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Photo: St Mawes Pilot Cutter Review - an annual event where you can be crew  organised by Classic Sailing

Maritime Britain:

Be part of our rich seafaring history

"We believe the best way to conserve our maritime heritage in the UK is for historic vessels and replicas to go to sea; not sit in a static alongside berth or museum. Sail them whilst you still can, and spread the word."  Directors of Classic Sailing Adam and Debbie Purser

Classic Sailing has spend over a decade widening opportunities for our customers to experience sailing as working crew on pilot cutters, trading ketches, sailing trawlers, schooners and ocean going square riggers that were once a common sight around our  incredibly varied coastline.

By booking a voyage on a traditional boat or tall ship you create living history and spectacle out on the water for all to enjoy. By actively sailing these beautiful working craft from a by gone era you are giving them a future in a modern world.  

It is also a unique and fun way to explore the coast, anchorages and ports of Britain and connect with history.

The Solent - Mecca for Classic Yachts

This famous stretch of water sheltered by the Isle of Wight is often busy with both yachts and modern ships, so you need to sail on a classic edwardian style pilot cutter like Annabel J with someone like skipper and owner Phil Cogdell to gain a sense of history and learn about this incredibly important historic sailing ground. Nelson's Victory was built at Bucklers Hard, Beaulieu River and ROWED to Portsmouth for mast stepping ! The heyday of classic yacht racing when the big J Classes gathered off Cowes was in the 1920's and 1930's but  with more and more replica and restorations the big classic events in the Solent are getting closer to that original spectacle.

2011 South Coast Voyages and short breaks on Annabel J

Tall Ships - Coming to a Port Near You

Royal Navy brigs, frigates and stately three deckers patrolling the UK coasts would have been a familar sight from coastal headlands in the 1800's.

British brig Stavros S Niarchos looks the part with her distinctive gunports and authentic rigging, yet she was purpose built for sail training in 2000. A cracking ship for your first taste of tall ship sailing with many 3-5 day taster voyages and longer adventures from deep water British Ports.

Regular crew change ports each year include Portsmouth, Southampton, Cardiff, Brixham, Falmouth, Belfast, Liverpool, Oban, Greenock, Hull as well as visits to European Ports for Tall Ships Races and other Maritime Events.

Stavros S Niarchos - Summer & Autumn Sailing  2011

Cornwall & Western Approaches - Home of the Pilot Cutter

Historically pilot cutters earnt their living by taking pilots out to sailing ships. The fastest would win the contract to put their pilot aboard to safely 'pilot' the vessel in or out of port. The most well known in Britain are the Bristol Channel pilot cutters, but the Scillies and Falmouth also had big fleets. There were hundreds of pilot cutters in West Country Ports around the turn of the 19th Century. From the Western Approaches, 'inbound' could be all the way up the Bristol Channel to Bristol, Irish Sea to Liverpool or up English Channel.

If you want to sail a pilot cutter in their traditional stamping grounds and tuck into small West Country Ports then 'Eve of St Mawes' offers 3 day sailing breaks in Cornwall and 6 day island hopping adventures in the Isles of Scilly.

More on Cornwall as a destination

More on Isles of Scilly as a destination

Pilot Cutter Eve of St Mawes - voyage descriptions, prices and dates 2011

Scottish Islands and remote lochs - communities linked by boat

The Scottish Highlands are carved by ancient glaciers and sea lochs reaching deep inland mean exploring Scotland by road is just plain crazy. The tough way to see the grandeur of Scotland is from the top of a mountain. The best way to gain an all round panorama of wilderness and wildlife, and also meet the locals is to sail the coast. The remote coastal communities and islanders have always used boats to get around and the rich fishing grounds are still the life-blood for some of our joining ports like Mallaig or Oban.

Our specialist in Scotland is42' pilot cutter Lizzie May, based in Largs for short breaks but wandering the whole West Coast on longer voyages in the summer. When you sail on a wooden working boat like LIzzie May, the locals come to visit you !

Visiting the Western Isles again for a couple of months this summer is historic trading ketch Bessie Ellen, starting with and an extended 10 day Outer Hebrides & St Kilda sailing expedition over midsummer and a series of 7 day voyages from Oban.

More on Scotland as a Destination

Pilot Cutter Lizzie May - voyage descriptions, prices and dates 2011

Historic Sailing Ship Bessie Ellen in Scotland & Outer Hebrides 2011

 Historic UK Ports & Trading Routes

 Coal, tin, wood, fruit from the Azores, salted cod from Newfoundland, timber from Scandinavia - all carried under sail in and out of British Ports for centuries. There are very few opportunities to sail on the  few sailing cargo ships that remain.

Bessie Ellen is one of the last remaining West Country Trading Ketches out of a fleet of 700. Built in 1904 for much of her working life she has continued to carriy cargoes and even in 2010 had a go at carrying wine cargoes voyages commercially. The lovely accommodatation has been re installed in her cargo hold and once more she is carrying charter crews in 2011. She returns from the Azores in April and we be offering voyages in the West Country, Isles of Scilly and a summer base in Scotland to explore the Inner & Outer Hebrides, St Kilda, and the Western Isles.

Bessie Ellen UK Programme 2011

Oosterschelde is a Dutch three masted topsail schooner built in 1918 that once carried cargoes as far afield as West Africa.  In 2011 she will be visiting UK ports and anchorages on the way to Liverpool Boat Show from Rotterdam, and a similar voyage back to her home port.

Oosterschelde Summer Programme - UK Ports 2011

photo: Rare visitor to these shores: Cook Island registered barque Picton Castle sails into Falmouth 2008