What to Expect Offshore
Offshore sailing is as close as we ‘normal folk’ can get to being astronauts. Crossing oceans requires self-sufficiency, traveling across wide, hostile (yet beautiful) expanses at a ‘human’ pace, where the hours and minutes go by slowly but the days go by in a flash. Offshore we’re intimately connected with nature yet disconnected from our lives back home. All of us go to sea for different reasons, and everyone comes back changed, in one way or another. What follows is a practical list of things to expect on the boats at sea. What we can’t possibly communicate is the philosophical expectations — for that, you just have to do it to see for yourself.
“Sharing the wisdom of the high seas, with those wise enough to seek it out.”
why 59º North?
If you've made it to our site, you probably don't need an answer to the 'why?' question. It's a question without a real answer anyway. We go offshore because the ocean is there, we do it for the personal challenge and to fulfill a need for discovery.
Some people simply 'get it,' and no explanation of why you should venture offshore is needed. 'Won't I get bored?' some people ask. Those who 'get it,' know that answer is 'no.' There is no such thing as boredom on a long ocean voyage. The minutes and hours may drift by slowly, but the days go by in a flash.
We go to sea to learn about ocean sailing, but we come back having learned more about ourselves than any technical aspect of sailing a boat. The sailing part is easy. But do we have it in us to withstand the wind, seas and spray at the helm on a dark, cold night offshore? Do we have it in us to withstand the feeling of exposure one gets at sea, of being so small and vulnerable, the boat wrapped around you like a tortoise shell. Do you ask yourself these questions of yourself? Can we withstand the brutal seasickness that befalls everyone who goes to sea, sooner or later?
So, it's hard to put your finger on it, right? But if you've got the opportunity, whether with us or with someone else, GO! You won't regret it, and it might even change your life...
Philosophy aside, Mia & I, and the skippers & mates we hand-pick to work with, are very good at leading offshore sailing passages, and (we've been told), we're pretty fun to hang out with! Through some of the 'intangibles' that the 59º North Team possesses, we can offer an experience that is far greater than the sum of it's parts.
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You won't find finer boats — a Swan 48 and Farr 65 — suited for the express purpose of ocean sailing, in a simple yet comfortable manner. No frills (we won't be serving you ice cream), but everything you need for safe, fast and fun offshore sailing, at the highest standards of safety and performance. We spare no expense in ensuring your experience represents the highest standards available in the industry and to set the example we’d like others to follow.
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We are not a sailing school, 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 by default sailing with 59º North, all in the service of having the adventure of a lifetime.
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.
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Offshore sailing still makes us nervous, believe it or not. Our Skippers & Mates have enormous respect for nature and the sea specifically, and we're always making decisions to work with the ocean, not against her.
And yet we've always got something new to learn. To that end we’re constantly reading books on seamanship & leadership and look to other industries (like mountaineering, merchant shipping and flying) to find ideas we can adapt to the kind of offshore sailing we do, to make it safer and more fun.
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We take a maximum of 5 paying crew on ISBJØRN plus Skipper, and 8 paying crew on FALKEN plus Skipper & Mate on each leg. (Occasionally we have an additional person onboard sailing as apprentice or photographer).
With a smaller crew, we can more easily work to meet each person's specific needs, whether it be more time at the helm, learning celestial navigation or practicing sail trim.
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If you've made it to our site, you probably don't need an answer to the 'why?' question. It's a question without a real answer anyway. We go offshore because the ocean is there, we do it for the personal challenge and to fulfill a need for discovery.
Some people simply 'get it,' and no explanation of why you should venture offshore is needed. 'Won't I get bored?' some people ask. Those who 'get it,' know that answer is 'no.' There is no such thing as boredom on a long ocean voyage. The minutes and hours may drift by slowly, but the days go by in a flash.
We go to sea to learn about ocean sailing, but we come back having learned more about ourselves than any technical aspect of sailing a boat. The sailing part is easy. But do we have it in us to withstand the wind, seas and spray at the helm on a dark, cold night offshore? Do we have it in us to withstand the feeling of exposure one gets at sea, of being so small and vulnerable, the boat wrapped around you like a tortoise shell. Do you ask yourself these questions of yourself? Can we withstand the brutal seasickness that befalls everyone who goes to sea, sooner or later?
So, it's hard to put your finger on it, right? But if you've got the opportunity, whether with us or with someone else, GO! You won't regret it, and it might even change your life...
