nd
St. Maarten to Newport May 5th to May 21st Volvo start in Newport May 20th.
New York to Bermuda - Bermuda to New York - June
Editorial – I just arrived back in St. Maarten from Dominica. The 3rd Annual Yachtie Appreciation Week went well with over 70 boats in attendance. This is down from 102 boats last year, but not bad since the storm season. The crew of boat volunteers work at the primary school and we raised money by passing the hat (over $1400 US) to start building a house for a family in need. The most fun the crew of Avocation has was hiking miles into Trail number 13 with 3 chainsaws and cutlasses to clear two mores miles of this trail. Dominica is divided into 14 trials from one end of the island to the other and until they are cleared many young tourists will not come to the island.
We once again thank all those who have donated. Very soon the OPO web site will take down the donation part of the home page to concentrate on our core mission of helping members go sailing offshore. We will have a full accounting of what we have collected and spent in the April 1st Notice after I get home March 20th and have a better internet connection.
Heineken Regatta – This is our 3rd year racing in the Cruising Division (Newly named “Island Time” Division) and the 2nd year we are sponsoring the division. We registered today and they had 99 boats entered which is down from last year but not too bad considering this is one of the islands hit by a category 5 hurricane. By sponsoring the division we hope to help promote OPO to the cruising owners and skippers who are our primary audience. You can follow the race results online and I will let you know how we do next week after all is done. We have 7 OPO members sailing with us and this looks like it will be a great week.
Dominica – One last visit this season. There is one berth left on this passage opportunity. If you want you can stay for the return passage which starts that Saturday May 5th and spend almost a month with us.
Dominica Visit in April - One Week
We will be making a 3rd trip to Dominica at the end of the season to see what help they need to get through the summer. We also want to make plans with them to maintain the moorings in the offseason and make sure they are up and running 100% next year. If you want to join us you would plan to fly into St. Maarten on Tuesday April 24th. We will depart the 25th for Dominica. We will stop in Ille de Saint’s Guadeloupe on the way down or back. We will spend two or three days in Dominica touring and seeing how things are and then sail back to St. Maarten for flights home. This is nice combination of offshore sailing with two overnights and spending some time seeing three islands. You need to fly home from St. Maarten Wednesday May 2nd as new crew arrive the next day for the May return sail. The price for this week is only $800 for 8 Days. This is the last of our discounted winter 2018 storm-season special discount offerings.
We have two berths left if you want a guaranteed passage on a Swan this May. This is a good opportunity for a first time offshore passage or if you want to be qualified after a passage to sail with almost anyone in the future. You will have 10 to 12 days at sea and spend a lot of time hand steering which is a skill you have to have to qualify to sail offshore on a small crew just in case the auto-pilot goes out.
May Swan Program – (Volvo Ocean race start May 20th in Newport RI.) We have three Swans sailing back with us in May from St. Maarten to Newport with a stop in Bermuda. The three boats range from 46 feet to 53 feet. Murray Jacob will be skippering the Swan 53, Maurizio will skipper Aphrodite, the Swan 46 and I will be sailing Avocation back. We already have 13 people signed up for the 15 berths so if you are interested in joining us you should let us know soon. We have decided we will be departing from St. Maarten this year and not leaving with the ARC USA from the BVI. This saves us the time of going to the BVI and also from paying the entry fee. We pass this saving on to you.
Arrive St. Maarten Thursday May 3rd or Friday May 4th
Depart St. Maarten May 5th
Arrive Bermuda by May 11th
(Any new Crew Arrive Sunday June 13th.)
Depart Bermuda Monday May 14th
Arrive in Newport Friday May 18th or Saturday May 19th
After clearing customs upon arrival, we will see about making plans to get tickets for race village or staying to see the start of the Volvo Ocean Race the next day on the water Sunday May 20th.
Crew may have to depart in Newport upon arrival. Avocation will sail back to NY on Sunday and you can plan to travel home Monday May 23nd. If you are short on time you can depart from Newport Saturday May 20th.
The cost all-inclusive is $2500 per person.
June Passage NY to Bermuda and Back – There is no Americas Cup in Bermuda this June, (Last year you may remember we organized the “Rally to the Cup”.) but we have been making an annual round trip passage from New York to Bermuda and back for the past several years. It is a perfect first offshore passage at the best time of year. We are departing six days before the Newport Bermuda Race. Tania Aebi is once again skippering the return passage. Where else can you sail with a celebrity skipper at no extra cost? I will skipper the boat on the way out departing from Huntington NY Saturday June 9th. We will sail through NY City and then straight for Bermuda. Crew change will be the following weekend with crew arriving on Sunday June 17th for departure the next day. You will clear customs in NY 5 days later and be back in Huntington by Sunday June 24th so plan to travel home the 25th. If you need to depart from Newport you can. The all-inclusive passage aboard Avocation is $1500 per person. You can secure a berth with a $500 deposit now and the balance 30 days before the passage.
Offshore Passage Opportunities
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Hank Schmitt |
P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 |
(631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Dominica - Fundraising Effort
Swan Program
Dominica April 24th to May 2nd
St. Maarten to Newport May 5th to May 21st Volvo start in Newport May 20th.
New York to Bermuda - Bermuda to New York - June
Editorial – January is behind us and the Caribbean Christmas winds should be calming down soon. Many people do not realize that December and January are very windy in the Caribbean and not the best time to visit if you are looking for a relaxed vacation and easy sailing with the family. The first big regatta of the year is the Heineken Regatta which is not until the first week in March after the winds have calmed down.
Some skippers and boat owners are starting to call about planned passages later this year. A few crew requests have been sent out, but it is still too early for most people to start lining up crew. We expect a very busy season. Until then we will be sailing with members in the Caribbean and invite you to join us in taking advantage of some of the Swan sailing options this May and June. Spaces are very limited so please let us know if you want to make sure you have a 100% offshore passage planned at the start of the season this year. What better way to start your season than with a long passage in May or June?
Dominica
We have two boats sailing to Dominica with us to attend the 3rd Annual “Yachtie Appreciation Week”. I will be sailing down from St. Maarten picking up crew in Antigua and the Swan 46 Aphrodite, with skipper Maurizio, is sailing up from St. Lucia.
Our 30 new commercial grade mooring buoys are being shipped to Dominica this week and will arrive February 9th. Last August, when I first ordered the moorings, there was a two week lead time to manufacture them. Irma and Maria postponed our order until we visited the Caribbean in November. When we made the decision to order the 30 moorings at the end of November, that two week lead time turned into six weeks with the Christmas Holiday. A winter storm (snow in South Carolina) delayed their shipment to Florida last week so they just arrives this past Monday for the weekly Friday cargo ship run to Dominica. We have our fingers crossed that all 30 new moorings balls will be in place to compliment the eight to ten moorings they have left over from last year. We have hired the same videographer we had last year to come and shoot more film. We look forward to keeping you informed about our work in Portsmouth.
Fundraising Effort – Special thanks to a handful of big donors who have kept us from falling too far behind. We are still in the red, but not by much. There are still a couple more bill to pay, and a final run to Dominica in April to finish our relief efforts in Dominica for the season. I will leave the OPO web page donation fund up for one more month. March 1st , we will take it down get back to our main goal of “seeking, creating, and passing on quality offshore passage opportunities to our members”. Until then we ask that you please make a donation if not have not already done so. If you have had a very good year and want to help those less fortunate who are still devastated by the hurricane season, please visit our web site at www.sailopo.com and make a donation. It is for a very good cause and you can see the results. Any year in the future you can plan visit and see for yourself what our multi-year effort has done. We hope to finish up next year and then of course make visits and promote the island for years to come. One day you will visit and say you helped.
