Nancy Erley founded Tethys Offshore Sailing for Women due to the overwhelming interest of Pacific northwesterners who heard about her circumnavigation of the world with an all-women crew.
From 1989-1994, Nancy visited 27 countries, sailing west from Seattle, across the Pacific, up the Red Sea, across the Med and Atlantic, returning to Seattle via the Panama Canal. Nineteen women joined her. On Mother’s Day, 1995, the first teaching voyage left Seattle for the Marquesas 4600 ocean miles away. Since then, two women learning crew have joined Nancy and full-time First Mate, on ocean passages circumnavigating the world a second time. In the Fall of 2001, Tethys returned home to Seattle.  34 women learners crewed on the 2nd circumnavigation which proceeded west across the Pacific around the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa and home to Seattle again through the Panama Canal.