Sneak peek
4 free videos from Zero to Ocean Nomad
4 free videos to give you an idea of what’s inside.
Zero to Ocean Nomad guides you from beginner to knowledgeable crew member, ready to actively participate in adventures at sea worldwide. All within a supportive community.
Here are 4 videos from inside the toolkit.
“I signed up. One week sailing turned into 1.5 months. Together with other Ocean Nomads, we sailed from Northern Spain to the Canaries. I fell in love with the sailing lifestyle and bought my own sailboat. Without Suzanne and the community, I would not be where I am now.”
Nadiem
Module 1
A brief intro into travelling by sail as crew
Why crewing is a great way into sailing life, even with no experience, no big budget, and no connections.
Module 1 covers:
- Why travel by sail. The obvious reasons and the unexpected ones
- My sailboat travel journey, from zero to 50,000+ miles
- No big budget, no experience, no problem. Why and how
- Conquering the fears with these 2 questions
- How to afford long-term nomad life on a small budget
Module 4
How to find a sailboat ride online
Where the boats actually are, and how to find them online.
Module 4 covers:
- The 3 main methods for finding a boat. Pros and cons of each
- Where the boats actually are, online and in the wild
- How to write a crew profile captains actually reply to
- Dockwalking. What it is and how to do it
- Solo female crewing, sailing with a dog, standing out without experience
- Regattas, rallies and events popular among liveaboards and cruisers
Module 5. The most important one
These are red flags
How to spot a risky boat or captain before you commit. If you only watch one, watch this.
Module 5 covers:
- Stay safe. If you only watch one video, it’s this one. Plus the story of how not to catch a ride
- The 3-step boat and captain assessment with checklists
- 5 red flags and 5 green flags
- The 54-point Safety Scorecard to assess any boat and captain before you commit
- Expectations and agreements to make before you step on board
What it costs to do this wrong
This was posted in a sailing community this week. We see versions of it weekly:
CREW WARNING. Pacific crossing.
We committed to a Pacific crossing and paid a $2,000 deposit. The departure was delayed week after week, six weeks total. We stayed in Panama far longer than planned, draining our travel budget. The boat had been dealing with serious technical issues since December. We only learned the real situation through the captain’s social media, not direct communication. We lost $2,000 and six weeks.
This is what Module 5 is all about. Preventing costly situations. Or worse, unsafe ones.
Module 6
Tacking and jibing. Sailing lesson by Andy
A foundational sailing lesson by Skipper Andy. So you arrive on board already knowing the basics.
That was a small taste of what we cover in Module 6 of Zero to Ocean Nomad. Tacking and jibing is one of the first real “I’m sailing now” moments. The mechanics click. The language clicks. The boat starts to feel like something you understand instead of something happening to you.
Module 6 also covers:
- What to pack. Full packing lists
- Sailorish. The language of the sea
- Points of sail, wind forces, and how we actually move
- Knots every crew must know
- Reading the weather plus a list of resources
- How I prepare to stay healthy on board
- Small actions for a healthier ocean through packing
- What to tell mum
- Staying connected at sea
- Pre-departure research and arrangements
What’s new in 2026
Brand new interactive tools 2026
A toolkit of new interactive tools to help you go from idea to onboard.
- Route & Season Planner. Best crew chances, where to crew when, depending on your goals
- Safety Scorecard. Assess any boat and captain before you commit
- AI Crew Coach. Ask anything, anytime. Trained on all the tricks and insights
- The Atlantic Crew & Captain Survey Report. A decade of data, stories, stats and lessons from people who sailed across
+55 more videos, checklists and tools inside Zero to Ocean Nomad
Plus membership to the Ocean Nomads community with 300+ adventurers and 80+ boat owners.
Everything you need in one place
Learn how. Take the steps. Connect with the people who make it happen.
Learn
55+ short video lessons across 7 modules.
Watch, listen as podcast, or read. Subtitled. On any device. At your own pace. From “what is sailing life” to “what to do when you’re on board.”
Do
Interactive tools that turn learning into action.
Route and Season Guide. Crew Profile Builder with marina poster. Safety Scorecard with 54 checkpoints. AI Crew Coach. Plus checklists, templates, and packing lists.
