Trade the Boardroom for the Open Ocean: Corporate Getaways with Ocean Sailing Charters
There are meetings, and then there are meetings where the first thing you notice is the sound of the ocean, the wind filling the sails and the Knysna Heads rising ahead of you.
For businesses looking to step away from the usual conference room or hotel function venue, Ocean Sailing Charters offers something rather different. Based at Sirocco Jetty on Thesen Island, this family-owned operation takes corporate groups onto the water aboard luxury catamarans, combining business, adventure, good food and the freedom of the ocean.
And sometimes, getting people out of the office is exactly what is needed to get them thinking differently.
When the Boardroom Becomes the Ocean
There is something special about being surrounded by water. The distractions of the office seem to disappear, conversations become more relaxed and suddenly there is space to think.
Ocean Sailing Charters has created an experience that brings that atmosphere into the corporate world. Whether it is a strategic meeting, product launch, executive gathering, team-building day or year-end function, the yachts provide an unusual backdrop for bringing people together.
Rather than sitting around another conference table, delegates can look out across the Knysna Lagoon, cruise towards the famous Knysna Heads and, conditions permitting, venture into the Indian Ocean.
It is business with a distinctly South African sense of adventure.
A Different Kind of Corporate Experience
The luxury catamarans are designed for smaller, more intimate groups, with each boat limited to 12 passengers. That exclusivity changes the feel of the experience.
There is plenty of space to move between comfortable inside and covered seating areas, expansive outdoor deck space and the forward trampolines. Professional skippers and crew remain on hand throughout the cruise, allowing hosts and delegates to concentrate on enjoying the experience.
For a business looking to impress clients, reward a team or simply do something memorable, it is certainly a venue-with-a-difference.
And, as anyone who has spent time on the water will know, a change of scenery can sometimes change the conversation too.
From Strategy Sessions to Sunset Cocktails
Ocean Sailing Charters can tailor its cruises around the occasion, making the experience as relaxed or structured as required.
Corporate groups can use the yachts for strategic sessions and meetings, while product launches and smaller conferences can take advantage of an environment that feels considerably more inspiring than four walls and a projector.
For team-building and year-end functions, the focus can shift towards enjoying the destination, with time on the water, good food and opportunities to simply connect away from the workplace.
Once the formal business is done, the ocean becomes the entertainment.
Come Hungry
A day on the water deserves good food, and this is where the experience gets particularly interesting.
Depending on the occasion, guests can enjoy everything from fresh oysters, sushi and charcuterie boards to buffet-style dining and Ocean Sailing Charters' signature Captain's braai.
For us at KhakiBush, the idea of a braai on a yacht somewhere around Knysna is hard to argue with. Add a South African wine, the sound of the water and the sun dropping towards the horizon and you have the sort of corporate function people are likely to talk about long after the invoices have been filed.
The onboard bar can also be stocked with a selection of champagne, MCC, South African wines, craft beers, ciders, spirits and soft drinks.
For evening events, integrated audio systems provide the soundtrack, with the option of bringing onboard live musicians, DJs or guest speakers.
Adventure Is Part of the Package
Of course, the real beauty of taking a corporate group onto a yacht is that the experience doesn't have to stop at dinner.
Full-day cruises can incorporate a range of water-based activities, depending on conditions and the group's interests. Guests can explore the lagoon on stand-up paddleboards, try their hand at fishing, or cool off with a swim or snorkel.
For teams, these moments away from the formal programme can be just as valuable as the meeting itself.
Put a group of people on the water, give them a new environment to explore and remove the usual office distractions, and you may be surprised at how quickly the hierarchy disappears and the teamwork starts.
Beyond Corporate Functions
While Ocean Sailing Charters is well suited to business groups, the yachts aren't reserved for board meetings and corporate celebrations.
Private charters can be arranged for anniversaries, proposals, engagement parties, bachelor and hen celebrations, baby showers, family gatherings, graduations and milestone birthdays.
There are also opportunities for wine tastings, private cruises and professional sailing training or mile-builder courses.
In other words, if there is an occasion worth celebrating, there is probably a way to put it on the water.
A Family Business With the Ocean at Heart
At the helm of Ocean Sailing Charters is owner and skipper Neil van Deventer, who runs the business alongside his crew and family.
The fleet has a particularly personal story. Neil's daughter Bella joined him on the ocean when she was just 10 days old, and the vessels in the fleet carry names inspired by her.
Today, the fleet includes the luxury ocean-going catamarans Ocean Rhythm, LaraBella and LunaBella, as well as Bella Vita, a luxury lagoon cruiser designed for those who would rather experience the calmer waters of the Knysna Lagoon.
That family connection is an important part of the character of the business. This isn't simply about taking people out for a boat trip. It is about people who genuinely love sailing, travel, good food, wine and the marine environment sharing a place that means something to them.
Exploring Knysna From a Different Perspective
One of the great things about the Garden Route is that you can experience the landscape in so many different ways.
From the forest and mountains to beaches, lagoons and the open ocean, Knysna has always been a destination where nature is never far away. Seeing it from the deck of a sailing catamaran offers an entirely different perspective.
The famous Knysna Heads take on a new scale from the water, while heading beyond them into the Indian Ocean brings another sense of adventure altogether.
For visitors, it is a chance to experience one of the country's best-known coastal destinations from the sea rather than simply looking at it from land.
Leaving More Than Just Memories
There is also a bigger reason why experiences like this matter.
Ocean Sailing Charters places an emphasis on operating with a lighter footprint and encouraging guests to reconnect with the natural environment. Marine tourism works best when people don't simply see the ocean as a backdrop, but begin to understand and appreciate the ecosystem beneath the surface.
That connection is something we believe strongly in at KhakiBush.
The more time we spend outdoors, the more we understand what we have to protect. Whether that happens on safari, around a campfire, on a mountain trail or sailing along the South African coastline, adventure can be a powerful doorway into conservation.
Step Out of the Ordinary
Corporate functions don't have to mean another hotel conference room, another buffet under fluorescent lights or another afternoon spent staring at a screen.
Sometimes the best place to bring people together is outside.
With the Knysna Heads on the horizon, a catamaran beneath your feet and the Indian Ocean stretching away ahead, Ocean Sailing Charters offers businesses and private groups the opportunity to do something a little different.
And perhaps that is the real attraction.
Step away from the boardroom, breathe in the sea air, share a meal, explore the coastline and give your team the chance to experience something together.
Because few experiences compare to discovering that sometimes, the best way to chart a new course is to actually get out on the water.
Book Your Ocean Adventure
Ocean Sailing Charters operates from Sirocco Jetty on Thesen Island, Knysna.
Bookings & Reservations:076 761 0353
Instagram & Facebook: @oceansailingcharters
Ocean Sailing Charters is part of Cape Country Routes, a collection of owner-operated accommodation and activity establishments across the Western and Eastern Cape.
This article is written by Craig Mitchell, KhakiBush Magazine editor, conservationist, guide, adventurer, photographer, videographer and explorer. Craig personally guides safari and adventure expeditions, sharing his passion for Africa's wild places through authentic wildlife encounters, remote landscapes, and unforgettable experiences.
Keywords: corporate functions Knysna, Ocean Sailing Charters, Knysna corporate events, corporate team building Knysna, Knysna yacht charter, Knysna sailing, corporate getaways South Africa, Knysna Heads, Garden Route activities, private yacht charter
