Distant Shores - Share the Sail
Stacks Image 7

Dreaming of sailing away but still have a lot of questions?


Need to convince your partner that traveling on a sailboat could be wonderful?


Or maybe you just long to be out sailing in sunshine on sparkling seas but commitments are holding you back.


We have a solution…

Come sailing with us! Join us on a leg of our Around the World voyage aboard our brand new purpose-built Southerly 480, Distant Shores III, and experience some of the world's best sailing destinations with highly experienced sailors you know and trust to guide you!

Here is our first year of the "Around the World" voyage, and there are plenty of opportunities to join us as crew for a leg. Check the interactive map to the right for general route (click on the icons for more info), or click on the Schedule - Legs - Availability page for details on the individual parts of the journey.

We have been offering our very popular Sail Away Weeks program since 2007 and participants have gone on to carry out their own cruising adventures with confidence and improved skills!

Some, who worried about sea sickness learned how to manage it (Paul is an expert at this), and realized that they could expand their horizons and sail further afield than they ever dreamed possible!

Others have used the opportunity to test out the cruising lifestyle and, as a result, have modified their plans or bought new boats to make their families feel more safe, comfortable and excited about undertaking a sailing adventure.
Stacks Image 76

Welcome Aboard


We're Paul and Sheryl Shard, the fun-loving hosts of the Distant Shores sailing adventure TV series and the authors of Sail Away! A Guide to Outfitting and Provisioning for Cruising (now being updated to a third edition). We are also instructors/consultants for the Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons (CPS), Canada's largest educational institution for boating safety and navigation, and helped design their Extended Cruising course.

Sheryl and I have sailed over 100,000 nautical miles and have made 7 ocean crossings during the 27 years we have cruised to exotic ports around the world while living aboard and maintaining three different sailboats.

Through our television shows, YouTube videos, magazine articles, books and cruising seminars we share our experiences to help those dreaming of sailing away themselves to plan and carry out safe, happy and successful voyages aboard their own boats.

You're Invited!


If you are considering the cruising life for retirement, an upcoming sabbatical or a lifestyle change, Sail Away Weeks offer hands-on sailing fun in exotic locales.

You will get the chance to sail with us aboard our brand new high-tech offshore cruising yacht, Distant Shores III, the first of the new purpose-built Southerly 480's, which we helped design with the team at Discovery Yachts Group in the UK.

Where else can you build new sailing skills and get answers to your questions about the sailing lifestyle aboard a luxurious variable-draft cruising yacht with highly experienced sailors you know and trust?

Live the experience you have watched on the Distant Shores sailing adventure TV series, watch the making of this internationally syndicated television show en route and be featured in an episode (optional), all the while enjoying some great sailing with the hosts of the show.

Sail Away Weeks are always a great time!
Stacks Image 44
Stacks Image 71
Watching the Distant Shores TV series and sailing vicariously with Paul and Sheryl got us through a lot of winters so it was such a thrill to be able to sail with them for a week in the British Virgin Islands. We learned so much from them in that one week such as how nice it can be to anchor overnight under the stars. As a result we were a lot more confident with our own boat when we got home and tried many new things.
Peter OConnor and Stephanie Bowman

An All-Inclusive Sailing Retreat in Paradise


Our filming schedule for the Distant Shores TV series only allows us to host Sail Away Weeks once in a while so we're excited that we can invite you to join us aboard our brand new boat for several legs of our voyage in the coming season. We hope you'll join us.

The days will be info-packed, just like one of our cruising seminars, but rather than sitting in a classroom we’ll take you out on the water to sail in the world's top cruising destinations.

It will be a memorable time whether it's island-hopping you're dreaming of, coastal cruising to build your offshore experience or bluewater passage-making on an ocean crossing. You will be safe with us aboard, learn a lot and have time for leisure activities too.

During our time together, Sheryl and I will tailor activities to meet your interests and concerns about long-term cruising. We like to think of Sail Away Weeks as on-water retreats so you can forget the work-a-day world, relax, recharge and fuel up your dreams of sailing off into the sunset by trying it out with us.
Stacks Image 63

Who Else is Going?


You will be in the friendly company of a small select group (1 other couple or individuals; 4 guests max.) who are considering the cruising lifestyle too. They will be like-minded sailors who share and support the same dream. Possibly like you, they want to help their partner overcome concerns about traveling long-term on a sailboat. Plus you will have the time with us to get answers to all the questions you have about the cruising lifestyle.

