Nathan and Vivian of Ocean Passages came highly recommended and surpassed all expectations for what I thought an offshore training passage could deliver. What they achieve is remarkable – they make accessible the indescribable beauty of an ocean voyage powered only by wind, and they bolster adventurous sailors with the skills and confidence to embark on their own voyages.

This couple has honed their craft by sailing tens of thousands of miles with each other, and together they demonstrate the fundamentals of operating as an efficient blue-water sailing team. They foster the conditions needed for the crew to coalesce and excel by prioritizing a comfortable boat motion, plenty of rest, and delicious food. They are both insightful teachers, clear communicators, and exemplars of good seamanship, which they model for their crew along with hospitality, humility, and humor. 

Vivian and Nathan are each individually accomplished and versatile ocean sailors and exceptionally well rounded. They also play to their strengths. Vivian is a gracious host and a culinary wizard in the galley. Even in rough seas, she conjures an astonishing variety of flavorful, freshly prepared meals, one tastier than the next.

Nathan is a wise old sea captain at heart – solemn and vigilant, but always approachable. He emphasizes restraint, prizing endurance, and simplicity over speed and excessive gadgetry. In fact, Nathan sought to free us of bad habits borne of a racing mindset that places strain on equipment and crew alike. 

Having sailed 1,000 miles with Nathan and Vivian, it is abundantly clear to me why John Kretschmer, the most experienced of ocean passage makers, sees in these two, a bright future for the discipline he helped pioneer. Simply put, Nathan and Vivian are the real deal. And because they don’t operate a fleet of boats or draw from a stable of skippers, you sail with Nathan and Vivian every time.

I will be joining them for more mentorship and fun on another blue-water adventure in eight months. This time, I will bring with me my favorite novice sailor, my wife.

I started dreaming about sailing around the world while on a vacation in Costa Rica. Almost 30 years later I was finally going out on the Ocean for more than a Caribbean charter. I have been lucky to learn to sail my own boats, and experience some fantastic day sails, and club racing but nothing compares to an Atlantic crossing.

I had been on a waitlist when I woke up to an email saying there was an opportunity to sail from Bermuda to Horta. When I mentioned it to my wife Jan she immediately said, “you have to do it”. The rest is history. History and beautiful memories. Vivian and Nathan were gracious, generous, and caring hosts. Their willingness to share their combined experience made everyone on board feel safe.

Learning happened everyday, either by doing something as crew on Ultima or through conversation. Vivian’s excellent culinary skills made every meal a mouth-watering experience.  Nathan is no slouch either, he could create a pretty good meal himself. Captains’ hour was greeted daily with anticipation. What was the conversation going to be this time? It was never boring sailing with a Proctologist, a retired UCLA Business Professor and a fellow Canadian.

The entire experience has left me longing to be back out on the open seas. Nathan and Vivian made that happen for me. I am also very thankful for our weather router Trevor. Getting the AM and PM updates was always looked forward to.

My recommendation, if you are thinking of doing an Ocean passage and the opportunity comes along to do it with Vivian and Nathan, do not hesitate.  Say yes and never look back.  My only regret, I waited too long

This was a once in a lifetime adventure, blue water sailing was something I had been dreaming about for years. I had daysailing experience before embarking onto Ultima with Nathan and Vivian on the trip from Horta to Porto to Lisbon, but no offshore passage making. And this was exactly the training passage I needed, sailing dreams made real. We had a great crew and sailing just over 1000 nautical miles together makes for real friendships, and I can’t praise Nathan and Vivian enough for welcoming us to Ultima.

From the safety talk soon after boarding, with everyone’s roles being very clearly defined, to the general companionship during the day, Vivian’s great cooking and Captain’s hour with everyone on deck, to the routine of the night watches, this was home for 17 days. I loved the endless variety of the sea, the ever changing waves and skies and light. And we saw sperm whales, lots and lots of dolphins, a shark and lots of birds and Portuguese Men of War. The dolphins, and their exuberant play in our wake, always brought everyone up on deck to share in their joy. These are memories I will cherish.