I will have a wrap up report for you when I get back from the Caribbean in the spring. Recent bills have been $8950.00 for the new moorings floats. (A picture of one is on the web site.) Freight to Florida $1318.00 Tropical Ship fees $1695.00 All-at-Sea & Caribbean Compass Ads $2542.50. Still to come: Final misc materials to finish installation in Dominica. Late April visit supplies list TBD.
Dominica Visit in April - One Week
We will be making a 3rd trip to Dominica at the end of the season to see what help they need to get through the summer. We also want to make plans with them to maintain the moorings in the offseason and make sure they are up and running 100% next year. If you want to join us you would plan to fly into St. Maarten on Tuesday April 24th. We will depart the 25th for Dominica. We will stop in Ille de Saint’s Guadeloupe on the way down or back. We will spend two or three days in Dominica touring and seeing how things are and then sail back to St. Maarten for flights home. This is nice combination of offshore sailing with two overnights and spending some time seeing three islands. You need to fly home from St. Maarten Wednesday May 2nd as new crew arrive the next day for the May return sail. The price for this week is only $800 for 8 Days. This is the last of our discounted winter 2018 storm-season special discount offerings. There is also an option to stay ashore in Dominica at the Mango Cottages for $300 more.
May Swan Program – (Volvo Ocean race start May 20th in Newport RI.) We have four* Swans sailing back with us in May from St. Maarten to Newport with a stop in Bermuda. The four boats range from 46 feet to 56 feet. Murray Jacob will be skippering the Swan 53, Maurizio will skipper Aphrodite, the Swan 46 and I will be sailing Avocation back. We also have a Swan 56* sailing back with us. We already have 14 people signed up for the 20 berths so if you are interested in joining us you should let us know soon. We have decided we will be departing from St. Maarten this year and not leaving with the ARC USA from the BVI. This saves us the time of going to the BVI and also from paying the entry fee. We pass this saving on to you.
- Arrive St. Maarten Thursday May 3rd or Friday May 4th
- Depart St. Maarten May 5th
- Arrive Bermuda by May 11th
- (Any new Crew Arrive Sunday June 13th.)
- Depart Bermuda Monday May 14th
- Arrive in Newport Friday May 18th or Saturday May 19th
- After clearing customs upon arrival, we will see about making plans to get tickets for race village or staying to see the start of the Volvo Ocean Race the next day on the water Sunday May 20th.
- Crew may have to depart in Newport upon arrival. Avocation will sail back to NY on Sunday and you can plan to travel home Monday May 23nd. If you are short on time you can depart from Newport Saturday May 20th.
- The cost all-inclusive is $2500 per person.
*The Swan 56 is for sale so we are not taking any more deposits until we know we have 4 boats sailing north with us. If you want to get on the waiting list you do not need to make a deposit, just let me know and I will keep you posted on the status of the size of the fleet sailing north. If we have just 3 boats then we might already be full. We will make the decision by March 15st weather we have 3 or 4 boats.
June Passage NY to Bermuda and Back – There is no Americas Cup in Bermuda this June, (Last year you may remember we organized the “Rally to the Cup”.) but we have been making an annual round trip passage from New York to Bermuda and back for the past several years. It is a perfect first offshore passage at the best time of year. We are departing six days before the Newport Bermuda Race. Tania Aebi is once again skippering the return passage. Where else can you sail with a celebrity skipper at no extra cost? I will skipper the boat on the way out departing from Huntington NY Saturday June 9th. We will sail through NY City and then straight for Bermuda. Crew change will be the following weekend with crew arriving on Sunday June 17th for departure the next day. You will clear customs in NY 5 days later and be back in Huntington by Sunday June 24th so plan to travel home the 25th. If you need to depart from Newport you can. The all-inclusive passage aboard Avocation is $1500 per person. You can secure a berth with a $500 deposit now and the balance 30 days before the passage.
Offshore Passage Opportunities
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Hank Schmitt |
P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 |
(631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Dominica – “Christmas” future
Dominica “Yachtie Appreciation Week”
Heineken Regatta
May Swan Program
Editorial – We thought we would start off the New Year with some fun and a project for the cold winter months. OPO member Kevin Rich retired last year and has already made two long passages with us. He told me his wife gives him grief for watching too many sailing youtube videos, movies and online blogs sites. So I said: “Tell your wife that you are doing research and making a list for Hank to send to his members.” Kevin included books in the list, which I was going to leave out, since there are hundreds if not thousands of titles, but decided keep it in a see where it leads us. I thought why not ask other OPO members to send me their favorites and we can create a master list based on our members’ experience. Here is Kevin’s list. I added the list of books that Offshore Passage Opportunities has been mentioned in or written about. I have not had time to check out everything yet, but did enjoy “Chasing Bubbles” which I had heard about from several other people about the self-proclaimed worst sailor in the world. I plan to check out more this winter. While we are at it I added a heading for favorite Bogs sites and room for sailing publications. Please take a look and send us your own favorites. Just make sure you let me know which category to put it under. It is not always obvious. If the list gets big enough, or good enough, we will post it to our web site. Think of it as our winter project and New Year’s gift to help the world (of sailing)
Below are Youtube videos to watch.
Blog Recommendations: (I added this category and wanted to get things startet)
Movie Recommendations
- "Longitude" - Starring Jeremy Irons
- "Kon Tiki" By Thor Heyerdahl A reenactment on how early sailors were able to sail from Peru to the South Pacific Islands.
- "White squall" - starring Jeff Bridges Young kids learning to sail on an old wooden ship.
- "Master and Commander" -The Far Side of the World 2003 A captain is ordered to find a French ship in the South American waters.
- "Dam, the Defiant" - Alec Guinness and Anthony Quayle 1962 British navy on the high seas.
- "Billy Bud" - 1962 starring Robert Ryan and Terrance Stamp Opposes the cruel Master -at- Arms
- "Dead Calm" -starring Nicole Kidman and Sam Neil and Billy Zane 1989 Murder on the high seas
- "The Mutiny on the Bounty" Starring Clark Gabel 1935
- "The Mutiny on the Bounty" Starring Marlin Brando 1962
- "The Bounty" Starring Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins 1984
Books
- Books Where OPO is mentioned:
- The Sea is Not Full by Charles Doane
- Sea Trials by Peter Bourke
- Ocean Passages by Mike Gemus
- Sail the World by Erick Reickert
- Overboard by Michael J. Tougias
Other Less Worthy Books
- Captain James Cook - a biography By Richard Hough
- Magellan Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe by Lawrence Green
- The Bounty - By Caroline Alexander
- Maiden Voyage by Tania Aebi Sailing the world’s oceans solo.
- Sailing around the World by Joshua Slocum One of the first men to sail the ocean solo.
- Racing thru Paradise- A Pacific Paradise by William F.Buckley JR
- Flirting with Mermaids - By John Kretschner Tales of a delivery Captain.
- The Cruising Life BY Jim Trefethen Learning to survey and buy a boat for your dream cruise.
(Another category we added)
Online sailing magazines:
Now that we have had some fun, it is time for some serious business of philanthropy and doing the right thing.
Dominica – Christmas Future – If you read the article by Alan Ryall I sent last week, you read a story about how another visiting cruiser sailing couple became enchanted by the island of Dominica. Not because it is a paradise, far from it, but for its unspoiled beauty and proud people. Even before the storm damage sailors would drop a hook for a night or two, stayed far longer, and then left promising to return. You can read between the lines and feel Alan’s passion (pain) spill over wanting to do more and crying out for help from the sailing community. He wants to make a difference. He wants to help.
