Winter 2025 Distant Shores IV in the Caribbean
Summer 2024, longtime international cruisers, best-selling authors, award-winning videographers and TV personalities, Paul and Shard, took the maiden voyage aboard their brand-new Enksail Orion 49, Distant Shores IV, a custom aluminum expedition sailboat designed to their specifications based on 35 years of bluewater sailing.
Following their shakedown cruise, they have been inviting guest crew members, Beginner through Advanced, to join them on various legs of their voyage. Winter 2025, includes island-hopping in the Caribbean and Bahamas. Then another Atlantic passage to the magical Azores. (See schedule and descriptions below.)
The Boat
Nowhere else will you get the opportunity to sail with such experienced sailors aboard a brand-new high-tech million-dollar yacht like Distant Shores IV.
Click the plan for more info FAQ
Passages 2025
2025 British Virgin Islands to Turks & Caicos
Thu 13 Mar 2025 - Sat 22 Mar 2025 BOOKED - WAITLIST
10 Days & 500 nm | Offshore Passagemaking
$8,000pp Forward Cabin/separate heads (double occupancy) BOOKED - WAITLIST
$7,250pp Pilot Single Cabin (single occupancy) BOOKED - WAITLIST
The British Virgin Islands are one of our favourite cruising ground any where in the world! We start this passage in the BVI as we prepare for the offshore passage to the Turks and Caicos. This is a direct 3-4 day offshore passage in open ocean. Winds are usually from the east meaning following wind and seas but we can expect to keep an eye out for squalls.
Landfall in the Turks will be at South Caicos where we check in, have a well deserved celebratory dinner and a good nights sleep. Then it's 40 miles cross the shallow Caicos Bank to Providenciales. Its like being in the Bahamas with no land in sight except for the shallow sand just a couple of meters under the keel.
Building Skills and Additional Activities
Note this is a true offshore passage and we will be out of sight of land sailing non-stop for 3-4 days. We will help anyone wanting to build their skills sailing, anchoring, cruise planning, navigation, shallow water piloting, weather forecasting picking up a mooring and docking during the voyage.
On this trip we will also be offering training in the use of a sextant for those interested.
2025 Turks & Caicos & Remote Bahamas to Georgetown
Tue 25 Mar 2025 - Sun 6 Apr 2025
13 Days & 300 nm | Bahamas Remote Island Cruising
$11,500pp Forward Cabin/separate heads (double occupancy) BOOKED - WAITLIST
$9,500pp Pilot Single Cabin (single occupancy)
This is a very rare chance to experience the best of the remote Bahamas all in one cruise. We clear customs in Turks and Caicos at Provo and then anchor off in the shallow crystal water. Then we can depart early for the offshore run to the Bahamas - 50 miles to the remote island of Mayaguana to check in (marked ('3'). Now we have a few amazing and seldom visited remote Bahamas outposts to choose from as we work our way North West.
Mon 14 Apr - Mon 21 2025
7 Days & 100 nm | Exumas Bahamas Remote Island Cruising
$6,500pp Forward Cabin/separate heads (double occupancy)
$5,500pp Pilot Single Cabin (single occupancy)
This is a great chance to experience the best of the Exumas! This corner of the Bahamas is our favourite for crystal blue water, charming settlements and fabulous anchorages. We will sail north from Georgetown with choices to visit Little Farmers Cay, Cave Cay, Black Point and many other lovely spots. Don't miss this chance to see why we say the Bahamas are our favourite cruising destination. We finish up our time at the utterly charming Staniel Cay (home of the famous swimming pigs). Why not stay a day or two extra before heading back to reality!!
NEW 2025 Exuma Staniel Cay to the Abacos & the famous Exuma land & sea park
Wed Apr 23 - Wed 30 Apr 2025
7 Days & 100 nm | Exumas to the Abacos
$6,500pp Forward Cabin/separate heads (double occupancy)
$5,500pp Pilot Single Cabin (single occupancy)
This cruise starts at the utterly charming Staniel Cay (home of the famous swimming pigs). Why not arrive a day or two early before meeting us in Staniel Cay. From here we visit the idyllic Exuma Cays including Bell Island, the famous Land & Sea Park, Hawksbill, Shroud, Normans, Allens (with the iguanas) and more. Sailing is in the protected waters of the Exuma islands. Then we cross the banks up to the Abacos via Eleuthera arriving at Marsh Harbour.
2025 Abaco Bahamas to Bermuda
Thu 1 May 2025 - Sun 11 May 2025
11 Days & 800 nm | Advanced Passagemaking
$8,000pp 2 of 4 berths available
Here is an interesting offshore passage heading north from the Bahamas to Bermuda. We will start from the Abaco Island group at Marsh Harbour where we can provision for the 750nm passage.
In the spring we will very likely have winds from the East as we depart the Bahamas shifting to the South East and East Force 4 with occasional squalls as we get further north. It will take 5-7 days sailing to reach Bermuda.
Building Skills and Additional Activities
Note this is a true offshore passage and we will be out of sight of land sailing non-stop for 5-6 days. We will help anyone wanting to build their skills sailing, anchoring, cruise planning, navigation, shallow water piloting, weather forecasting picking up a mooring and docking during the voyage.
On this trip we will also be offering training in the use of a sextant for those interested.
2025 Bermuda to the Azores
Sat 17 May 2025 - Thu 5 Jun 2025
20 Days & 2000 nm | Advanced Passagemaking
$13,500pp | 2 of 4 Berths Available
This is a classic ocean passage and we will likely have a variety of winds. This was our first ocean crossing way back in 1990 on board our homebuilt 37 footer. This will be a much more comfortable ride aboard Distant Shores IV!
We'll start from charming St. George’s, Bermuda to begin this trans-Atlantic crossing! This will be an open ocean passage the whole way.
We'll sail from Bermuda probably heading east or northeast to go over the top of the Azores high to the island of Faial approximately 1800nm. Winds are commonly from the southwest this time of year in the North Atlantic. On previous crossings we have had a cold front pass over us, bringing heavy weather. It will be cooler as we’re still in the Atlantic spring.
Arriving at the lovely island of Faial we tie up in the very welcoming harbour of Horta. This is home to the legendary sailor's bar Cafe Sport. If this is your first transatlantic passage you couldn't ask for a better landfall.
Telephone: (705) 484-0061