At the core this was a training passage, and passage making is different than daysailing or even coastal cruising. From Nathan and Vivian we learned about provisioning, routing around weather systems, how much sail to have and why, and mitigating risk and effort and the unwavering attention to safety. They emphasized the importance of regular attention and maintenance and because it is a particular interest of mine as I recently acquired my own sailboat, they allowed me to practice maintenance (supervised!) on theirs while we were at the slip in Porto.

I can’t wait until my next trip; I stand corrected, once in a lifetime is just not enough!

Have you ever longed for adventure? Wondered what sailors of yore experienced on the high seas-no land in sight? I have and still do. If you are like me, with some sailing experience (or maybe none), the thought of somehow shoving off for far away shores is a daunting prospect. Coastal sailing in my distant past somehow didn’t give me the confidence to venture offshore.
That’s when I found out about John, Nathan and Vivian with John Kretschmer Sailing. My daughter, Lauren, and I have now sailed three times with this amazing group of sailors who are ready to teach all they know about navigating and sailing the open ocean. We have had such a positive experience that we have two more trips on the books!

Our most recent trip with Nathan and Vivian started in St. Martin sailing southeast to St. Lucia and back to St. Thomas. We took noon sights with our sextants learning celestial navigation, plotted our course on paper charts and learned fundamentals of navigation, safety, points of sail and in general good seamanship! Nathan and Vivian are the ultimate hosts, sharing their
home, Ultima, a Compass 47 with their crew. Nathan is an RYA Yachtmaster with years of delivery experience, and both he and Vivian are author’s willing to share their experience.

The icing on the cake is Vivian’s cooking! She is an amazing chef who taught me tips for provisioning and cooking aboard. Her fried rice is now one of our family’s favorite meals! There is something amazing once land fades from view and the sea turns azure blue! Time slows, you are disconnected from the daily grind; the opportunity for self-introspection, personal growth, and bonding with like-minded sailors is unparalleled. If you take the leap and join Nathan and Vivian for a sail, I promise you that your life will be enriched, your skills will grow, and you will remember your trip of a lifetime.

Minutes turned to hours, hours blurred into days, and the days melted into a giant, bubbling pool of molten memories that will not only last a lifetime, but have also nudged and reignited the fire inside of me to go after the challenge and calling of the sea for the second half of my life.

John & Tadji: Thank you for the incredible amounts of effort and work that I know must be and have been poured into the business to build an enterprise that offers experiences like this. John, thank you for the added on-shore bonus of your time, tales and fellowship over great wine and food in the last few days of the trip!

Nathan & Vivian: Thank you for opening your home, business and livelihood to us. Thank you for your kindness and generosity in that space. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we grew and learned so much on the sole, deck, and even up in the air clinging to the mast of Ultima! (and of course, thank you for your work before, during and after orchestrating the massive array of logistics in an event like this)

We all have two lives to live. The second begins when we realize we only have one. Each and every one of you reminded me of this important sentiment on this trip in your own unique way, so one last giant thank you to you all for that!

Until our next 14 tacks….

Adventure, confidence, learning, and pure joy await you aboard Ultima! That’s what you’re signing up for when you jump on board with Nathan and Vivian. We (husband and wife) signed up for a passage training trip from the Solomon Islands (Maryland) to Portland (ME). This trip was our last step towards assuring ourselves that we were ‘on-board’ for a life of passages and off-shore cruising. After 8 days with Nathan, Vivian and a wonderful crew, we are all in. The trip was full of learning and memorable moments. We left right before Hurricane Elsa (7.21) and pursued an alternative route that avoided contact with her. In nearing Nantucket, we encountered 72 hours of fog that propelled outstanding learning opportunities of navigating in tough conditions. Nathan and Vivian were outstanding mentors. They were clear in their explanations of processes and their thinking. They attended to crew morale wonderfully. Oh, and the food! Every single meal was exceptional! 

After our 8 days on-board Ultima, we are ready to go. The trip with Nathan and Vivian was a moment of affirmation and clarity. Moreover, we look forward to long-lasting relations with Nathan and Vivian as we crisscross and, possibly, cross-paths across the world.

