Passage Sailing in New Zealand: Building Your Offshore Sea Miles

In the world of offshore sailing, sea miles are the currency that matters. Qualifications open doors; miles prove you have walked through them. The RYA Yachtmaster Offshore requires 2,500 miles logged, including 5 passages over 60 miles, 2 as skipper, and 50 hours of night sailing. Those miles do not accumulate in a harbour.

New Zealand is one of the best places in the world to build offshore sea miles. The South Island coast offers genuine offshore conditions — real weather, real tides, real passage-making — within reach of a well-equipped cruising yacht. Here is how to make the most of it.

For RYA purposes, a sea mile is a nautical mile sailed offshore — not in a harbour, not on a lake, not in a sheltered estuary. The RYA Logbook is the standard record; entries should include date, departure and arrival ports, distance, and weather conditions.

Night hours are logged separately. For Yachtmaster Offshore, you need 50 hours of night sailing — defined as sailing between sunset and sunrise.

Keep your logbook meticulously. When you present for the Yachtmaster exam, the examiner will review it in detail.

The passage north from Lyttelton along the Kaikōura coast and into the Marlborough Sounds is one of the classic South Island passages. It typically takes 2–3 days depending on conditions, and covers a range of sailing environments: the exposed Kaikōura coast, the tidal approaches to Cook Strait, and the sheltered waters of the Sounds themselves.

What you will encounter: Northwesterly swells on the Kaikōura coast, strong tidal streams in Cook Strait, and the navigational complexity of entering the Sounds in variable conditions.

Miles logged: 250–280 nm one way.

The passage south from Lyttelton to Stewart Island is longer and more demanding — a 3–4 day passage that takes you past the exposed Otago coast and through the Foveaux Strait. This is genuine offshore sailing: the Southern Ocean is close, the weather can be severe, and the Foveaux Strait demands careful timing.

What you will encounter: Southern Ocean swells on the Otago coast, strong tidal streams in Foveaux Strait, and the navigational challenges of approaching Stewart Island in variable visibility.

Miles logged: 350–400 nm one way.

A shorter passage for those building confidence before longer offshore work. The Kaikōura coast is exposed to northwesterly swells and can be uncomfortable in strong winds, but the passage is manageable in settled conditions and offers excellent wildlife viewing (sperm whales, dusky dolphins, albatross).

Miles logged: 120 nm one way.

The Cook Strait crossing from Wellington to Picton (or vice versa) is one of the most challenging short passages in New Zealand — strong tidal streams, unpredictable weather, and significant shipping traffic. It counts as a qualifying passage for Yachtmaster purposes (over 60 miles) and is excellent experience for anyone building offshore competence.

Miles logged: 60–80 nm depending on route.

Building sea miles requires access to offshore yachts. Here are the main routes:

Most New Zealand sailing clubs have members who take their yachts offshore and are looking for crew. Join a club, get involved, and make yourself known as someone who wants to crew on offshore passages. Lyttelton Yacht Club, Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, and Dunedin Yacht Club are good starting points for South Island offshore sailing.

Several online platforms connect crew with skippers:

• Find a Crew (findacrew.net) — the largest global crew register
• Crew Seekers — UK-based but used internationally
• NZ Sailing forums and Facebook groups

When registering, be honest about your experience level. Skippers looking for crew want to know what you can actually do, not what you aspire to do.

Yacht deliveries — moving a yacht from one port to another for its owner — are an excellent source of offshore miles. Delivery skippers often need crew, and the passages can be long. Contact yacht brokers, marinas, and delivery companies in Auckland, Wellington, and Lyttelton.

Some sailing schools and expedition operators run structured offshore passages specifically designed for sailors building sea miles. These are the most reliable route to offshore experience — you know the yacht, the skipper, and the passage in advance.

Southern Passages Expeditions runs exactly this kind of programme from Lyttelton. Our passages to the Marlborough Sounds and Stewart Island are designed for sailors who want to build genuine offshore experience in real conditions. You will stand watches, navigate, and handle the boat — not as a passenger, but as working crew.

If you have only sailed in harbours or on day sails, your first offshore passage will be a significant step. Here is what to expect:

The first 24 hours are often the hardest. Seasickness, fatigue, and the unfamiliarity of watch-keeping all hit at once. Most people find it gets significantly easier after the first night.

Night watches are transformative. Sailing at night — navigating by stars and instruments, watching the lights of distant ships, experiencing the boat in a completely different way — is one of the most memorable experiences in sailing. It is also where a lot of the real learning happens.

Weather will not cooperate. Offshore passages involve real weather. You will sail in conditions that are uncomfortable, and you will learn more in those conditions than in any amount of fair-weather sailing.

The arrival is worth it. Sailing into a new harbour after a multi-day passage — tired, salt-stained, and deeply satisfied — is one of the great experiences in sailing. There is nothing quite like it.

Our passages from Lyttelton are structured around building real offshore competence. We sail to the Marlborough Sounds and Stewart Island on working passages — you stand watches, navigate, anchor, and handle the boat in conditions that matter.

Passages are priced from $4,000 per person for the Marlborough Sounds and from $6,500 for Stewart Island. Register your interest to be notified when 2026/27 dates are confirmed.

Building offshore sea miles is a long game. The Yachtmaster Offshore requirement of 2,500 miles takes most sailors 3–5 years of regular offshore sailing to accumulate. But every passage counts, every night watch adds to your total, and every challenging condition you sail through makes you a better sailor.

Start now. Log everything. The miles will come.