About us

"Decision is the hardest part — execution is easy." Robin's consistent philosophy across every venture, from the Golden Globe to the Clipper Race, is that once the decision is made, the obstacles largely dissolve. He doesn't agonize; he acts. "The thinking about it is the hard part. It's much easier to make the decision and get on with it."
Sir Robin Knox-Johnston
Andy Schell's ON THE WIND Podcast, #163
Listen
"To be truly challenging, a voyage, like a life, must rest on a firm foundation of financial unrest. Otherwise, you are doomed to a routine traverse, the kind known to yachtsmen who play with their boats at sea… 'cruising' it is called. Voyaging belongs to seamen, and to the wanderers of the world who cannot, or will not, fit in. If you are contemplating a voyage and you have the means, abandon the venture until your fortunes change. Only then will you know what the sea is all about. I've always wanted to sail to the south seas, but I can't afford it." What these men can't afford is not to go. They are enmeshed in the cancerous discipline of "security." And in the worship of security we fling our lives beneath the wheels of routine – and before we know it our lives are gone. What does a man need – really need? A few pounds of food each day, heat and shelter, six feet to lie down in – and some form of working activity that will yield a sense of accomplishment. That's all – in the material sense, and we know it. But we are brainwashed by our economic system until we end up in a tomb beneath a pyramid of time payments, mortgages, preposterous gadgetry, playthings that divert our attention for the sheer idiocy of the charade. The years thunder by, The dreams of youth grow dim where they lie caked in dust on the shelves of patience. Before we know it, the tomb is sealed. Where, then, lies the answer? In choice. Which shall it be: bankruptcy of purse or bankruptcy of life?"
Sterling Hayden
Wanderer
"I live by a couple of rules concerning reefing when on long voyages. The first is that if the thought crosses my mind that I should reef, then I do it without debate. It's a great way for me not to push the boat too hard. The second is my 'cup of tea' rule. Wind, by its very nature, is unpredictable, so if the winds have eased to the point that I could easily sail with one less reef in the mainsail, I wait the time it takes me to make and drink a cup of tea before doing anything. The process normally takes around thirty minutes, so if the winds are still light when I'm done then I will shake out the reef and hoist more sail. More often than not, a gust will have come through that means I need to keep the reef in place to ensure I'm not overpowered in the gusts."
Lisa Blair
FACING FEAR
"...we were to discover that happiness has no frontiers, that it's a state of mind and not a possession, not a set route through life, not a goal to gained but something that steals in gently like an evening mist or the morning sunlight - something beyond our control."
Robin Lee Graham
Dove
"I am tormented with an everlasting itch for things remote. I love to sail forbidden seas and land on barbarous coasts."
Herman Melville
MOBY DICK
"It must be remembered that on long offshore passages a well-built and well-equipped boat will stand up to much more rough weather than will the crew."
Don Street
The Ocean Sailing Yacht, Vol. 1
"Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made, For somewhere deep in their oaken hearts the soul of a song is laid; A soul that sings with the ship along through plunging hills of blue, And fills her canvas cups of white with winds that drive her through."
Robert N. Rose
My Ship of Dreams
"I rarely remember my dreams ashore but almost always do at sea. Something about sleeping in a washing machine allows better access to the subconscious."
John Kretschmer
Sailing a Serious Ocean
"Sharing the wisdom of the high seas, with those wise enough to seek it out."
Andy Schell
59º North Mission Statement
"Sail training continues to become more valuable because it is an opportunity to help people unplug from society and experience nature, the environment, and each other in a way that is irreplaceable."
Will Sofrin
Andy Schell's ON THE WIND Podcast, #503
Listen
"There was no hurry now, Joshua was to spend the winter in Casablanca, where the local yacht club had provided us with a safe mooring in extremely pleasant and gay company. The club members are really keen sailors who go out every weekend even if a howling gale whistles through the rigging, and many of them perform quite admirable feats of seamanship in leaving their moorings under sail alone, without a hitch and as though it were the most natural thing in the world. A real pleasure to watch."
Bernard Moitessier
Cape Horn: The Logical Route
"The word 'experienced' often refers to someone who's gotten away with doing the wrong thing more frequently than you have."
Laurence Gonzales
Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why
"You'll be bothered from time to time by storms, fog, snow. When you are, think of those who went through it before you, and say to yourself, 'What they can do, I can do.'"
Antoine de Saint Exupery
WIND, SAND & STARS
"I knew that weather can turn concrete plans into vague abstractions, but that's no reason to forgo the pleasure of laying them."
Dallas Murphy
Rounding the Horn
"I'm in the Northwest Passage, I'm cold, I'm wet a lot, I'm hungry, I'm sleep deprived, like properly sleep deprivation at times. I had every right and reason to be miserable, right? Cold, wet, tired, hungry, and miserable. But being miserable was not going to give me sleep. It's not going to give me a warm meal. It wasn't gonna give me a hot shower. It wasn't gonna give me any of those things. So you might as well enjoy the moment, you know?"
Matt Rutherford
ON THE WIND Podcast, #487
Listen
"The more technology we add, the more likely we are to get ourselves into a situation where that stuff absolutely must work, and the less likely it is that we will be able to manage safely without it."
John Harries
ATTAINABLE ADVENTURE CRUISING
"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth, a nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present. In this limitless nation, this nation of wind, light, and peace, there is no other ruler besides the sea."
Bernard Moitessier
The Long Way
"There are few events filled with as much promise as the prospect of stepping ashore after a long passage."
John Kretschmer
Sailing a Serious Ocean
"The more you know, the less you need."
Yvon Chouinard
Patagonia
"Cause without the bitter, baby, the sweet ain't as sweet."
Cameron Crowe
Vanilla Sky (Movie)

