Sail Between Continents

If you are planning to travel the world why not consider doing at least one major hop between continents by boat. How much more cool to say you have done the trans ocean voyage under square rig – with few modern concessions and a lot of physical bravery and effort from you. The wind might be free, but you do have to constantly add (set sail) and take away (hand) sail so the ship can crack on at a decent pace without being too much of a handful for the human crew.

The ocean passages on Europa are Amsterdam- Lisbon-Las Palmas, Canaries in the Northern Hemisphere and then crossing both  the Atlantic and the Equator to Salvador in Brazil, and then down to Punta Arenas in Chile. You will have truely sailed between Continents, and if you have the time you can continue on the next leg to the Chilean Fjords and Antarctic Peninsula.

GAP year or Career Break, or Adventurous Retirement

The lovely thing about Europa's voyages is the great mix of ages and people come from all walks of life with amazing stories.  28 days on a sailing ship is not a voyage to take lightly. You need to be fairly confident you have no serious health problems likely to be agravated by being at sea, where there is constant movement, watch rotas where you will be up for 4 hours in the night, and limited privacy.  It helps if you have sailed or spent time on ships before, and that you like the company and working as part of a close knit team. It's a healthy life for most - out in the open doing straightforward physical work, and often a very hard thing to leave the ship at the end.

Low Carbon Footprint

Sailing between continents is not fast, but you will gain a humility and respect for the sea – our last wild frontier, and appreciate the true scale of the world that you have been exploring. Bark Europa is a self sufficient ship and prides herself on using engines as little as possible. Enjoy the amazing whoosh of the sea down the side of the hull as 330 ton of ship and 50 souls on board are transported by the wind alone to a new continent or remote island outpost.

Crossing the Line Ceremony

Cross the Equator on a tall ship Bark Europa and become a true sailor at the hands of King Neptune and his assistant Badger Brush. The “Crossing the Line Ceremony” is a traditional way of becoming a true salt. It’s a great laugh and everyone has not been across the equator is anointed by King Neptune and his cronies.This is going to be a hot voyage and as far as possible Europa will use the trade winds and not have to long a time in the Doldrums. With today’s instant weather information the Captain will plot the best course possible and if need be there are engines but they prefer not to use them.
 

Sailing Before The Mast

Crossing an Ocean on a tall ship is a challenge and once in a lifetime ambition you should seize whilst you can. It is possible to live life comfortably and dare we say boringly, but you may never know your true strengths and what you can achieve working with others, or experience the truly humbling effect of being alone in a wide vast ocean. The sailors who followed the trade winds in square riggers were a special breed, and after a your voyage on Bark Europa you will earn yourself a place in a unique ‘club’, and make friendships which will bond you for a lifetime.
 

Do I Need Sailing Experience?

You do not need any sailing experience to go on Bark Europa’s voyage as you will be trained and well looked after. However these are the most challenging voyages we offer and not to be taken lightly. We want you to enjoy it, so if you have never spent longer than a few hours on a boat or ferry then please speak to us for realistic advice. This 9 day voyage is often a long way from land - but not beyond the ambitions of an adventurous newcomer to sailing, but if you plan to stay on for several legs, we may be able to suggest a trial voyage before the big challenge.

Europa sailing past Bermuda by Lucy Hollis

On Watch At Four Bells

Being woken up in the middle of the night has its compensations; helming the ship under the brightest stars you have ever seen, being in charge as the ship as she ploughs through the unseen waves and the welcome hot drink at the end of your watch. You do need to be reasonable confident in your level of fitness and stamina for Ocean Passages and settling into the ships routine as she sails day and night is the key to becoming an ocean sailor. Taking advantage of opportunities to rest or sleep when off watch in the daytime will help you enjoy this extended period at sea. Life back on shore will feel very strange once you get used to the rhythms of the sea and shipboard life.

Blue Water Sailors

There is more to becoming a blue water sailor than swapping oilskins for shorts, but a suntan certainly helps. Ocean sailors happily adapt to a watch routine and the constant motion of the ship day and night. Experience all the ships moods from glassy calms to white capped swells launching flying fish from crest to crest.

photo by Roland Gockel: Mike teaching Anna about Sun Sights

Equatorial Waters

Approaching equatorial crossings the extra skysail masts and yards are sent aloft and the whole crew can easily be kept busy setting the studding sails that few training ships dare rig. The 14 professional crew and guest crew soon become indistinguishable as you learn the ropes, gain a healthy tan and perhaps help out with the ships maintenance.

Food

The Dutch are great eaters and there are snacks all through the day and night on top of three regular good meals every day. Dietary requirements on not a problem even on these longer ocean voyages, just let us know on your booking form of any dietary requirement you may have. Fresh bread is baked every day and the ship has large freezers. There is also a bar on board for when you are off watch.

Experienced and first time ocean sailors

If you are an adventurous spirit sailing for the first time then Europa keeps the romance of sailing alive with a great library, lectures, and enthusiastic crew who can teach a range of topics. If you have already sailed on a tall ship or are an experienced yacht sailor wanting to immerse yourself in square rig seamanship or maybe learn some Astro Navigation, then Europa is an excellent choice.
 

Wildlife at Sea

On a long ocean passage on Bark Europa you are almost bound to see whales, these hump back were spotted on a Voyage from Ushuaia to Cape Town and photographed by Debbie Purser from aloft. Adam was lucky enough to see 12 blue whales off Chile whilst sailing Europa in 2010.

The bird life will vary depending on your sailing grounds. In the Southern Atlantic you will see many different sorts of albatross, skuas and gulls.

Life on board

On deck you work with the crew to sail the ship, joining in the watch system; you may assist with manoeuvres, steering and navigation. Bark Europa may be steered from within the wheelhouse or on deck at the ships wheel. The ship is ideal for ocean crossings and longer voyages, with various places for relaxing: library, lounge, cosy corner and deckhouse. These different areas allow you to do your own thing: perhaps some quiet reading or perhaps a more active role in the social life in the deckhouse. The ship is equipped with television/DVD, CD player, I-pod and radio.

There are two 2-person cabins, six 4-person cabins and four 6-person cabins. During these expeditions the 6-person cabins will have a maximum of 5 occupants. The comfortable cabins have an en-suite toilet and shower. An experienced cook and cook’s assistant will prepare three meals a day.

The majority of crew is Dutch, but usually you will find various nationalities among the crew (currently Dutch, Austrian, South African, Spanish, Canadian, American and British but the crew and Captains work in  3 months blocks so the mix  varies. Europa is a highly desirable ship to be employed on so their professional crew is the pick of the bunch from around the world. All crew speak English, some are native speakers.