“The single most important thing you can do, by far and bar none, to become a safe and happy offshore cruiser is to go to sea as crew with an experienced skipper on a good boat. No amount of inshore sailing or reading replaces this vital step on the road to becoming a competent offshore sailor.”
Teamwork
ISBJØRN & FALKEN are in no way typical “charter boats” — this is an ocean passage after all, not a luxury cruise — and the expeditions we run are closer in spirit to climbing a mountain than they are to a typical Caribbean charter. We expect crew, with guidance from us of course, to take care of themselves for the most part when it comes to eating, sleeping & living on the boat.
The key to a successful passage is teamwork. The hierarchy goes like this — take care of the boat first, then each other. You'll be surprised how the mood can be lifted onboard by the simple offer of making your watchmate a snack on a wet & squally day!
Our goal is for your weaknesses to become strengths and for everyone to grow as sailors, no matter what your experience level (ourselves included!). When the skipper or mate are asleep, our lives and the safety of the boat depends on you! For us to get decent rest, we must be 100% certain you will wake us up at the slightest question. Lights on the horizon you’re not completely certain of, when to reef, which line to pull, etc. Do not do anything unless you’re sure it’s the right thing to do. This doesn’t mean don’t do anything at all without asking — we don’t run that tight a ship — but we’ve got to keep safety first. Plus, we’d prefer not to break anyone or anything.
We strive to get everyone included in all aspects of running the boat, but safety is our #1 concern. Nothing happens onboard our boats by accident — we'll closely monitor all crew's ability, health & fitness level and assign tasks accordingly. Sometimes you'll be asked to go to the foredeck, sometimes you'll be ask to handle lines in the cockpit. Please respect our decisions, but speak out if you feel left out or in over your head! You will never be punished for questioning orders you feel are unsafe.
“There’s no satisfaction at all in staying at home...You’re doing a hard thing. But you’ll have something to be proud of when you’ve done it. Otherwise, if you just do the easy things, what’s to be proud of? Go for the tough things. That’s how you get satisfaction in life. And what fun it is, to go out in life and to take something on.”
COMMS
Being disconnected is increasingly rare in the modern world, and offshore sailing provides one of the last low-fi respites from constant ‘on’ technology. Yes, Starlink is a thing that more and more cruising boats are installing and using for seamless broadband during long passages. You won’t see it on a 59º North boat.
Crew should expect to be disconnected from the Internet while we’re at sea, and should see that as a feature, not a bug. You will return to civilization refreshed and slowed down in a way that’s utterly impossible. Ashore, disconnecting is a choice, and the temptation will always be there no matter how disciplined you are. Offshore, it’s the default mode. After a day or so of' ‘discomfort,’ you’ll quickly wonder why you ever needed it in the first place.
That said, we are not entirely shut-off from outside contact, and in fact the variety of sat comms onboard make up a big part of our safety culture, as well as provide a way for crew to keep in touch, albeit in a low-fi, almost analog way, with their families back home. Here’s how it works:
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Iridium-based text messaging device. Crew can setup their own accounts with their own credits and send short, almost telegram-style messages back and forth to family at home through the YB Connect app.
The YB device also sends regular position reports to the maps on this website for family to track our position. The Skipper & Mate will also send short logbook-style text updates daily that appear on the tracker map.
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FALKEN & ISBJØRN both carry hand-held Iridium sat phones for use in emergencies. These live in the ditch bag and are used in the event of abandon ship or a medical emergency when speaking to a doctor is required.
Both boats also carry Iridium sat comms (Go! on ISBJØRN and GMDSS terminal on FALKEN) that allow us to send and receive text-based emails and GRIB weather files. Crew are not allowed to access sat email unless in an emergency.
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In addition to the sat comms, both boats carry EPIRBs and MOB devices for communicating in real emergencies. These devices are briefed during the safety briefing when you join the boat.
Inevitably there remains the temptation to immediately fire up your phones as soon as the boat is close enough to landfall to get a signal. We urge you now, and staff will urge you on the boats to stay in the moment! Landfall is one of the most special parts of any offshore voyage, and while we fully understand the desire to share that with family and friends ashore, you’ll get much more from the experience if you stay present. Take pictures with your crewmates instead and plan to call your families once the boat is secured to the dock or at anchor (and only after that obligatory post-passage swim & bubbles toast!).
