Passage Planning: Planning beyond your next Passage

Part: 3 of 4 (6 months before departure)

Extended cruising changes the way you plan. A single offshore passage may last several days, but a South Pacific cruising season can involve repeated passages, remote anchorages, changing weather, limited supplies and long periods away from reliable marine services.

The plan therefore needs to extend beyond the next destination. Food, water, fuel, maintenance, spare parts, crew fatigue, communications and weather windows all become part of the passage-planning process. Our approach was to plan the cruising season in stages while keeping enough flexibility to change the route when weather or circumstances required it.

Plan Beyond the Next Passage

Once the initial passage is complete, where to next? Even the passage after the next passage.

Cruiser conversations often reveal useful details about whale and shark activity, ocean currents, reefs, anchorages and local conditions.

Following the fleet is not part of our cruising strategy. We make arrangements to catch up with other boats through WhatsApp a month or so later.

Manage Weather Across the whole Cruising Season

We keep a close eye on South Pacific weather, changing trade winds, political developments, elections and medical alerts as the cruising season progresses.

Conditions, local requirements and weather patterns can change quickly, so today's plan may not be the plan you follow next month.

Visa Limits Can Dictate Your Cruising Plans
Visa restrictions are another major factor in South Pacific passage planning. Many countries provide around three months, but the exact allowance varies by nationality and destination. You must leave before your permitted stay expires.

For that reason, we start watching potential departure weather windows well before the visa deadline. By around the two-month mark, the weather forecast, prevailing winds, sea conditions and our remaining time in the country all become part of the decision.

Comical: couple worrying about remembering everything

Allow Time for Maintenance

It is here that the Maintenance Service Packs we discussed in Part 1 come to the fore.

Previously Prepared Packs
Without rummaging through lockers, the consumables are at hand along with tools, spares and even a checklist. We then use the tough zip-lock bags as disposal bags.

Be proactive
Set time aside to check oils and general wear-and-tear. It's not the time to be dismantling items because 'you thought....'. Once done, log it in the Maintenance Log.

It's during these times that we also log the hull cleans and pest control, and even take video footage to prove to authorities our recorded proactive approach to Biosecurity, a major issue at incoming ports like New Zealand and Australia. You will be asked.

Drawing on whiteboard of critical systems

Critical System Management

Use this guide to assess weather, maintenance, water, energy, spares and documentation before departure.

Each system has been tested, is reliable, well-designed, and supported by a practical backup.

Good preparation reduces preventable failures and helps maintain essential operations throughout an offshore passage.

Spares: What are the right spares to carry?

Choosing the right offshore spares starts with understanding which systems are critical and which failures you can realistically repair.

Carry proven replacement parts for engines, electricity, water, communications and navigation.

Spares should be tested where possible, correctly labelled, stored, documented and supported by practical repair tools and backup systems.

Documents: Volumes of Paperwork

Offshore cruising generates considerable paperwork, from vessel records and maintenance schedules to manuals, warranties, insurance, crew documents and emergency procedures.

Keep critical information organised, current and accessible without internet access.

Good documentation supports repairs, troubleshooting and compliance, while digital copies protect essential information when original documents are unavailable.

As an example, we have 5 concertina folders with all Ships data onboard, a Captain's Folder (kept in a safe) and a Crew Manual.

Comical: Man writing his medical history

Preparation: Essential 6 Months out Consideration & Completion Tips

Insurers and First Aid: Reducing Liability Through Preparedness

Medical evacuations from the middle of the ocean can cost tens, or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

In many situations, the skipper may be held financially liable unless responsibilities and liabilities have been clearly documented in advance.

That’s one of the key reasons a Crew Declaration is so important for offshore sailing.

What catches many cruisers off guard is that standard travel insurance policies often exclude incidents occurring aboard a private yacht in international waters. Always read the fine print carefully and look specifically for exclusions relating to “private yacht” or offshore passages.

Securing yacht insurance can also be challenging. Before coverage is approved, insurers typically require a detailed marine survey to assess the vessel’s condition, seaworthiness, and overall safety standards.

In countries such as New Zealand and increasingly Australia, insurers are also paying closer attention to crew qualifications, safety training, and onboard compliance procedures.

For sailors over 50, cardiovascular health becomes an even greater consideration offshore. Automated external defibrillators (AEDs), together with current CPR and resuscitation training, are rapidly becoming essential safety equipment for extended voyages.

As a result, a dedicated marine first aid course is no longer simply a good idea — it’s becoming an essential part of responsible offshore preparation.

This all contributes to the classic insurance dilemma many sailors face: feeling “damned if you do, damned if you don’t,” where every decision involves balancing safety, liability, cost, and complex policy conditions.

This takes 6 months to sort out, in particular the Crew Declaration.

Add Insurance and First Aid to your TO DO LIST your offshore cruising TO DO list.

Every Offshore Crew Needs a Proven Man Overboard Recovery Plan

If you weigh more than 75kg and become the MOB (man overboard), your crew must be capable of recovering you quickly and safely — especially offshore, where swell, fatigue, and panic can rapidly turn a survivable incident fatal.

Talking about MOB procedures is not enough. Under stress, people forget. What crews really need is a documented recovery plan supported by realistic practice and training. Start in calm water and simply try boarding your yacht without steps — it quickly reveals how difficult real recovery can be.

We originally carried a Dan Buoy system, but after experiencing offshore swell conditions, we upgraded to a Jon Buoy recovery system. That experience completely changed our thinking about offshore MOB recovery. Locating the casualty is only the beginning; getting them back onboard is often the hardest part.

The idea of trailing a line aft of the vessel is nonsense. Watch this video; they are only doing 4kts in calm seas.

1. Could you (in a split second) swim back and grab a trailing rope at 4kts?
2. How do you make a recovery after breaking your arm from the overboard fall?
3. This man (in the video) struggles to hold on; most people (clothed) can't!
4. Ever thought about how to swim with a lifejacket on offshore? Can you swim on your front?

There are a lot of takeaways from this video, especially if your other crew member is not confident and has little strength to complete a recovery out of the water.

This should be documented somewhere to cover any litigation and Insurance inquiries. We use our Crew Manual.

Add both MOB recovery planning and formal crew documentation to your offshore cruising TO DO list.

Starlink: launching satellites into space

Offshore Sailing Communications: Safety Beyond Mobile Coverage

Safety, safety, safety.... Satellite communications have changed offshore cruising, and for us, embracing the technology is essential.

Once you leave reliable mobile coverage behind, satellite internet becomes an important part of staying connected, accessing weather information and communicating with family, friends and other cruisers.

HF communications remain alive and well, but very few yachts are taking the HF option anymore. The cost of the install compared to that of satellite is chalk and cheese.

Systems such as SpaceX’s Starlink and Iridium GO! now provide offshore crews with far greater connectivity, improved emergency communications, weather access, and real-time contact even in the most remote parts of the ocean.

Despite these advances, traditional marine communication systems still play a critical role onboard.

Fixed and handheld VHF radios remain essential equipment for both coastal cruising and offshore passages, providing reliable short-range communication for vessel traffic, marina access, emergency calls, and onboard safety procedures.

For serious offshore sailing, the safest approach is not choosing one system over another, but building a layered communications setup that combines satellite technology with proven marine radio systems.