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let's go cruising!

We've expanded Cruisers Academy into Mexico! Join us to get the full-on cruising experience in the magical Sea of Cortez. 

We're currently booked for the first half 2023. We'll be releasing 2023-2024 dates for our cruising courses soon! In the meantime, have a look at the info below to get an idea of what to expect. Be sure to join the waitlist so you'll be the first to know when new courses are added. 

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how does this work?

Combining sailing, experiential learning and adventure! 

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Brady, Blue & Sharki will be sailing Lintika the ~1,800 nautical miles south from San Francisco Bay to La Paz, Mexico this December 22'-March 23'. Each leg will offer it's own unique set of weather challenges or smooth sailing, knowns and unknowns. We will be opening bunks for each leg, and accepting only 1-3 students for each passage to keep things personal. This will be a dynamic learning environment, with the opportunity to put to work any sailing experience you may already have with lots of room to include new lessons and first hand experiences about offshore sailing, cruising, and living the sailor lifestyle. 

 

You've seen how we roll, taking every moment as a teaching opportunity but also keeping things light hearted and having as much fun as possible. Because of the variance in each leg, there will not be a structured curriculum but these are the topics you can expect to dive into:

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  • Weather forecasting

  • Passage planning

  • Essential safety offshore

  • Boat systems

  • How to keep watch both day and night

  • International sailing logistics

  • Highs and lows of living aboard

  • Anchoring 

  • Provisioning

  • Cooking and cleaning underway

  • Crew dynamics and responsibilities

  • Lots of time at the helm!

  • How to adapt to whatever Poseidon throws at us!

tell me about lintika!

Lintika is Cruisers Academy's 1980 Passport 42',  an incredibly well built and beautiful boat made in Taiwan by the reputable Passport Yachts. This classic sailboat, designed by Stan Huntingford, has gotten a massive refit over the last several years and is as modernized as they come. As a cutter rigged sloop with a fin keel and skegged rudder, her canoe stern and additional sail set up allows her to sail incredibly close to the wind while her 20 tons keep her comfortable downwind and in heavy conditions. 

 

Equipped with a new Yanmar 54hp engine, a Cruiser RO Zen 100 water maker, new holding tanks for both fuel and water, new rigging and sails, new interior cushions and bedding, a new arch with 820 watts of solar and 810 amp hours of lithium batteries- she is set to sail offshore and chomping at the bit to head out under the Golden Gate Bridge!

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She is also kitted out for optimum safety at sea with satphone capabilities, star link internet, a 6 person life raft, a MOM-8 device, EPIRB, AIS and brand new radar.

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In addition to the full galley, one head, and shower with hot water, her cabin/bunk layout is described below. While all options are listed, not all will be full for each trip. We will assign crew to different spots on each leg depending on who applies and what will work best.

 

For photos and layout of bunks, please click through above photo carousel.  

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SALON BUNK FOR ONE PERSON:
This bunk provides a sleeping space for one person in a bunk a little narrower than a twin sized bed. It is located in the main communal salon, so it's best for someone who is a strong sleeper and feels comfortable sleeping in a bunk without much privacy. It's unlikely this bunk will be filled for longer passages but may be for shorter stints.  

SEMI PRIVATE BUNK FOR ONE PERSON: 
This semi-private bunk provides a sleeping space for one person in a bunk about the size of twin bed. The bunk is tucked away on the starboard-aft side of the boat, so sleeping head facing aft means you will have some privacy. 

 

V-BERTH FOR ONE-TWO PEOPLE

This cabin has a door for privacy and a bed that is the size of a full at the aft end and much narrower forward. This would be best suited for either one person who values privacy, or a smaller couple that doesn't mind cozying up and is comfortable sleeping in small spaces together. 


PRIVATE CABIN FOR TWO PEOPLE: 

This fully private cabin provides a sleeping space for two people in a bed slightly smaller than a queen sized mattress. The cabin has its own door and can also be booked by just one person who wants a large private cabin to themselves. 

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1,800 nautical miles...
5 opportunities to join!

