Hank Schmitt will be a familiar name to many Cruising Compass readers. He founded and runs Offshore Passage Opportunities and the NARC Rally. He has made blue water sailing possible for thousands of sailors.
This summer he is announcing a new and exciting venture that will provide adventurous sailors the opportunity to sail From Barcelona to the Canary Islands and then on across the Atlantic to the Caribbean aboard new Bali 5.4 56-foot catamarans.
A trans-oceanic passage will be on many sailor’s bucket lists so being able make the trip on a large comfortable catamaran at a very reasonable cost, will be seriously tempting.
The whole passage from Spain to St. Martin will take a month. If you choose to skip the first leg and sail from the Canary Island to the Caribbean you can count on spending two and half to three weeks away. Prices run from $4,500 per person for couples sharing a cabin to $7,000 for individuals reserving a private cabin.
Sailors who are contemplating buying a cruising cat will have up to a month of living aboard and sailing in a wide range of conditions to see if a cat will be the right choice or not.
The catamarans will each have a skipper and a mate, so crew will have expert guidance on how to sail a big cat and will have the chance gain volumes of knowledge on sail trim, boat handling, weather, seamanship, navigation and boat maintenance.
You can learn all about sailing transatlantic aboard a Bali 5.6 on the OPO website here.
