Embark on one of the great offshore passages from Nassau in the Bahamas to the iconic skyline of New York City. Setting sail from the sun-soaked shores and turquoise waters of the Bahamas, this passage of around 950 nautical miles will immerse you in the wonders of offshore sailing. Having spent a couple of days enjoying the Bahamas, you’ll set off into the Atlantic and a world of vast seascapes and endless horizons, marked by the unique sunsets, star scapes and sunrises that only come with ocean sailing.

As the crew sail up the eastern seaboard of the United States the Atlantic Ocean, you’ll have various options where you can visit, such as Norfolk,  Virginia, beautiful coastline of Delaware and the epic casinos of Atlantic City before you sail in under the iconic Statue of Liberty to end a truly great adventure.

During your sailing adventure you’ll be on board as guest crew with up to eight other sailors alongside two professionals on a 60ft blue water expedition yacht. Onboard expect to learn a lot, brush up skills, explore and have fun with a group of like-minded individuals. With 90% joining these sailing adventures solo it’s usually a 50:50 male and female split. Be it a coastal, offshore voyage or skill building sailing trip these sailing experiences are ideal for both new and experienced sailors joining solo or in groups. Most routes don’t require previous sailing experience and top quality training on the yacht is embedded into all of them.

The 700 islands of the Bahamas stretch 600 miles from the Caribbean right up to the USA. Their shallow waters are home to incredible diving, fishing, unspoiled reefs and fantastic beaches. There are far too many options here to go into, but an absolute must if we can is to anchor off Big Major’s Spot – home of the famous swimming pigs! They start gently swimming out to the tender and you can feed them, pet them and even swim with them. Staniel Cay is also nearby and we can take the tender to the Thunderball Grotto made famous by the Bond movie of the same name and also featuring in 1983 American spy film, ‘Never Say Never Again’. There is the most wonderful snorkelling here.

Then you have just over 900nm, slightly east of north to get to New York City. This will be a full 6-7 days of offshore sailing in the western Atlantic Ocean and is a serious sail. It is always with mixed emotions that any sailor watches land disappear astern. We are now out on the open ocean and it’s as a crew that we will take on whatever comes our way, from strong winds and big seas to flat calms, mirror-like water and not a breath of air. It all comes with a healthy sense of anticipation. The cooler temperatures of the open ocean are certainly welcome and as we head north up the eastern seaboard of the United States, there will be a noticeable drop in temperature.

As the sun sets for the first time on our voyage, we will be sailing under the stars, in the inky blackness of the ocean. Far from any man-made light, and clear skies permitting, you will see a truly spectacular starscape. With 360° horizons, the stars can reach in a huge arc as far as the eye can see. With the wind in the sails and the yacht galloping through the waves, you’ll be storing away memories that will be with you for a lifetime. When it comes time for the watch change, it can be hard to tear oneself away from it, but a warm bunk and tiredness from a full day of learning and sailing always win out in the end!

No matter how special the night (and sometimes you can swap out the scene above for strong winds, crashing waves and driving rain!) sunrise is always so welcome. Now we can see everything clearly again, and we can make good any temporary fixes that might have been put in place through the dark hours. There is little that beats the new watch coming up and handing you a steaming mug of tea and some breakfast. Even though you may be tired, it comes with a wonderful sense of being alive. You are hundreds of miles from land, and except for your fellow crew, alone on the open ocean.

During the days, we need to keep track of our position and mark our progress on the chart. We need to sail past the Carolinas and the big bulge of Cape Hatteras. Norfolk and Virginia Beach are left to our west, and then we are passing Delaware, New Jersey and the casinos of Atlantic City, before we turn west towards the big apple.

The skipper and mate will be giving lessons on various skills, and one of these may be celestial navigation so you can start to learn how to bypass the GPS and locate your position using just the sun, moon or stars. There are also all the daily jobs essential to the smooth running of a yacht on passage. Everyone will be in a rota to help with cleaning, maintenance, cooking and navigation.

However much we have loved our time at sea, the lure of land is always intoxicating, and more so when it is such an exciting landfall as this.

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No two adventure sailing itineraries are the same! That’s what makes it exciting and so special. If you complete an enquiry we can share an indicative guide to the voyage break down from training days, shore days and life at sea, but the wind and the weather ultimately shape what's possible each day - whether the weather is glorious or cold and harsh - but that's what the adventure's all about! Request full plan for sailing and training in Bahamas, passage to NYC!
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