Who we are

Mia & I founded 59º North in 2015 with a simple mission — “Sharing the wisdom of the high seas with those wise enough to seek it out.” Since then, we’ve collectively sailed over 170,000 miles with over 1,000 crew from all walks of life. 2026 marks our 12th full season of offshore passages for paying crew.

The business took its current form in 2019, when we added our second boat, the Swan 59 ICEBEAR (now replaced by our Farr 65 FALKEN). Around that time, August Sandberg joined the team to skipper ISBJØRN, our Swan 48. Myself, Mia & August — the ‘Admiralty’ — now make up the core of 59º North.

Our focus remains ocean sailing on our two boats — ISBJØRN (Swan 48) and FALKEN (Farr 65) — plus select chartered race boats with pro skippers and the occasional one-off adventure. We sail worldwide, offering a range of experiences for every sailor.

We’re not a formal school; we teach seamanship through real-world experience. Inclusivity is central to our mission — we run all-female passages, ensure at least two women per crew, and strive for a 50/50 gender balance across staff and sailors.

Beyond sailing, we share knowledge through The Quarterdeck (our online platform), three podcasts, magazine articles, and hands-on workshops in Celestial Navigation, Weather Routing, and Offshore Prep.

Named after the latitude of Stockholm, where Mia & I live in a small town a few miles from our family boat SPICA, 59º North began as our passion project and has grown into a global team of 12+, most of whom work directly in the business — from admin and media to boat maintenance and passage planning.

Hold Fast! | Andy Schell

WHY 59º NORTH?

ambitious sailing schedule

The best boats

WOMEN BUNKS GUARANTEED

Professional, well-paid staff

knowledge & community

Why it costs what it costs...

🇨🇦 🇺🇸 🇻🇬 🇧🇱 🇦🇬 🇬🇩 🇻🇮 🇻🇨 🇧🇲 🇵🇹 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🇸🇪 🇳🇴 🇸🇯 🇮🇸 🇮🇪 🇮🇨 🇵🇷 🇫🇷 🇬🇵 🇬🇧 🇨🇻 🇧🇧 🇫🇮 🇬🇱 🇯🇲 🇨🇺 🇫🇴 🇳🇱 🇲🇹 🇨🇴 🇵🇦 🇪🇨 🇵🇫 🇲🇽 🇨🇷

