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.
Dear Sailors,
We like to speak with potential Swan Crew before they sign up for any of the following passages. Please let me know if you have any questions before placing a deposit online or by mailing a check.
A deposit is required for any option.
I am in or near the office most of December and January at 631-423-4988. E-mail works very well at hank@sailopo.com
Once we have agreed you are ready to join us, you can make a deposit online at www.sailopo.com/store or pay by check made out to Offshore Passage Opportunities and mailed to OPO, PO Box 2600, Halesite NY 11743.
Best Regards,
Hank Schmitt
OPO
Annapolis Boat Show - Sail Aboard our Flagship Swan 48 Avocation (6 Days)
October 5 to October 11: Sail from New York to the Annapolis Boat Show and then stay aboard for two days and see the show.
October 11 to October 16: See the show on Saturday and Sunday and then sail back to New York.
The price is $2,000.
Newport to St. Maarten: October 30, and Returns on November 18
We know we will have at least 10 berths on two Swans sailing from Newport to St. Maarten this fall 2025. A Swan 65 and a Swan 48. The dates are for crew to arrive Thursday, October 30, for planned departure on Saturday, November 1. In the fall we need to add several extra days just in case we have a possible weather delay. We allow 18 days for the ten days of sailing.
If we leave on time we may spend up to four days in Bermuda and have a day or two in St. Maarten. If we have a three-or four-day delay in Newport, we may spend only two days in Bermuda and only one day in St. Maarten. Plan to fly home no earlier than Tuesday, November 18. We are only taking crew who can commit to two legs in the fall since it gets too complicated trying to accommodate people who do not have time to make both legs.
The price of $5,500 is all-inclusive accept travel to and from the boat and meals and drinks ashore.
Oban Scotland to The Med: August 3 for approximately 3 weeks with Murray Jacob (only one berth left)
Crew arrives in Oban Scotland Sunday, August 3, and depart a day or two later for Olbia Italy. Murray and weather will help decide the route and stops along the way. Usually it is good to get a lot of miles in early in the passage so there is no pressure to catch up.
The plan is to arrive in Italy one or two days early so you can enjoy a day or two before flying home Wednesday, August 24.
The price of $4,500 includes everything accept travel to and from the boat and any meals and drinks in port. But it does include almost three weeks on a Swan 68 and all onboard provisioning, dockage, customs fees and of course boat expenses and crew wages. There is a captain and mate on all the big Swans.
Palma to Las Palmas: October 20 to November 8 (3 weeks) with Tania Aebi (only two berths left)
Captain Tania Aebi and First Mate Maurizio have been teaming up to co-skipper the boat for this passage from Palma Mallorca to the Island of Madeira and then to Las Palmas to position the boat for the ARC Rally in November. This is a rare opportunity to sail on a big Swan covering good open ocean miles with a celebrity skipper and primo Italian chef to cook diners.
We have two berths left to join them for three weeks in the fall at $4,500 each.
