59° NORTH SAILING
59° North Sailing is a private offshore sailing expedition company that sells berths on crewed ocean passages (8-16 days, $6,600-$7,750) to adventure-seeking adults, aspiring professionals, and experienced cruisers seeking seamanship instruction.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersFjärdhundra, Sweden
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What 59° NORTH SAILING does
59° North Sailing is a privately held offshore sailing expedition company founded in 2014 by Andy Schell, Mia Karlsson, and August Sandberg. Operating under the legal entity ISBJORN SAILING AB in Sweden (with a related US entity, 59 North, Ltd.), the company runs crewed passages on a fleet that includes ISBJØRN (Swan 48, homeported in Bergen, Norway), FALKEN (Farr 65, rebuilt in 2022 with input from designer Bob Perry), and ICEBEAR (Swan 59). Paying customers join as working crew — typically 8 participants plus a skipper and mate — on voyages ranging from 8-day coastal hops at $6,600 per person to 16-day ocean crossings at $7,750, with a 50% deposit and 90-day balance payment structure. The company explicitly markets to three segments: adventure-seeking adults with no prior sailing experience, aspiring professionals pursuing sea-service hours, and experienced cruisers seeking expert instruction.
59° NORTH SAILING firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 59° NORTH SAILING
- Legal name
- ISBJORN SAILING AB (trading as 59° North Sailing)
- Website
- https://59-north.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- 59° North Sailing is a private offshore sailing expedition company that sells berths on crewed ocean passages (8-16 days, $6,600-$7,750) to adventure-seeking adults, aspiring professionals, and experienced cruisers seeking seamanship instruction.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
59° NORTH SAILING industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Offshore Sailing Adventures
- NAICS
- Deep Sea Passenger Transportation (483112), Coastal and Great Lakes Passenger Transportation (483114)
- SIC
- Water Transportation (4400)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Luxury Yacht & Small-Ship Expedition Cruises (THAEABAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cabin Charters & Shared Yacht Trips (THAEADAH), Crewed Yacht Charters (Luxury Crewed) (THAEAEAA)
Keywords
Where 59° NORTH SAILING is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Fjärdhundra
- HQ country
- Sweden
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
59° NORTH SAILING business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Sailing Passage Fees: Core revenue from crew fees for offshore sailing passages. Pricing varies by duration and route: 16-day passages at $7,750, 8-day passages at $6,600. Payment structure requires 50% deposit upon approval, remaining 50% balance due 90 days before departure.
- Merchandise/Swag: Online Swag Shop selling 59° North branded merchandise including gear and apparel.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | 16-day premium passages (e.g., GGR Start - Bergen) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | 8-day standard passages (e.g., Ensenada-Monterey Bay) |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | 50% Deposit + 50% Balance |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels12 records
59° NORTH SAILING product offering
Product offeringCore offering
59° North Sailing sells multi-day offshore sailing passages where paying customers serve as working crew aboard a fleet of professionally maintained sailing yachts including the Swan 48 ISBJØRN, Farr 65 FALKEN, and Swan 59 ICEBEAR. Each passage is led by a professional skipper and mate with small crew sizes (typically 8 crew plus skipper and mate), and pricing is per-person ($6,600 for 8-day passages, $7,750 for 16-day passages) including meals, safety gear, accommodation, and seamanship instruction. Core routes span the Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic, and North Sea.
Product overview
59° North Sailing is an offshore sailing expedition company offering hands-on crew sailing experiences aboard a fleet of purpose-built vessels. The core offering consists of structured offshore passages on boats including ISBJØRN (Swan 48), FALKEN (Farr 65), and ICEBEAR (Swan 59), where paying crew members participate as working crew alongside professional skippers and mates. The company supplements its sailing operations with educational products including The Quarterdeck (online seamanship knowledge base), three branded podcasts (On the Wind, The Quarterdeck, and Sailing Stories), and earned milestone patches. All passages include full provisioning, safety equipment, and professional instruction in real offshore conditions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- On the Wind Podcast: A sailing podcast hosted by Andy Schell featuring sailing legends and maritime stories, reaching over 15k listeners per episode.
- The Quarterdeck Podcast
- Sailing Stories Podcast
- The Quarterdeck Knowledge Base
- Crew Patches
Products and services
- Offshore Sailing Passages Multi-day crewed offshore sailing expeditions where paying customers join as working crew aboard 59° North vessels, participating in helming, navigation, sail handling, weather routing, and other boat operations under professional skipper and mate supervision. Prices range from $6,600 for 8-day passages to $7,750 for 16-day passages, inclusive of meals, snacks, accommodation, and safety gear.
- ISBJØRN (Swan 48 vessel operations) A Swan 48 sailing vessel operated by 59° North, homeported in Bergen, Norway. It is equipped for offshore passages with comprehensive safety systems and a Tamaya sextant for celestial navigation. Customers book passage on this vessel for routes such as the GGR Start - Bergen (16-day, $7,750).
- FALKEN (Farr 65 vessel operations) A Farr 65 long-distance offshore sailing platform fully rebuilt in 2022 with input from yacht designer Bob Perry. Features lithium battery banks with high-output alternators, extensive sail inventory, and Starlink for port communications and emergency use. Capacity is 8 paying crew plus Skipper and Mate; example passages include Ensenada-Monterey Bay (8-day, $6,600).
- ICEBEAR (Swan 59 vessel operations) A Swan 59 sailing vessel operated by 59° North used for offshore passages and racing events, with a track record in Arctic and North Atlantic expeditions.
- The Quarterdeck Knowledge Base Online seamanship community and knowledge base provided to registered crew members, offering maritime education resources and an extended trial for those interested in sailing.
- Crew Patches Earned milestone patches awarded to crew members for completing passages, milestones, and achievements during their sailing experiences with 59° North.
