THE FAR NORTH
Quetzal is sailing to the far north. After delaying the start of “The Big One” a full year, we have exciting and ambitious plans for 2022. For example, in July and August, we have two high latitude passages taking us to Newfoundland, Labrador, Greenland, Iceland, Faroe and Shetland Islands, and Norway.
These challenging voyages are part of what will be another Atlantic Circle for Quetzal. Then, in September we have scheduled a North Sea passage. After that, we will run a heavy weather passage from Southampton to Cadiz, where we rendesvouz with Nathan and Vivian after their busy summer schedule. They are crossing the Atlantic and entering the Med. Finally, the year ends with another heavy weather passage from Cadiz to the Canary Islands sailing together.
Quetzal and Ultima will kick off 2023 with a passage to Cape Verde. Next, both boats will leave together on a trade wind Atlantic crossing. The full 2024 schedule is now published. Clearly Quetzal will be busy, logging blue water miles like she always does, ending the year near the bottom of the world.
Nathan and Vivian of Ocean Passages LLC, have also released their 2025 schedlule. After completing many challenging passages that will left tracks all over the Atlantic, from the Caribbean to Nova Scotia, they are now heading to the South Pacific. Check out their available spots.
CAPTAIN’S HOUR
“Captain’s Hour with JK.” is a monthly, informal 2-3 hour meeting that will allow you to ‘pick my brain’ on any sailing subject. Basically, it’s a fun and lively discussion with lots of interaction. This has grown into a great community of sailors all over the world. Each Captain’s Hour not only includes information and stories, but also hard-won expertise.
For more information or to Sign Up, send us a message to receive your invoice and link to Captain’s Hour.
Atlantic Circle
Thoughts and Strategies on How to Sail Across the Atlantic Ocean
A two-part Webinar Series,
May 4 and May 11, 7 -9 EST
Welcome to John Kretschmer Sailing
Thank you for venturing into the far flung world of John Kretschmer Sailing. If this is your first time, welcome! Otherwise, many thanks for dropping by again.
It was more than 35 years ago that we beat around Cape Horn in the brave little sloop Gigi. In retrospect, it seems hard to believe. Three summers ago I was able to sail Gigi again in the rugged Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Undeniably, that was a magical experience. Gigi is a time machine. The experience frames the first chapter of my new book, SAILING TO THE EDGE OF TIME: The Promise, the Challenges, and the Freedom of Ocean Voyaging, which was published November 2018. This is the book I’ve been writing my entire life, a memoir that is a mix of sea stories and sailing insights. In essence, it’s a deeply personal account of what it means to go to sea.
A Word from John Kretschmer
My Experience
I have been sailing professionally, if that’s what you call what I do, for all of my adult life. Doing the thing I enjoy most has never felt like a job and I have lost track of how many offshore miles I’ve logged. This summer I completed my 25th and 26th Atlantic crossings. When my sailing odometer ticked over 300,000 I stopped counting. It seems absurd to keep tallying miles, I have nothing to prove and I am not convinced that miles matter very much. Unfortunately, they define sailing as the distance between landfalls as if the land’s edge defines the ocean and our relationship with it. That’s crazy. It’s the in-between that matters. The voyage, the journey–the interlude of being “at sea–that’s where the magic lurks.
The True Rewards
Amazingly, I am more passionate about what I do than ever before. Finally, I am old enough and wise enough to realize that being aboard Quetzal, driving her through whatever conditions come our way, is a great gig. Notwithstanding, the charter passages we organize to beautiful watery destinations are extremely rewarding. Still, it’s all about you. The folks who track me down and sign aboard are always intriguing. They get it. They know that sea time is valuable and consequently we end up becoming fast friends and frequent shipmates. I remain devoted to providing unique, honest and challenging sailing and travel opportunities for my clients.
Final Thoughts
Additionally, I am committed to sharing useful information and hard-won opinions about blue water and coastal voyaging. I commit to sharing how to live life on your own terms. It’s no surprise, deep ocean sailing in small boats (and at 47 feet, Quetzal still qualifies as a small boat) offers a powerful blend of promise, challenge, and freedom. Incidentally, that is exactly what my new book’s subtitle claims. Joseph Conrad titled his sailing ship memoir, “The Mirror of the Ocean,” and I love that phrase. There is nowhere to hide at sea and the image that reflects back at you from the face of a steel blue wave is brutally honest. Therefore, to thrive at sea you must take stock of who you are, not who you want to be. There’s no pretending out there.
About Our Passages
Our offshore passages are rarely easy and at times downright miserable. However, therein lies the reward. The people that sail with me buy, sell, invent, teach, build, cure, and protect. In short, they shake the world when ashore. Contrarily, when at sea aboard Quetzal, they feel refreshingly small and profoundly alive. Somehow, time slows down at sea. Subsequently, it matters more, and what is more important than managing your allotment of time?
I began my book, Flirting With Mermaids, with the line “I make landfalls for a living.” On one hand it’s a good line, but as I get older I have come to realize that making landfalls is easy. The reality is, making departures, pushing off the dock, unplugging the electronic handcuffs, subverting the shore-side guilt, is the hard part. Fortunately, that’s where I can help. Take a good look at the site: the schedule of training passages, the workshops, the pictures, videos, books and even the poems, then send me an email, let’s communicate. Sailing dreams are too important to leave for another day.