A Typical Passage
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We take safety very seriously offshore, and will spend a full day going over the safety routines and practices we put in place. We expect our crew to follow our safety rules and will not tolerate it if they don't. Some of the basics include:
Wearing PFD's and being clipped onto the boat all the times, by default.
Following the 'standing orders,' or when to wake the skipper.
Paying attention below-decks, where statistically you're more likely to get hurt.
Understanding where all thru-hulls and fire extinguishers are down below.
Etc. — You'll learn the rest onboard.
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You’ll be expected to do some or all of the following — don't know how to do it? We'll teach you! Also note that there will be equal opportunity for all crew members to get equal time on the boat helming, navigating, sail work, etc.
Wash dishes
Cleaning
Cooking
Standing Watch (with a watch partner)
Recording in the logbook
Navigating
Going forward to reef / set the spinnaker
Hand-steering
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Absolutely no…
Smoking (anytime on the boat)
Drinking alcohol (during passage)
Drugs
Yelling
Complaining
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We eat healthy food at 59º North, made as much from natural, whole, local ingredients as possible. We've created some awesome boat meals during our sea time, and think you'll like them! However, there is no way we can make individual meals for everyone — but we’ll honor any allergies of course.
One hot, communal meal per day in the late-afternoon (so we can be cleaned up with dishes before dark).
Breakfast, lunch & snacks are on your own — though it’s nice to ask the others if they want a sandwich to. Feel free to use the stove and galley anytime, and all food in designated crew lockers is up for grabs.
We’ll share the washing-up duties and make a galley rotation before we leave port.
Meals & snacks should be consumed in the galley, cockpit or salon area. No eating at the nav. station or in your bunk!
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Glums & Glows after dinnertime to reflect on the day as a group.
The on-watch will be responsible to wake up the next watch 15-minutes before they’re on — ask if they want hot water made for tea of coffee!
‘On-call’ watch is whoever is up next — so if the on-watch needs help, call them first, unless it's an 'all-hands' situation.
Positive vibes onboard — reinforce good actions with one another, and do not criticize wrong actions. We’ve all got stuff to learn.
Down Below
Each person will be assigned a single berth. This is yours. At sea, in certain extreme conditions, we may rotate where people sleep ('hot-bunking'), but your bunk remains yours for your stuff. No snacking or eating in your bunk under any circumstances!
Each person will get their own locker for your personal gear and clothing, adjacent to your bunk (about 24x36 inches — think carry-on storage bin size on an airplane, but this space differs between the boats).
On ISBJØRN and FALKEN you will be able to pack most of your belongings into your assigned locker. Most crew, however, find it easiest to work out of their bag directly and use the locker for jackets, shoes, shower kits, etc.
There is shared space available for hanging your foulies and storing your boots outside of your locker.
How-to pack
Packing for an offshore passage can be tricky, especially when you are sailing through different temperature zones. In short, less is more. We don't think anyone has ever wished they'd brought MORE gear! Read on for some specific tips.
Once registered, you will receive specific packing list and instructions on how to pack. We have four packing lists — Cold Weather, Warm Weather, Transition Weather & Arctic Weather. Email us if you have specific questions before signing up.
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A large duffel bag, 70 L on the warmer passages, and a 90 L on the colder ones, should be all you need . More than that is not only unnecessary but more to move to and from the boat and more stuff the other crew members have to deal with on the passage. No bags with hard sides or wheels.
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We provide sheets and pillows onboard, but you will need to bring your own sleeping bag. In Newsletter #2, we will let you know if a sleeping bag is needed for your specific passage or not. Hera re a few tips: Have a sleeping bag that you’re comfortable in; you’ll be in an environment that is completely unfamiliar. If all else fails, at least when your off watch in your bunk having a comfortable and familiar sleeping setup will allow you to get more sleep and ultimately have a better experience. Make sure the bag is adequate for the conditions the boat will be sailing through. It also helps if the material can be easily dried.
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The temperatures offshore is always colder than near shore. The key is layers. Pack clothes so that they can be worn as separate outfits but can all be used together if and when you need extra protection from the cold.
Both FALKEN & ISBJØRN have heat inside the boat for colder passages. Each bunk have their own fans, but no AC onboard.
On the the warmer passages; in the Tropics or an Atlantic Crossing, good sun protection like long sleeve shirts, hats and sunscreen for lips and body are important. Getting sunburn is not fun!
