Hands-on boat handling, dynamic passage planning, night watches, and qualifying sea time.
Beyond the 7-Day Compromise: Time to Actually Sail
This 11-day extended coaching passage focuses on practical seamanship in Croatia, eliminating that compromise entirely.
Most sailing courses try to squeeze everything into seven rushed days. The result is almost always a compromise: you either spend the entire week motoring to rack up required mileage on an arbitrary route, or you stay tethered near the home marina doing repetitive docking drills while your logbook sits empty.
Eleven days gives us the luxury of time. We have the space to wait for the right weather windows and complete genuine longer passages. There is no rigid calendar dictating when we cast off. Coaching isn’t confined to a classroom or isolated drill sessions—it happens continuously, whether we are trimming sails on a 60-mile run, anchoring in a quiet bay, or navigating after dark.
We cap this flagship week at strictly three guests (with the possibility for one cabin to have double occupancy if you bring someone to share with). Every guest receives a guaranteed private double cabin—no hot-bunking, no sharing with strangers, and a relaxed boat culture.
Who This 11-Day “Week” Is For:
- Swiss Hochseeausweis & RYA Candidates: Log a substantial block of verified sea time, including active watch leadership, dynamic weather routing, and the opportunity for some longer passages with night navigation.
- Charter Skippers & Boat Owners: Move beyond textbook theory. Master the kinetic handling of a sailing yacht in gusty conditions, gain quiet confidence in uncrowded autumn ports, and learn to handle complex scenarios short-handed.
- Passage Sailors: Experience the authentic rhythm of extended sea time—managing fatigue, navigation watches, and changing weather systems along Dalmatia’s offshore islands.
What You’ll Master & Experience:
- Weather-Driven Passage Planning: How to read Adriatic front transitions, evaluate Bora/Jugo triggers, and plan 50-to-100+ mile legs that work with the sea rather than against it.
- Extended Passages & Night Navigation: When the weather window opens, we execute longer coastal runs—giving you practical experience with formal watch rotations, log keeping, identifying unlit coastal features, and entering unfamiliar harbours or anchorages after dark.
- Demystifying Close-Quarters Handling: Docking a sailing boat shouldn’t be a source of dread, and we don’t turn it into high-stress, dogmatic performance art. Berthing is simply another routine part of seamanship. We give you calm, versatile tools to handle Mediterranean lazy lines, crosswinds, and prop walk cleanly— leaving the drama on the pontoon.
- Dynamic Anchor Work: Selecting safe anchorages based on forecast shifts, setting and testing ground tackle properly, and practical techniques for securing lines ashore in deep bays.
- Sail Trim & Dynamic Balance: Real-world heavy-weather tactics, active reefing underway, boat balance, and downwind sail trim using the Gennaker when conditions align.
A Flexible 11-Day Flow (Weather-Led, Not Calendar-Bound)
Because real seamanship means adapting to the elements, we do not stick to a rigid day-by-day timetable set months in advance.
If the breeze is steady during the opening days, we might head straight out on a longer passage and integrate our coaching along the way. If the weather is unsettled, we might spend several days exploring island bays and refining close-quarters techniques before launching an extended overnight run.
- Sunday (Arrival from 12:00): Board All Winds at Marina Frapa (Rogoznica). Safety walkthrough, yacht systems orientation, weather analysis, and opening crew dinner.
- The 10 Days on the Water: A dynamic mix of longer coastal passages (incorporating night navigation and watch systems), quiet anchorages, and hands-on boat handling in varied harbours. We adapt the balance of passages and dedicated skills sessions to make the absolute best use of the prevailing wind and sea state.
- Monday/Tuesday (Final Leg & Port Return): Final run back to Marina Frapa, consolidation berthing, and our debrief dinner.
- Wednesday (Check-out by 09:00 AM): Certificate signing, official logbook stamping, personal review audit, and relaxed mid-week departures.
Transparent Pricing & Private Cabin Comfort
Like all All Winds events, this week operates on complete pricing transparency. There are no hidden cash kitties (Bordkasse), no end-of-week cleaning charges, and no fuel surcharges.
- Private Double Cabin (Solo Sailor): CHF 3,800
- Shared Double Cabin (Couples or friends booking together): CHF 2,450 per person
Strictly limited to a maximum of 3 guest cabins / 3 (max 4) guests.
