OPO is all about going sailing for free. However some people prefer or need to plan well in advance to take three or four weeks off from work or commitments. They find it more affordable to sail offshore with a pro skipper on a strong offshore boat (Swans) compared to buying their own boat.
One phenomenon rocking the sailing world is the transition to catamarans. While catamarans in the US have not caught on, if you have sailed in the Caribbean or been to the Mediterranean, you'll see catamarans everywhere. If you are thinking of including a catamaran as part of your future, why not spend some money and make sure by signing up for an offshore passage and give it a go? Then you can see how they perform offshore before making a huge investment.
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 four Swans. Both the Swan 68 Aphrodite and Bali 5.4 catamaran Two Oceans will be in Barcelona for the Americas Cup this summer and fall. After they are over, Tania Aebi will skipper Aphrodite to Las Palmas in the Canary Islands. The same skipper and mate will be skippering Two Oceans to Lanzarote, Canary Islands and then on to St. Maarten. While Tania is making a three-week first leg cruise to Las Palmas, the catamaran will welcome crew on November 9 and make a more direct one-week passage to get to Lanzarote. During a four-day layover more crew will join the boat in Lanzarote for the Trans-Atlantic second Leg to St. Maarten. 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 (take your spouse) to see if it is a good plan before buying a catamaran? 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 if one or two couples join. There will be only three or four crew for the first leg. Then other crew will join in Lanzarote for the second leg of the passage. The second, longer Trans-Atlantic leg will depart 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 St. Maarten after you arrive and fly home. The plan is to have half the crew join in Barcelona. Crew, with less time, will fly in for the shorter three-week commitment.
For more information, visit: https://twooceanscatamaran.com/
* Two Oceans is only the first of four Bali 5.4 (56 feet) charter boats that will be making a regular run from Spain to the Caribbean and then back each season. Last year Two Oceans and MIM Ocean were the first two MedCat Charter boats offering fully crewed luxury charters to primarily European and South American charter guests.
We met the American owners of Two Oceans and the Catalonian skipper and 1st mate this past winter. Two very nice young sailors in their 30s. We had three paid crew join them for the sail from St. Maarten to Barcelona. The same skipper and first mate will be sailing back this November. If we fill the Two Oceans with six crew we will then offer to help fill from one to three other Bali 5.4 catamarans starting with MIM Ocean. We include a picture of MIM Ocean for you to try and guess the boat's owner.
In the Industry we see a lot of people who like to retire and invest money in their favorite hobby. The owners of Two Oceans, is one example. The other is a 37-year-old Argentinian (GOAT) futball player who is at the top of his game and near retirement. He just happens to be 37 year old. Please let us know if you are interested in sailing one of # 10s boats.