I drank the potion myself eight years ago and have been helping ever since. Just before Maria hit we had 50 new mooring floats ordered to complete the first donated mooring field for a proposed non-for-profit called the “Caribbean Mooring Field Development Foundation.” We had a full itinerary planned*** for the 3rd Annual YAW (Yachtie Appreciation Week) celebrating the completed three year project. It made sense after Maria to quickly cancel the new mooring order while there was still time. Many of our crew cancelled plans to join us this winter. Desperation for food, water and shelter trumps any plans for parties and mooring floats. With your help we raised money to prime the distribution system to deliver desperately needed relief supplies two weeks after Maria. We then made our own sail down to St. Maarten and Dominica in November with generators, tools and food. We had to see with our own eyes what things looked like and what we could do. We ended up leaving money to repair the PAYS Pavilion and small fund as the start of a “PAYS credit union” to help some of the boat boys repair their boats. I then flew home in November feeling good enough to order 30 new mooring floats (reduced from 50) and implement a small ad campaign to promote YAW.
My hope was that this would be the last time I would have to ask OPO members and others for money. So I sent an e-mail to you to that affect earlier last month. After all I am not in the fundraising business. I am in the crew network business and I don’t want to alienate members by continuing to bang the drum for Dominica and asking for money. It takes time to raise money, allocate it wisely, and make sure you have done a good job and made a difference.
Then I got Alan’s article a few days before Christmas. I e-mailed him back telling him that I would be happy to work with him, for him, any which way, almost pleading with him to take over. But then reality set in. There is no simple fix.
Then I started thinking, who, outside of PAYS, knows them as well as I do? Who has been working with the Government Officials from the Tourism Board in Roseau down to the local politicians and Chief of Police in Portsmouth? Who has worked with the president of the Dominican Marine Trade Association? Who has already shipped materials to Dominica? Who is already in the marine business and not a retired cruising sailor? So the question then became how can I even think of slowing down our efforts when in fact, after Maria, the need is even greater? We see how slowly the recovery efforts in Porto Rico are going and that is with backing from the USA. Dominica has no backing from anywhere and is not in the news. As you read in Alan’s article, even Ile De Saints Guadeloupe, 20 miles to the north, does not know the fate of Portsmouth.
So I have made the following decisions in the last week of the year: It would appear that my avocation is becoming my vocation, so why not use Avocation to help bring people to Dominica. So we
1) Cut in half the price for trips to Dominica and St. Marten this winter. We want two full boats of sailors to join us in February. So we added another boat, the Swan 46 Aphrodite, so we can bring more people to both events.
2) Added a third trip to Dominica in April to personally access the situation and plan for the offseason.
3) Decided this is not the last year of our efforts (pre Maria plans) but another two or three year commitment if not longer.
Now we get to my Christmas Future Predictions and how you can help make a difference by supporting our efforts with a January Fundraiser and most likely another Fundraiser in September when dues are do. But first one more rule.
4) Updates about Dominica in future monthly “Notices to OPO Mariners” will be at the end of the issue so it does not seem like it is taking over from our primary goal of helping our members go sailing offshore for free. If you are not interested in hearing more you can simply stop reading when you get to the Dominica section of our Newsletters.
Christmas Future
If anyone of us were in a similar situation, we would not want to be given handouts. We would want help so that we could help ourselves get back on our feet. That is why we are focused on getting the PAYS Association, the PAYS building and the mooring field in place so we can encourage cruising boats to stop in Dominica to visit, tour the island and spend money. We all know without tourism, there will be no money and no rebuilding. By encouraging more boats to stop, the entire community prospers.
The new mooring floats will be completed this week at the Gilman Corporation in Gilman CT. (I will send a picture when they are completed.) They will then be trucked to Miami and placed on a “Tropical” shipment to arrive in Dominica later this month. The government has promised to expedite the mooring floats so we can have them in place for Yachtie Appreciation Week. We have also placed ads in “All-at-Sea” magazine and the “Caribbean Compass” publication to help get the word out that the 3rd Annual Yachtie Appreciation Week is Feb 18th to 25th 2018. Last year we had over 100 boats in Portsmouth for the 2nd Annual Yacthie Appreciation Week. (Up from 25 boats the first year.) The YAW celebrations help get the word out about the new mooring field and will encourage boats to come all season long.
My hope was to have the mooring field in place and self-sustaining with PAYS collecting a $10 or $15 a night mooring fee. My new dedication is to be more involved via phone calls, e-mails and more visits. I have learned that our efforts need more direction and oversight. The new plan is to finish the mooring field (Our 30 floats will join 20 temporary moorings for 50 this season with the last 20 Gilman Floats being sent next year). Increase the “PAYS credit union” so the boats boys can borrow from themselves to get their boast in shape each fall. Long term plans are to set up a NYC Taxi “Medallion like system” where a Pays Membership has value and the individual boat boys develop their own brand that is worth something to pass on to the next person as a retirement plan. This will take time and education to set up.
My experience has shown me that you can’t barge in and tell anyone what to do. One can’t just come in and spend a few days implementing a plan from the outside. That is why I have decided to rededicate myself for the long haul with the added April visit this year. There will be future announcements about plans to visit more often and get more people involved. We hope that some of you will join us in February and April to help me access what else we can do and how we might be able to organize some boots on the ground to give more direction. Since I do not see anyone else taking over I will continue being a leading force to keep moving forward, but we are looking for volunteers who can first help identify projects and what can be done and then put that plan in place.
If you want to help please plan on joining us for a trip to Dominica this season. I have greatly reduced the price to make it easier. If you can’t join it this year, please help with a New Year’s Donation. Over 100% of our money goes to those in need as I have contributed over $5000 plus and have covered the credit card fees for donations made by credit card. We do not spend any money on administrative costs, advertising costs to ask for more money or spend one dime not directly helping the people of Dominica or St. Maarten.
During the month of January we are asking people to make a donation online at www.sailopo.com. Go to our web store and click on multiples of $10, $100 or more. If you want to write a check you can make a check out to OPO and mail it to:
OPO
PO Box 2600
Halesite NY 11743.
Many Thanks,
Happy New Year and
God Bless.
Please come join us this winter for a trip to Dominica for YAW, The Heineken Regatta or the 2nd trip to Dominica in April. Here are the details with the new prices.
Dominica “Yachtie Appreciation Week” – Crew will fly into Antigua February 16th for departure aboard Avocation the 17th for arrival in Dominica Sunday Feb 18th, the start of the full week of events. It will be about a 15 to 20 hour sail from Antigua to Portsmouth Dominica sailing on the lee side of Guadeloupe. We will pick up a free OPO donated “PAYS” mooring in Dominica for the week. Four crew will stay aboard Avocation and we have accommodations ashore for three other couples (Or singles) as Cathy and I will be in the 4th unit of this 2 building, 4 unit compound, called “Mango Cottages”. Mango Cottages is run by boat boy Edison and his wife Sylvia. It is a short drive away and we will rent one or two cars to get back and forth. Cathy and I stayed here last year.
We will depart in time to be back on St. Maarten for flights home Tuesday Feb 27th. Of course you are welcome to sign up and stay another week for the Heineken Regatta which starts the next day.
Pricing:
From Antigua Feb 16th to St. Maarten Feb 26th.
10 days stay aboard Swan 48 Avocation $800*
10 days staying ashore at Mango Cottages $1200** ($1500 for a couple)
10 days stay aboard Swan 46Aphrodite $800* (Pick up port TBD by 01/07/18
• *Plus Provisions & running expenses (about $150 for the 10 days)
• ** Plus rental car
Heineken Regatta – Come support the rebuilding of St. Maarten by participating with us in the 38th Annual Heineken Regatta.
We are once again sponsoring the Cruising Division of the regatta and will be racing on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. However unlike all the other racing classes, we do not have to make the 8:00 am Bridge. We will be on “Island Time” and can sleep in and make the 10:30 bridge opening. So we get the best of both worlds being able to race each day, but not kill ourselves with an early wake up call to go out and watch a bunch of other boats start.
