Crossing

Gain sea time and enhance your offshore skills with a classic trade winds transatlantic passage. Sail in comfort and safety on a 65' Alan Wright designed New Zealand built pilot house ketch which has already sailed twice around the world and is now based in the Mediterranean. She is slowly heading west toward New Zealand.

Understand or even be involved in the planning, provisioning and preparation for a trans-oceanic passage. Come aboard and learn these crossing skills so that someday you can do it on your own.

Join any leg of the trip from Gibraltar to the Canary Islands and then on to Antigua and St. Thomas.

The husband-wife owners are both USCG captains, and each has completed two transatlantic passages. For their sailing résumé's click here. At sea, SHIBUMI is a non-smoking and non-alcoholic beverage environment. At anchor, we have a ball.

Be safe, have fun, eat well and learn:

	to provision a vessel for an ocean passage. Passage meals can be excellent, despite rumors to the contrary.
	to use safety, electrical and support systems prior to departure,
	to determine an initial weather window,
	to manage a heavy displacement ketch to maximize her performance,
	to schedule watches comparing advantages and choices,
	to ensure the safety of personnel and vessel underway,
	to use radar and ARPA,
	to utilize heavy weather tactics and gear,
	to read multi-national weather faxes and GRID files,
	to adjust for weather system changes underway,
	to use three electronic charting systems,
	to communicate to onshore trackers while at sea using SSB and Ham radio,
	to maintain property and morale,
	and much, much more!

We will not teach celestial navigation although you may use our sextant for self training or practice.

Leg 1: Gibraltar to the Canary Islands

	Distance: 600 miles
	Departure: after October 10th
	Duration: approximately 5 days

Leg 2: The Canary Islands to English Harbor, Antigua

	Distance: 2,750 miles
	Departure: after November 1st
	Duration: approximately 18-21 days.

Leg 3: Antigua to St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands

	Distance: 200 miles
	Departure: after November 28th
	Duration: approximately 2 days

managing the vessel to maximize performance	using radar and ARPA to track targets
routing SHIBUMI using electronic charting techniques	selecting and standing watches,
provisioning the vessel for all the ship's needs	communicating to onshore trackers while at sea,
hoisting the sails	helmsman underway, making way