Offshore beginner with 2000nm Indian Ocean passage experience looking for long-term ocean sailing opportunities.
My name is Denis, I am 33 years old, originally from Saint Petersburg, Russia, currently living in Phuket, Thailand for the past 5 years.
In 2025 I completed my first offshore Indian Ocean passage aboard an 11m sailing yacht “Invictus” with tiller steering.
Route:
Phuket → Sabang, Indonesia → Malé, Maldives → Galle, Sri Lanka.
Total offshore experience:
Approximately 2000 nautical miles.
Total trip duration:
45 days overall.
Actual days at sea in the open ocean:
- 2 days Phuket → Sabang
- 14 days Sabang → Maldives
- 4 days Maldives → Sri Lanka
Total:
Approximately 20 days offshore at sea.
This was my first sailing and ocean experience. Before this passage I only had three short training sails around Phuket.
During the passage we experienced:
- headwinds and head seas,
- multiple storms,
- strong lightning storms close to the yacht,
- autopilot failure requiring long manual tiller steering shifts.
Responsibilities onboard included:
- day and night watches,
- manual tiller steering,
- sail handling,
- cooking onboard,
- underwater keel and propeller cleaning,
- general deck work,
- helping with yacht maintenance.
About me personally:
I am an entrepreneur and run my own real estate agency in Phuket. I served in the army, played football competitively in my younger years and have always enjoyed outdoor life.
I have hiking and camping experience, including a longest hiking trip of 24 days. I also enjoy kayaking, SUP boarding, fishing, campfires and traveling. I can play a few songs on guitar.
I have technical and legal education backgrounds:
- vocational education as an auto mechanic,
- university degree in law,
- unfinished physics and mathematics studies.
I learn quickly, stay calm under pressure and adapt well to difficult conditions and long autonomous passages.
My English is very limited. I do not really speak English, but I can understand and use some very basic communication and simple radio or sailing commands if needed. I continue learning and improving in practice.
Looking for long-term ocean passages, preferably toward Australia, Pacific islands or warm-water routes.
Captain reference available.
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