Tall Ship sailing with JoJaffa

Why....Tall Ship Sailing?

Tall Ships - The words conjure up an exciting kaleidoscope of impressions, giant square-riggers with towering masts and billowing sails, leaning majestically to the wind, of sleek schooners sliding gracefully through the water.

Imagine being at the helm of a magnificent tall ship, guiding her across seas to exciting adventures, new experiences and lifelong memories.

Gracefully sailing past spectacular coastlines - the East Coast of Ireland, Gomera in the Canaries or the Isles of Scilly. Beauty combined with the tranquility of motion by sail.

Stand at the helm you are holding the great might of a 50m ship ploughing the ocean and splashing its nose like a playful dolphin on every wave it meets.

Recall visits to museums and dream back to the pioneering days of racing tea from china or high adventures on the high seas.

The Yards are aloft lifting great sheets of sail. Look to the top of the mast and spy a little creature keeping look out - and realise that is the leader of your watch. Ahrgg - adrenalin - just keep it steady now!

Later....

Sitting on the deck midships you get to watch the waves grow and then crash over the bow, drenching everyone. You just hear a whoosh and remember to hold on.

From a rough start, the storm suddenly blows its self out, the winds drop and seas slowly subside.

That night is cloudless, the sky shimmering with stars, brighter than a galaxy of diamonds, and there is absolute silence, apart from the sound of the wind gently filling the sails and the water lapping under the hull.

Sitting on the bridge, keeping look out, at 3 o'clock in the morning feels like paradise.

Look up at the ghostly sails, lit only by the light from the stars, and know what it feels like to be a pioneer voyaging out to look for the end of the world....

Getting started

Tall ships require big crews, perhaps 40 crew for the voyage and 8 to 10 permanent crew. These ships are too big for most ports, so they just sail on day and night. Perhaps they will anchor outside a port, then the crew are individually transported by motorised dinghy to the shore.

Typically, every one is placed into one of four watches. Each watch is led by a crew member with experience - your watch leader. This way everyone takes part in running the ships but all duties are tailored to individuals' abilities and many require teamwork enabling everyone to take part. You'll find that you'll be on watch every 16 hours - it's kind of weird to get up at 2am and do 4 hours of sailing a tall ship in pitch darkness (unless the moon is out) before day break and breakfast. But it gives you a wonderful insight of the 24 operation of the ship - no turning on the motor and heading for harbour on a tall ship!

Although the traditional rig on tall ships includes some sails which can be worked from the decks with ropes, others have to be handled aloft.

This means that volunteers get the chance to climb aloft and unfurl the sails, under the care and guidance of the professional crew (oilskins and harnesses might be needed).

Tall ships are wonderful places to experience the immense power of sail. They also create great friendships - it is not unusual for people to meet up with sailing companions again and again. That means that they are great people travelling solo.

To start tall ship sailing you really don't need any experience at all. Given that each ship has a large crew, so long as there are a few experienced hands, everyone else can pick it as they go along.

This makes it one of the most sociable ways to learn (and fall for) sailing.

Getting more out of....tall ship sailing

Treat your self to a visit (virtual or otherwise) to some of the sites of the great ships of old

Kit and caboodle

Spoil yourself

Sail in the tall ships race - or just follow the action from your screen. Take a winter sailing holiday around the Canary Islands on the Lord Nelson.

Open Outcry

Got a question? Get an answer!