Sailing-based education, science literacy, and environmental storytelling
Beyond Horizons
Beyond Horizons was built on a simple idea that modern life has forgotten:
Some things can only be learned by going to sea.
We are a sailing-based education platform that brings together ocean science, seamanship, and storytelling through an ocean-going vessel.
At the center of our work is Voyage of the Interlude, an episodic educational documentary and curriculum ecosystem that turns real voyages into classrooms. Through scholarships, we bring underprivileged and underrepresented youth on board to learn to sail and engage directly with ocean, climate, and environmental science alongside a network of scientists along our route. We also offer adult sailing school courses rooted in real-world seamanship.
We believe learning should be embodied, not abstract; earned, not handed down; and grounded in reality. The ocean demands attention, humility, and responsibility, and in return, it teaches systems thinking better than any classroom ever could.
Beyond Horizons is in a critical development phase. Securing Interlude is the next essential step, enabling filming, curriculum creation, and on-water education to begin on schedule. Contributions made now directly unlock this work.
Our Mission
The Ocean is a Classroom
The ocean is one of the best teachers we have, and access to it should not be rare. We created Beyond Horizons to bring together seamanship, science literacy, and environmental stewardship in a way that works for both young learners and adults, through real sailing, real systems, and real experience. At its core, Beyond Horizons is about learning how the world works by engaging with it directly.
The ocean turns systems into lived experience.
Wind becomes physics.
Weather becomes data.
Responsibility becomes real.
Beyond Horizons was built on a belief that runs deeper than any single program:
Voyage of the Interlude
Educational documentary series using a sailboat as a classroom, accompanied by an educational curriculum platform.
Education
Scholarship program to bring on board 5th–8th graders to learn about the sea, science, and sailing.
Sailing School & Charters
Adult seamanship education aboard a working bluewater sailboat.
Meet Interlude, 1982 Shannon 50
Interlude is a classic 1982 Shannon 50, a proven bluewater cruising yacht built for real voyaging, extended exploration, and transformational learning at sea.
Shannon Yachts earned a reputation among sailors for designing boats that are stable, seaworthy, and comfortable, qualities that make the Shannon 50 ideal for serious sailors, long passages, and life aboard. At just over 50 feet on deck with a purposeful displacement hull and ketch rig, Interlude carries sail well in a variety of conditions and rewards attentive handling with a smooth, confidence-inspiring ride. She’s the kind of boat that doesn’t just survive offshore conditions, she encourages learning from them.
Below decks, Interlude is as functional as she is capable. With three separate cabins, there’s space not just for a core crew, but also for a small production team, visiting scientists, and students. This layout supports the dual nature of Beyond Horizons’ mission: a working vessel for seamanship, and a mobile platform for science, education, and storytelling.
Her interior combines thoughtful storage, a practical galley, and living spaces designed for extended time at sea, making her suitable for:
multi-day educational voyages
field science work
documentary production logistics
and immersive learning experiences
Whether navigating coastal passages or heading offshore under sail, Interlude’s design supports both rigorous inquiryand the day-to-day rhythms of life at sea. She is more than a boat; she is the backbone of a place where curiosity and systems thinking meet real, lived experience.