We also have two suites across the street at the Simpson Bay Marina and Resort so there is an option to stay ashore or on the boat. You can bring a wife or friend and share one of the three other bedrooms and then we have 4 single beds for 4 others to stay ashore poolside after the races. We have the accommodations from Tuesday Feb 27th until Tuesday morning March 6th so book your flights to arrive on Tuesday Feb 27th and fly home Tuesday March 6th.
The 4 crew staying aboard sail for just $900
The 4 crew having a single bunk ashore pays $1400
The 3 crew (couples staying in a bedroom) Pay $18000 per couple
We have also added a non-race option to come join us and spend a week in St. Maarten during the regatta by staying aboard the Swan 46 Aphrodite which will be in the same marina as Avocation. This is only $750 for the week to be in St. Maarten.
Price for both Dominica and the Heineken Regatta is as little as $1700(staying on the boat) or maximum of $2600 for accommodations ashore. That’s for 18 days in the Caribbean.
May Swan Program – Many people have already asked about the May Swan trip sailing from the Caribbean to Newport at the end of the Caribbean season. We always give OPO members the first opportunity to join us since there are a limited number of berths available and they may fill up quickly. For those that need to and want to plan ahead we are publishing the dates and taking $500 deposits to reserve a berth with us next May. We have decided we will be departing from St. Maarten this year and not leaving with the ARC USA from the BVI. This saves us the time of going to the BVI and also from paying the entry fee. We pass this saving on to you. You can make a $500 deposit on or web site or by calling me in the office.
Arrive St. Maarten Thursday May 3rd or Friday May 4th
Depart St. Maarten May 5th
Arrive Bermuda by May 12th
Depart Bermuda Monday May 14th
Arrive in Newport Saturday May 20th
The cost all-inclusive is $2500 per person.
One boat will make a direct passage from St. Maarten to Newport for people who do not have as much time or want to experience a longer non-stop passage of 9 or 10 days. This option is $2000 all-inclusive except for travel to and from the boat.
To make a deposit by phone please Hank at 631-423-4988.
***This was the proposed itinerary from last August. We will see what happens this year.
PAYSS YACHTIES APPRECIATION WEEK WITH A DIFFERENCE 2018 (PROPOSED)
Proceeds raised will go towards charity organizations:
CALLS, HOME FOR THE AGED AND LAMBS FEAST
SUBJECT TO CHANGES BY MEMBERS FOR INPUT
Sunday Feb 18th 2018
8:00am Registration of Yachties – Complimentary Herbal/Bush Tea will be served
10:00am –5:00pm Live Entertainment (One Man Band) at Pays Activity Building – Local Complimentary rum punch will be served.
Local Cook up from selective PAYS members and Price: $___________
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Menu:
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6:00pm OPENING CEREMONY BBQ
• M.C: Presentations:
• Welcome Remarks by PAYS member Hank Schmitt
• Speeches by Minister of Tourism, DDA Representatives, Hon. Ian Douglas
• History and Culture by Dr. Lennox Honychurch
• Dinner with a Difference (PAYSS BBQ) – whole pig, goat etc
• Culture of Kalinago – Karina or Karifuna
• Live Band ( Semi Breve)
Monday Feb 19th 2018
8:00am Registration of Yachties Continue – Complimentary Herbal/Bush Tea will be served
9:30am BEACH GAMES
Treasure Hunt, Crab Race, Volleyball,
Local Cook up from selective PAYS members and Price: $___________
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Menu:
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3:00pm until Indian River Tour with Live Entertainment - Jussi Paavola (Saxophone)
Tuesday Feb 20th 2018
8:00am Registration of Yachties – Complimentary Herbal/Bush Tea will be served
9:00am Syndicate Tour –
Syndicate Nature Walk and Sanctuary (Home of Dominica’s National Bird – Parrots)
Syndicate Falls – La Cascade Tea House
2:00pm BEACH GAMES
Soft Ball Cricket, Tug of War, Sack Race, Lime and Spoon, 3legged race etc.
6:00pm Hank Schmitt Sponsored Finger Foods at Madiba
Wednesday Feb 21st 2018
TOUR
8:30am All Day - Roseau Valley with lunch at the Loft
9:00am half Day – Kalinago Territory (BARANA AUTE’)
NIGHT FREE- PAYS MEMBERS WILL FACILITATE AND ASSIST
Thursday Feb 22nd 2018
TOUR
10:00am Half Day - Chaudiere Pool and Cold Soufriere
Or
Chaudiere Pool, Red Rock and Chocolate Factory
(Lunch will be at PAYS- sign up)
NIGHT FREE- PAYS MEMBERS WILL FACILITATE AND ASSIST
Friday Feb 23rd 2018
TOUR – ADVENTURE
8:00am Sari Sari Falls Hike
Or
9:00am Rum Factor Tour and River Tubing at Layou River with Rabess
Or
10:00am Experience Lion Fish hunting with Island Dive Operations at a discounted
Price $_____________NB: ONLY CERTIFIED DIVERS…
7:00pm Exquisite Lion Fish Dinner experience with Seabird at PAYS EVENTS
HOUSE
Saturday Feb 24th 2017
ALL DAY ENTERTAINMENT AND GAMES
- All day greasy pole challenge
- Mixed Football Team, Treasure Hunt, Boat Paddle Race, Petanque competition, optimist race etc
Sunday Feb 25th 2017
CLOSING CEREMONY – (Sponsored by DDA)
GRAND DINNER
Venue: Cabrits
Presentation: Cannon Explosion from the Fort by Dr. Lennox Honychurch
Awards Ceremony:
Speeches
Minister of Tourism
Discover Dominica
Hon Ian Douglas
Mayor of Portsmouth
ENTERTAINMENT – C SQUARED
Offshore Passage Opportunities
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Hank Schmitt |
P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 |
(631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Fundraiser Report
Christmas Donation
Dominica “Yachtie Appreciation Week”
Heineken Regatta
May Swan Program
Editorial – Attendance in all three rallies departing from the US East Coast were down this year because of the storm damage in the Caribbean. We had ten boats in the 18th Annual NARC Rally. The Caribbean 1500 had 22 boats and I think the Salty Dawg had about 72 boats depart from Norfolk for Antigua and other destinations. Only two boats in the NARC fleet returned to St. Maarten, our traditional winter home port. As of Nov 15th there were only 4 open slips in the marina. The St. Maarten airport is operating under tents and the rooftop of the baggage claim loading dock. But everyone’s spirits are high and they are telling everyone to come back.
The most fun way to contribute is by visiting the islands and not treating them like a victim to be shunned. You will want to visit first hand and have a beer on the beach and do a little sailing this winter. That is why we are inviting OPO members to join us for the 3rd annual “Yachtie Appreciation Week” in Dominica and for the 38th Annual Heineken Regatta in St. Maarten. Our gift to you (and to them) is to offer everyone a $250 discount from last year’s price and encourage you to come and spend some money in the islands.
Fundraiser Report - Now that I am back from our first trip to St. Maarten and Dominica I want to report how much we have raised and where the money has been spent. We are including a list of all the donors to you only. We will post the amount raised and the disbursements on the web site. But not anyone’s name or amount donated. I repeat, no one’s name will show up on the OPO web site.
To date we have raised $32,825.00 from 140 donors and spent $24.144.73. That leaves a balance of. $8,680.27
The first money we released was $6000 in early October before the Annapolis Boat Show as we saw the opportunity and the need to help get the first two shipments of emergency relief supplies of food and water get to Dominica within the first few days after Maria. We supplied money for fuel and food. We also sent $2000 in MoneyGram’s to PAYS and Albert. (Albert had his leg amputated below the knee a couple of weeks before Maria.) It is amazing how the internet can be down, but you can still send money from a CVS drugstore to Portsmouth Dominica.
