Webinar by Haven Knox-Johnston: Single-handed ocean crossing - learnings from an everyday sailor

Details

What does it really mean to be a sailor? Is it miles logged, storms survived, or qualifications held? For Martin Sutcliffe, it came down to one thing: completing a single-handed ocean passage.

Martin is a sailor many of us will recognise ourselves in. He does not describe himself as an expert and he is not an RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Instructor with tens of thousands of sea miles behind him. In fact, he only bought his first boat a few years before retiring. His story is an honest one, full of mistakes, successes, lessons learned, and reflections gained from real long distance sailing. There are plenty of practical takeaways for all of us, even if our own sailing plans never take us quite so far offshore.

Topics covered include:

• Building experience gradually and honestly
• Moving from coastal sailing to overnight and multi day passages
• Managing fear, doubt and confidence at sea
• Preparing both boat and skipper for offshore sailing
• Sleep, watch systems and fatigue management
• Weather forecasting, routing and decision making
• Lessons learned and what he would do differently
• The realities of solo sailing versus sailing with crew
• Practical equipment that genuinely makes a difference
• A live Q&A

This webinar is ideal for:

• Cruising sailors thinking about longer passages
• Sailors considering solo or short-handed sailing
• Yacht owners planning to move beyond familiar waters
• Anyone struggling with confidence despite having experience
• Sailors who want practical insight rather than theory

You do not need to be planning an ocean crossing to benefit. The lessons apply equally to coastal sailors taking their next step.

Can’t make it live? The webinar will be recorded and shared with all registered attendees.