Top 10 Ocean Passages for Mile Building

Top 10 Tall Ship Mile Building Voyages - perfect for Gap Year Travel

Ocean Wandering Tall Ships 

Signed on as 'Tall Ships Crew'

Distance in Nautical Miles

Here are some of our longest voyage legs. To help those interested in mile building we are adding a rough estimate of the nautical miles you might cover in the voyage descriptions (click on the voyage descriptions below).  If you have more time you can spend months on ships like Schooner Oosterschelde and Barque Europa following a trade wind circuit like the sailing cargo windjammers of the 19th Century and early 20th Century.  If you prefer a smaller vessel then three masted lugger Grayhound will be offering ocean voyages in a classic circuit around the North Atlantic - including Madiera, Canaries, Cape Verde & Caribbean.

Classic Sailing Top Ten Ocean Passages for Adventure

Voyage 1: The Sardine Run Cape Town to Mauritius

Nautical miles 2300

Bark Europa and Oosterschelde will take a  route from Cape Town around the Cape of Hope and up the South African Coast at the right time of year to hopefully witness one of the most amazing natural wonders of the world - the Sardine Run - made famous by David Attenborough's BBC Blue Planet. The run, containing millions of individual sardines, occurs when a current of cold water heads North from the Angullas Bank up to Mozambique where it swings away from the coastline into the Indian Ocean.   A mighty army of dolphins, sharks, whales, seals and gannets hunt down the billions of sardines along South Africa's east coast each winter. This underwater Armageddon is the greatest gathering of predators anywhere on the planet, and the most spectacular event in the world's oceans. Europa and Oosterschelde will try and follow them on their yearly track.  There should also be a few days at the end of the voyage to explore Mauritius with its coral reefs and tropical beaches.

13 May - 16 June 2013 Bark Europa - Round the World Voyage Leg - Cape Town to Mauritius - 35 days - voyage details

11 May - 14 June 2013 Oosterschelde - Round the World Voyage Leg - Cape Town to Mauritius - 35 days - voyage details

 Sign up for hidden offer

Voyage 2: Fast Track Across the Indian Ocean & Oceanographic Research

Nautical miles 3180

With the departure from Mauritius the Bark Europa and Oosterschelde head for La Reunion. After a stop on this French paradise island, both ships will follow (part) of the Brouwer route accross the Indian Ocean. In the year 1611 Mr Hendrik Brouwer choose to sail from South Africa to Java by taking advantage of the strong westerly winds in the Roaring Forties (the latitudes between 40° and 50° south). This route reduced the voyage duration from a year to about 6 months, compared with the existing route via India. By 1617, the Dutch East Indies Company required all their ships to take the Brouwer route.

In the present time there are very little ships sailing this route. Therefore the ships will carry a special OceanoScientific System will be brought on board the ships to conduct valuable research. This sea and air data surveyor collects all kinds of date which will be used by various scientists around the world who are researching climate change.

19 Jun - 27 July 2013 Bark Europa - Indian Ocean Crossing Mauritius - Perth -39 Days - voyage details

19 Jun - 27 July 2013 Schooner Oosterschelde - Indian Ocean Crossing Mauritius - Perth -39 Days - voyage details

Sign up for hidden offer

Voyage 3: Asia to Australia Via Christmas Islands - The 'Galapagos' of the Indian Ocean

Nautical Miles 4,400 & Cross the equator

Arriving in Australia after a magnificent southern Indian Ocean passage on a British tall ship will surely be one of the greatest adventures of your life. You’ll leave Singapore behind you, cross the Equator, sail through the Indonesian Islands and call at Christmas Islands, often referred to as the Galapagos of the Indian Ocean, and the Cocos Islands. Finally you’ll arrive in Fremantle for a great Australian welcome. This is a briliant leg if you love pristine beaches and snorkelling over coral reefs in crystal clear tropical waters. Christmas Island is one of natures most impressive feats, an island full of natural wonders: from the unique annual red crab migration to rare and unusual birds and glorious deserted beaches where the only footprints in the sand are those made by nesting turtles.

