Take the helm

Explore the stunning West Country coast on a tall ship taster weekend, an experience like no other.

Ever wondered what it might be like to sail a classic tall ship? Feel the wind and spray in your hair as the sails flap and billow above your head? Cut through the surf and head off into the sunset with dolphins leaping alongside?

“Lend a hand with raising a sail, take the helm for a nautical mile or two, or simply sit on deck with a mug of tea and watch the stunning coast pass by.”

Well, say ahoy there to the Johanna Lucretia, a beautifully preserved tall ship that’s running long weekend taster trips around the coast this summer. A founder vessel of the new VentureSail classic sailing holidays agency, the two-masted topsail schooner is the pride and joy of skipper Rodger Barton, who loves nothing more than introducing newbie seagoers and veterans alike to the joys of tall ship sailing.

Lend a hand with raising a sail, take the helm for a nautical mile or two, or simply sit on deck with a mug of tea and watch the stunning coast pass by. Call in on traditional fishing villages, secluded coves and Poldark’s filming locations, mustering with crew and guests at the end of each day to swap notes and enjoy some home-cooked food. Then, with a day’s worth of bracing sea air in your lungs, retire to one of the ten guest berths in the wood-panelled below-deck for a sound night’s rest.

Head to the official website for more on Johanna Lucretia’s West Country sailing weekends, as well as her crossings to the Isles of Scilly and details of holidays on other VentureSail boats. Established in 2018, VentureSail’s growing collection of traditional holiday and adventure vessels answers the call from travellers for truly different and authentic outdoor experiences. Choose a long weekend on the Cornish coast, a voyage to St Kilda, island-hopping in the Caribbean, a tour of Arctic waters or one of the other trips, and take the helm as the wind fills your sails!

VentureSail makes it easy for nautical novices to taste life on the ocean waves, and get a crew’s-eye-view of spectacular seascapes and wildlife from the deck of a classic tall ship. Having had a go ourselves, we can confirm firsthand that it truly is an experience like no other! Keep an eye on the website for more details of vessels, voyages and dates.