Lastly, many thanks to you, our shipmates and friends. You not only make all of our voyages and projects possible, you also make them fulfilling. The world of Quetzal is a full-blown, world-wide nautical community and we love sharing it with you. It’s time–time to go sailing, time to go to sea–and we look forward to welcoming you aboard.
The Sailing Schedule is posted here.
Webinars Are Now Available for Purchase
New Two-part live webinar Atlantic Circle –Thoughts and Strategies on How to Sail Across the Atlantic Ocean on May 4th & May 11th at 7:00 p.m. EDT
The pre-recorded webinars are available.
The Seamanship Series Webinars that aired live in June 2020, are available for purchase. Individually, each 2+ hour webinar sells for $40. However, when you buy all four for $150, you will also receive the 24 pages of questions and answers that followed the live broadcasts. You will receive a link and can watch them whenever you want.
The two-part Cruising Boat Buyers Webinars is also available for $100.
The webinars are informative, yet entertaining. We had a great response and lots of positive feedback afterward. If interested shoot us off an email and Tadji will send the invoice and Zoom link promptly.
As most of you know, I am a hands-on, human to human person. However, I have also discovered, after recently participating in podcasts, webinars, and YouTube videos, that it’s fun and rewarding to reach a wide audience virtually.
Most importantly, it’s a way to stay in contact with each other and discuss something we all love–offshore sailing. While these webinars are not a replacement for the workshops, they definitely enhance them.
Nathan and Vivian’s 2024 Sailing schedule aboard Ultima, is now available! With a complete refit behind them and several challenging training passages scheduled for 2024, Ultima and her crew are off to a great start. And they’re really excited about heading to the South Pacific this year.
I strongly urge you to check out their schedule and meet these wonderful sailors.
My latest book
Sailing to the Edge of Time: The Promise, the Challenges, and the Freedom of Ocean Voyaging
is available now.
“This book reminds me of Joseph Conrad’s first book The Mirror of the Sea, which was a memoir from his life as a ship captain and a reflection on what a life at sea can teach an observant and thoughtful person. Kretsch just may be our own modern-day Conrad, which in my book is no small thing.”
~George Day,
Blue Water Sailing Magazine
Sailing through the wilderness: Interview with John Kretschmer
Testimonials
I first sailed with John in 2006. I was a great lakes sailor for many years and had the urge to try sailing in open waters. Looking for an easy way to do this, I saw a three line ad in the back of a sailing magazine for an open water passage-making opportunity. I called the number in the ad and spoke with John. That was the beginning of the many sailing experiences I’ve had with him. For me, sailing with John is an excellent way to get out on the open water.
My Sailing Experience
I’ve been on eleven sailing trips so far (with more to come), and most of them were on Quetzal, John’s boat. We’ve been in all kinds of weather from warm sunny days with following trade winds to battering storm conditions on the Atlantic. These trips gave me an outstanding exposure to open water sailing and what that can entail in all types of weather conditions. John’s experience is always in evidence but it really stands out when the going gets rough. His concern with the crew’s safety is paramount. Sailing in heavy weather conditions proved to me just how safe and solid Quetzal is. She is truly passage proven and I understand why John is so fond of her. Heck, over time I’ve formed quite a bond with her too.
What I Experienced with John
John promotes a relaxed atmosphere on his passages. There’s no rigid daily lesson plan that one must follow but there are learning opportunities galore. John gladly spends time with each person answering questions or helping them bone up on their navigational skills. And when he’s not answering questions from the crew, John has entertaining stories he loves to share during captain’s hour and at dinner.
The sailing passages I’ve been on include: three transatlantic sails, two Mediterranean voyages as well as these wonderful passages: Ireland and Scotland; Panama to the Galapagos to Costa Rica; Gulf of St. Lawrence; Newfoundland; Caribbean; Isla Mujeres to Florida; and of course that great canal boat trip in France.
Final Thoughts
I can’t recommend enough going on a passage with John. You will have an outstanding time, learn much, have great conversations, meet wonderful people and eat well. Oh, and one last thing, you must try Tadji’s canal boat cruises – they are simply a gastric delight and you’ll visit some stunning locations.
A Serious Ocean
by Anne Stevenson
You know it by the northern look of the shore,
by the salt-worried faces,
by an absence of trees, an abundance of lighthouses.
It’s a serious ocean.
North Sea off Carnoustie
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Let's Communiciate
Please email JRKRETSCHMER@GMAIL.COM for all inquiries.
Let us know if you want to:
- Sign up for an offshore training passage with John or Nathan & Vivian. Although our passages are often fully booked, cancellations do occur. Our waitlist is dynamic and we reach out via email when openings occur.
- Join our email list to receive updates and announcements
- Sign Up for Captain’s Hour
- Watch an Online Webinar
- Attend a Workshop
- Reach out if you have any other questions
We’d love to connect with you!
Thank you to the continual support of our sponsors!