Where to start? Nathan and Vivian or Ultima? Let’s start with Ultima. As we left the protection of Benner Bay on the south side of St Thomas, USVI for the day trip to St Croix, thoughtfully designed to facilitate gaining our sea legs, Ultima proved to be sea-kindly and fun to sail. Then, after spending the first night of our passage anchored in the comfort of West End Bay, St Croix, we sailed south deep into the Caribbean Sea weathering 30-35 knots and 7-to-9-foot seas on the beam. Ultima took it all in stride – as if riding on rails. It was exhilarating!

Vivian and Nathan also delivered! During our 10 days together in January of 2021, a great mix of education, exploration, and good eats made for a productive and pleasurable experience for all aboard. The education offered subtly and engagingly empowered the crew (us and one other couple) increasing our skills and then trusting us to handle Ultima in all conditions around the clock. Thus, building our confidence seemingly without effort.

After our adventure deep into the Caribbean Sea, we circumnavigated St John, USVI which provided multiple educational opportunities of anchoring and picking up a mooring ball. Both crew couples gained experience handling Ultima with excellent coaching at the helm and bow so that by the end of the trip each couple could maneuver Ultima into an anchorage or mooring field and secure her for the night independently. The circumnavigation also provided the opportunity to explore both on foot and underwater. We hiked to beautiful vistas and snorkeled with sea turtles and fishes, observed octopuses, and even witnessed a sleeping nurse shark! Snorkeling excursions in Great Lampshur Bay, and Caneel Bay on St John, and in West End Bay on St Croix were the highlight for Pam whose passion for sailing extends to exploring the abundant life above and below the surface.

Lastly and perhaps most significantly was the food! Vivian offered an amazing cuisine proving that meals on a boat need not be mundane. The crew enjoyed gourmet food and drink, eating to our palates’ content, yet maintaining our figures. Yes, the food was so tasty and abundant we felt we should have gained weight, yet to our surprise, we did not!

Our time spent aboard Ultima was an all-around great experience and we are thankful for the time shared with Nathan and Vivian!

After the first I trip I was hooked! I’ve done the Bahama’s Bash, Trans Caribe, Cork to Cadiz, Boat Buyer’s Workshop and the JKU. John is an incredible teacher, whether novice or highly experienced, he finds a way to share his insights and approaches and leaves everyone a more confident, knowledgeable and capable sailor. Perhaps even more importantly, I’ve left every trip with new friends, not least amongst those, a friendship with John.

My wife and I attended the JKU class in Ft. Lauderdale,  We were fitting out our boat and preparing for a cruising life aboard. John’s class provided us important knowledge that prepared us well. His excellent storytelling and hands-on approach work perfectly. How many people have actually jumped in the ocean to test a life jacket or deployed a life raft off a boat? We would highly recommend this course to any person thinking of going to sea, especially aspiring cruisers.

I’ve sailed off and on since I was about 9 years old. There were years where sailing was a missing part of my life, but the wind and waves always find and drag me back. When I wanted to experience longer passages and did not want to put family or friends at risk by being a first timer, I sought out John. I’d read the books, loved his style and felt him to be a kindred spirit of the sea.  Planning a couple of years in advance, I booked the heavy weather passage, with the intent to follow it with an ocean crossing. The trip did not disappoint and provided a great experience.  Getting off Quetzal after 10+ days at sea, I said I thought I was done with long passages. John gave me one of those knowing smiles and whispered in my ear that we’d do a crossing together, just give it a bit. He was right and it took me over 7 months, but there I was booking my next passage to sail across the Atlantic with him aboard Quetzal. John has given me something that I’d likely never had done on my own, and for that, I’ll always be in his debt.