Connect
The Ocean Nomads community.
300+ members, 80+ boat owners, 35+ nationalities. Private crewing board, monthly meetups, and the people who’ll help you find your boat. Most boats are never advertised. They’re shared here.
Myth busting
Myth: You need sailing experience
Knowing or learning how to sail is only a little part of travelling by sailboat and the sailboat lifestyle. There is so much to it and there’s so many skills that are important to have or learn on a sailing boat. But most important is your attitude. Sailing skills are only about 10% of liveaboard life, and to be learned on board through doing. In this resource bundle, we help you prepare for the other 90% of skills and knowledge relevant when wanting to travel countries by sail, whether you’re a newbie or can already sail.
Myth: You need a lot of time
The time you need for a sailing adventure depends on the nature and length of the trip. After all, the weather rules. But you can also opt for a day, weekend or a week sail somewhere near you. You do need to have quite some time if you own a boat. After all, a boat needs maintenance. Even if you don’t have time now, you can anticipate and start the excitement and preparation through the buffet of videos and tips designed to maximise learning in minimal time. By sailing as crew, you can start with this course and save lots of time avoiding the cost of error committing to unsafe boats and unqualified captains.
Myth: You need to be rich to sail
That’s what I always thought. Until I discovered and experienced travelling as crew. Crewing is a cost-effective and quicker to realize alternative to owning a boat. This course is a super tiny investment compared to what owning a boat costs, or the costs some make after committing to the wrong boat. Avoid costly mistakes and open doors of opportunity. You don’t need to be rich in money, but will become rich in memorable moments and beautiful connections with people and nature.
“I consider myself a reasonably well travelled person but until now I had never even considered sailing as a means of travel. Suzanne has changed my perspective. It now feels possible, achievable and a very real prospect. There is more to this than just sailing. And this is what makes Suzanne stand out from the rest. There is purpose behind it and one I am now inspired to learn more about.”
John Clarke, UK
Your guide
Hi, I’m Suzy
I went from zero to 50,000+ nautical miles on 100+ boats as crew (and later captain), travelling on sailboats in 30+ countries and every continent. 5 Atlantic crossings. 25+ sailing expeditions organized. Author of Ocean Nomad and Salz auf der Haut.
I started getting into sailing having no idea about it. Only an extreme curiosity and drive to explore. I thought sailing was for rich people, or for people growing up sailing.
In this course I share what I learned over all these years (plus Ocean Nomads share their stories) to help you get out there in a happy, safe, and meaningful way. And not too far from today.
As featured in
CNN: “In the hitch-sailing world, Van der Veeken has become something of a guru.”
Yachting World: “Her passion for conservation and sustainability offers insight into a ‘vagabond’ lifestyle that is also socially responsible.”
Explore the ocean nomadic lifestyle you’ve always dreamed of
Is this for you?
This is for you if
- You feel the pull of ocean exploration but don’t know where to start
- You want to get on a sailboat, not just keep dreaming about it
- You want to sail in a conscious, healthy, and eco-aligned way
- You want to feel safe and prepared, not just wing it
- You like slow travel, nature, and being part of a crew
This is not for you if
- You’re looking for a luxury holiday
- You don’t want any responsibility on board
- You’re not open to learning or showing up
Zero to Ocean Nomad
Two ways to step on board
€247
One-time payment. Lifetime course access.
- 55+ video lessons across 7 modules
- All interactive tools: Route Guide, Safety Scorecard, Crew Coach
- Checklists, templates, packing lists
- Sailing foundation lessons by Skipper Andy
- Ocean Warrior sustainability toolkit
- 1 year Ocean Nomads community
- Monthly meetups + crewing board
- Lifetime course access
€497
For when this isn’t just a dream anymore.
- Everything above, plus:
- Lifetime community access (no €75/year renewal, ever)
- Suzanne looks at your crew profile, gives feedback, and points you to relevant boats and captains when she knows or sees a match
- All future course updates and new tools
- A discount on your first Ocean Nomads trip
2 spots left.
Want the full details first? See everything inside Zero to Ocean Nomad
14-day money-back guarantee. If it doesn’t feel like your way in, you get your money back. No fuss.