59º North Sailing
"Crisp stars overhead, the quiet rush of water below, all your troubles left ashore. Salt air, a hot meal on the stove, and the gentle motion of the boat rocking you to sleep in your cozy seaberth.
From the first time we sailed over the horizon and discovered the freedom and sense of purpose the sea can bring, we knew we wanted to share that experience. Out there, people come together in a way they rarely do on land. You’ll leave the dock as strangers and return as Shipmates - a bond shared only by those who have gone to sea together.
Come sail with us. Hold fast to your dreams."
sail offshore on bucket-list adventures
2026-8 | ISBJORN | GGR START - Bergen
Welcome to Les Sables-d’Olonne, France, and the spectacle of the Golden Globe Race! The race starts on September 6th, and the Race village will be bustling with sailing excitement in the weeks leading up to the start. No better way to get pumped for a sailing trip! Check out the boats, listen to seminars, and line the famous breakwater to give the fleet a proper send-off as they leave to circumnavigate the globe! When the last competitor has left, most spectators will no doubt feel a bit empty and numb inside, as they return home to their everyday lives, wishing they could follow the adventurers over the horizon. But not you. You will be joining ISBJØRN, and sail out through that same harbor entrance just a few days later! Our trip will take us north and east, en route for Bergen, ISBJØRN's homeport and one of the most beautiful cities in the world. We may choose to run through the English Channel, or go north through the Irish Sea and around the north of Scotland before crossing the North Sea and making landfall in Bergen.
2026-12 | FALKEN | Ensenada-Monterey Bay
Join FALKEN just across the border in Ensenada, Mexico, for the passage back north to Monterey Bay, California. You'll set sail after a day or two of briefings to learn the boat and meet the crew, then it's several hundred miles of ocean sailing in the Pacific! As with all 59º North trips, you're part of the crew - helm, navigate, manage systems, change sails and more as you and your shipmates steer FALKEN north.
2026-13 | FALKEN | Monterey Bay-Ensenada
FALKEN heads further south down the west coast with a 500-mile hop to Ensenada, across the southern USA border and into Mexico's Baja Peninsula! As we head south the air temps will heat up while the water temps remain California-cool. This is a great passage for those needing a shorter time away from home and easy travel logistics, but want to get offshore.
REAL SAILING & REAL PEOPLE
You know what's cool about 59º North? We sail actual offshore routes, that require real planning, real strategy, and our crew (that's you, we hope!) to truly hands-on sail the boat. But maybe more importantly, there is a real person writing this marketing text! That's right, everything on this site was brainstormed and designed by me, Andy Schell, co-founder & one of the Lead Skippers at 59º North Sailing. So keep that in mind as you peruse the site.
We're confident that we offer the very best offshore sailing adventures in the world, combined with the best & most unique experiential education through our limited annual workshops. Co-Founders Mia, August & I run all aspects of the business, from the intial customer signup process (shout-out to Mia), to boat maintenance and staff selection right on up through actually sailing with you at-sea. We've all got real skin in the game, and that matters to the quality of your experience out there. We flat-out care more.
Our small group of professional sailing staff are close friends, selected by us for their work-ethic, knowledge, experience & humanity. What we offer in terms of real-world sailing expeditions & educational workshops, events & online courses cannot be duplicated and you'll find it nowhere else. We hope you'll join us on the high seas for the adventure of a lifetime.
"Adventure, education, majesty... I can't imagine a better pair to introduce people to the sublime enterprise of offshore sailing. This trip will always live amongst my cherished memories. Thank you!"
"It was such an experience! Meeting all the people and being part of the crew is something very special. We were so lucky to spend the passage on FALKEN; the nature and weather gave us the best, and I really wish it could have lasted longer."
"Cruelling and unforgettable! I knew I would be inspired by Nikki and Alex—true professionals—but it was the inspiration I took from my crewmates that will stay with me for a lifetime. As a blue water cruiser, this experience definitely made me a better ocean sailor!"
"This passage was literally my first time sailing. My goal was to get as far as possible from my daily life and desk-bound comfort zone, and Andy assured me I would be looked after. I could not have asked for a better skipper (thank you, Jon), better crew mates, or a more enjoyable passage. I'll be forever grateful to 59º North for this opportunity, and I hope to sail with them again soon."
