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Follow us as we take off on our adventure on board our Nautitech 44 Open Catamaran "MackenSea".

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We plan to pick-up our Catamaran from the Nautitech factory in La Rochelle, France in April 2024. After familiarization and shakedown in La Rochelle, we will set off across the Bay of Biscay, down the coast of Portugal and into the Mediterranean. Hopefully avoiding the Orcas! We plan to spend the season in the Med before crossing the Atlantic with the Atlantic Relay Crossing (ARC) in November.

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We will be looking for crew allong the way, if this is something you would be interested in please reach out to us. Priority will be given to friends and family but for passages we will need crew where some experience will be required. Please also note the crew conditions listed below.

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Itinerary - Subject to change:

  • 14th Apr - 2nd May: La Rochelle, France - Familiarization/Shakedown - Done

  •  3rd May - 13th May: La Rochelle, France  - Gibraltar (7+ Days overnight sailing/night watches)

    • Crew: Colin M.

  • 13th May - 21st May: Gibraltar - Mediterranean coast of Spain 

    • Crew: Colin M.

  • 21st May - 28th May: Chilling in Costa del Sol Spain

    • No crew​

  • 29th May - 7th June: Passage Spanish mainland to Balearics ((1+ Day overnight sailing/night watches)

    • in discussion​

  • 8th June - 30 July: Chilling in the Balearics, Spain

    • No Crew​​​

  • 1st July - 10 July: Chilling in the Balearics, Spain​

    • Crew openings​

  • 11th July - 13th July Passage Minorca to Sardinia​ (2 days overnight sail/watches)​

    • Crew openings​

  • 14th July - 31st July: Chill in Sardinia​

    • Crew openings​

  • 1st August - 14th August: Sardinia to Corsica, chill in Corsica​

  • 15th August - 5th September: Slow cruise Corsica - France - Spain - Gibraltar​​

  • 5th September to 19th September: Passage to Gibraltar - Canary Isles (5+ Day overnight sailing/night watches)

    • Experienced crew required​

  • 20th September - 9th November: Chill in the Canary Isles

  • 10th November - 24th November: ARC Preperation Las Palmas, Grand Canary

    • Crew: Rudy K., David H., Stephen M. (TBC)​

  • 24th Nov - 18th Dec: ARC Atlantic crossing - Canaries to St Lucia (21+ days overnight sail/watches)

    • Crew: Rudy K., David H., Stephen M. (TBC)​

  • 23rd December - 3rd January - Babysit the boat in St Lucia or Martinique while we return to Canada for Christmas​. Boat will be static on a mooring buoy or anchored in a sheltered bay.

    • Stephen M & Family (TBC)​

  • 4th January - 1st May​

    • Chill Caribbean cruising​

  • 2nd May - .....: TBD​

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About the boat:
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  1. The boat is equipped with all required safey equipment (and then some).

  2. Starlink Maritime Service.

  3. Water maker

  4. Solar on the roof and the dinghy davits

  5. Generator

  6. We will be sailing conservatively, only venturing out if conditions are safe and comfortable. This may mean we get stuck in one spot for several days (sometimes longer) waiting for a weather window.

  7. We will be keeping expenses down by anchoring out the vast majority of the time. Peak season Marina slips in the Med cost up to 400 Euros/night!!!

  8. We will sail when ever possible, only turn the engines on as a last resort

  9. For coastal cruising and short passages we will tend to take on two crew. 

  10. Accommodation consists of:

    • Owners hull, with queen sized bed, bathroom and shower​

    • Guest hull, one queen sized bed, separate bathroom and shower

    • Extra crew can be accomodated in the "smartroom" floor or the cabin benches

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Crew conditions for sign-up:

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  1. Crew must disclose any relevant health issues before signing up, particularly important on passages.

  2. Crew are responsible for there own airfares and other transportation

  3. Crew must have health insurance coverage for the cruising area (required by port authorities)

  4. Crew agrees to conform to the rules of the boat and follow the instructions of the skipper.

  5. Crew accepts that in the unlikely event of a dispute on board, the skipper reserves the right to ask you to leave the boat without compensation.

  6. Crew acknowledges the inherent risks in sailing, takes care, and accepts responsibility for these risks

  7. Crew agrees to chip in with regular cooking and cleaning, shopping, etc., duties

  8. Crew agrees to share expenses including:

    • Provisioning meals/snacks​

    • Eating out

    • Beer/wine (if consumed)

    • Marina/Mooring Buoy fees (goal is to keep this to zero if possible)

    • Diesel consumed while on board (goal is to minimize this)

    • Starlink usage while offshore where Starlink charge $2.65/Gb consumed on top of the base fees that we cover. There is no usage costs when we are within 10 miles of shore so this applies to passage making only. (goal is to minimize this by pre-downloading movies, etc. This is mostly a consumption awareness point for those doing offshore passages) where we will use Starlink to get weather updates and keep folks at home informed on progress.

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Other hints:

  • Bring snorkel, mask, flippers

  • Pack a duffel bag rather than a hard case

  • If you are susceptible to sea sickness, byo medication and try it beforehand

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Cheryl and Andrew

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