192,230

Nautical Miles Sailed

207

Total Passages Sailed

1,161

Crew

38

Countries Visited

75

Landfall Ports

15

Atlantic Crossings

7

Equator Crossings

16

Arctic Passages

2

Passages Above 80º North

The boats we sail

Farr 65

'

FALKEN

'

🇬🇧

FALKEN is ideally set up for long-distance offshore sailing. We fully rebuilt the boat in 2022 to our exacting specifications and with the help of legendary yacht designer Bob Perry. She's comfortable belowdecks and each crew has their own dedicated sea berth & gear locker. On deck she has a huge cockpit which easily seats 10 people for our daily meals offshore, and allows for plenty of room to move about when handling lines and trimming sails. She's also easy to maintain, fast and fun to sail! FALKEN sails with 8 crew plus a Skipper & Mate and the occasional apprentice.

66,665
Miles sailed
view details
FALKEN

S&S Swan 48

'

ISBJØRN

'

🇳🇴

ISBJØRN is the "OG" 59º North boat, the classic S&S Swan 48 that we started the business with back in 2015. She's considered an all-time great ocean cruising boat - built like a tank in Finland to the highest standards and with a modern but conservative hull shape making for fast & comfortable passages offshore in any weather. ISBJØRN sails with 5 crew plus a Skipper, and each person has their own dedicated sea berth & storage locker.

71,588
Miles sailed
view details
ISBJØRN

Schooner

'

WOODWIND

'

🇺🇸

WOODWIND & WOODWIND II are wood/epoxy staysail schooners built in the 1990s for Annapolis daysail charters. In October 2025, 59º North Sailing acquired them, and now offers select passages and races, continuing their rich family and sailing legacy on the Bay.

0
Miles sailed
view details
WOODWIND

OE 36

'

SPICA

'

🇸🇪

SPICA is my (Andy, writing this!) and Mia's family boat here in Sweden. Well, actually it's Axel's boat, our six-year-old! It's a classic Olle Enderlein 36, built in Sweden in 1971, and very much a "mini" ISBJØRN, both in underwater hull shape, deck layout and interior style and arrangement. When you sail on SPICA you will be joining our family's summer home here in Sweden. When we have crew onboard, we sail with 3 plus me (Andy!) as skipper.

742
Miles sailed
view details
SPICA

Swan 70

'

ADRIENNE II

'

🇸🇪

ADRIENNE II is a modified Swan 651, lengthened to 70 feet with an extended transom, upgraded fin keel, carbon-fiber rig, and a Hallberg-Rassy-style glass windshield. Chartered by 59º North from owner Gurra Krantz (noted for the TV show Över Atlanten), she will be used for trans-Atlantic voyages in 2025. Only 19 Swan 651s were built (1982–1991) as successors to the S&S Swan 65, offering more interior space and family cruising features. More info and photos: 59-north.com/swan-70.

9,628
Miles sailed
view details
ADRIENNE II

Swan 59

'

ICEBEAR

'

🇬🇧

After nearly four years and 42,000+ miles, ICEBEAR, a 1986 Swan 59 offshore sailing yacht, has left the 59º North fleet. Originally purchased in 2019, ICEBEAR underwent extensive upgrades and is now one of the best-equipped Swan 59s. The boat has a unique history, including a modified builder’s plaque and previous Swedish ownership.

42,140
Miles sailed
view details
ICEBEAR

The sailing experience of a lifetime

Join us for an unforgettable offshore sailing adventure as a paying crew member on our exceptional yachts. We provide hands-on seamanship training through real-world experiences that simply can't be replicated in a classroom.

2026: Pacific & North Sea
2027: Atlantic, Artic & Iceland
View open bunks

Podcasts we produce

On The Wind
The Quarterdeck
Sailing stories

The Quarterdeck

SEA·M’N·SHIP /ˈsēmənˌSHip/: “The skill in, and knowledge of the work of navigating, maintaining, and operating a vessel.”

Go to The Quarterdeck
"The more technology we add, the more likely we are to get ourselves into a situation where that stuff absolutely must work, and the less likely it is that we will be able to manage safely without it."
John Harries
ATTAINABLE ADVENTURE CRUISING