I’ve sailed with John three times–Spring Cove to Lunenberg 2010; Transatlantic, Spring Cove to Cork Ireland 2011; and Western Caribbean ‘Jaunt ‘2018.  I currently live in Seattle. If you have any interest or idea that you might want to go offshore on a sailboat but are scared, bewildered, or unsure about how to get a start, go sail with John. It is much quicker and way, way cheaper than buying your own boat. You’ll quickly see what it is all about as you help provision the boat, stow everything away, make navigation decisions, stand watch, fix things (sometimes a lot), ride out storms, learn how to use a sextant, and talk with John and your fellow passage makers for hours about everything under the sun. This is the real thing. No more daydreaming; you get to do it. Bring your duffle bag, a can-do attitude, and once you meet the boat you are now part of a functioning crew that will do amazing things. The hardest part is getting a spot on his boat; once you go on these trips you want to go again and again so he fills up his roster quickly. And you get to do this led by a guy who has been doing this professionally for decades but still loves to talk about the simplest subjects to newcomers and experienced sailors alike.

Youyi and I have sailed with John since reading about his passages in Outside magazine over a decade ago.  He is one of the main reasons we have yet to purchase our own sailboat. We get all the joy of sailing with John on Quetzal without the hassle of ownership and maintenance. Our knowledge and seamanship have grown with each trip as John is always willing impart as much wisdom as one has time to learn.

Charts, sextants, celestial navigation, electronics, sail trim, anchoring, and as much time on the helm as one wants are all part of the experience. Add in the stories, gourmet meals, captain’s hours, and opportunity to meet people from all over the world, and passages are truly a magical experience. Passages include: Rome to Corsica, BVI to Grenada return, Coast of Naples, Grenada to Cartagena, Isle of Skye & Outer Hebrides, and Tahiti. Most Memorable Moments: Enjoying a passage with my father and getting mooned by four Venezuelan crew on a small trawler in the middle of nowhere.

I was charting catamarans in Tortola and was thinking would like to be out there, where there’s no land, no crowds, no boundaries. Where if the wind picks up, or your motor quits, or auto pilot will not stay engaged, or the refrigerator doesn’t cool, you can’t just go back. At that time you find out who you really are. So I searched out offshore sailing and found John. He changed my life, he took a farmer from western Kansas, across the Caribbean, across the Atlantic, BVI to St. Martin, sailing around Isla Mujeres. I was most grateful to be a part of the redoing the decks on Quetzal, in Spring Cove Marina, she is a fantastic ship. On top of that Tadji is a very great travel agent and guide, she showed us Paris, arranged our trip in France, her and John took us on the canal boat trip, then took care of our travel arrangements to the beaches of Normandy, was a great trip there were 6 of us. I have never been on a trip that I was ready to end. I would sail around the world on Quetzal with Tadji and John.

I just wanted to send you a quick note to express my appreciation for the experience you orchestrated during this most recent passage.

As I am back home, I have these visual flashes of pieces of the trip that became burned into my mind ….. things that are magical…. the bioluminesence in Quetzal’s wake at night, seeing the Southern Cross, the feeling of the boats constant movement, the night skies, and the conversations with unique people that you just don’t meet around the neighborhood …. including, most of all, you.

Thank you for opening your world to me ….. I had a wonderful time that is now a highlight of my life experience.

I want to wish you a very happy holiday season and all the luck and good fortune in the coming years as you evolve your business model and your writing. I hope someday to catch up with you and Quetzal again!!!!

Without waxing eloquent about John Kretschmer—which we all know would cause him to blush and vigorously deny the gushing accolades—let me just simply say, John is the greatest life form ever to adorn the Planet. If that isn’t sufficient testimony, I’ve failed to advance his celebrity. But seriously, my first encounter with John was during a frigid Chicago February in 2008 at a Strictly Sail Boat Show when the very last thing on my mind, as the frozen fog tumble across the surface of an icebound Lake Michigan, was flip-flops and sailing, and yet, here I was, attending his seminar on choosing a bluewater boat for cruising. This was literally back when I barely knew the difference between a shackle and a shimmy. I sat through the class, bought the book, gazed at the slide show of various examples of boats that John deemed qualified for ocean crossings, and thought to myself: What am I doing here? This is so out of my reach. I would stop short of saying that it’s all because of John that my wife and I now own a bluewater boat and are preparing for an ocean crossing, but he has played a significant role in building our knowledge foundation and our confidence, two indispensable assets for setting off over the horizon. I could go on and on about the multiple Kretschmer seminars and workshops my wife and I have attended over the years, including offshore safety and celestial navigation. But that would be only an objective listing of the unlimited universe of information available in this internet age.