The third disbursement was sending skipper Johnathan Ishmael to St. Maarten on the first commercial flight to the island on Tuesday October 17th for a five day fact finding mission and to hand out cash. Our next program was buying generators, power tools and building supplies in the US, and then buying more supplies in St. Maarten, (food and water and two more generators) to bring to Dominica aboard Avocation.
During that visit from Nov 16th to 18th we met with members of PAYS, saw Albert and hired a general contractor to rebuild the PAYS Pavilion. We also handed out some cash to hold folks over until the season gets going and started a micro loan PAYS Credit Union to help some of the boat boys get their boats ready for the season. The balance of the money we are using to order 30 mooring floats for a total of 50 rigged moorings this season. The floats are ordered and we need to raise only a small amount of money to finish the project. I will have exact numbers in the next few days as we price out the shipping costs to Miami and then to Dominica.
Christmas Donation – There is still a need to help a few more people in St. Maarten and Dominica. In Dominica we expect to need only about $5000 more to finish the mooring field and help with promotion of Yachtie Appreciation Week. In St. Maarten there are still marina employees, day-workers, and waitresses at Jimbo’s that we were not all able to see the short time we were in St. Maarten since the marina area was still very quiet and only Zee Best was open. Money from this last Christmas season donation will be distributed in early January in St. Maarten and February in Dominica with a final report to you in March when we are back from our two big events in Dominica and St. Maarten.
If you had a good year and are feeling grateful for having a roof over your head and being safe with loved ones then please give a Christmas donation on our web site at www.sailopo.com. Our efforts in Dominica and St. Maarten are not bottomless. We see are seeing results. We are planting seeds to help them rebuild, not just giving handouts. We invite everyone to come down and visit and spend time in the islands. If not this year, then in years to come.
Thank You and have a Very Merry Christmas.
Come join us this winter for $250 less than last season
– Join us for a full week in Dominica taking tours of the island, enjoying socials each night, and meeting many other people visiting this “best-kept-secret” of the Caribbean. Crew will fly into Antigua February 16th for departure aboard Avocation the 17th
Dominica “Yachtie Appreciation Week” for arrival in Dominica Sunday Feb 18th, the start of the Full Week of events. It will be about a 15 to 20 hour sail from Antigua to Portsmouth Dominica sailing on the lee side of Guadeloupe. We will pick up a mooring in Dominica for the week. Four crew will stay aboard Avocation and we have accommodations ashore for three other couples (Or singles) as Cathy and I will be in the 4th unit of this 4 unit compound called “Mango Cottages”. Mango Cottages is run by boat boy Edison and his wife Sylvia. It is a short drive away and we will rent two cars to get back and forth.
We will depart in time to be back in St. Maarten for flights home Monday afternoon February 26th or Tuesday Feb 27th. Of course you are welcome to sign up and stay another week for the Heineken Regatta which starts the next day.
Pricing:
From Antigua Feb 16th to St. Maarten Feb 26th.
10 days stay aboard Avocation $1250*
10 days staying ashore at Mango Cottages $1750** ($2000 for a couple ashore)
*Plus Provisions
** Plus rental car
Heineken Regatta – Come support the rebuilding of St. Maarten by participating with us in the 38th Annual Heineken Regatta. This year will be different with all the action at PDP (Port de Plaisance) across the Bay from St. Maarten Yacht Club with no closing party on Kim Sha-Beach. Instead the first 100 boats will be offered free dockage at PDP and a race village will develop around this biggest track of undeveloped land on the Lagoon. This will be the future of the regatta as the area grows back from Irma and Kim Sha Beach is no longer available as she is slated for new development. Come sail with us and participate in this transformative 38th Annual Heineken Regatta.
We are once again sponsoring the Cruising Division of the regatta and will be racing on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. However unlike all the other racing classes, we do not have to make the 8:00 am Bridge. We will be on “Island Time” and can sleep in and make the 10:30 bridge opening. So we get the best of both worlds being able to race each day, but not kill ourselves with an early wake up call to go out and watch a bunch of other boats start.
We also have two suites across the street at the Simpson Bay Marina and Resort so there is an option to stay ashore or on the boat. You can bring a wife or friend and share one of the three other bedrooms and then we have 4 single beds for 4 others to stay ashore poolside after the races. We have the accommodations from Tuesday Feb 27th until Tuesday morning March 6th so book your flights to arrive on Tuesday Feb 27th and fly home Tuesday March 6th.
The 4 crew staying aboard sail for just $1250
The 4 crew having a single bunk ashore pays $1750
The 3 crew (couples staying in a bedroom) Pay $2250
May Swan Program – Many people have already asked about the May Swan trip sailing from the Caribbean to Newport at the end of the Caribbean season. We always give OPO members the first opportunity to join us since there are a limited number of berths available and they may fill up quickly. For those that need to and want to plan ahead we are publishing the dates and taking $500 deposits to reserve a berth with us next May. We will most likely sail from Nanny Cay Tortola BVI to Bermuda and then to Newport, but don’t make any plane reservations yet as we need to get confirmation from the World Cruising Club that the marina will be in place. The back-up plan would be to sail from St. Maarten to Bermuda and then to Newport not in the ARC USA. If you want to place a $500 deposit on or web site or by calling me in the office you can.
Tentative dates are to arrive in BVI Wednesday May 2nd to Friday May 4th
Depart BVI May 5th
Arrive Bermuda by May 12th
Depart Bermuda Monday May 14th
Arrive in Newport Saturday May 20th and Huntington NY Sunday May 21st.
The cost all-inclusive is $3000 per person.
To make a deposit by phone please Hank at 631-423-4988.
Offshore Passage Opportunities
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Hank Schmitt |
P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 |
(631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
NARC RALLY
Podcast
St. Maarten
Dominica
Yachtie Appreciation Week
Editorial – This month is all about the NARC Rally and the other Rallies heading south to the Caribbean. While most boats on the East Coast get winterized and put away for the winter, we prefer the owners who sail south and call us looking for crew. Many OPO members are sailing this fall and we expect a few more last minute opportunities until the fall migration is over.
NARC Rally – We are a small fleet of boats this year with some of the annual veteran participants staying north for this season because of the storm season. It looks like our fleet of 10 boats will be able to depart Newport on Tuesday Oct 30th after a two day delay waiting on weather. After this system passes over today we should have nice north winds for the next 4 days to get us to Bermuda.
Podcast – While we were at the Annapolis Boat Show we did our 2nd podcast with Andy Schell and his 59 North group about the storm season in the Caribbean and our relief efforts to help out. You can listen to the podcast by following this link.
Your episode's blog page and Show Notes are at this link: https://www.59-north.com/onthewindpodcast/211-hank-schmitt
St. Maarten – We only decided a couple of weeks ago that we would be returning to St. Maarten from Newport. One of our skippers, Johnathan Ishmael flew down to check on things the first day that flights were running to the island. St. Maarten seems to be bouncing back pretty quickly with power on and many restaurants and small hotels opening up. Many of the big time-sharing resorts will be closed for the season. The big news to tell people is that St. Maarten is open for business and they need people to come back and spend money. After we check things out in a couple of weeks we will modify our plans to set up and have volunteers come in and maybe do some work. We will let you know when we get back what our plans might include, but first we need to see how we can best help and what skills they need.
Dominica – The news from Dominica is bleaker. Many places will not have electricity for a while and many of the roofs are still missing from homes and businesses. That is why we have loaded up Avocation with overflow supplies going on Amerigo (A Swan 56 also going to St. Maarten). After spending a couple of days filling up the rest of our hold with supplies we will be sailing down to Dominica about Nov 14th bringing 5 generators, building supplies for PAYS and other items to help. We will also see what needs to be done to make sure that some of the mooring field is in place and the boat boys have their boats ready for the season.
