What Can I expect to learn on a 59º North trip? Do I get a certificate?

59º North is not a sailing school, and we don’t issue any official certificates (but will gladly sign your logbook), but crew often say they have learned more in one day with us than a full week of formal class. That’s because we teach the real thing, with real stakes, having to get the boat from one port to another in varied weather and on a timeline.

Focusing on fundamental seamanship, we’ll teach you how to anticipate the weather & make routing decisions, how to optimize the sail plan for different points of sail in different conditions, how to helm, how to use the radar and on and on. You will become a better sailor — and a better thinker — sailing with 59º North.

We’ve created an environment onboard that fosters hands-on learning and teamwork. Our skippers and mates are almost always co-ed, and we sail with a diverse crew of mixed genders, nationalities, ages, sailing & life experiences. Everyone gets an equal opportunity to participate in running all aspects of the boat, from navigation, helming, sail trim etc., and yet nothing onboard happens by accident. Skippers & mates manage the crew’s varied fitness and skill levels to make sure everyone stays safe while being able to fully participate.

WILL I BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH FRIENDS OR FAMILY DURING THE PASSAGE?

Yes! We partner with YB TRACKING to offer text and email services via the Iridium satellite network, even when offshore! Crew download the ‘YB CONNECT’ app prior to joining the boat, setup an account (at their expense - normal text-based messages cost 1 YB ‘credit’ per 50 characters). Once aboard, they can Bluetooth connect to our built-in YB Tracker to send and receive messages.

Note that we do not, and will not, have Starlink for broadband Internet offshore. We believe that the limited connectivity during an ocean passage is a feature not a bug. This allows us and the crew to stay in the moment in a way that is impossible ashore, and the experience is that much richer for it.

Can I join multiple passages, back-to-back?

Yes! In fact it’s not uncommon for crew to do just that—currently the record stands at 4 legs back-to-back-to-back-to-back! Benefits include getting to sail with different crew, and sometimes a different skipper/mate. You get time between passages to reflect on what you’ve learned on the first leg, and re-focus what you want to learn on the second.

A few things to note if you decide to join multiple legs:

• We ask crew to stay ashore during the break, to give the skipper/mate space & time to turn the boat around, and relax before the next passage. This give you an opportunity to explore ashore, or study up for the next leg. And grab a hot shower :)

• You’re welcome to borrow books from the boat library during the break, just bring them back!

• We do not offer discounts for multiple leg crew.

Can i buy a passage as a gift for my partner or a friend?

Yes, and great idea! Fill out the Crew Sign-Up form in the recipient’s name, but with your email, and put in the notes that this is a gift. Mia or Laura will contact you with instructions and will help keep the secret :)

How can you be sure I’ll get along with the rest of the crew?

In short, you have to ;) That’s the beauty of ocean sailing on a small boat. One of the challenges is being open-minded enough to get along with the rest of the crew regardless of background, politics, personalities, etc. Everyone’s gotta work towards the goal of a successful passage. After 25,000 miles and over 100 crew, we’ve yet to have an issue. Our crew are AWESOME!

ARE THERE ANY TRAITS CONSISTENT AMONG THE CREW WHO DO THE BEST ON THE BOAT?

Yes! Go to 59-north.com/testimonials to get an idea of who sails with us and to read some personal testimonials from our crew past and present. In short, the common traits among crew are a lack of ego, a willingness to learn, eagerness to be part of a team, patience & unbounded enthusiasm.

HOW MUCH EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED TO SIGN ON FOR A PASSAGE?

The short answer? NONE! We have had several crew who have never even set foot on a sailboat before, but they have the dream, and that’s what’s important. Our crew, John M., always dreamed of seeing the ‘stars down to the horizon,’ yet he’d never been sailing. He changed that with us, and has since been as far as South Africa to complete a coastal nav. course and sails regularly on Lake Ontario in his free time. You’ll of course understand more of what’s going on the more experience you have, but it’s not in fact required.

That said, we DO require a certain level of physical fitness to join us offshore. Regardless of how much we emphasize it, most people still underestimate how difficult it is simply to LIVE on the boat offshore, even on a nice day.

WHAT TYPE OF PERSON MAKES FOR GOOD CREW OFFSHORE?

Quite simply, the folks who get along with others in confined spaces will do best onboard. There is no privacy on the boat except for in the head (and trust me, you don’t want to be there long!). Sailing skills are far down the list of things we look for. More importantly, potential crew should be open-minded, willing to work as a team, content with limited resources, know their limits (and when to wake the captain) and happy living simply.

Crew also need to have a minimum level of fitness and a clean bill of health. If you’re active in your daily life and have a solid exercise routine, you’ll do great offshore. If you don’t, we should discuss the realities of ocean sailing, which are far more rigorous physically than any other kind. If you’re unsure about this, please don’t hesitate to email us on holdfast@59-north.com.

do you ever offer discounts or special pricing?

In short, no. We are philosophically against the idea of discounting mainly because it creates inequality amongst the crew and has the potential to lead to conflict onboard. Instead, in the rare cases where we have last-minute unsold bunks, we use them to give opportunities to sail for free to our apprentice candidates and others who can’t afford to sail offshore but whom would greatly benefit from it. Occasionally we’ll bring along a journalist for publicity.

