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Tall Ship Tasters and Winter Sun

The best way to find your sea legs on a tall ship for the first time is to chose a voyage with plenty of short hops between ports. You will still probably get night sailing and a taste of offshore open seas, but there will be plenty of sail handling as you go in and out of port, and a welcome chance to enjoy a drink ashore with your new found friends, or wander ‘lonely as a cloud’ on solid land. It also helps if the sun is warm and you can spend maximum time outdoors in shorts and t shirts, rather than look like Ellen McArthur on a round the world epic trussed up in full Musto waterproofs.

Short Tall Ship Tasters in the UK

British Tall Ships Stavros S Niarchos, Lord Nelson and Tenacious offers day sails and 2,4,5,6 and 7 day tall ship tasters which are an ideal introduction to tall ship sailing without travelling too far afield. They make great presents for those friends and relatives that have always taked about running way to sea, but never quite get around to organising it. Classic Sailing can also sell gift vouchers that can be used on any of our vessels. Even if you live in mainland Europe, the current weakness of the British Pound Stirling makes these short voyages very affordable to via a cheap flight.

Tall Ship Day Sails

Island Hopping, Whales & Dolphins in the Canaries 2011-2012

The small but characterful tall ship Bessie Ellen will be based in the Western Canaries for most of the British Winter, plus a great ocean sail from Tenerife to the Azores in 2012 for some rather more remote island hopping.

These 7 day wildlife and exploration voyages on Bessie Ellen are for anyone looking for an active holiday in the sun and no experience is needed to be  guerst crew.  A great way of experiencing tall ship sailing in a winter sun location where you can swim in the ocean, marvel at the stars in unpolluted skies and climb aloft to watch for dolphins and whales. You may even see a turtle as this is an amazing place for marine wildlife.

The Canaries are easy to get to from regional airports throughout Europe, but sailing between the lesser known islands like La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro on a eye catching ship turns a well known destination into something quite special.

Bessie Ellen - Canaries wildlife voyages 2011-2012

Bessie Ellen - Azores island hopping Spring 2012

Cape Verde - Tropical sun & exciting trade winds

Schooner Oosterschelde in Cape Verde 2011-2012

Crew a windjammer in the Caribbean 2012

Tenacious is Britain's largest working tall ship and a regular visitor to the Caribbean. In 2012 she is exploring new sailing grounds from Guadaloupe in the heart of the French Caribbean, a 11 day voyage visiting her old haunts around Antigua and then a 1000 mile voyage up the whole Caribbean island chain between Antigua and the Bahamas.

Tenacious Tropical Winter Sun Caribbean Voyages 2012

Blue Water Sailing –Mini Ocean Passages

Both tall ship Bessie Ellen and topsail schooner Oosterschelde are migrating South for the winter. If you have had a taste of sailing and want to try a relatively short but challenging ocean passage  for 9-14 days then sign up this autumn for a Bay of Biscay crossing or a warmer blue water passage from Northern Spain to the Canaries (Bessie Ellen) or Cape Verde (Oosterschelde).There is also a great 11 day sail from the Canaries to the Azores on Bessie Ellen in the Spring . Bessie Ellen takes up to 12 guest crew and Oosterschelde no more than 24 crew so you will get plenty of instruction and involvement.
 

 " I was extremely impressed by how well organised the whole voyage was, and running the ship in general. I thought the crew were superb the way they motivated and encouraged everybody to do whatever it took to ensure the ship could continue to sail through the day and night. Thanks again for a great holiday!" - Maryjane Crane