Live the Golden Age of Sail
Living the Golden Age of Sail
You can sail as they did in the old days, but better.
The sailing’s the same,
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But the safety and food are totally modern.
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You don’t need any previous sailing experience.
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You can sail from the age of 16 upwards, no upper limit.
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Voyages from 1 day to two months.
The Age of Sail reached its peak in the 1800’s firstly with naval ships during the Napoleonic Wars and later with merchant trade clipper ships like the Cutty Sark.
You hear about the big famous ships HMS Victory and the fast square-rigger Moshulu but in 1810 The British Navy comprised around 1000 commissioned ships. Only 152 were battleships like HMS Victory, in addition there were 183 frigates and lots of small ships to run errands, supplying food and crew, and carrying despatches to and from the Admiralty.
Today Classic Sailing has some big ships, Tenacious, Europa and Lord Nelson but like in the olden days we have lots of smaller ships all of which you can sail on to get the complete ‘Golden Age of Sail’ experience.
Our Current Fleet
Irene - West Country Trading Ketch Vessel Details Historic wooden sailing ship with a interesting and varied history. Irene sails in the Spring and Summer, sometimes in company with Bessie Ellen. She will visit Scotland, Ireland, and Isle of Man this year. |
Eve of St Mawes - Pilot Cutter Vessel Details Short breaks, special interest weekends & longer voyages in Cornwall & Isles of Scilly with a local skipper as your guide. RYA courses. |
Vessel Details Our specialist tall ship offering wildlife expeditions in Antarctica & South Georgia and longer voyages across Oceans. Europa carries 30 sails including stun'sail and skysails.
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Two Masted Ketch Bessie Ellen Vessel Details Historic wooden sailing ship with a worldwide sailing licence. Winter sunshine sailing, mountain walking and whale & dolphin watching in Canaries & Azores. Summer voyages in Scotland and Cornwall, as well as attending many festivals. |
Vessel details Historic 1908 gaff cutter Vanity offers RYA Competent Crew and Day Skipper courses from South Devon so you have a choice of two classic boats with bowsprits (Eve in Cornwall) for RYA sailing qualifications. She also runs Adventure voyages for Duke of Edinburgh Award Residential for 16-25 years. |
A friendly Dutch tall ship run by two families, Tecla has just completed a Round The World Voyage. She is a tough little ship but with a very friendly crew. Tecla is taking part in Tall Ships Race 2015.
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Vessel details 46ft authentic replica of Isles of Scilly pilot cutter built and skippered by shipwright Luke Powell. Agnes offers short breaks in Cornwall, longer voyages to Britanny, and Isles of Scilly, as well as attending festivals and race events. |
Vessel details 56ft Danish gaff cutter offering an early season and autumn in Cornwall and then heads north for spring and summer with voyages exploring the Hebrides and far north of Scotland from Mallaig. |
Vessel details A wooden two mast schooner based based in Scorseby Sound each summer for expeditions to East Greenland and in Iceland's whale watching capital Husavik for Edge of the Arctic voyages and Spring Expeditions where you can ski with mountain guides in iceland's NE coastal Mountains. |
Vessel details A wooden two mast schooner based in Iceland's whale watching capital Husavik. In the summer she offers Greenland Arctic Expeditions from Scorsesby Sund. In Iceland in spring Hildur runs 'Ski to the Sea' where you can ski with mountain guides. |
Vessel Details Ocean going schooner that loves wildlife & remote communities. Summer in Europe and winter base in tropical Cape Verde.
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Barquentine Antigua Vessel details Tall ship that specialises in Arctic voyages with sailing expeditions to Spitsbergen - Svalbard for wildlife and amazing glaciers and mountains. Polar bears, Aurora Borealis, Photographic workshops & wildlife guides. |
Vessel details: The largest tall ship we offer, Tenacious was built to enable able bodied and disabled crews work alongside as equals. UK Tall Ship Day Sails, Longer adventures in from UK or European ports in Summer. Winter from historic ports in the Mediterranean, South of France and Canary Islands. Tenacious Voyages - dates & prices
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Vessel details: First ship purpose built to take able bodied and disabled to sea as working crew. Offers long ocean passages and then short coastal hops. Also regularly takes part in Tall Ships Races.
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Vessel details. 1892 original sailing trawler Leader is on the UK historic ships register. Sail on this incredibly powerful vessel and sense the history. Explore Northern Ireland or Scotland from Oban in summer as well as favourite haunts in Brittany & West Country. Brixham Heritage Race and the Isles of Scillies. |
Brixham Sailing Trawler Provident Vessel details. This much loved historic wooden gaff ketch will be offering Westcountry and Brittany voyages and 10 day adventures from Brixham, Brixham Trawler Race and Paimpol |
Grayhound Lugger & Privateer - Sail her in 2015 Vessel Details In August 2012 Marcus and Freya launched the first 3 masted lugger to be built in Briain for 200 years. Sail this replica of a 1772 privateer around our festivals, or join her as she sails around the South West coast.
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Haukur - Icelandic Schooner Vessel Details Smaller sister ship to Hildur and based in NE Iceland. Short sailing breaks to offshore islands and the Edge of the Arctic Circle, including some of the best whale watching in Europe in Skjaldfandi Bay. |
Our Legendary Rowing Boat - Number Eight On local Cornish voyages Eve of St Mawes tows her expedition rowing boat 'Number 8' for exploring. New 'Number 8' built 2012 If you love rowing, coastal walking and sailing try our Sail - Walk - Row voyages or Pure Wind and Oar Power Voyages featuring Eve and No 8
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Maybe Maybe Dutch Tall Ship in English hands. Maybe was built as a traditional Dutch Ketch but built as a private tall ship to sail around the world for her owner Jan Jacob Van Reitschoten in 1029. Now run form the North East Maybe is a popular and frequent particpant in the Tall Ships Races. Join her in the 2015 Tall Ships Race from Belfast. |
"Most of all I enjoyed “learning the ropes and steering the tall ship whilst on watch at night." - Esther. Customer Comments |
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