Aegir Expeditions is offering unique weeklong sail training opportunities for day sailors and coastal cruisers who are interested in gaining long distance offshore racing and cruising experience. With a focus on developing your sailing resumé, each weeklong class provides a different offshore sailing experience but are designed to give you the skills and confidence to make the transition to passage making—sailing long distances and making non-stop multi-day passages in a variety of conditions. Aegir Expeditions offers these unique, weeklong adventures on Lake Michigan, Lake Huron’s North Channel, and Green Bay. Join us for the week of your choice or put two together.
Under the guidance of an experienced captain and crew, you will have the opportunity to work as skipper and crew in the handling and management of a 48ft passage making sailboat. You will experience a wide variety of weather conditions and visibility, weather routing, and trip planning, charting and navigation, maintaining logs, watch keeping, traffic and shipping, sail trim, energy management, safety on deck, anchoring, and provisioning.
In the Week 1 Class you will have the unique opportunity to experience the multi-day and night, open water, long distance Chicago to Mackinac Island Race! Following the race you will have a day to explore the island, after which we’ll spend several days cruising Beaver Island, the Manitou Islands, and Grand Traverse Bay, arriving at Traverse City, Michigan on Saturday, July 22nd.
The Week 2 and 3 Classes are for individuals interested in non-race, medium distance passage making and cruising. Each class will have at least one 24-hour passage but will focus primarily on cruising the North Channel where we will anchor in coves and off islands, and have the opportunity to hike, bike, snorkel, and kayak. Consistently rated as one of the world's top 10 cruising destinations, we will be entirely self sufficient as we cruise the remote regions of the North Channel. You’ll have the option of joining us at Traverse City, Michigan or Little Current or Gore Bay (TBD) on Manitoulin Island, Canada.
The Week 4 Class will have two long distance passages with one of 24-hours or more as we sail from Traverse City, and depending on weather and interest, anchor off South Manitou Island. The next day is a lake crossing to the Door Peninsula where we will cruise for 2-3 days in Green Bay before finishing the trip with a long distance sail from Sturgeon Bay to Chicago.
Call us to find out about multi-week discounts!
Schedule
WEEK 1: 2017 Chicago–Mac Race & Manitou Islands
July 14 – July 22, 2017 (9 days/8 nights)
Friday, July 14th – Leave Chicago (Mac Race Cruising Division)
Tuesday, July 18th / Wednesday, July 19th – Arrive Mackinac Island
Tuesday, July 18th / Wednesday, 19th – Saturday, July 22nd – Cruise Beaver, the Manitou Islands, Traverse Bay
Saturday, July 22nd – Arrive Traverse City, MI
—Crew drop off at Traverse City, MI
Includes:
—Mac Race Fee
—Slip Fees
—4-5 days meals
—Beer Can Racing, Wednesday evenings
Prerequisites:
—Night Sail, Weekend Sail, or equivalent experience.
—Boat and systems familiarization.
—Pre-race orientation.
Spots Available: 6
Pricing: $3,640.00
WEEK 2: Sail/Cruise The North Channel
July 23 – July 29, 2017 (7 days/6 nights)
Sunday, July 23rd – Crew pickup at Traverse City, MI
Sunday, July 23rd – Leave Traverse City, MI
Sunday, July 23rd / Saturday, July 29th – Cruise the North Channel
Saturday, July 29th – Arrive at Gore Bay or Little Current, Manitoulin Island, Ontario, Canada
—Crew drop off at Gore Bay or Little Current.
Includes:
—Slip Fees
—5 days meals
—Beer Can Racing, Wednesday evenings
Prerequisites:
—Night Sail, Weekend Sail, or equivalent experience.
—Boat and systems familiarization.
—Pre-race orientation.
—Valid Passport, driver's license.
Spots Available: 6
Pricing: $2,820.00
WEEK 3: Sail/Cruise The North Channel
July 30 – August 5, 2017 (7 days/6 nights)
Sunday, July 30th – Crew pickup at Gore Bay or Little Current, Manitoulin Island, Ontario, Canada
Sunday, July 30th – Leave Gore Bay or Little Current
Sunday, July 30th / Saturday, August 5th – Cruise the North Channel to Traverse City, MI
Saturday, August 5th– Arrive Traverse City, MI
—Crew drop off at Traverse City, MI
Includes:
—Slip Fees
—5 days meals
—Beer Can Racing, Wednesday evenings
Prerequisite:
—Night Sail, Weekend Sail, or equivalent experience.
—Boat and systems familiarization.
—Pre-race orientation.
—Valid Passport, driver's license.
Spots Available: 6
Pricing: $2,820.00
WEEK 4: Sail/Cruise Beaver and The Manitou Islands, Door Peninsula
August 6 – August 12, 2017 (7 days/6 nights)
Sunday, August 6th – Crew pickup at Traverse City, MI
Sunday, August 6th – Leave Traverse City, MI
Sunday, August 6th / Saturday, August 12th – Sail Beaver/the Manitous/Door Peninsula
Saturday, August 12th – Arrive Chicago
—Crew drop off at Chicago
Includes:
—Slip Fees
—4-5 days meals
—Beer Can Racing, Wednesday evenings
Prerequisite:
—Night Sail, Weekend Sail, or equivalent experience.
—Boat and systems familiarization.
—Pre-race orientation.
Spots Available: 6
Pricing: $2,820.00
Required Sailing Gear
While we follow strict safety rules, each crew member is required to bring their own proper sailing gear and equipment—including a harness—and be prepared for a variety of weather conditions.