Yachtie Appreciation Week - We hope to have the 3rd annual YAW in Dominica at the end of February 2018 just before the Heineken Regatta which is also still planning to host a regatta. As OPO members know these are the two events we were planning to attend and invite OPO members to join us. In September we had Avocation full for Dominica, but since then one couple has dropped out. When I get back from Dominica (I fly home Nov 20th) I will let OPO members know what options we have this winter to help out in the Caribbean and attend a couple of events.
Offshore Passage Opportunities
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Hank Schmitt |
P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 |
(631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Annapolis Boat Show
Dominica
St. Maarten
Reprieve – Your membership
Editorial – What a difference a month makes. In last month’s Newsletter we were telling you about our winter schedule. Our plan was to cut back on some of the individual charter weeks and concentrate on a couple of big Caribbean Events. First, “Yachtie Appreciation Week” in Dominica which we created and have been supporting for three years. We have been visiting for the past 10 years.
The other Event was the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. Last year we became the first company to sponsor the Lotterie Division and created our own Official Regatta location across from the St. Marten Yacht Club.
Both islands were hit be separate Category 5 storms within two weeks and their world was turned upside down. And so, our own winter program flips from one of great anticipation to deep concern for our friends in both St. Maarten and Dominica. We have started fund drives for both islands on our web site and have already made our first distribution of funds. (See below).
The one bright spot is that I believe by February both Dominica and St. Maarten plan to go ahead with their events. If there are no tourists this winter, there will be no jobs and the recovery will take so much longer. We will keep you posted on our efforts but most importantly we look forward to helping you get to the islands this winter to take a look for yourself and maybe roll up your sleeves for a week and come help out.
Annapolis Boat Show – Come visit us at the Annapolis Boat Show Oct 5th to 9th. The show runs through Monday, but I will only be there Thursday, Friday and Saturday. In past years we have met on the upper deck of the hotel overlooking the show area, but not this year. We were going to have a presence in two booths this year. Dominica has (Had) a 8’ x 6 foot booth (The smallest available), but I know they will not be able to man it with our friends from PAYS. Our default location will be at Andy Schell’s new 20’ x 20’ floating lounge dock down by Island Packet Yachts and the traffic circle closet to main street. We are a sponsor of the booth and of his Blog Post 59 North. I plan to be there each afternoon of the show from 1:00 pm until the end of the show on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. We set sail for home Sunday morning so will not be at the show Sunday and Monday. Please stop by any afternoon and meet other offshore like-minded people.
We started a new e-mail list for people who donated money and for people who want to volunteer to crew on boats sailing to help bring supplies to any damaged island. As OPO members you will also be getting the same information weather you donated or not. You do not need to sign up for this list. You will also get any of the passage opportunities to sail on a supply mission. So far there has only been one request which you saw from Florida to Tortola and it was cancelled a few days later. Here is the letter I sent them explaining what we have done so far. I am using our October 1st Notice to give that same information to you. After the Annapolis Boat Show we will post a list of people who donated as a sign of transparency and accountability.
Dear Friends of St. Maarten and Dominica Update # 2, Both islands took a full hit by a Category 5 Hurricane
Our first e-mail explained how there has been no need for volunteers for relief crew to sail supplies in or to work on the ground. It is still hurricane season and no one is sailing there yet. Things are still too unstable in many areas to be of help. Over 100 people have contributed almost $30,000 so far to our relief efforts. For the first few days there was little we could do especially with Maria following Irma. Things are still far from good but we are making some progress and we are starting to spend the money. We want to tell you how and who received the aid.
Dominica First – Although hit a week later we have been able to establish a way to get aid directly to Portsmouth via the “International Rescue Group”. Two vessels are loading up with supplies in St. Lucia and getting them to the island. We wired them $2,500 on Wednesday from our Chase account to their Chase account in Florida and it was done immediately and at zero cost since it was a bank to bank transfer in the US.
Then I got this e-mail this morning:
“Cargo Vessel “Flying Buzzard” has discharged the balance of her cargo to volunteers in Portsmouth, has more water to discharge into trucks with 500 gallon tanks tomorrow then will sail tomorrow morning for St. Lucia to be filled up again.
Captain Mike of Flying Buzzard reports that he saw Customs people looting supplies in Roseau. However, in Portsmouth his unloading went very well and a good experience with a lot of volunteers working together and as a community, with a fair proportion of supplies going to outlying areas in the north, to the best of his observation. He reported that he does not want to clear cargo into Roseau again. As he is a volunteer and captain, we must respect his wishes, and it looks like he’ll be taking his entire cargo to Portsmouth next time. Orderly conduct and a sense of fair play appear to have had an effect on him.”
I accused them of making this up just for my benefit. If they can get supplies in St. Lucia and send them to Portsmouth, then we have our logistical problem solved. I am sending them another $2,500 today and told them if they can get a list of needed supplies from PAYS and then fill that list in the 3rd or 4th trip this month, then we will send them more money. I have also been able to get a message to the president of the PAYS group Jeffry Frank that we plan to get him supplies via the Flying Buzzard. So the plan for now is to use up to 50% of the donated money now to get immediate food and critical supplies to Portsmouth. The balance will be in reserve for PAYS to get their boats and engines working and half the mooring field in place for the season. Without a season there will be no recovery.
St. Maarten – Our goal in St. Maarten is to help the people we know at IGY Marina, Jimbo’s and the dayworkers and people in the sailing industry that we know. We have been in touch with IGY Marina in Florida and just two days ago had our first e-mail from Andy, the manager at the marina, saying that all personnel have been accounted for. He asked us to work through the Florida main office to coordinate help. Since they have 5 damaged properties, they have their hands full and we are assuming that they are taking care of their employees and they are getting paychecks. Word from some of the locals we have been able to get text from were not so rosy and we have not been able to hear from many people.
Initially we were in contact with Angel Flights in Florida, who could make free flights with volunteer pilots and planes to take relief supplies to St. Maarten, but the problem is that they are small and that they also can’t guarantee that the aid will get to who we want it to go to. The last thing we want is to send supplies down and it goes to the wrong people or worse to looters.
So commercial flights started today. We are sending skipper Johnathan Ismael down with three bags of supplies and some cash to help who we have been in touch with and to also find some folks we have not heard from. (Cash since the grocery stores are open, but the problem is that they have no money at the end of the summer and no prospect of a paycheck soon with the place destroyed.) He will do what he can for three days and make lists of what we can try to do and bring down in the NARC Rally, but more important to find out when we might be able to base back out of St. Maarten and have people fly in and stay aboard and help on the ground. Until then we will be holding most of the money we have collected until we know that 100% of the money is going to those it is intended for.
I am sailing to the Annapolis Boat Show on Monday and will be out of the office until Oct 10th. At the show we will be promoting the fundraising efforts in two or three places, “All-at-Sea”. Andy Schell’s Floating Lounge area, Seven Sea CA booth. I will be there Thursday to Sunday am and then sailing back to NY. If you are attending the show look for me.
And of course look at our web site to see the tally of contributions grow. We will keep you posted about progress and you will be the some of the first to hear about any need for volunteer crew or opportunities to fly in and help. Also please tell your friends that you know wish to do something, that www.sailopo.com is a good way to help right now by getting supplies to Portsmouth in a few days. Things are especially desperate in Dominica and I hope to send them another $2,500 after October 10th when I get back to fill the list of supplies that PAYS will be asking us for. I can’t think of a better way to help then this set up. Please ask your friends to help, have a small fundraiser at your club and tell any cruising friends you know, especially if they have been to Dominica and know any of the boat boys.