Our passages are priced in order to meet the world-class standards we strive for in our boats, our routes and our staff. We pay our Skippers, Mates & Bosun an actual living wage, and we keep our boats in top condition in order to spend our time and energy on sailing and seamanship and not on last-minute repairs.

WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO PREPARE MYSELF FOR GOING OFFSHORE?

Everybody who’s not been offshore, even the experienced coastal or inshore sailors, underestimates how physical it is just living on the boat at sea.. Everybody. The boat is constantly in motion, even on the nice days. Things like brushing teeth, going to the bathroom, just putting on socks take time and physical effort. To make it more difficult, you’ll be sleep-deprived during most of it, especially before you fully adjust to the rhythm. Offshore sailing is closer to living like an astronaut than coastal sailing where you get to stop and anchor for the night! Bottom line, the fitter you are to begin with, the easier time you’ll have at sea. Eat right and exercise!

WHAT AMENITIES ARE THERE ABOARD ISBJØRN & FALKEN?

Not too many! Both boats offer a very simple but cozy & comfortable offshore sailing platform. Both boats have hot water, but the only showers in the cockpit, so it's bikini and board shorts for showering time (unless you’re really adventurous). Beds are proper sea bunks, and we provide sheets, 'Turkish cotton towels' and pillows. You'll need a sleeping bag on colder trips. ISBJØRN and FALKEN have heat, making colder passages a lot more enjoyable.

MANAGING MENSTRUAL PERIODS DURING AN OFFSHORE PASSAGE

As for having your period onboard, it is quite similar to having it at home except that we have fewer opportunities to shower. We have trash bins in the bathroom for easy disposal of hygiene products. We do not stock the boats with pads and tampons for everyone, you need to bring your own. We recommend disposable period products on our trips, as it is harder to wash reusable products onboard. We do recommend that all people bring baby wipes with them to help with hygiene, as we do not shower much on these trips.

HOW DO COUPLES FIT IN WITH THE CREW?

We often have couples join us, who might have plans of their own to sail over the horizon together. Onboard, we usually give couples the choice of whether they want to stand watch together or separately. Some people like to be split up in the watch schedule, to get independent experience sailing the boat. If you will sail double-handed in the future, you won’t be on watch together then either, so might as well get used to it! Other times, couples want to stand watch together, depending on their goals.

HOW LONG ARE THE WATCHES?

Our watch schedule is flexible and ultimately up to the skipper. Traditionally, watches were divided into periods of 4 hours, with two different watches standing a 4-on / 4-off schedule, often with a small adjustment at dinnertime, and onboard ISBJØRN we normally follow this type of schedule. On FALKEN, we typically run a two-watch system, standing 6 hours on in the daytime, then 4 hours on at night. On tropical routes, when it’s hot in the daytime, we sometimes flip this to limit sun exposure. Regardless of which watch system we use, crew are always gathered together for dinnertime, allowing us to eat together and reflect on the day.

The skipper and mate stand a different watch schedule than the crew, so that one of them is always awake and supporting the crew. Their schedule allows them to spend time sailing with all the crew.

On an ocean race, where all crew is given specific roles, a ‘watch captain’ would ultimately be in charge of decisions on their watch. However, given the range of experience of the crew, we do not assign watch captains — rather, if there is discussion among the crew as to what to do, then the captain is woken up to settle the debate!

WHAT CLOTHES AND GEAR SHOULD I BRING?

Our Packing Lists is sent out to all crew along with Newsletter #2 (about 4 month prior to the passage). If you have any questions, send us an email.

HOW DO WE MAKE TRAVEL PLANS GIVEN THE UNCERTAIN NATURE OF OCEAN SAILING?

Our passages are scheduled based on the average speed of each boat. For example, we use 5.5 kts VMG (that’s ‘velocity made good.’) when planning ISBJØRN’s trips. This is a very conservative estimate for ISBJØRN, as we are usually averaging over 6.5 knots VMG. The conservative estimate ensures that we’ll get to our destination with time to spare before the last day of the trip. We still encourage crew not to book return air travel until we know for sure when we’re departing (some passages are easier to predict weather-wise than others, in the Trades in the Caribbean for example). Normally, if you book ahead, booking a ticket out on the final scheduled day of the passage will ensure you make your flight. Crew normally book a few days later and spend some time ashore before they depart.

any recommendations for seasickness?

Being jet lagged and sleep deprived are triggers to getting seasick, we recommend crew to arrive a day or two before the passage starts to get the body adjusted. Staying off alcohol a few days before the trip doesn’t hurt, but we suggest you don’t change your diet before the passage, that can mess up your belly and systems. Using seasick medication onboard is optional, we require that crew test at least one seasick medication at home before joining the boat, and bring it along. Always consult with a doctor before trying new medication.

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO GET TRAVEL AND TRIP CANCELLATION INSURANCE?

That said, anything can - and does - happen offshore. We recommend CSA Travel Protection for travel insurance, just in case. They’re on CSATRAVELPROTECTION.COM or 1-800-348-9505.

WHERE CAN I GET FURTHER INFORMATION ON OCEAN SAILING, IN THE STYLE THAT 59° NORTH PROMOTES?

The best way is to join us on The QUARTERDECK!