Return of the days of sail

NEW Summer 2011 Programmes for Eve of St Mawes, Annabel J, Europa - PDF (1MB) full list of voyages

October Newsletter Winter sun special offers - see below

Windjammers will soon be faster than modern cargo ships

An interesting news item last week: With fuel prices continuing to rise, many modern cargo vessels have been ordered to steam at low speeds to conserve fuel. Research firm Dynamar discovered that in 2010 half the worlds container fleet (carrying 35% of global trade by value) was steaming at less than 15 knots.  The tea clipper Cutty Sark regularly averaged 15 knots between UK and Australia in 1869 with a full cargo.

With a fleet of sailing vessels that could carry cargo or people when the world runs out of oil, Classic Sailing staff fantasise about a return to the days of sail ( and S/V Bessie Ellen has even tried wine cargoes in 2010 as a commerical venture). Probably not worth giving up the day job just yet, but nothing wrong with picking up a few nautical skills....

If you want to sail the nearest thing we have to a windjammer with stun’sails and skysails then read more about Barque Europa . She has 2011 ocean voyages from Cape Town to St Helena, Ascension, Azores and finishing in Southern Ireland.

Europa also sails almost as hard as a tea clipper when she has the searoom.
Tall Ship Race berths on Europa NOW AVAILABLE* from Ireland, Scotland, Shetland, Norway & Sweden this summer (* adult and youth reservations 01872 580022 or complete application form on line) .

More fatalistic 'future of the world' excuses to leave the office right now.........

Seven Tenths of the World are Ocean….

Have you seen the movie ‘Waterworld’ about a future world with no land ?

If seven tenths of the earths surface is ocean, then with sea levels rising there has never been a better time to learn to sail and become more familiar with the seas than sustain us.

The key to climate change probably lies in the oceans, but how many of us know much about the weather systems and ocean ecosystems, or have ever experienced an ocean passage ? Our tall ship professional crew are predominantly romantics with a deep concern for our watery planet. Sail with them and learn about the whales, dolphins, and the changes they see in the oceans and remote anchorages they visit.

Learn nautical skills on Eve of St Mawes
 

Explore the Isles of Scilly - before they disappear under the waves !

On a really big spring low tide you can see old field boundaries on the sea bed between the Isles of Scilly; a relic of past sea level rises.

Our Cornish based pilot cutter Eve of St Mawes has been exploring this beautiful archipelago off Lands End for 14 seasons, and I can’t say we have seen much evidence of them disappearing with sea level rises, but it is a good excuse to come and sail with us. Living on a self sufficient wooden boat is a unique way of seeing the islands so these voyages are always very popular.

Pilot cutter Annabel J also makes a summer pilgrimage to Cornwall, principally so she can explore Tresco, Bryher, St Agnes and Gugh, St Martins, St Mary’s and some of the uninhabited ‘deserted’ islands.

Eve of St Mawes Isles of Scilly Dates - 6 day mid summer wildlife voyages in 2011 from £695

Annabel J – 6 day and 9 day Scillies & Cornwall Way out West- June & July 2011
 

Tall Ships Race 2011 – Make peace with modern day Vikings

Photo is Klaas, one of Barque Europa's three Captain's. He doesn't always look so fierce. Not a Viking actually...but gives a good impersonation of one.The other Captain's are Robbert (ex ballet dancer) and Eric 'The Viking ?' All speak fluent English.

The Tall Ships Race this year starts from Waterford in July.

Last Spring, our historic sailing ship Bessie Ellen, made a bold move to convert her lovely saloon back to a commercial cargo hold, and actually ran wine cargoes under sail between France and Dublin. Alas now the wine has all been delivered (apart from a few bottles !), the bunks and tables are back, oil lamps swing from the deckhead and Classic Sailing crew can enjoy spacious below decks accomodation with plenty of headroom. You can still lie in bed in the old cargo hold space (now an atmospheric saloon) with its 3 inch planking and substantial oak frames and marvel at how a ship built in 1904 has managed to survive the economic up and down turns for over 100 years.