Explore Normandy & Channel Isles on a Dutch three masted schooner

Normandy & Channel Isles in Spring - a Tall Ship for Nature Lovers

Three masted topsail schooner Oosterschelde is in her element in locations where she can anchor, explore rugged coastlines and islands and enjoy walking ashore and wildlife spotting.

Contrast busy city to the 'rythmn of watches'

The crew will welcome you onboard in their home port of Rotterdam and show you around. We will depart and sail across the ‘Nieuwe Maas’ and the ‘Nieuwe Waterweg’ to the North Sea. As soon as we are at sea we will divide our guest crew into watches, and you will all be keeping watch in periods of four hours. You will soon get used to the basics of sailing and navigation. For the enthusiastic ones, the crew is happy to explain more about navigation,the function of all the ropes, halyards and sheets. After watch there is enough room and time to play a game, read a book or watch the horizon and waves. The ‘Oosterschelde’ offers you the opportunity to experience your voyage in your own way.

Gulf of St Malo & Channel Isles

Our destination offers many possibilities for a visiting small town, to drop anchor at an island and to sail on spectacularly flowing tidal water like the Alderney Race. Where we will go exactly, depends on the direction of the wind and the weather forecast. Every day the captain or first mate will discuss the possibilities with the guest crew. On our first day we will sail through the night to Alderney or Cherbourg. Once we are in the Channel Islands and the Gulf of St Malo there is plenty of time to visit a nice town, to make a long walk or to visit a local pub on one of the evenings.

Seafood, Sea Pink & Seabirds

The Channel Isles are part of the UK but there is a strong French influence so it is a great place to enjoy excellent seafood ashore. The ship has a chef on board and a magnificent dining area so you will eat in style at anchor too.  Spring is the time for ocean seabirds like gannets and puffins to return to the cliffs to nest on isolated islands like the Sept Isles. If you love wildlife this is a great time to be sailing these rich waters.

We probably need around two days for our way back. If the wind is favourable, we can make a stop at Fécamp, Boulogne or Dover before we arrive in Rotterdam. Family or friends that come to pick you up can drink a cup of coffee on board and you can show them around on the ship.

'Hands on' sailing

You do not need any sailing experience to join Oosterschelde Tthe ships crew will teach you how to set sails, climb aloft if you want or steer the ship.  The working language is English and the ship has many fans from different countries. It is ideal for individuals abut equally the cabins are either 4 or 2 person, so families or couples can have a cabin to themselves.

General Itinerary

This description is meant to give you an impression of what a voyage could look like.
Depending on wind and weather conditions the travel plan could be altered, however we always try to sail as much as possible.