Z04-26: Sextant Training & Ocean Sailing in the Azores

From São Miguel to Faial – Learn to Navigate by the Sun

During this unique sailing trip, we sail from São Miguel to Faial in 9 days, right through the beautiful Azores archipelago. Along the way, you’ll learn to navigate the traditional way: using a sextant, the sun, and a clock – without electronic aids. At the same time, we embark on an impressive voyage past volcanic coastlines, remote bays, and with a high chance of spotting whales.

We begin on São Miguel with a gentle start. On the first day, we stay in the harbor for an in-depth introduction to sextant navigation.

The next day, we sail a short leg along the coast. In the afternoon, we continue with theory and practical exercises, and you’ll receive an introduction to applied meteorology on board. Using this, we’ll plan our own offshore crossing to the central islands (±130 nautical miles) based on weather charts and GRIB downloads. If conditions allow, and to give time for the material to sink in, we’ll also make a short excursion ashore – for example, to a natural hot spring.

Then we set course for the volcanic Ilhéu just off the coast of São Miguel and begin practicing sun sights. After that, the real offshore crossing to the island of Terceira begins, during which we’ll determine our position using only the sun and sextant. Our destination is the charming town of Angra do Heroísmo – a UNESCO World Heritage port full of history.

We continue to the lush island of São Jorge, again navigating by the sun. The plan is to spend a day here to explore the island, take a dip in a natural seawater pool, and enjoy coffee from Europe’s only coffee plantation. From there, we sail on to Faial. Along the way, there’s ample opportunity for practice, sun sights, and short theory sessions on deck.

We conclude the voyage in legendary Horta – the ocean-sailing hub of the Azores – with a celebratory drink in the iconic Café Sport, a must-visit for every ocean sailor.

Highlights of this trip:

✅ Hands-on sextant navigation training at sea
✅ Sailing lots of miles between the islands (±220 NM)
✅ Night sailing, watch keeping & classic position fixing
✅ Whale watching & anchoring for a swim
✅ Relaxed finale in Horta on Faial

Sail, learn & experience the Azores as they’re meant to be – on the wind and with the sun as your compass.

This voyage is perfect for sailors interested in classical navigation and offshore sailing. No prior sextant experience is required – we’ll teach you step by step, in a relaxed setting and with plenty of personal guidance.

Included in the price is an English-language book on sextant navigation, so you’ll have a great reference to take home. If you already own a sextant, be sure to bring it along.

The above schedule is subject to weather, wind and tide.
The daily sailing distances are between 20 and 130 miles.

Read more about our Sailing holidays around the Azores

Information about this sailing holiday

Participants of this sailing holiday

Sailing holidays Prices 

The price is the rental cost for the ship with crew, including food and drinks on board, hence full board. The price mentioned is per person.

Included in the price:

– Food and drinks on board.
– Fuel, water, shore power, harbour fees and tourist tax.
– 1 towel set and bedding incl. duvet and, of course, a life jacket.
– For after sailing there is also wine and beer on board, based on average use. Should we run out, then you can purchase more yourself.

Not included:

– Your transfer, meaning your journey to and from the ship
– Sailing clothes and boots, you can rent these from us if you would like.
– Possible shore excursions such as renting a van, or visiting a museum etc.
– Food and drinks ashore, the last evening we will go out for dinner and this will be at your own expense. ( Should you wish to treat the crew as a thank you for a lovely sailing holiday, it would of course be greatly appreciated!)
– Optional tips. These are, of course, entirely voluntary, but always appreciated. Any tips are shared between the skipper and crew, as some guests assume that a tip is primarily intended for the Bosun, while the skipper is just as much a part of the team that makes the voyage possible. Contrary to what many guests assume, the skipper on board the Cherokee does not receive the highest salary.

Duration & Time on Board

The listed trip duration refers to full calendar days. Since you embark on the first evening and disembark on the final morning, your actual time on board is on average about 1.5 days shorter. We use this format to keep our trips comparable with other providers – but we like to be transparent about the real time you’ll spend on board.

Sailing holidays discount

Customer Discount:
If you book a second sailing holiday with us within a year, you’ll get 2.5% off the ‘board price’.

Sailing holidays group discount:
If you book a sailing holiday as a group (more than 3 passengers), you will receive 2.5% discount per person on the ‘board price’.

Sailing holidays youth Discount:
If you are under 29 years old, you will get 5% discount on the ‘board price’.

Sailing holidays discounts can not be combined with each other.

Bonus Discount:
€25 extra discount when you choose a vegetarian menu on board.

Private charter

You can also rent the ship and crew for a privat charter. Then multiply the price with 7. For a private charter, you can choose one of the offered sailing holidays, provided there are no other bookings for that sailing journey. If you would like more information on private charter, please contact us.

Sailing holidays with your own private cabin

If you are a solo traveler and would like the comfort of a private cabin (room), you can reserve it for 1.6 times the price (for crossings, it will be 1.9x).

Extend your sailing holidays with an extra day B&B

On some of our sailing holidays, it is possible to book an extra overnight stay on board based on Bed & Breakfast (B&B, so without dinner) for € 125 per person. This automatically applies when booking multiple trips in a row.