"Our voyage was interesting because both ISBJØRN (which I was on) and ICEBEAR traveled the same route at roughly the same time. We had Matt Rutherford as our captain and Ben Doerr as first mate, and they were both chill, fun, and always happy to answer questions and provide advice. I feel I got the experience I need with the ocean and Gulf Stream to pilot my own boat from Florida to Bermuda in the future, which was exactly my goal. If you are looking for blue water sailing experience and a fun adventure, I highly recommend that you sign up with 59º North."
"If you are thinking about reefing—reef! The same logic applies to sailing with Andy and Mia: if you are thinking about sailing with them, stop thinking and GO! Andy and Mia are great sailors, leaders, teachers, cooks, and warm, intelligent, accepting people. No matter how many blue water miles you have under your keel, you will be a better sailor after your trip on ISBJØRN."
"Sailing from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas with 59º North Sailing was an outstanding experience that I would recommend to anyone seeking offshore sailing combined with exceptional instruction and seamanship. The lead crew, Andy, Mary, and Ryan, created a professional and welcoming environment focused on safety, preparation, and teamwork. I came away with much more confidence in offshore sailing and a deeper understanding of ocean passagemaking. 59º North delivers an authentic offshore experience, expert leadership, and an adventure that builds both skills and confidence."
WHY 59º NORTH?
The best boats
Professional, well-paid staff
knowledge & community
Why it costs what it costs...
Where we sail
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Since 2015, 59º North boats have sailed far and wide, covering most oceans of the world and sailing with a range of skippers and mates and over 1,000 crew from all walks of life and from all over the world. Have a look at our impressive stats below, which update automatically!
183,538
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1,112
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NEWEST BLOGS
Onwards and upwards
Today is set to be the calmest day of our trip so far, waves subdued, wind veering off more south-east, light clouds. What an exhilarating ride it has been, beating upwind non-stop directly north for 6 straight days! What ahead of us is a mostly downwind sail to Prince Rupert, but a very exciting one. This makes it an interesting few days going fast and closely watching the weather, and I’m very much looking forward to it. The crew is happy, everyone seems to be getting good rest, enjoying watches and time in between.
Quadruple digits!
We are still headed north away from Hawaii, though today we have started to veer ever so slightly east. Speaking of miles, we hit quadruple digits today and are currently 1051 nms into our journey to Alaska. The sea state continues to calm down, and the famous North Pacific high is just out of our reach. The next few days will be a delicate dance of riding the outskirts of the high while avoiding the pesky low pressure systems that are dancing nearby. In his very wise words, we need to get north but not too far north, stay south but not too far south, continue heading east but not too far east, and avoid going west but also stay west.
The basics
Nordic Falken and her crew have been in a steady course of NNW since the departure of Hawaii. But! The good thing of all of this is that the promised land on which the high pressure lies has been getting closer and closer, meaning in a couple of days we're gonna see the wind slowly veer all the way to the South, which finally should see us easing the sails and remembering the basics of human nature all over again. The crew have been amazing and we've had everyone come around to push through fatigue, seasickness and soaking wet clothes. On another note we left the tropics a while ago and we can really feel the shift of temperature, long gone are the shorts and foulies have been the norm. Not much more apart from this, my intolerance to upwind sailing still pretty much alive but doing it with a bunch of such amazing human beings makes it worth it worthwhile.
You are the crew
You don’t need to be a seasoned sailor to join us; you do need to be curious, engaged, and willing to be part of the team. As a paying crew member, you’ll take part in every aspect of running the boat: helming, sail handling, navigation, weather routing, etc, all the small decisions that add up to a safe and successful ocean passage.
We’re not a formal sailing school. We teach seam'nship the way it’s been taught for centuries—by doing it, for real, in real conditions, with experienced staff who care deeply about safety, quality, and the people on board.
Inclusivity matters to us. We reserve at least two bunks on every passage for women sailors and we work hard to create an environment built on respect, trust, and genuine care for each other.
If you’re looking for a polished vacation, this may not be it. If you’re looking for meaningful challenge, real responsibility, and an unforgettable experience at sea—you’re in the right place.
IRL Events
FALKEN Open Boat | Honolulu
Annapolis Boat Show | Annapolis
Every October Andy, Mia & friends and family of the 59º North team come to our spiritual home port for the annual Boat Show festivities, and we’ll be back in 2026! The Annapolis Sailboat Show dates in 2026 is October 15 - 18, 2026 (Thursday - Sunday, 4 days).
More info will be coming out closer to the show!
Sailor's Social Party | Annapolis
The Quarterdeck
SEA·M’N·SHIP /ˈsēmənˌSHip/: “The skill in, and knowledge of the work of navigating, maintaining, and operating a vessel.”