Each leg is laid out with details below including dates, mileage, airports, weather, potential stops, and pricing per person. Bunks will be assigned depending on applicants, and the chance to upgrade to a more private bunk may be a possibility. Pricing includes your bunk/bedding aboard, all meals on-board Lintika, safety equipment, personalized coaching and instruction. Pricing does not reflect any of your travel to or from the boat, extra days of accommodation before or after the listed dates, any on-shore food/adventures or national park fees. 

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LEG 1: San Francisco bay-> santa barbara
<with a possible stop in the channel islands>
-300-500 nautical miles
-Total time aboard: dec 1-10, 2022 (10 days)
-price: $6,900 per person (Sold out)
-best for: those interested in learning about technical/variable passage conditions and exploring the rugged California coast!

This leg of the trip could be the most challenging, which presents a unique learning opportunity. This leg is best for people who want to experience the perfect blend of both cruising and offshore sailing in a constantly changing environment. The ideal crew would also not be deterred by colder weather and potentially heavier conditions, as the coast of Northern California can present challenging scenarios. 

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A perfect timeline would mean students would hop onboard in SF Bay and spend the first few days getting settled and prepping for the trip. This would include everything from learning how to provision, wrapping up any boat preparation, participating in weather routing and passage planning, jumping into a crew cooking and cleaning rotation, and mixing in random bouts of fun that always accompany sailing adventures. We would then take off under the Golden Gate Bridge and head South for a 2-3 day sail to Santa Barbara with a chance to explore the Channel Islands if conditions and time allows. All crew will participate in sailing, watch schedules, and cooking and cleaning. If the wind is not in our favor, we may break the sail up into smaller hops down the coast if a big Southerly system is what we're working with. There could also be a fair amount of motoring. The bottom line is going to be adaptability! 

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Variations of this trip could include but not be limited to, spending more time in the Bay waiting for a favorable weather window, making smaller hops South with stops along the California Coast, motoring if need be, making our way through heavy fog and relying on radar, or experiencing extremely rough seas. We could see anything from 50 knot headwinds to 3 knots from behind. If your up for an adventure, pride yourself on being adaptable, and enjoy not knowing what may come your way- this leg is for you! 

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Closest Airports

Arrival: SFO (San Francisco), OAK (Oakland)

Departure: SBA (Santa Barbara), NAS (Ventura) , SMO (Santa Monica Airport), LAX (Los Angeles). 

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LEG 2: catalina island->ENSenada, mx
-130-200 nautical miles
-time aboard: dec 28, 22'-jan 2, 23' (6 days)
-price: $5,900 per person (Sold OUt)
-best for: those on a tight schedule who are interested in CRUISING WITH A SHORTER OFFSHORE LEG.

Catalina Island sits 35 miles offshore from Southern California with the small town of Avalon offering a bit of port-life mixed in with our time spent on-board. December on this island may not be your typical sunny California conditions, but will still offer a unique island experience mixed with an offshore leg and the excitement of sailing into a foreign country.

 

A perfect timeline would mean students would fly into the LA area, ferry over to Catalina Island, and board Lintika at anchor. The first day or two would be spent getting settled and prepping for the passage. This would include everything from learning how to provision, wrapping up any boat preparation, participating in weather routing and passage planning, jumping into a crew cooking/cleaning rotation, and mixing in random bouts of fun that always accompany sailing adventures.

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This trip will be more cruising based, which gives us enough time to pick our ideal weather window to make the 130 nautical mile sail from Catalina Island to Ensenada, Mexico. Our time before and after this sail will be spent exploring Catalina and Ensenada by both land and sea. Ensenada is the first Mexican official port of entry on the Baja Peninsula and although only 60 miles from the border, you'll be fully immersed in Mexican culture with tacos, street music, and the potential for lots of local land adventures. We can't wait to see which crew will be aboard to sail Lintika into her first foreign country with us! 

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Closest Airports

Arrival: Fly into Los Angeles (LAX) or other nearby airport and ferry to Catalina Island via Catalina Express or Catalina Flyer. 

Departure: Bus from Ensenada to San Diego (we can help arrange the details of this), fly out of San Diego (SAN). 