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One of the best things about being offshore is it limits. Not having the option to work or be distracted with the routine and stress of daily life leaves you open to read that book you’ve had for a while or write that long letter to Aunt Jemima. Download a couple audiobooks or podcasts are great company if you don’t feel 100% to read a book. We have a big library of novels and sailing books that you are welcome to read during the passage or borrow if you are doing back-to-back passages.
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Each crew get their own locker to store your personal clothing and gear. It helps to organize your clothing and gear in mesh bags or dry bags, preferably color-coded so you easily can find what you need without rooting through your entire bag. Keep your essentials in a bag handy, and one bag for your day-clothing.
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Your wallet
A passport
A good attitude
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Towel (we provide quick-dry, cotton towels), sheets & pillow.
Large electronics (like laptops — iPad's & Kindle's are okay).
PFD and tether (we provide Helly Hansen inflatable PFD with integrated harness & SPINLOCK double tether for all crew).
Insulated travel mug / thermos (we provide onboard).
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Check bags at your own risk — and make sure to pack you essentials in your hand luggage.
If you need to save space in your bag, wear your sailing jacket and boots on the plane.
Long underwear & foulie pants works better than cotton pants or jeans if it’s chilly.
Test that your foulies / jacket are waterproof before you pack them.
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When you sign up to sail with us, Helly Hansen give all 59 North crew a ‘One time discount code of 25%’ to use in the online shop. Check out their gear on hellyhansen.com. We have been using Helly Hansen ever since we started sailing and became Ambassadors for their gear many years ago.
Weather
We choose our routes based on seasons (ie not sailing in hurricane season where there are hurricanes!), but once we head offshore, we get what we get. Sometimes it’ll be wet and uncomfortable and even downright scary!
You may encounter heavy weather, uncomfortable and possibly frightening conditions, seasickness, sleep deprivation and constant motion. This is all part of the emotional roller coaster that is ocean sailing. To illustrate how we handle forecasting and decision-making whilst at-sea, read this anecdote from Andy from FALKEN’s passage to Greenland in summer 2023:
“We had an interesting tactical situation unfold on the 800-mile leg from Newfoundland to Nanortalik, Greenland earlier this summer. The iceberg limit off southern Greenland was at about 59º north latitude. As we sailed north, the wind began to head us and increase. If we had continued sailing close-hauled, we’d have been set east of our rhumb line and would have arrived to the outer reaches of the ice limit just after sunset, in the dark and to leeward of our target. I clearly preferred getting through there in daylight and had been anticipating this scenario even during the planning week layover in St. John’s.
The question was whether we’d continue sailing that first night, then heave-to the second night to wait for daylight; or should we heave-to right away, ride out that first night while the wind was against us, and get underway again the next morning?
I debated this with myself in the log:
“The second option would give the wind a chance to back into the west again while we’re hove-to, so that come tomorrow morning we can get underway again on a reach instead of a beat, timing our arrival at the ice belt for dawn Saturday. Sounds pretty good right? On the other hand, the wind looks to get lighter overnight down here, so there’s a risk we heave-to and wind up having to motor through a calm in the morning to back into the breeze.”
We opted to heave-to that first night. It was the right call. The wind did back in our favor and by next morning we were full-sail again, close-reaching on our rhumb line, actually able to sail high of it. The GRIBs had showed a substantial increase in the wind as we approached the ice limit and I wanted to be positioned to windward of our landfall — picking our way through ice and fog and 25 knots of wind on a broad reach, sailing fast and flat and in control, would be vastly easier than beating into it.
The tactic worked.
I’m a huge proponent of prioritizing weather understanding over most other seamanship skills for ocean sailing. Being able to anticipate the coming 24-48-72 hours offshore allows you to set the boat and the crew up for short-term success, and this was a great example of that.
Beyond 3 days, forecasts get much harder to predict. I focus on certainty — if a model run of one GRIB forecast agrees with another over a 5-7 day timescale (for example the GFS & ECMWF), then I interpret a higher degree of forecast certainty. Another way to test this is one model run of the same forecast taken at different days. How much did the new one change from the old one? More change = less certainty.
Combine certainty with trends to dictate your tactics. An uncertain forecast that’s trending worse would give me cause for making conservative tactics. Conversely, a forecast with a higher degree of certainty and trending better would allow me to feel more confident making bolder tactical decisions.
The problem I’ve found is that most weather forecasters use the language of certainty rather than skepticism, even in longer-range forecasts. You’ll see phrases like “the wind will ease and shift to the E,” for example, rather than “is forecast to ease”. You get the picture.”