Psychology of Voyaging

Dreaming of setting sail on a long-distance voyage? Preparing for offshore cruising is about more than navigation and boat systems — it’s also about mindset, resilience, and relationships at sea. Psychology of Voyaging is an interactive two-day workshop that explores the human side of long-term sailing, helping participants develop the mental and emotional readiness to meet the challenges and rewards of life offshore.

Through guided discussion and small-group learning, you’ll examine the emotional arc of a voyage, motivations for voyaging, seamanship and risk management, and how to build trust, teamwork, and effective communication with crew or partners. You’ll also learn strategies to strengthen resilience in the face of stress and uncertainty, and explore how life transitions unfold as you leave familiar shores behind. This signature BCA course focuses on putting people back at the center of the passage, leaving you with greater self-awareness, confidence, and readiness for your own journey.

About the Instructor

Elizabeth Shaw brings both professional expertise and deep lived experience to the course. After a 23-year career as an engineering officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force, she and her husband, Max, embarked on a 36,000-nautical-mile, seven-year voyage through the South Pacific, Micronesia, and Alaska with their three children. Now completing a master’s degree in Psychotherapy and Spirituality, Elizabeth combines seamanship, psychological insight, and real-world voyaging wisdom to help sailors prepare for the technical and human dimensions of cruising.