We are both graduates of Skagit Valley College’s Marine Maintenance Technology Program and Mahina Expeditions offshore sail training with John Neal. We recently returned from a 10,000-mile loop sailing from Mexico to Hawaii, and Hawaii to British Columbia aboard our Malӧ 39 which taught us that offshore cruising is in our genes.

Gio is ABYC certified in Marine Diesel Engines and Marine Systems and previously worked as a fishery biologist and motorboat operator instructor. Julie is ABYC certified in Marine Electrical, a NMEA certified Marine Electronics and Advanced NMEA 2000 Installer, and has worked as a scuba instructor, marine biologist, and expedition leader. Both of us are USCG licensed Masters with sail endorsements and have sailed over 20,000 offshore miles.

In addition to running Pelagic Blue, we teach offshore cruising workshops and classes with John Neal of Mahina Offshore Services, Michael Beemer of Skagit Valley College's Cruisers College, and the American Sailing Association (ASA). When we’re not at sea you can find us planning our next big offshore cruise and helping our clients get ready to set sail for distant shores. 

We started Pelagic Blue Cruising Services in order to help cruisers like you successfully achieve your cruising goals, just like we did. We know the boat project list will never be done, that you'll never feel totally "ready", and that the comforts of land life can be tricky to disentangle yourself from. 

We also know how to realize the ultimate cruising dream of buying a boat, hopping aboard, and setting sail for distance shores WITHOUT spending years in the boatyard, taking class after class, or reading every book but still feeling like you are missing some critical chunk of applied learning. Or worse, never departing at all, which is the most common and unfortunate outcome we encounter. We want to help you avoid that!

The path to successful cruising is paved with practical preparation. Know your boat, know your crew, and know yourself. This tripod of knowledge and trust is your ultimate safety net at sea, and we are here to show you how to develop yours so that you can get out there quicker and safer.

Our first and only priority is preparing you and your boat to safely set sail and do it without spending years working on a project boat only to discover that its a lemon or taking unnecessary risks by departing without adequate preparation. The longer you wait the more projects you will deem nonnegotiable, the more you will feel you "need" to have accomplished before your departure, the greater the chances are that you will not depart at all. The sooner you start with the right help, the sooner you can depart and live your dream!