What You'll Learn


Besides offering our guests fabulous days of sailing together, we'll also be sharing the methods we've developed over 27 years of international cruising to help you plan a successful voyage of your own in the future. We’ll cover topics such as cruise planning, navigation, reading the weather, anchoring techniques, sail trim, meal design, provisioning, cooking on board, creating a budget for cruising that works for you and your crew, plus many other subjects while sailing across sparkling seas in paradise!
Stacks Image 108
Stacks Image 46
I was interested in getting into sailing. My wife, Julie, and I enjoyed watching the Distant Shores sailing TV series so I hoped that a week of sailing with Paul and Sheryl in the tropics might bring her around to the idea of buying a sailboat. 100% success! We bought our first sailing boat 6 months after returning home.
Richard Thomas
Stacks Image 61
We have been so privileged to have been able to learn from Sheryl and Paul. Maggie and I just discovered sailing four years ago and "sharing the sail" with the Shards has allowed me to cross an ocean and for us to buy our dream boat. We will now confidently be moving on to our boat with plans of sailing the world.
Doug Kimmerly
And there will be lots of time for relaxing and exploring as well. We have chosen routes with interesting stops along the way, many of them offering great swimming, snorkelling, diving, hiking, historical sites or just lounging on the beach with a frosty drink in hand if that's your pleasure.

What's the Boat Like?



Distant Shores III, is a brand new variable-draft Southerly 480, purpose-built with our input for the ultimate around the world voyage. She is the third Southerly Yacht we have owned and is the latest model in the Southerly Yachts line, now being manufactured by Discovery Yachts Group in the UK.
Stacks Image 149
We want to give our guests an exclusive experience so are limiting the number of guest crew to 4 maximum – 2 couples or individuals in their own cabins (plus Paul & Sheryl who will stay in the bunk cabin). The boat has:
  • a large master aft cabin with queen berth. (En suite head and shower)
  • a spacious forward cabin with large V-berth convertible with V-fill in. (Shared head and shower)
  • a bunk cabin with 2 berths. (Shared head and shower) - Sheryl & Paul will stay here to allow guests the full experience :-)
Stacks Image 215
Stacks Image 145
Stacks Image 156
There are also 2 sea berths in the main saloon for use by crewmembers qualifying for offshore passages or for family cruises by special request.
Stacks Image 159
Stacks Image 162
Imagine times on the water in gorgeous accommodations (that even the most hesitant of sailors will enjoy) sharing in the fun of great sailing in the world's top cruising destinations!

You just can't miss out on this!
Stacks Image 171

When are We Going?


Just when you're ready to get out on the water, we have lined up the perfect break for you! The legs of our voyage that we're offering for our upcoming Sail Away Weeks provide great opportunities for all levels of sailing enthusiasts from complete novice to advanced. To find out where and when, check out the routes, costs and schedule.
Stacks Image 104

What is Included in the Cost?

Sail Away Weeks are all-inclusive learning vacations aboard a luxurious new Southerly 480 offshore cruising yacht with Sheryl and Paul Shard as your hosts.

Cost includes all meals, beverages and accommodation onboard, fuel, marina and mooring fees, insurance, cruising permits, gratuities and training.

Not included is all airfare to and from the boat, airport transfers, meals and drinks ashore, shoreside excursions.

Please contact us for more information. Our office manager, Dawn Cox, will get back to you with answers to your questions.
Stacks Image 184

How Do I Sign Up?


1. An initial non-refundable deposit of $250 US is required to reserve your cabin.* Reservations are accepted on a first-paid first-served basis. An application and questionnaire form will be sent to you.
2. Within 7 days of your confirmed reservation, your second deposit is required bringing the deposit total to 50% of the cost of the Sail Away Week leg you have chosen.
3. The final payment, (50% of total) is due 90 days before the start date of the Sail Away Week leg you have chosen.


*Please contact us by email and our office manager, Dawn, will send you instructions for payment. Or call our office in Toronto, Canada, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time with any questions.

Telephone: (705) 484-0061
We look forward to having you aboard!

Warm regards,


Paul and Sheryl Shard
Hosts – Distant Shores sailing TV series
Authors – Sail Away! A Guide to Outfitting and Provisioning for Cruising
Stacks Image 115