The value-added features that John brings to that generic information pool are his passion and his storytelling, which, come to think of it, kind of go hand in hand. His passion unwittingly draws you into his often humorous storytelling, leaving you with the belief that you CAN achieve your dreams despite sobering obstacles. That’s the thing, I think, more than anything else, that is unique and powerful about John: his ability to inspire. To do big things, you need big inspiration. After a decade of preparing, starting from scratch, my wife and I were poised to make our first double-handed, non-stop, week-long passage across a thousand miles of open ocean. Though we had many coastal miles under our belt in all kinds of weather, still, this passage from Bermuda to Antigua would be different: more fatiguing, more exposed, a new high-bar for us. I wondered if we were really ready.

I emailed John from Bermuda as we awaited a weather window and asked him what he would do. His sparse reply wasn’t very informative or helpful except for his priceless parting shot, “You guys are ready for this.” At that stage of our early cruising years, that was the last piece of the puzzle that completed the picture. And that’s when we finally believed it, and off we went, riding upon the swells as if upon his shoulders, yet all on our own. All we had was a decent boat and a big dollop of confidence. As I said in my opening statement, I don’t think John seeks being, or should be, over-hyped, but it’s hard not to! Finally, no man ever succeeds without the quiet support of an irreplaceable companion, and Tadji has been there for as long as I’ve known John. It’s obvious she supports, sustains, and empowers him. I don’t know what she gets out of the deal, LOL, but they’re dynamite as a couple and we are incredibly lucky for stumbling onto them.

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 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.

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 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.

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.

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.

John very quickly put the crew at ease, the sailing was exciting, mixed with as much instruction as each of us desired to partake in. Safety on board was discussed at length, techniques, and procedures, when’s and why’s. All took part in watches, sail changes, hand steering (or autopilot monitoring), and navigating. Celestial Navigation was practiced and all were proud of our results after a few days of sights and calculations giving us a very satisfactory position accuracy. Of course ‘Captains Hour’ was highly anticipated each day, to discuss all that is sailing, tell stories and to pretty much have a bit of a laugh!

John willingly shared his experiences, both good and bad to help us all build our own picture of what this cruising life is all about, warts and all! The destination was remote and very different, but for me, this was definitely about the journey. This is the ultimate classroom for those wishing to go cruising themselves, whether coastal or ‘crossing oceans.’ I am booked on my next trip, this time on the other side of the Atlantic. Looking forward to sailing with you again, John!

I signed up for the Heavy Weather Passage because I wanted to learn from the best. Not merely “the best” but a modern sailing legend- a term John would never use to describe himself. He is exactly that though, right up there with the Bernard Moitessiers, Peter Blakes, and Joshua Slocums of the sailing world. It may sound like an exaggeration to anyone not familiar with his sailing accomplishments, but you be hard pressed to find any sailor alive today with more varied experience or more open ocean miles under his keel. Unlike Bernard Moitessier, Peter Blake, or Joshua Slocum, anyone can still sign up to sail with John Kretschmer in person. Despite a lifetime spent rounding Cape Horn, sailing away from revolutionary wars, and riding out hurricane force storms at sea; John is one of the kindest, humblest, most genuinely wonderful people you will ever meet.  

I signed up for the Heavy Weather Passage to learn about sailing from him, but I got so much more than that out of my trip. Like most that have sailed with him in the past, I hope to do so again in the future; of course to glean as much knowledge from him as possible, but also because you can guarantee that a passage with JK will be time spent in fascinating and thought to provoke conversation with a guy that is just as excited to learn about you and your life as you are about his. Like his motto says, “never lost, just hard to find”, but absolutely with the wait, and likely the beginning of a valuable new friendship.”