Ocean Nomads

03/06/2026

Twister is back. The 1902 schooner you may remember from our 2021 Macaronesia trip and the 2022 to 2023 Atlantic expedition. We are teaming up again for a full circle around the Atlantic. Amsterdam to Madeira to the Canaries to Cape Verde to the Caribbean and back via the Azores.

Four months around the Atlantic, split into seven legs you can join one or more of. We are still finalising details, but we have dates and destinations to plan with.

18/05/2026

Here is snapshot of open crew calls, adventures and projects, from the Netherlands to Tasmania, from the Ocean Nomads member network.

Every season, vessels in the Ocean Nomads network put out a call. Some are crossing oceans. Some are sailing slow seasons in the Med. Some are working on boat projects in a yard somewhere and welcome an extra pair of hands. Some are paid, some are paying, some are somewhere in between. Here is snaps...

03/05/2026

What has sailing made to you?

03/05/2026

If I had waited until I had the money, the experience, the license, the boat, or a partner to go with…
I'd still be on land.
Endlessly preparing. Probably still doubting myself.
And I would have missed all of it.
The dolphins. The friendships. The wild remote places. The lessons only the ocean teaches. The moments of feeling so alive.
But I didn't wait.
I said yes to travelling the world by sail on other people's boats. I started with crewing on a boat I found online. Said no to that boat just before sailing into the blue. Found another one. Crossed my first ocean.
That changed the next decade of my life. Sailing in every continent, on all sorts of boats, as crew, captain and expedition organizer. 5 times across the Atlantic and 50.000 nautical miles in the logbook by now.

Here's the thing.
Most people never start because they think they're not ready. They think they need more gear, licenses, skills. More budget. Their own boat. More certainty.
So they stay in research mode. Or they take a course and still don't know what to do next. Or worse, they end up on a boat that doesn't feel safe or aligned, and it turns them off the whole dream.
The ocean doesn't care about your background or certificates. It asks for presence. Respect. Awareness and the willingness to learn and show up anyway.

Sailing as crew is the accessible way in. It's how you get out there fastest. How you sail the most. How you figure out if you even like it before sinking your savings into a boat.
Most people who own boats wish they'd done it this way first. Trust me, I know of too many boat owners / builders who never leave the dock or give up soon after they set sail because the resources are strechted. Or life catches up on them.

If the ocean nomads lifestyle is calling you, you don't need to figure it all out now. You just need to open the door a little wider, and take a step into the direction of your dreams. And keep the end goal in mind. There are many means towards an end goal and sailing as crew is shortcut in many ways.

With ocean love, Suzanne from Ocean Nomads

What's been holding you back mostly from dipping your toes into sailinglife? Drop a comment. Perhaps we can help!

I put some resources to get started in the comments.

My drive? connect you to nature and the ocean! When you experience the magic, the ocean gets into your heart, and care 💙

03/05/2026

This is the truth:
1. At best, your friends will think you’re “just on another holiday.” At worst, they’ll think you’re running away from something.
2. You’ll realize that boat life is 10% sailing, 90% adapting, learning, fixing, and figuring stuff out
3. Saying “I want to sail the ocean” will terrify people (especially mum) and sometimes yourself.
4. You’ll meet people who doubt you or tell you it’s not possible without experience.
5. No amount of sunsets, dolphins, or paradise beaches is enough, you’ll want more depth, more connection, more purpose.
6. You’ll miss hot showers, clean laundry, fresh veggies, and space that doesn’t move. Often.
7. People will ask how you did it, but very few will take action themselves.
8. You’ll feel challenged, seasick & you’ll grow more than ever.
9. You’ll be scared. You’ll go for it anyway.
10. You’ll realize this lifestyle isn’t a dream. It’s a decision. And one few people are actually willing to make.

BUT...

1. The people who get it, they’ll become your tribe. And they’ll never let you go back to “normal.”
2. You’ll learn skills (on boats, in life, with people) that make you wildly resourceful & confident.
3. You’ll meet yourself again, in a way you never did in your day job or city apartment.
4. You’ll learn how little you actually need, and how alive you can feel with the wind, stars & salty showers.
5. The discomfort makes you courageous.
6. You’ll stop chasing freedom and realize you live it.
7. You’ll become the kind of person people call when they want to change their life.
8. You’ll start trusting your instincts
9. You’ll realize “someday” is a lie. The real magic happens when you say now.
10. It make you aware how precious nature is, and gives you superpowers to protect it.

Which one hits home the most? Wherever home is 🌊

03/05/2026

Jesse went from zero to Ocean Nomad.
We are so proud of her, her courage and these kind words she gave to us 🫶

“Getting an insight into sailing community, what goes on at the docks, what to look out for. How to avoid bad experiences, how to be picky. There’s a lot things in the course that made me feel more secure coming the trip. It was the best week of my life.” – Jesse

Last day to jump on board Zero to Ocean Nomad
The course, toolkit, and community that gets you on your first boat and into the sailing life, safe and prepared 💙

Comment 👉 curious ⤵️ and we send you a couple of lessons for free on how to find a sailboat ride & red flags to watch out for ⛵️

02/05/2026

I started sailing with 0 experience. Here are 3 things I learned sailing as crew. And still grateful for every day 🙏

After +50.000 Nautical Miles…⛵️

💫1) I’ve next level learned to appreciate the preciousness of water, power, greens, fruit, land, sleep, and simply having a cup of tea without it falling over. The simple luxuries of land life becoming priceless when you’ve lived without them. Ofcourse every boat and trip is different so I’m happy to also have learned how to be prepared.

💫2) Seeing the good, bad & ugly. Sailing brought me to remote wild places and fewer things are more exciting. I’m grateful to have seen so many beautiful wild ocean creatures. I vividly remember the dolphin jumping show on my birthday in the middle of the Atlantic. And be eye-to-eye with whales, see pristine corals and coastlines. But also seeing the plastic soup in the most remote places, fishing fleets scraping the sea, dead zones, and finless sharks on the sea bottom with my own eyes made me become an ocean advocate.

💫3) How much time, money, & work it takes to own a vessel before I actually bought one (I didn’t). I took care of some boats as if they were my own and though I’m grateful to have learned a lot, it didn’t allow me to actual sail much. It was mostly fixing, maintaining and worrying about dragging anchors. Maybe some day but for now I mostly want to explore, be active, sail and pursue multiple passions. I’m grateful to have learned how (& how not) to be crew for a safe and long term lifestyle at sea.

& lots more I wouldn’t have learned if I didn’t travel the world by sail as crew. Sailinglife has brought me soo much⛵️💙🥰That’s why I’m so excited to guide you as a newbie to sailing, into sailinglife 👋

The best part. No boat, big budget, partner, or sailing experience necessary to start. You find that on the way🌱 But there are some things to be mindful of...

Tips in the comments!

What are you curious about to experience at sea?

29/04/2026

Jesse came from Chicago with a one-way ticket, no sailing experience, and no plan for what comes after. She joined the Ocean Nomads Atlantic Expedition and took the Zero to Ocean Nomad course on her phone on her way to the trip.

"I was feeling kind of iffy. I didn't know what to expect. And then I was able to access the course on my phone. With every step I felt like I gained some knowledge, I gained some wisdom."
The course gave her confidence, a sense of security, and a plan. She learned what to look out for, how to assess boats and captains, and what the sailing community is really like. One week in, she called it the best week of her life.
Then she's continued sailing the Canary Islands with another Ocean Nomad she met on the trip. One way ticket. No plans to leave.

It starts with one step:)

One-way ticket. Zero experience. To Sailing the Atlantic | Jess on Zero to Ocean Nomad