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Caribbean Crossing on Bark Europa

Panama Canal - Bermuda 2010

Three masted barque Europa leaves the Pacific coast of Ecuador and crosses into the Caribbean via the Panama Canal. In Central America she says goodbye to the South American Tall Ships Fleet and strikes out on her own to Bermuda. The route takes her through the middle of the Caribbean islands and out into the strong warm trade winds for some great blue water sailing.

Very limited places left on this voyage.

Bermuda

Blessed with coral pink sandy beaches lapped by turquoise seas, Bermuda stands in splendid isolation and is a classic place to sail a tall ship. In the 19th and 20th Centuries Bermuda was a crossroads between North America, England, and the sugar colonies in the West Indies. Consequently it has a fascinating nautical heritage and a long standing reputation for good local sailors and boatbuilding. You voyage will probably end in St George – the oldest English speaking colonial town still in existence and now a World Heritage Site. Bermuda was the base for many a famed Blockade Runner during the American Civil War and a safe haven for Confederate Raiders.

 Bermuda - Toronto

Bark Europa will be sailing from Bermuda up the East Coast and into the Great Lakes to Toronto in summer 2010. She will then take part in the Great Lakes Tall Ships Challange - a major American and Canadian tall ships race. Dates yet to be announced.

From Bermuda Bark Europa will sail up the full length of the American East Coast and into Canadian waters. The waters become distinctly cooler as the fleet passes Maine and approaches Nova Scotia. Famed for the Grand Banks schooners of legend including ‘Bluenose’ herself, Nova Scotia is also home to the Bay of Fundy, renowned for having the biggest tidal range anywhere in the world.

Great Lakes Tall Ship Challenge - Summer 2010

If you are planning to travel to USA or Canada in your GAP year then being tall ship race crew on Dutch owned tall ship Europa would be a great way to meet other nationalities and see a different side to America. Bark Europa won the overall Trans Atlantic Tall Ships Race series for the large class A tall ships class in 2009, so she has already made quite a stir on the East coast.