About the Adventure
Barefoot Offshore Sailing School (BOSS) is pleased to announce that Sana, a 2019 Bali 4.1 cruising catamaran, will be sailing through the Mediterranean and across the Atlantic in October – December 2022 to join the Barefoot fleet in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
On Sana, three legs are available:
Leg 1: Split, Croatia to Mallorca, in the Baleric Islands of Spain, via Sicily. Oct 20-Oct 31.
Leg 2: Mallorca to Madeira, via Gibraltar. Nov 2-Nov 12.
Leg 3: Madeira to St. Vincent, via the Canary Islands. Nov 15 – Dec 7-10
Certifications available on all three legs include:
- ASA 106 / Sail Canada Advanced Cruising
- ASA 108 / Sail Canada Offshore Cruising
- ASA 114 / Sail Canada Catamaran Endorsement
- ASA 105, 107, 117 exams if required as prerequisites
For details on relevant standards, see:
- ASA standards: https://asa.com/certifications/
- Sail Canada standards: https://www.sailing.ca/keelboat-cruising/
Note that given the extensive certification requirements Advanced and Offshore cannot be combined on the same leg. ASA 114 / SC Catamaran Endorsement can be combined with Advanced or Offshore.
Maximum capacity on each leg is 6 participants.
Skipper / Instructor
This sailing adventure will be led by Rob McLean, who is BOSS Lead Instructor and Coordinator. Rob is uniquely qualified as the only person certified as an Offshore Instructor by both ASA and Sail Canada. Rob has accumulated more than 20,000 of cruising miles since the early 80s on the Great Lakes, Pacific, Atlantic, and in the Caribbean, and in 2021 completed a 7,000 mile passage from Canada to St. Vincent on his own 62′ schooner, Interlude. As an Instructor Evaluator he leads instructor development clinics for both Sail Canada and ASA. His full sailing resume is here: http://robmclean.ca/sailingresume.html . His professional background outside of sailing is summarized here: http://robmclean.ca/Resume.shtml
Pricing
The Base Participation Fee (USD) for each leg or combination of legs is as follows:
- Leg 1: $4,495
- Leg 2: $4,495
- Leg 3: $5,995
- Legs 1 and 2: $5,995
- Legs 2 and 3: $7,995
- Legs 1, 2, and 3: $9,995
The Base Participation Fee includes:
- Fully-equipped 4 cabin, 4 head catamaran with Skipper / Instructor
- Shared accommodation. While underway on a continuous passage, all participants will be standing watches, so there will be a certain amount of hot-bunking
- Full provisioning while underway
- Fuel, ice, tank water
- Marina fees
- If participating in more than one leg, accommodation on the vessel while in port between legs
The Base Participation Fee does not include:
- Air fare and ground transfers
- Certification fees for participants seeking certification: see details here: https://barefootoffshore.com/bosssailing_courses/certification-fees/
- ASA membership (must be current to process certifications)
- Personal snacks
- Alcoholic beverages (not to be consumed while underway)
- Meals while in port between legs
- Instructor gratuity at your discretion
Registration process
Anyone interested in participating should contact Rob McLean at rob.m@barefootyachts.com, including a brief summary of your sailing certifications and experience, and indicating which leg or legs you are interested in. Rob is also available to respond to questions about the adventure.
- To start the registration process, if you haven’t already sailed with Rob, he will arrange a Skype or Zoom interview focused on ensuring that this adventure is a good match for your skills and experience, and answering your questions
- If based on this interview you wish to proceed with a registration, Rob will send you an invitation that will include details on: requirements related to desired certifications, guidance on self-study for coastal and/or celestial navigation, safety and personal gear requirements and recommendations, and crew agreement terms and conditions.
- If having reviewed all these documents you are ready to proceed, BOSS will send you an invoice. To hold your reservation, BOSS requires a 50% deposit within 7 days, with the balance payable 45 days prior to the start of the relevant leg.
- Once your deposit is received, Rob will be in touch to provide guidance on preparing for the adventure. In due course we will need details on your travel arrangements, medical and emergency contact information, and any special dietary requirements. Additional information that will be shared in the lead-up to the passage includes: details on Sana and the safety equipment that will be on board for the passage, a detailed passage plan, and other relevant information.
Planned Itinerary
Leg 1: Split, Croatia to Mallorca, Spain (in the Baleric islands)
Distance: 1,300 miles
Target dates: October 20-31
This leg will travel down the Adriatic Sea, through the Strait of Otranto, then head west for the Messina Strait between Sicily and the Italian mainland.
After an overnight fuel-stop in Sicily, if the weather and schedule permits we aim to head north-west to travel between Sardinia and Corsica, before heading west to Mallorca, passing Menorca en-route.
Leg 2: Mallorca, Spain to Madeira
Distance: 1100 miles
Target dates: Nov 2-12, 2022
After passing by Ibiza, if time permits, we’ll visit a port on the Spanish coast before arriving in Gibraltar for an overnight fuel stop. The distance from Gibraltar to Madeira is just over 600 miles, so should take about 4 days after traversing the legendary Gibraltar Straits.
Leg 3: Madeira to SVG via the Canary Islands
Distance: 3000-3200 miles, depending on routing
Target Dates: November 15 – December 7-10, 2022
After departing Madeira we plan to travel 260 miles south to the Canary Islands to top up fuel, water and provisions before heading across the Atlantic.
Departing the Canaries on November 18, we will be a couple of days ahead of the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC), which is scheduled to leave Gran Canaria on November 20. Having a couple of hundred boats behind us creates a useful safety factor!
After leaving the Canaries we’ll travel south-west until such time as the weather is favourable to turn right and let the tradewinds take us to St. Vincent. If the tradewinds are farther south than normal, one scenario is to travel all the way to the Cape Verde islands and refuel again before heading west.
Target arrival in Blue Lagoon is December 7-10, depending on velocity made good.
General Comments
Travel requirements
While many countries have phased out Covid vaccination or test requirements, not all countries have. For example, Spain still has such a requirement for international visitors (as does Canada). As a result, all participants must be able to provide evidence that they are fully vaccinated against Covid 19.
Weather
Winds in the Mediterranean in Oct/Nov can be quite variable: there is often too much or too little wind. While mistral winds are stonger in the northern Med and are more likely in winter and spring, there is always a possibility of having to shelter in port for a day or two. (We have build some slack into the schedule to allow for this possibility). Alternatively, if the wind is light, we may be motoring or motor-sailing for extended periods of time.
Inspection and Provisioning
We are hoping that Rob’s partner Monica Sheridan will be able to join for Leg 1 and possibly Leg 2. An experienced sailor, she plans take charge of initial provisioning, a role she played on our 7,000 mile passage to St. Vincent, and participate in watch-keeping. Rob and Monica would plan to arrive a few days in advance of October 20, to conduct a thorough inspection and initial sea trial. The Mediterranean portions of the passage provide a useful opportunity to debug the boat prior to venturing into the Atlantic.
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