7th June – 20th July 2013 Lord Nelson Singapore - Freemantle - 44 days

Voyage 4: In the Wake of Cook & Abel Tasman - Sail Around Australia

Nautical Miles

Australia is a vast country and she has many remote coastlines. We have three tall ships effectively sailing half a circumnavigation of Australia in 2013. Lord Nelson will sail down the Western Australia coast from Singapore. There are voyages between Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Hobart and Sydney. The legs may occasionally be in sight of land, but with strong winds and ocean swell un-interupted for thousands of miles, we think these voyages are more like ocean passages than coastal 'hops'

More details on Round the World Voyage legs in Australia - choice of 19 voyage legs on three ships

Voyage 5: Ocean Tall Ships Race from Sydney - Auckland

Nautical Miles 1300 Sydney - Auckland

Most people on a GAP year fly between Austraila and New Zealand, but think about how cool it would be to sail between Sydney and Auckland on a square rigger as crew.  Now throw in the bonus of a big party and tall ships festival in Sydney as the Australian Royal Navy celebrates its Centennary with a fleet review.  The Icing on the cake is that this ocean passage is an International Tall Ships race with over 15 tall ships racing accross the Tasman Sea. Also race legs from Tasmania to Sydney.

Australian Tall Ships Race Legs & Fleet Cruise in Company Voyages - Lord Nelson, Europa & Oosterschelde

Voyage 6: Accross the Pacific and Around Cape Horn in True Windjammer Style

Nautical miles 5400

The Only True Cape Horn Voyage -Sail right across the bottom of the Pacific Ocean where the whaling fleets of the world once roamed and around that famous rock Cape Horn  from Auckland to Falkland. On the last 3000 miles of this rollercoaster route Europa nand Oosterschelde will attempt to sail from 50 degrees South in the Pacific to 50 degress South in the Atlantic without using their engine - like the last of the windjammers. There is a film crew on Europa.

29 Oct 2013 - 16 Dec 2013 Bark Europa - voyage description - FULL

29 Oct 2013 - 16 Dec 2013 Oosterschelde - Provisionally full - join waiting list

Cape Horn voyages on a tall ship are highly sought after so tell us if you are interested and we can make sure you are first to know when places are available.

Voyage 7: Tall Ship Epic up the Caribbean Chain and U.S. East Coast to Nova Scotia

Nautical miles 4500

If this voyage is not worth a tattoo, we don't know what is. Start in Brazil - voted the top holiday destination for 2013. Sail from the Southern Hemisphere to Northern Hemisphere and accross several climatic belts. South East Trades, cross the equator, enjoy North East Trades in the Caribbean, Westerlies up the East Coast of America and finally arrive in Nova Scotia.

18 June - 01 Aug 2014 Lord Nelson - Round the World Voyage - Recife to Halifax - Voyage details.

Voyage 8: Christmas 2013 Trans Atlantic on a Family Lugger

Nautical Miles 2200 Cape Verde - Barbados

If we said join a young family on the wooden lugger they built themselves and sail her from Cape Verde to the Caribbean, you might think it sounds a bit like a hippie trail.  If we explained that Grayhound is a remarkable three masted lugger and more like a small tall ship with 3500 square ft of sail and an experienced crew of two ocean yachtmasters, a RYA cruising instructor as mate, a diver and marine conservationist plus ex army officer as deckhands and a young 4 year old who has grown up on the boat as it was constructed around him .....then you begin to realise that Grayhound is not your average wooden live aboard boat.  Individuals or families are welcome. Trans Atlantic legs need agile crew with no medical issues.

Ocean Voyages on Grayhound - full list of voyages 2013-2014

Voyage 9: Three Wildlife Expeditions in one trip -  South Georgia, Weddell Sea & Antarctica

Nautical miles

A full Antarctic and Southern Ocean Circuit starting in the Falklands. Sail downwind amongst the albatrosses to one of the most most prolific wildlife breeding grounds on the planet - South Georgia. After a week exploring the anchorages of this mountainous sub antarctic island with thousands of penguins, seals and seabirds, Europa may repeat her 2011Centennial voyage by visiting South Orkney as she sails further South to catch the Polar Easterlies back towards the Antarctic Peninsula. Dodge the icebergs of the Weddell Sea and explore islands rarely visted by cruise expedition ships on the east side of the Peninsula. Cross the infamous Drakes Passage to Argentina.

21 Dec 2013 - 23 Jan 2014 Bark Europa - 34 Day Antarctic Expedition - voyage description

Voyage 10: Antarctica, South Georgia, Tristan Da Cuhna and Ascension

Nautical Miles 4800

Look for humpback and killer whales amongst the icebergs. Wildlife safaris ashore amongst the penguins, fur seals and elephant seals. Climb the rigging and marvel at the icecaps, untrodden glaciers and mountain peaks. Sail the same route from Elephant Island to South Georgia as the rescue voyage in the James Caird by Shackleton and his men.....and in the same voyage sail north towards the equator and a warmer climate and set skysails and stun'sails ready for the lighter tropical sailing.

18th Feb - 17th April 2014 Bark Europa - The Big Voyage: Antarctica and journey home - 59 days - voyage description

Lifetime Sailing Goals - Are any of these yours ?