What’s Included:
- 11 days / 10 nights aboard All Winds (Beneteau Oceanis 41.1) in a guaranteed private double cabin.
- 3:1 low-ratio coaching and instruction with an experienced owner-skipper.
- All marina berthing fees, port dues, mooring balls, and transit logs.
- All yacht diesel and consumables.
- Professional yacht end-cleaning and fresh bed linen.
- Complete onboard provisioning for all breakfasts, lunches, and daytime sailing snacks.
- Official Audited Sea Time Log & Mileage Certificate, plus an individual Practical Seamanship Skills Portfolio (fully valid for the Swiss Hochseeausweis and RYA requirements).
(Not included: Evening dinners ashore and personal travel to/from Rogoznica.)
Why Join This October Passage?
- October is Dalmatia’s Purest Sailing Month: The summer charter crowds and flotillas are gone, sea temperatures remain comfortable (19–20°C), and genuine sailing breeze replaces the light summer haze.
- True Rest Between Watches: You never share a cabin with a stranger. When your watch ends, you step down into your own quiet, comfortable double cabin to sleep properly.
- Mid-Week Wednesday Departure: Travel home calmly without the Saturday airport crowds or weekend flight price spikes.
- Zero Grey Areas: Many sailing courses are run by skippers holding only a recreational license like the Swiss Hochseeschein. All Winds is commercially registered in Croatia and run by a commercially endorsed RYA Yachtmaster. There are no shortcuts or legal grey areas—everything on board is 100% professional and above board.
Onboard Language & Communication
English is the official working language aboard All Winds, reflecting international maritime standards for coastal navigation, log keeping, and VHF radio communication. However, clarity and comfort always come first.
Your coach speaks fluent German and fully understands Swiss German (Schwiizerdütsch). While commands, standard procedures, and navigation are run in English, complex aerodynamic concepts, technical systems, and debriefs can easily be explained in German whenever needed to ensure complete confidence and zero stress.
About Your Coach
Real coaching isn’t just about knowing how to handle a boat; it is about understanding how adults acquire motor skills, develop spatial judgment, and build genuine instinct under seaway without feeling overwhelmed.
- Atlantic Roots: Grew up sailing from childhood along the rugged south coast of Ireland, not far from the famous Fastnet Rock—one of the world’s most demanding natural testing grounds for seamanship.
- 35+ Years of Watersports Coaching: Decades spent coaching and developing sailors across the globe, from serving as Chief Instructor at one of Ireland’s largest commercial watersports centres to running a sailing school in Maui, Hawaii.
- Academic Foundation in Human Performance: Holds a First-Class Honours Degree in Sports & Exercise Science and a Diploma in Sports Management. This background brings a structured, analytical understanding of motor learning, kinetic feel, and cognitive load management to boat handling—moving far beyond the traditional “watch me do it” teaching style.
- Instructional Background: Previously certified as an RYA/ISA Chief Instructor (Dinghy & Dayboat), RYA/ISA Advanced & Safety Boat Powerboat Instructor, and Level 5 Windsurfing Instructor.
- Commercially Endorsed: Holds a commercially endorsed RYA Yachtmaster. All Winds is maintained and operated to the Flag State’s professional standards.
Booking, Insurance & Terms
All Winds Adventures is operated by Swiss Alpine Adventure GmbH (Switzerland) and All Winds Adventures d.o.o. (Croatia), owner of s/y All Winds.
Insurance is the responsibility of the participant; by completing your booking, you agree to act responsibly at all times on this event and not to hold Swiss Alpine Adventure/All Winds Adventures or any person involved responsible for any injury or loss which may occur in relation to the event.
Disclaimer:
All participants take part in events or activities facilitated by Swiss Alpine Adventure/All Winds Adventures entirely at their own risk. Swiss Alpine Adventure/All Winds Adventures does not accept liability for damage to property, death or personal injury that may occur whilst taking part in activities or events organised by Swiss Alpine Adventure/All Winds Adventures. It is your responsibility to make sure your equipment is maintained and in safe working order. We reserve the right to stop you from participating with us if your equipment is badly maintained or not in safe working order. Whilst we endeavour to make sure that the information on this website pertaining to routes, passages, trails, and maritime events is correct, we do not warrant its completeness or accuracy.
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