Leadership Voyages
What kind of voyage is this?
Facilitated leadership journeys aboard Spirit of Ostend, sailing along the Atlantic coasts, the English Channel and the North Sea.
These voyages are for people who make decisions every day and carry responsibility. For those who rarely step out of their role, and who have little space for conversations that are not driven by position, expectation, or outcome.
Voyages are tailored to the group. One to four days, open to individuals or designed for a leadership team or organisation.
The rhythm of the days
The following describes a four-day voyage. Shorter formats follow the same rhythm and principles.
The voyage unfolds over four days, following a steady rhythm of shared life, time under sail, and conversation.
Mornings begin with the routines of the ship. Days are spent sailing along the coast, actively involved in life on board. Evenings slow down at anchor or in harbour, creating space for longer, facilitated conversations.
The alternation between movement and stillness, action and reflection, shapes the experience.
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Participants arrive on board in the morning.
There is time to come aboard, stow belongings, and become familiar with the ship and with each other. Spirit is a sailing vessel with established routines. Life on board is shared, practical, and requires attention.
The first day is about settling into a different rhythm. Meals are prepared and shared. Practical arrangements are clarified. Space, movement, and responsibilities on board become tangible.
Later in the day, time is set aside for a first facilitated conversation. This opening exchange helps orient the group: where people are coming from, and what they are stepping into by being here.
After dinner, the skipper and the shipsmate share the plan for the coming days, based on weather, tides, and conditions at sea. Possible routes, anchorages, and timing are discussed. The horizon opens.
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These days form the core of the journey.
Each day begins with the shared morning routine on board: waking up, breakfast, briefing. The ship is prepared, lines are cast off, and Spirit leaves the harbour or anchorage. The coastline opens up and the rhythm of the days change.
A substantial part of each day is spent sailing, typically four to five hours under way. Life on board is active and collective: handling sails, keeping watch, navigating, preparing meals, being on deck together. Roles are clear. Attention and coordination matter.
Later in the day, the ship settles in an anchorage or harbour. With the boat secure, the pace shifts. Time is set aside for longer, facilitated conversations.
These conversations are structured around a small set of enduring questions. They are grounded in what is being lived on board, but they are not about sailing. They touch on practical wisdom, responsibility, leadership as craft, and collective performance, not as concepts to be taught, but as questions to be carried.
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The final day aboard Spirit follows the same morning rhythm: breakfast, briefing, and departure.
Spirit brings us back toward the harbour. The horizon narrows again as land comes closer and responsibilities re-enter view.
With the ship secure, the group gathers for a final conversation. The facilitator offers a brief closing, drawing on what has been witnessed during the days at sea.
The journey concludes with a shared evening meal on board.
The Conversations
The facilitated conversations are structured around a small set of enduring questions. They are grounded in what is being lived on board, but they are not about sailing. They touch on practical wisdom, responsibility, leadership as craft, and collective performance, not as concepts to be taught, but as questions to be carried.
What do I rely on when rules, frameworks, and best practices no longer help?
What responsibility do I take without being asked? And which responsibilities do I quietly avoid?
Under pressure, do I focus, or do I fold?
How do I affect the way a group works together?
The voyages are shaped by responsibility and by the way it is carried. They create room to practise a particular kind of attention: steady, unhurried, and emotionally available.
A good captain is not driven by impulse, nor paralysed by pressure. He observes. He listens. He allows distance when needed. He judges when the moment asks for it. He is never emotionally hijacked, never swept away by the urge to react too quickly.
Under pressure, it is easy to fold, overact, or freeze. What matters in leadership is the capacity to stay present, to read the signals, to hold judgment until it is clear, and then to decide.
The work is not about intensity. It is about attention.
“A bootcamp for your brain. I can't think of a better skipper for entrepreneurs who want to chart their own course.” — Simon Kempeneers, Brand Strategist
Who this voyage is for
These leadership voyages are designed for people who already carry responsibility, in organisations, teams, or professional practice, and who are willing to step out of their usual context for a few days.
Participants typically include executives, founders, senior professionals, and people in key roles who:
want time and distance to reflect on how they decide and lead
are comfortable with responsibility and shared work
are curious about how they show up in a group
do not need training, but value conversation and attention
No sailing experience is required. What matters is a willingness to participate fully in life on board.
For open voyages, groups are intentionally mixed, with participants from different backgrounds and life experiences.
Skipper & facilitator
Jo Martens works with people who carry responsibility.
As an entrepreneur, executive, and advisor, he has over twenty years of experience working with organisations on strategy, decision-making, and execution in complex contexts.
His facilitation is grounded in practice rather than theory, shaped by situations where outcomes are uncertain and judgement matters. As skipper, he combines seamanship with facilitation, holding responsibility for both the vessel and the conversations.
Practical details
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Leadership voyages run over four days, typically from morning arrival on Day 1 to departure on Day 4.
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Groups are intentionally small, usually 4 to 6 participants, allowing for trust, attention, and meaningful conversation.
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Spirit sails along the Atlantic coasts, the English Channel, and the North Sea. Departure harbour and sailing area are determined in consultation, based on the format, season, and group.
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No prior sailing experience is required. Participants are actively involved in life on board, guided by the skipper and crew.
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This is a real sailing vessel operating in real conditions. Comfort is simple and considered, but participants should be at ease with movement, weather, and shared spaces.
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Spirit of Ostend, classic sailing yacht
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RYA Yachmaster Offshore and certified shipsmate
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Spirit comfortably accommodates six guests in 3 shared cabins
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All meals are included and prepared and shared on board. Life on Spirit is collective, practical, and unpretentious.
Application
Spirit of Ostend returns to Belgian waters in August 2026. New formats — open voyages and in-company programmes — are being developed for late 2026 and beyond.
If you would like to explore what a voyage could look like, get in touch.
"Spirit is magnificent. I had one of the best and most adventurous trips of my life on it. Through the rough Celtic Sea, shallow waters, rain and sunshine — tough hours, and many hours spent laughing and discussing. Get aboard. It is absolutely worth the investment, in yourself, in the team you'll spend time with. It will likely not be your last time on board." — Kristof Schraepen, Director New Ventures & Innovation, NTT DATA