- 59° North Swag Shop Online merchandise storefront selling 59° North branded apparel and gear to crew members and fans.
Quantifiable outcome
- 183,538 nautical miles sailed since founding
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use 59° NORTH SAILING
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
59° NORTH SAILING technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature4 records
59° NORTH SAILING partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- J/World AnnapoliscoreVenue partner for the annual Sailor's Social Party during Annapolis Boat Show. J/World Annapolis in Eastport provides the location for 59° North's largest annual customer gathering event featuring free food, drinks, networking, and deck tours of WOODWIND II.
- Heavy Seas BeerminorBeer sponsor for the annual Sailor's Social Party event in Annapolis. Provides beverages for the boat show celebration event.
- Helly HansenminorGear partner providing 25% discount on all Helly Hansen products for booked crew members. Supports crew preparation with quality foul-weather gear at reduced cost.
- Ocean Research ProjectminorNonprofit organization founded by Matt Rutherford and Nicole Trenholm. 59° North donates proceeds from the annual Sailor's Social Party to support ocean research initiatives.
- Women Who SailminorGlobal community organization supporting women in sailing. 59° North partners with Women Who Sail for the annual Women's Happy Hour event during Annapolis Boat Show.
- Schooner WoodwindminorSailing vessel offering excursions during Annapolis Boat Show. 59° North offers crew the opportunity to sail aboard Woodwind during the show period, with some sails featuring Andy and Mia from 59° North.
- Weems & PlathminorNavigation equipment manufacturer. Provided FALKEN with a newer Tamaya sextant for celestial navigation training and use aboard the vessel.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
59° NORTH SAILING competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Sunsail: Global sailing vacation company offering flotilla, bareboat, and crewed charter holidays; established sailing tourism incumbent serving destination-style sailing rather than offshore expedition experiences.
- Dream Yacht Charter: One of the largest worldwide sailing charter companies offering bareboat and crewed yacht charter in dozens of destinations; broader sailing vacation incumbent that does not specialize in offshore passage-making.
- Star Clippers: Operator of three tall-ship sailing cruise vessels offering traditional sailing cruises to tropical destinations; comparable in selling sailing-based passenger experiences but at a larger, more commercial cruise scale.
Direct peers
- MedSailors: MedSailors runs small-group flotilla sailing holidays in the Mediterranean for young professionals; comparable in offering paid crew sailing experiences with community focus, though geographically concentrated and more leisure-oriented.
- Offshore Sailing School: Founded by Steve and Doris Colgate, Offshore Sailing School offers live-aboard cruising and passage-making courses, the most established US sailing instruction brand and a direct competitor for aspiring offshore sailors seeking certification and sea-service hours.
- Swallows and Amazons: Offers small-ship and tall-ship sailing voyages globally, comparable in selling shared cabin bookings on multi-day sailing expeditions with hands-on participation and educational components.
- Mahina Expeditions: Mahina Expeditions runs offshore sailing training voyages aboard a Hallberg-Rassy 46 in the South Pacific, very similar to 59° North in offering hands-on multi-day passage experience for paying crew, with similar seamanship education focus and small-group model.
Others
- World Sailing Trust: Nonprofit focused on sailing education and accessibility; adjacent organization sharing 59° North's mission to expand offshore sailing participation and seamanship training.
- Hallberg-Rassy: Premium Swedish sailing yacht builder; relevant ecosystem participant as 59° North's fleet includes Swan and Hallberg-Rassy-style bluewater yachts, and the brand has strong overlap with 59° North's target customer demographic.
Emerging players
- Tradewind Voyages: UK-based operator of Golden Horizon, a modern sailing cruise ship offering traditional sail-powered voyages; comparable niche player in sailing cruise experiences, though at larger ship scale than 59° North.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
59° NORTH SAILING social profiles
Digital presence59° NORTH SAILING compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
59° NORTH SAILING financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
59° NORTH SAILING leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
59° NORTH SAILING funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
59° NORTH SAILING M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about 59° NORTH SAILING
What does 59° NORTH SAILING do?
59° North Sailing sells multi-day offshore sailing passages where paying customers serve as working crew aboard a fleet of professionally maintained sailing yachts including the Swan 48 ISBJØRN, Farr 65 FALKEN, and Swan 59 ICEBEAR. Each passage is led by a professional skipper and mate with small crew sizes (typically 8 crew plus skipper and mate), and pricing is per-person ($6,600 for 8-day passages, $7,750 for 16-day passages) including meals, safety gear, accommodation, and seamanship instruction. Core routes span the Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic, and North Sea.
Is 59° NORTH SAILING a public or private company?
59° NORTH SAILING is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was 59° NORTH SAILING founded?
59° NORTH SAILING was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is 59° NORTH SAILING based?
59° NORTH SAILING is headquartered in Fjärdhundra, Sweden, in the Europe region.
How does 59° NORTH SAILING make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Sailing Passage Fees are the primary driver. The others are merchandise/Swag.
Who are 59° NORTH SAILING's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Sunsail, Dream Yacht Charter and Star Clippers. Direct peers are MedSailors, Offshore Sailing School, Swallows and Amazons and Mahina Expeditions. Others are World Sailing Trust and Hallberg-Rassy. Tradewind Voyages is listed as an emerging player.
Does 59° NORTH SAILING have an API?
No public API is recorded for 59° NORTH SAILING.
What industry is 59° NORTH SAILING in?
59° NORTH SAILING's product category is Offshore Sailing Adventures. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAEABAF, Luxury Yacht & Small-Ship Expedition Cruises, with a secondary code of THAEADAH, Cabin Charters & Shared Yacht Trips. Its NAICS code is 483112 and its SIC code is 4400.