You know how to sail. Now get ready to go.

The Departure-Ready Program is a remote, four-month, application-only accelerator that takes you from committed sailor to departure-ready cruiser — with a plan, a boat, a route, and the paperwork done right.

First cohort: January–April 2027. Applications close December 1.

Who it’s for

This program assumes you can sail. It doesn’t assume you’ve crossed an ocean.

We’ll help you buy the boat, outfit it, plan the route, sort the visas, and get you ready for your first overnight and offshore passages. This program takes competent day sailors and weekenders and prepares them to cruise. 

This program is for you if

• You’re a competent sailor: comfortable handling a boat, trimming sails, docking, and making decisions afloat
• You’re ready to move from daysailing and weekend cruising to living aboard and going somewhere
• You want standards, not vibes: checklists, milestones, and honest feedback

Admission is by application, and the first cohort is reserved for Morse Alpha alumni, participants registered for a 2027 Morse Alpha expedition, and sailors who arrive ready to do the work — we want everyone in the room to succeed.

What you get

• A four-month guided sprint, structured like a project — because that’s what preparing to cruise is.
• Eight private consultation calls — bi-weekly, one hour, with Teresa and Ben. We’ll discuss your program, your boat, your timeline. 
• Weekly open office hours – drop in to ask whatever is on your mind. 
• Eight live lessons, taught live so you can ask anything.

Topics covered include

• Defining the mission: your cruising plan shapes your boat
• Finding and evaluating the right boat
• Survey, negotiation, and purchase — without the mistakes
• Outfitting: what matters, what’s marketing
• Safety systems and redundancy
• Route planning and seasonal windows
• Visas, insurance, and international logistics
• Family logistics: school, work, and life aboard
• Final curriculum, guest speakers, and schedule confirmed at enrollment.
• A private cohort community on Slack — your crew for the program and beyond. Membership doesn’t expire when the program does. When you cast off, you stay. Lifelong.
• A departure dossier — the tangible output of four months: your boat criteria, survey and commissioning checklists, documented route plan, visa roadmap, and a final readiness review with Ben and Teresa.