Swan Program: A First Experience with Offshore Sailing

If you've ever considering deepwater sailing but were not sure how to jump start your sailing career, our Swan Program is for you.

Our Swan Program was specifically designed to introduce people to the world of offshore sailing by providing hands-on crew experience under the watchful eye of an professional skipper on a proven boat. During your tenure onboard, you’ll learn to keep watch, make log entries, navigate, use the radio, steer the boat  and perform tasks that are essential to safe offshore sailing. The Swan Program offers a fixed price for everything you’ll need aboard—you just pay for your travel to and from the boat. The Swan Program sails south from New England to Bermuda and the Caribbean in the fall, and north from Bermuda and the Caribbean to New England in the spring. Summer trips are also available.

After your first Swan Program experience, you’ll have the skills to sail on other boats. Please view the video below to learn more.




Swan Program for Fall, 2021

Fall, 2021 Swan Program Schedule

This always fills up quickly with OPO members as it is a short full two days on the water plus two days at the show including accommodations aboard right next to the show.

Huntington NY to the Annapolis Boat Show -  Arrive Sunday evening Oct 10th and depart Oct 11th aboard the Swan 48 Avocation with Hank Schmitt skippering both legs. Spend two nights aboard dockside next to the show and see the show Thursday and Friday (depart Friday am) - $1,200 all included except travel and meals ashore.

Annapolis Boat Show to Huntington NY after seeing the boat show - Arrive Friday Oct 15th and see the show Friday and Saturday and then sail back to Huntington NY aboard Avocation and travel home after 2 day sail Tuesday Oct 19th. $1,200 all included except travel and meals ashore.

Newport to St. Maarten in the NARC Rally

There are only two Swans sailing in the NARC Rally this October 30th to November 17th.

Crew Arrive in Newport Thursday Oct 28th and fly home from St. Maarten November 17th.

  1. Swan 48 Avocation with Hank Schmitt skippering
  2. Swan 65 with Johnathan Ishmael skippering

The cost is $3,500 all-inclusive except travel to and from the boat and meals and drinks ashore outside of the rally socials schedule.

Trans-Atlantic and Feeder Passage Opportunities

We have three big Swans departing from the Canary Islands Nov 21st 2021. Arrive Nov 14th, up to one week early for any of the 3 trans-ats.

  1. Swan 68 Aphrodite with Murray Jacob skippering the boat in the ARC from Las Palmas to St. Lucia. $6,000 and is full (Wait list for cancellations).
  2. Swan 68 sailing from Santa Cruz Tenerife to St. Maarten with owner and friend Fabio Scalza aboard. $4,995 Nov 21st to Dec 10th.
  3. Swan 56 sailing from Santa Cruz Tenerife to Antigua with owner and repeat OPO skipper Andreas Jaunsen. $4,995 Nov 21st to about Dec 9th add a few days for a sail to Barbuda and back by Dec 13th for $500.

Feeder Legs from Las Palmas and Sweden to Canary Islands

  1. We also have feeder legs for both the Swan 68 with Tania Aebi and Maurizio sailing from Palma to the La Palmas Canary Islands 3 weeks from Oct 9th to Oct 30th. (Two berths left) $3,500 for 3 weeks all-inclusive except travel and meals ashore.
  2. Swan 56 from Henan Sweden to Tenerife Canary Islands Oct 16th to Nov 6th $2,000 all-inclusive except ravel and meals ashore. (4 berths left).

How to Qualify for a Passage

The more you know, the more you'll get out of your passage with Adventure Sailing.

No offshore experience is required, but if you have it, we will help you hone your skills.

In order to get the most out of your time at sea with us you should possess basic sailing skills such as how to "hand, reef, and steer." Especially, you should know how to steer a compass course. Most of our time at sea we won't be using the autopilot. Sitting in the cockpit watching "Otto" steer the boat does nothing to hone your skills, but steering in waves certainly does!

 

Caribbean Swan Program

2021 Swan Program: 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, several 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 slowed with many boat owners deciding not to sail south to the Caribbean, their 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 organized 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. We also have four sets of crew making a one way, one-week sail to Bermuda or back the end of May and again in June. There is also a Swan 68 going Transat from Newport to a TBD destination in Europe in June. We have a short wait list in the event any scheduled crew cannot participate due to shore side topics.

So, while conditions seem to be getting worse in the near term as more borders and islands close their doors (all French Islands in the Caribbean are now off limits as of this week). Testing before departure and upon arrival with days at sea counting as quarantine, offshore sailing is not only still possible—but proven safe.