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LEG 3: ENSenada->san jose del cabo, mx
-800 nautical miles
-time aboard: jan 7-22, 2022 (16 days)
-price: $10,500 per person (Sold OUt)
-best for: those who want to dive into offshore sailing, enjoy being off grid, exploring remote anchorages, and generally slowing life down.

16 days of beautiful adventure await anyone who has the flexibility to jump on this lonnnng leg! The pacific coast of Baja is rugged, mostly uninhabited, and is an explorers dream. This leg is great for someone who wants to spend some serious time at sea, with bits of cruising life mixed in between. If you have dreams of one day taking your vessel on longer passages, this experience will be a wealth of knowledge and confidence for you!

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A perfect timeline would mean students hop onboard in Ensenada, MX and spend a couple days getting settled and prepping for the trip. This would include everything from learning how to provision, wrapping up any boat preparation, participating in weather routing and passage planning, jumping into a crew cooking/cleaning rotation, and mixing in random bouts of fun that always accompany sailing adventures.

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We have our eyes on a few anchorages along the way, and are hoping the conditions line up perfectly to explore one or two of these gems. Late Dec-April is whale season along the coast and we will be sailing the same direction as the migrating Gray Whales headed into the warmer waters of Mexico to give birth to their calves! Humpbacks are also around at this time, so we're hoping to experience the beauty of these travel buddies. We plan on skipping the touristy Cabo San Lucas, and jumping straight into the neighboring San Jose Del Cabo, which has a more local vibe, with beautiful gardens and art. 

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If you're ready to jump into cruising and experience Baja life, this leg is for you!

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Closest Airports

Arrival: Fly into San Diego (SAN) and bus to Ensenada (we can help arrange the details of this).

Departure: Fly out of San Jose Del Cabo (SJD).

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la paz island hopping- 'intro to cruising'
~150 nautical miles
We will be running two of these courses!

trip a: feb 22-27, 2023 (6 days) (Sold out)
trip b: march 3-8, 2023 (6 days) (Sold out)

price: $5,650 per person (Sold out)
best for: those with a shorter timeline that want a mix of island hopping, day sailing, and experiencing cruising at its finest.

The Sea of Cortez was once called the ' Worlds Aquarium' by Jacques Cousteau! La Paz and it's surrounding islands are an absolute paradise. This adventure is ideal for those who want to experiences the highs of cruising: beautiful water, snorkeling, hiking, and relaxing with the sunset and a cold bevy in hand. That being said, cruising always presents unforeseen conditions and we will be rolling with the punches of weather, a sailboat calling the shots, and whatever else comes our way. We will be running TWO of these 'Intro to Cruising' courses, which are perfect for those on a tighter schedule but want to escape to a Mexican oasis in a fun learning environment.

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A perfect timeline would mean students hop onboard in La Paz and immediately set sail for the Islands. These trips would be more focused on exploring and cruising than long distance passage making. Lintika will be prepped to go upon your arrival, but students will still learn to crew and have watch responsibilities, hop into cooking/cleaning rotation, practice anchoring, weather routing, and learn about boat systems. 

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Potential anchorages are all about a day sail away from each other which means students will still experience a ton of sailing. For potential anchorages, we have our eyes on Isla Partida, San Everisto, Isla San Francisco, Isla San Jose, and Isla Espirito. All of these offer up crystal clear waters, beautiful beaches, great snorkeling and pure relaxation- cruiser style!

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Arrival AND Departure: Fly in/out of La Paz (LAP)

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didn't see your thing?

This is the FIRST of many seasons of offshore sailing for Cruisers Academy. We thank you for participating in a course already and are so excited to sail with you again in the future! Please also know that we are in the works of funding more scholarships for the future, so please shoot us a message if you'd like to be considered for one of these in the future. 

 

If you haven't already joined us for our flagship CA-1 course in Tahoe, you can learn more about this 4-day consecutive course below. Summer 23' dates are now open!

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Hugs,

B&B

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still have questions?

If you have any unanswered questions after reading this page, please click the button below to give us a shout!

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