The Excess documentary 3000 Miles follows two crews preparing for an Atlantic crossing by catamaran. It captures the heart of a serious ocean project: learning to live with the sea, preparing the boat properly, managing fear, and building the confidence to leave the coast behind.

For Sail Tahiti, this subject is not theoretical. Long-distance sailing, family cruising, Atlantic and Pacific crossings, and practical arrival support in French Polynesia are part of the company’s story. Whether you are comparing a french polynesia sailing charter, researching a french polynesia yacht charter, preparing to buy a yacht, or planning a full bluewater cruising project, the objective is the same: choose the right boat, prepare it seriously, and arrive in Polynesia ready to enjoy the adventure.

 

From Offshore Experience To A Dedicated Support Program

Sail Tahiti was created by David Allouch and Nikki Puttergill after they sailed from France to Tahiti via Brazil with their children and continued exploring the islands of French Polynesia. Their experience did not begin with that voyage. Nikki completed her first ocean crossing in the Indian Ocean at 16, while David crossed the North Atlantic on an oceanographic research vessel before later returning under sail.

Since then, David has completed another half-circumnavigation aboard an Excess 11 and a further Atlantic crossing aboard an Excess 14. In 2025, Sail Tahiti also took over the organization of the Pacific Puddle Jump, one of the best-known routes for sailors crossing from the Americas to French Polynesia.

This background shapes Sail Tahiti’s approach. Buying a yacht for a bluewater project is not simply a transaction. It is a sequence of decisions involving the boat, equipment, training, inspections, route planning, maintenance, arrival logistics, and sometimes resale or charter management after the voyage.

 

Choosing The Right Yacht For An Atlantic Or Pacific Crossing

Bluewater cruising catamaran sailing toward French Polynesia with Sail Tahiti support.

Every successful long-distance project begins with the right platform. Sail Tahiti studies your sailing plan, crew profile, experience level, budget, and long-term use before recommending a boat. A family preparing for a sabbatical year will not need the same configuration as a couple planning a fast Pacific crossing or a buyer looking for a second home in Polynesia.

Monohull, Catamaran Or Motor Yacht: Matching The Boat To The Project

For many sailors, an ocean catamaran offers the living space, stability, storage, and comfort needed for a long voyage. A performance-minded crew may prefer a lighter and more responsive multihull, while traditional sailors may choose a monohull for simplicity, feel, and budget control.

Not every search for tahiti boats leads to the same answer. A buyer looking for a tahiti boat for family cruising may need a fully equipped catamaran, while someone planning to use a yacht mainly in the Society Islands could also consider motor yacht options, including a beneteau swift trawler for comfortable island cruising.

Sail Tahiti’s current listings of used boats in the South Pacific and pre-owned catamarans are useful starting points for comparing available boats already positioned in or near the Pacific.

Equipment Choices That Matter Offshore

Once the boat type is clear, the next step is equipment. Offshore sailing depends on good choices made early, including navigation electronics, sails, power generation, water systems, safety gear, backup systems, tools, spares, communication equipment, and storage.

Key equipment decisions usually include:

  • Navigation electronics, charts, communication and weather tools
  • Mainsail, headsail, downwind sail and storm-sail planning
  • Autopilot redundancy and calibration
  • Solar capacity, batteries, charging systems and power management
  • Watermaker, filtration, plumbing and freshwater storage
  • Safety gear, emergency communication and grab-bag preparation
  • Engine spares, rigging spares, ropes, blocks and repair materials

These choices should be made according to the route, not only the brochure. A boat that is comfortable for coastal cruising may still need significant preparation before weeks at sea.

 

Offshore Sailing Training Before the Big Departure

Training is the bridge between owning the boat and using it confidently offshore. Sail Tahiti helps owners build a practical preparation program based on their starting level.

Experience-Based Coaching In Tahiti

Experienced sailors can spend several weeks aboard an Excess catamaran from Sail Tahiti’s catamaran charter Tahiti base. This allows crews to practice offshore routines, night watches, reef-pass navigation, anchoring, squall management, and real tropical sailing conditions.

