Ocean Skipper

Is Ocean Skipper for you?

Ocean Skipper is for experienced sailors who are ready to move beyond coastal and offshore passages into genuinely ocean-going sailing.

You should already be comfortable skippering overnight and multi-day passages, managing a crew and making decisions when conditions change.

At this level, the challenge isn't simply sailing further. It's preparing yourself, the yacht and the crew to operate safely when a harbour, safe haven or outside assistance may be a considerable distance away.

The emphasis shifts towards self-sufficiency, long-range planning and making good decisions with incomplete information.

What you'll learn

Ocean Skipper brings together the practical, navigational and leadership skills required for extended passages at sea.

Plan an extended ocean passage from departure to landfall
Analyse large-scale weather systems and longer-range forecasts
Understand ocean currents and their influence on routing
Develop passage strategies rather than simply following a predetermined route
Use celestial navigation as an independent means of establishing position
Use sextant observations and reduce sights
Work with nautical almanacs and appropriate navigation tables
Integrate celestial, electronic and traditional navigation
Prepare the yacht, rig and equipment for extended time at sea
Plan fuel, water, food and other consumables
Establish and manage sustainable watch systems
Manage fatigue, sleep and crew welfare over an extended passage
Plan communications when beyond normal coastal coverage
Understand offshore and ocean emergency communications
Anticipate equipment failure and develop practical contingencies
Manage problems when outside assistance may be distant
Plan an ocean landfall
Make conservative decisions about weather, routing, yacht and crew

The Ocean Skipper Experience

Ocean Skipper is passage-based training aboard Siren's Song, designed around the realities of extended sailing rather than a fixed series of classroom exercises.

You'll take part in planning and preparing an ocean or extended offshore passage, considering the route, weather, currents, navigation, provisioning, watch systems, communications and contingencies before departure.

Once underway, the passage becomes the classroom.

You'll experience the continuous rhythm of an ocean-going yacht — watches, navigation, weather, meals, sleep, maintenance and the hundreds of small decisions required to keep a yacht and crew functioning safely day after day.

As the passage develops, you'll take increasing responsibility for interpreting information, anticipating problems and making decisions as skipper.

Format: Extended liveaboard passage
Waters: Ocean and offshore
Yacht: Siren's Song

Before you start

Substantial previous sailing and skippering experience is required.

Ocean Skipper isn't an introduction to offshore sailing. You should already be comfortable planning and skippering multi-day passages, sailing overnight and taking responsibility for a yacht and crew away from immediate shelter.

Rather than setting experience by certificates alone, we'll discuss your previous sailing, passages and skippering experience before accepting a booking.

If you haven't completed the earlier Tasman Adventures levels, equivalent experience gained elsewhere is entirely appropriate.

The important thing is that you're ready to move from offshore skippering to the greater independence and self-reliance of ocean sailing.

By the end of Offshore Skipper

You should have developed the knowledge, practical skills and judgement required to plan and undertake an extended ocean passage, appropriate to your experience, yacht and crew.

You'll have experience bringing together weather, routing, ocean currents, celestial and electronic navigation, provisioning, watchkeeping, communications and crew management as parts of one passage rather than as separate skills.

You'll also have a much stronger understanding of what changes when the coastline disappears over the horizon: small problems matter more, preparation matters more and the skipper needs to think further ahead.

Ocean sailing doesn't remove uncertainty. Good ocean skippering is about preparing for it and making sound decisions when the answer isn't obvious.

You'll be ready to think beyond the horizon.

Ready to sail beyond the horizon?

Ocean Skipper – Tasman Adventures Sail Training Level 5
Extended liveaboard passage aboard Siren's Song
Ocean and offshore waters

Price dependent on passage

Ocean Skipper courses will be scheduled around suitable passages, seasons and weather opportunities rather than fixed dates alone.

If you're considering ocean sailing, get in touch and tell us about your experience and what you'd like to achieve. We'll talk through whether Ocean Skipper is the right next step for you.

Enquire about Ocean Skipper

Tasman Adventures Sail Training – Level 5

OCEAN SKIPPER

Is Ocean Skipper for you?

What you'll learn

The Ocean Skipper Experience

Before you start

By the end of Offshore Skipper

You'll be ready to think beyond the horizon.

Ready to sail beyond the horizon?

Tasman Adventures Sail Training – Level 5

OCEAN SKIPPER

Is Ocean Skipper for you?

What you'll learn

The Ocean Skipper Experience

Before you start

By the end of Offshore Skipper

You'll be ready to think beyond the horizon.

Ready to sail beyond the horizon?

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