OPO Membership – Most of you will see no interruption in service. Thanks you for paying your dues already. Since I am setting sail on October 1st, I will not be updating the OPO active e-mail address book until after I get back Oct 11th. That means you have ten more days to pay your dues or mail them in to - OPO PO Box 2600 Halesite NY 11743. If you are not sure and you stop getting e-mails from us after the middle of October, then you know you have been dropped from active membership. Anyone can re-activate anytime by simply just paying the annual dues. You can pay your annual dues online at www.sailopo.com At the same time you can donate money to St. Maarten, Dominica, or both.
If you ever have interruption of service please let us know. Paying your annual dues is a way to support what we do in the Caribbean and for fellow sailors.
Thank You for support in OPO.
Offshore Passage Opportunities
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Hank Schmitt |
P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 |
(631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Annual Dues – OPO Honor Code
Newport Boat Show
October trip to the Annapolis Boat Show
NARC Rally 2017
Winter Program –
Heineken Regatta
Dominica
Editorial – OPO members may have notices we are adding an * at the start of the posting and also adding the date numerically. The very easy explanation is that this is an internal change so our web site will automatically add the posting to the web site, but strip away the contact information and the name of the owner or skipper. So nothing changes and you still DO NOT have to go to the OPO web site for the crew postings. The online message board is for non-members to see what type of opportunities we post. We will continue to send them out as they come in.
Reminder # 2 - Annual Dues – Two years ago OPO members donated $21,787.50 to donate a mooring field of 50 moorings to the town of Portsmouth on the island of Dominica. We hope to have a 10 minute video about our efforts by the middle of this month. One glitch is that our videographer lives in Houston. I will let you know when I hear from him and about our due date. Meeko (our videographer) was with us last year in Dominica for a week and took many hours of film to condense down to a few minutes. If you would like to join us this year for the 3rd Annual Yachtie Appreciation Week you can sign up to sail down with us. The next time we ask for money for the “Caribbean Mooring Field Development Foundation” we will be asking money from the general public and not just OPO members. We are not asking for donations but…
Annual Dues are due every September. Some people have already paid. Thanks You. If you recently joined you do not owe annual dues. If you have not paid and know that you owe annual dues, please remember to pay them soon. We are generous and give members until September 31st to pay their dues before we take you off the active address list, but sometime many people procrastinate until the last minute which makes it harder for us.. You can write a check for $125 or pay online for $135. www.sailopo.com Checks should be made out to “OPO” and mailed to OPO PO Box 2600 Halesite NY 11743.
This is also the time of year we like to remind people to look at the OPO code of conduct that is posted online at www.sailopo.com Remember that you are representing OPO when you join a boat and we want to keep growing opportunities by having members who are enthusiastic and enjoy sailing helping others move their boats safely and to the enjoyment of all who sail. Please refresh yourself with the OPO code at
https://www.sailopo.com/About_OPO_OPO_Code_of_Conduct.aspx
It is also important to honor your commitment to a skipper or boat owner if you agree to join them for a passage. Do not back out if you told someone you would join them because they are relying on you to round out the crew and you jeopardize a lot by dropping out. Of course there are emergencies that preclude ones joining a boat, but if you think there is a chance you might not be able to fulfill a commitment then you should maybe think twice before saying yes in the first place. It puts several people in a bad spot if one crew drops out. The skipper, the other crew, and me because I hear the complaints and have to try and get a replacement crew. Thanks for being good crew.
Newport Boat Show – We have a booth at the Newport Boat Show which means any paid up active OPO members get one free ticket to the show. This year the show is from September 14th to 17th. We can offer one free boat show ticket if we have a booth at a show. Since we have a booth in Newport to promote the NARC Rally and our Swan Program departing from Newport we can buy discounted tickets and offer them to our membership as a perk and a thank you for your continued support and membership. If you have not already told me you were planning to go to the show let me know and I will leave a ticket for you at the Will Call Desk outside the show the day of the event you wish to see the show. See you at the Show.
October trip to the Annapolis Boat Show – (There is only one berth left for the trip to the show and two berths left for the trip back.) What better way to see the Annapolis Boat show than by sailing to or from the show and staying aboard a Swan 48 docked next to the show?
This year we are spending an extra day in Annapolis and will be there all day Saturday and departing on Sunday. We will have a home base for the show sharing space with Andy Shell on his floating dock lounge space closest to the traffic circle. This way we can see OPO members who can only see the show on a weekend day.
If you want to sail to or from the show, we set sail from Huntington New York to the Annapolis Boat Show every October. This year crew will arrive on Monday October 2nd for departure that day. Crew change day will be Friday October 6th. So you can have one or two full days of seeing the show before traveling home Friday night. New crew will arrive on Friday morning and see the show on Friday and Saturday before we depart Sunday morning for home. We will be back in Huntington after making the reverse passage and be there by Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning so plan to go home that night or the next day Wednesday Oct 11th.
The cost for the 5 day passage is $1,000 per person, but includes everything accepts your travel to and from the boat. Includes onboard food, fuel, dockage in Annapolis, even towels and linen.
NARC Rally 2017 – The 18th Annual NARC Rally departs on Saturday October 28th or best weather window after that date. If you have a boat and want to sail south you can sign up for the rally from Newport to the Caribbean (St. Maarten or BVI). Most of us do not have offshore ready boast this year so you can make a firm plan this month to join us on a Swan with a pro skipper this fall. Most OPO members know we offer the fall classic passage south aboard a Swan with one of our Tier One Pro skippers. I will be sailing Avocation south once again. Murray will be back with us along with past OPO skipper favorite Patrick Childress. Patrick has been sailing in the south Pacific the last 9 years and will be back on the East Coast to sail as skipper. Johnathan Ishmael will also be back from Europe in time to skipper a boat for us. The price is $3000 for the all-inclusive 15 to 17 days passage aboard with us. The dates are to arrive in Newport on Thursday or Friday October 26th or 27th. You can make flights home by November 14th.
You can reserve a berth by making a $500 deposit. You can pay on our web site at www.sailopo.com and click on the credit card icon and use the Swan Deposit click or you can call with your credit card at 631-423-4988. If you have any questions please feel free to call anytime.
Dominica
Our goal is to have a small flotilla of two boats sail to Dominica this year.
The dates move around each year since we do not want to conflict with “Carnival”. The Carnival dates move around with Easter.
This year the dates for the 3rd Annual Yachtie Appreciation week are Feb 18th to 25th. Sunday to Sunday. Our crew would arrive Thursday in St. Maarten February 15th for departure Friday 16th to arrive in Dominica on Saturday 17th a day before the start of the official program on Sunday. (I am also sending you the proposed itinerary in Dominica so you know what we are doing that week.)
The Return is one full week later. Sunday morning Feb 25th we depart Dominica and arrive back in St. Maarten Monday Feb 26th.
Crew would then depart Monday afternoon or Tuesday am. Unless also signing up to stay for the Heineken Regatta which starts that next day with crew arriving as this crew departs.
Dominica Pricing
Sail down and back and stay onboard $2,000 for 13 days Feb15th to Feb 26th or 27th. Sail down and back but stay ashore $3,750 per couple. (Includes accommodations ashore but not rental car fee to share a car to get back and forth).
If you want the events are back to back and you could stay and do both!
Heineken Regatta: St. Maarten
We are sailing in the non-spinnaker cruising division again this year. In fact we are sponsoring the division and have may have more than one boat this year.
Crew arrive Tuesday Feb 27th and move into condo or onto the boat. On Wednesday we finish getting boat ready to race. Since we are in the Cruising Division boat prep will not take very long and crew will have time to relax at the beach or the pool.
Practice day is Thursday. The final party and awards are Sunday night.
Last year on Monday they had a party on the French side as a regatta final race off between division winners. Crew can go home on Monday or depart on Tuesday for a full week in the Caribbean.