For sailors comparing tahiti yacht charter options or searching yacht charter tahiti before committing to ownership, this kind of structured charter experience can be a valuable test phase. It helps confirm the boat type, crew rhythm, comfort level, and realistic expectations before a major purchase.

ASA Training With NAOS Yachts In Los Angeles

For newer sailors, Sail Tahiti’s training pathway can begin through the American Sailing Association certification system and its partnership with NAOS Yachts in Marina del Rey. This gives beginners a structured foundation before joining a Sail Tahiti flotilla or moving toward independent cruising.

Once the boat is launched, Sail Tahiti can sail with the owner to support full familiarization. Depending on the project, this support can extend to the Atlantic crossing itself or the delivery route toward the Canary Islands.

 

Technical Preparation Before Every Major Passage

Sail Tahiti bluewater cruising preparation with charts, safety gear and offshore route planning.

A new boat is usually delivered ready for coastal cruising. A bluewater boat must be prepared for weeks offshore, where small weaknesses can become major issues. Sail Tahiti’s approach is to test, inspect, reinforce, and monitor the yacht before each critical stage.

Before Departure From Europe Or The Canary Islands

Before the Atlantic crossing, Sail Tahiti organizes a full technical review. This includes running rigging, standing rigging, electronics, engines, autopilot calibration, onboard storage, and system redundancy. The goal is to leave with a boat that has been tested in real conditions, not only checked at the dock.

After The Atlantic Crossing In The Caribbean

After the Atlantic, the boat needs another inspection. Halyards and sheets may need replacement, mast and shroud fittings should be checked, engines may need servicing, and comfort systems should be reviewed before the next stage of the voyage.

Panama And The Pacific Crossing

Panama is often where the voyage begins to feel truly remote. After the canal transit, crews face the long passage toward the Marquesas and French Polynesia. The Pacific crossing is more demanding than the Atlantic because it covers nearly 5,000 nautical miles, includes the Intertropical Convergence Zone, and requires careful current and weather routing. NOAA describes the doldrums as the equatorial belt where sailing ships can encounter very light winds, making routing strategy important for ocean passages.

Before this stage, Sail Tahiti helps with the Atlantic debrief, advanced maintenance, routing analysis, provisioning review, and final preparation for the passage into the South Pacific.

 

Arrival In French Polynesia: The Journey Continues

Arriving in French Polynesia is not the end of the project. For many crews, it is the beginning of the most rewarding part of the voyage.

Exploring Tahiti, The Leeward Islands And The Tuamotus

French Polynesia is made up of 118 islands and atolls across five archipelagos, according to Tahiti Tourisme. This scale explains why a well-prepared arrival plan matters. The Society Islands, the Leeward Islands, the Marquesas, the Australs and the tuamotus islands each require different navigation habits and cruising rhythms.

Sailors researching tuamotu tahiti, the tuamotus archipelago, or routes through the atolls can begin with Sail Tahiti’s guide to the Tuamotus and the detailed one-year French Polynesia itinerary. These resources help owners understand why local knowledge is so valuable in reef, pass, atoll, and remote-island navigation.

Technical Support, Charter Management Or Resale

On arrival in Tahiti, Sail Tahiti’s technicians can inspect the yacht, service key systems, and help prepare the boat for continued cruising across Polynesia and beyond.

Some owners choose to keep the yacht locally and return regularly. In that case, long-term yacht rental and management can help the boat stay active and supervised. Others decide to sell after completing the dream passage. Sail Tahiti’s yacht resale strategy in Tahiti allows owners to benefit from a brokerage network connected to buyers in California, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and the wider Pacific.

 

Ready To Prepare Your Bluewater Cruising Project?

Whether you are still comparing boats, planning a Pacific crossing, preparing for the Pacific Puddle Jump, or deciding what to do with your yacht after arrival in Tahiti, local support can make the project clearer, safer, and easier to manage.

Discuss Your Project With Sail Tahiti

Conclusion

A serious bluewater cruising project requires more than a boat. It requires the right preparation, honest advice, practical training, technical follow-up, and support at each major stage of the voyage. Sail Tahiti brings together real offshore experience, a Pacific-based technical team, and local knowledge of French Polynesia to help owners move from dream to departure, then from landfall to long-term enjoyment in the islands.