7. Sao Miguel, Azores-Oban, Scotland // 1,500 Miles // 17 Days // Waitlist

Thursday, June 8, 2017 11:00 AM 11:00
Sunday, June 25, 2017 12:00 PM 12:00

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$5,600 // 14 Days

We are now fully crewed for this passage. If you'd like to get on the waitlist, please register here.

Isbjorn will leave the ARC Europe fleet and make for Oban, in Scotland. We'll depart from Sao MIguel, the 'big' island in the Azores and the easiest place for crew to join the boat, as all connecting flights go through there.

This is a 1500 nautical mile passage, and arguably the most challenging of the crossing, with higher latitudes weather and cooler temperatures as we head north beyond 50º latitude.

Join the boat in Horta (easy flights from Lisbon, Portugal, and even direct from Boston to Sao Miguel) and experience the wonders of the Azores before we depart bound for the north. The trip is 14 days total, and we expect to be at sea for 10-11 days, so you'll have some time to unwind and explore Oban before departing from Scotland.

We recommend getting to the boat a few days early to explore the Azores. Cheap scooter rentals are available in Horta, and it's possible to basically 'circumnavigate' the island of Faial by Vespa in a single day, taking in the volcanic crater at the center of the island and the lighthouse on the west coast that was buried recently by an eruption.

Once we depart the Azores, we'll point the bow northeast for Scotland. Since we're north of the trade wind belt, we'll have all sorts of weather for this trip, from light & variable winds to deep depressions blowing in from the west and bringing heavy seas along with them. The closer we get to Scotland, the colder it'll get too, so pack warm!

Once we make our landfall, you'll be rewarded in Scotland with incredible seafood, celtic music and of course the best whisky in the world! Oban, our port of entry, is a fantastic little hamlet nestled in the foothills of the Scottish Highlands with everything a boat coming off the high seas could ask for. Mia and I stopped here on the way across the North Sea on Arcturus in 2012 and discovered what a real, fresh scallop should really taste like!

The Route

What to Expect Onboard

FAQs

Other Important Passage Info

Featured

Chris Kobusch // FALKEN Skipper (GER)

Chris has been working professionally on yachts ever since completing his Yachtmaster in 2009. Having logged more than 165,000 nautical miles since, Chris has sailed and raced all around the world on a variety of yachts from small, modern Cape31s to big classic 50m schooners.

During the 2017-18 Clipper Round The World Race Chris skippered the Chinese entry Qingdao and his team achieved a 3rd overall. After the Clipper Race Chris spent two years in the high latitudes skippering Skip Novak's sailing expedition yacht Pelagic Australis. Chris skippered ICEBEAR in 2022 and is returning in 2023 to skipper FALKEN.

Emma Garschagen // First Mate & Podcast Host (USA)

Emma is 59º North’s Chief Mate. She joined the 59º North team in 2019 after graduating from Kenyon College where she studied environmental science. Emma has logged over 25,000 ocean miles in the past three years. She has crossed the Atlantic twice, and recently sailed up to 80° North on ISBJØRN in Svalbard. Emma has also sailed as a student and deckhand on tall ships, worked on traditional wooden boats, driven launch boats, and recently skippered a Broadreach voyage with high schoolers in the Caribbean.

Alex Laline // FALKEN Chief Mate (ESP)

Alex’ experiences vary from light high performance racing yachts to big heavy expedition yachts. Alex started sailing at the young age of 4 and he's been hooked to the Ocean ever since, either sailing or surfing.

He has accumulated over 115,000 nautical miles over the past years as a professional sailor, racing all over the world as part of a team in the Clipper Round the World race, working on an expedition yacht in the Arctic Circle and doing a variety of deliveries.

Erik Nordborg // Relief Skipper (SWE)

Erik grew up on the west coast of Sweden – never far from boats and sailing. Both sailboat racing and cruising have always been a big part of his life. Being a professional meteorologist Erik has been involved in several major sailing events and races across the globe including the America’s Cup, Volvo Ocean Race, Vendée Globe and many more. As a sailor Erik races and competes in the exciting Figaro Class in France. He joins us in 2023 as a relief skipper on FALKEN.

Jon Amtrup // ISBJØRN Skipper (NOR)

Jon Amtrup is a Norwegian sailor, captain, author, and Arctic explorer. Of his sailing accomplishments, Jon has sailed the entire coast of Norway several times in both winter and summer, circumnavigated Svalbard, crossed the Atlantic, explored Greenland, crossed the North Sea many times, and raced in several national and international double-handed and single-handed regattas. Jon runs his own business consulting with high latitude sailing expeditions on planning, weather, and routing assistance. A member of the The Explorers Club, Jon is the author of several maritime books. Encouraged by Andy, he also hosts his own sailing podcast in Norway. Jon skippered ISBJØRN in the high latitudes in 2022, and returns for more in 2023.

Ben Soofer // Relief Mate (USA)

Ben Soofer is a sailor and an outdoor educator. Ben first joined the 59 North team in 2018 (making him the very first addition to the team!) as the resident "Public Relations & Media Guru" while attending the University of Denver. Ben grew up sailing on the sandy banks of the Neuse River in North Carolina but was convinced that his destiny lay in the professional world. After Andy invited him to step aboard for a passage south, everything changed.

Andy Schell // QUARTERDECK Editor, FALKEN Skipper (USA)

Andy started 59 North with Mia back in 2013 with the idea to share his passion for offshore sailing with like-minded people. He’s sailed 100,000+ miles offshore, crossed the Atlantic 7 times, skippered ISBJORN to 80º North in Svalbard & FALKEN to Greenland & Iceland.

Mia Karlsson // CREW Liasion, FALKEN Mate (SWE/USA)

Mia grew up in the countryside in Sweden a non-sailor until meeting Andy in New Zealand in 2006. Her first sailing trip was aboard SOUTHERN ENDURANCE, a 28-foot charter boat in the Marlboro Sounds on NZ’s South Island. Since then she’s sailed over 50,000 miles offshore, crossed the Atlantic 7 times (on 4 different boats), & sailed ISBJORN to 80º North.

Laura Parent // Shore Support (USA)

Laura grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with an insatiable wanderlust and the influence of the ocean, boats and waterways of her hometown. Her father’s career as a Port Everglades Pilot gave her early exposure to working on the water and a love for the culture of the sea. Her first boat job was on a tourist boat at age 17 when she started to realize that working on boats could be her ticket to see the world.

August Sandberg // QUARTERDECK Editor, ISBJØRN Skipper (NOR)

After serving a year in the army as an Arctic Jaeger on the Norwegian-Russian border, he started film studies in Bergen. While studying film production, August renovated an old Baltic 37, and then proceeded to circumnavigate the Atlantic with her after he got his degree. August became a dad in 2021 and lives with his son Amund and his partner Karolina in the fjords outside of Bergen, Norway.

Posted in 2017
Tagged 2017