What does it cost? Come alone or bring a non-sailing friend or spouse. Non OPO members are also welcome. If we have enough people interested we will have two Swans competing, a Swan 46.
Race each day and stay on the boat $1,500 (Add a non-racing spouse for $500) $2,000 a couple.
Stay ashore $2,300 (Includes accommodations ashore for the week) (Add a non-racing spouse for $600) $2,900 a couple.
Last year my wife joined us for both events. Three crew from the Heineken regatta said they would bring their spouses next time. The wives have a car to enjoy their time on the island while we are racing and then can join us when we hit the docks for a night out on the island and enjoy the regatta parties. If you are staying on the boat for the regatta, you will be off the boat from 10:00 am until 4 PM on Thursday through Sunday and will have the car and all the local amenities near the marina during those hours.
Offshore Passage Opportunities
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Hank Schmitt |
P.O. Box 2600 Halesite, NY 1174 |
(631)-423-4988 |
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Editorial
Newport Boat Show
October trip to the Annapolis Boat Show
NARC Rally 2017
Winter Program –
Heineken Regatta
Dominica
Book Sale – Special OPO Discount for sighed copies.
Editorial – Although we are not even at the height of the summer we are already planning for the Fall Boat Show Schedule and the NARC Rally trip back to St. Maarten. So while enjoying your summer, think about securing your berth with us for this fall or winter.
If you are looking for a new sailing book to read, OPO Member # 004 Charlie Doane’s new book recently became available. It is called, “The River is not Full”. It starts and ends with the full story of our abandonment of the Alpha Catamaran 42 “Be Good Too”. In-between are many other stories to learn and enjoy including a chapter about Jimmy Cornell “The Dark Prince of Bluewater Cruising”, Reid Stowe who spend over 1000 days at sea and Poppa Neutrino who sailed (drifted across) the Atlantic Ocean on a raft made of NY City refuse. We first met him when he drifted into Huntington Harbor NY in 1995. To learn how to get a copy follow the link at the end of the newsletter. If you want an auto-graphed copy you can send the book to Charlie with instructions on who to make it to, and a self-addressed pre-paid envelope. We will pay for $10 towards postage during the month of August. When you pay your annual dues, just tell me that you sent a book to Charlie to sign (will ask him to keep count) and deduct $10 from your OPO Dues in September.
Newport Boat Show – More give-a-ways. We have a booth at the Newport Boat Show which means any paid up active OPO members get one free ticket to the show. This year the show is from September 14th to 17th.. We can offer one free boat show ticket if we have a booth at a show. Since we have a booth in Newport to promote the NARC Rally and our Swan Program in Newport we can buy discounted tickets and offer them to our membership as a perk and a thank you for your continued support and membership.
October trip to the Annapolis Boat Show – What better way to see the Annapolis Boat show than by sailing to or from the show and staying aboard a Swan 48 docked next to the show?
We set sail from Huntington New York to the Annapolis Boat Show every October. This year crew will arrive on Monday October 2nd for departure that day. It is a full two day, nonstop passage sailing down LI Sound, through NY City, down the Jersey Coast, up Delaware Bay, through the C & D Canal and then down the Chesapeake Bay to Annapolis MD. Crew change day will be Friday October 6th. So you can have one or two full days of seeing the show before traveling home Friday night. (Of course you stay on the boat during the show. We try and get dock space right next door to the show so you do not have to pay for a hotel room if you don’t want to.) New crew will arrive on Friday morning and see the show on Friday and Saturday before we depart Sunday morning for home. We will be back in Huntington after making the reverse passage and be there by Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning so plan to go home that night or the next day Wednesday Oct 11th if you are flying out.
The cost for the 5 day passage is $1000 per person, but includes everything accepts your travel to and from the boat. Includes onboard food, fuel, dockage in Annapolis, even towels and linen. Space is limited.
NARC Rally 2017 – The 18th Annual NARC Rally departs on Saturday October 28th or best weather window after that date. If you have a boat and want to sail south you can sign up for the rally from Newport to the Caribbean (St. Maarten or BVI). Most of us do not have offshore ready boast this year so you can make a firm plan this month to join us on a Swan with a pro skipper this fall. Most OPO members know we offer the fall classic passage south aboard a Swan with one of our Tier One Pro skippers. I will be sailing Avocation south once again. Murray will be back with us along with past OPO skipper favorite Patrick Childress. Patrick has been sailing in the south Pacific the last 9 years and will be back on the East Coast to sail as skipper. Johnathan Ishmael will also be back from Europe in time to skipper a boat for us. We have not raised the price in a few years and need to raise the price to $3000 for the all-inclusive 15 to 17 days aboard. However if you want to save $250 and pay last year’s price of $2750 you can by joining now with a $500 despot holding your berth and the balance of $2250 not due until 45 days before the trip. The dates are to arrive in Newport on Thursday or Friday October 26th or 27th. You can make flights home by November 15th. After September 1st the new price of $3000 when we open it up to the public and at the boat shows.
You can reserve a berth by making a $500 deposit. You can pay on our web site at www.sailopo.com and click on the credit card icon and use the Swan Deposit click or you can call with your credit card at 631-423-4988. If you have any questions please feel free to call anytime.
Two Winter Dates – We have two events that we support with our own time and money each season. The first is our mooring Development Foundation in Dominica. We will be sailing down to Dominica for a full week for the 3rd year in a row in support of the new mooring field that OPO members have donated to the island. This will be in mid-February. This third year should see the completed field in place. Just about all the mooring blocks are built or in place. We are looking at a new type of mooring ball to replace the inflatable moorings that did not do well. In September we will be asking for donations to finish the Portsmouth Mooring filed and set up the Maintenance Program. We have a short film in production and we hope to have our 501 c foundation in place by the end of the year. This year I have reserved a small housing complex for a few people to stay ashore for the week and some people will stay on the boat(s), but less crowded with less than 6 people staying on board. We have one house with two king beds and two apartments for a couple or one person occupancy. Cathy and I will stay in one apartment again and then we have room for 3 couples or 3 people (Single occupancy) to reserve a room ashore. The prices are $100 per person per day for 7 days or $150 per couple per night. We hope to have two boats going this year. Everyone would sail down on the one or two boats (It is about a 24 hour trip and then half the crew would stay on the boat and some would stay ashore. If you are staying ashore we will have to rent a car to get back and forth. I will publish the dates in the next couple of weeks and then again in the September notice. We like to give OPO members the first opportunity to sign up for our paid opportunities before we offer them to the public.
The 2nd big week for us is the Heineken Regatta. I want to double check on plans for Monday this year before we pick which exact dates around the March 1st to March 4th regatta. I am 90% sure the dates for us will be Monday February 26th to Monday March 5th. I will have reserved rooms in the next few days for options to have some crew stay ashore and others stay on the boat. We sponsor the Cruising Class Division that this year is renamed the “Jamboree” Division and not the Lottery Division anymore. You heard it here first. I will have the firm dates, prices, and more information to book a berth along with the information for the Dominica Week by August 15th. Let me know if you are interested in joining us for the trip to Dominica and if you wish to spend a week ashore overlooking the ocean to the right and to the left up the valley of a Volcano.
Book Sale
Charlie Doane’s book is for sale at the following link.
https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Not-Full-Revelations-Misadventures/dp/0997392037/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501084652&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Sea+Is+Not+Full
Charlie Adds: “It’s the cheapest way to buy the book by far. You can tell everyone if they buy a copy and then send it to me with a stamped self-addressed envelope I’ll sign it up personal and send it back.”
They can send them to:
Charles J. Doane
283 Pleasant St.
Portsmouth, NH 03801
You might also urge people who read the book and like it to leave a review on Amazon!