Our 200th advanced training cruise!

On July 21st CELESTIAL, our Island Packet 440 ocean sailing yacht departed Bar Harbor, ME for our 200th advanced training cruise bound for Mystic, CT with a crew of six sailors onboard under the charge of Captain Jochen Hoffmann.

On July 24th, I sent the following weather summary to CELESTIAL by Skymate email:
I have you near Provincetown. Received your 2 emails with subject but no text. You've had tough sledding. Low to pass E this afternoon. Expect E30 backing to NW tonight and to S on Saturday.

Later on July 24th, Captain Jochen sent the following email:
Thanks for Skymate response. Its surface analysis raised the alarm for me. VHF revised too late to make safe gunkhole before dark, and still had gusts to 30. Actually had 35 by 0400; triple reefed all sails. Hove to 4 hours outside shipping lanes. Moored 1200. Crew was great, rose to the 200th cruise milestone. Staying overnite... J

CELESTIAL departs Mystic; bound for Northeast Harbor Maine

On Friday morning, July 10, 2009, after a day of preparation, our ocean-going vessel, CELESTIAL, an Island Packet 440 departed Mystic CT bound for Northeast Harbor, near Bar Harbor Maine via an advanced coastal route. The cruise has an estimated distance of 375 miles, and will take approximately 7 days. Aboard CELESTIAL are: Captain Jochen Hoffmann (VA), and student crewmembers Mike Poole (PA), David McKay (NJ), Claire Moore (MD), Gabriel Moore (MD) and Mary Burrows (MD). On Sunday, Captain Hoffman reported via Skymate that all is well aboard CELESTIAL. They had rested up in Provincetown, MA and prepared for their 120 NM overnight passage to Casoc Bay, and were now underway. Weather has been good so far, sunny and clear with winds at 15 knots from the south. For the overnight passage, winds are expected to continue from the south with gusts to 25 knots and a chance of thunderstorms.

You can follow CELESTIAL'S progress on our google map by clicking here.