To Sail a Tall Ship

Right, this is what everyone has been waiting for – how do you get yourself aboard one of those beautiful Tall Ships during the MyState Australian Wooden Boat Festival?  It’s easy!  Many of our feature vessels, including James Craig, Tenacious, Enterprize and Young Endeavour will be offering short and long sails before, during and after the event.  Here’s how it works:

Passage Berths

If sailing a tall ship has been on your bucket list for some time, there’s no better time to get about it, with a number of vessels making the passage from Sydney, Melbourne, Geelong or Devonport to Hobart for the festival.  Join the professional and volunteer crew to experience a real blue-water sailing adventure aboard a windjammer in the Bass Strait.  Average passage time is 8-10 days and you will be living aboard with all accommodation and meals included.  You will be talking about this trip for a long time to come.  Don’t miss out, as berths are limited and will sell out.

Tall Ship Cruising

Can’t get away for that long? Consider a 6-day sail in the lovely Julie Burgess, from Devonport to Hobart, down the stunning East Coast of Tasmania, rounding Cape Pilar on the same track as the super-maxis in the Sydney to Hobart Ocean Race. Or join Southern Cross London for a 4-day sail from Kettering to Bruny Island and surrounds, or Lady Nelson for a similar 4-day cruise in sheltered waters.

Parade of Sail

It happens only once every two years, but it’s an amazing sight to see – more than 200 wooden ships and boats converging in the River Derwent for a majestic Parade of Sail that opens the MyState Australian Wooden Boat Festival on Friday 10 Febraury.  You can be right amongst it with a short cruise from Kettering or Woodbridge to Hobart.  Expect to be aboard for around 6 hours and don’t forget your camera!  Refreshments and snacks are included in the various packages offered by Enterprize, Julie Burgess, Lady Nelson, Rhona H, Southern Cross London, Tenacious, Windeward Bound and Yukon.  We’ll even lay on coaches to transport you from Hobart to join your ship early in the morning.

Festival Cruises

If you prefer your ocean-going adventures in small doses, consider one of our days sails, departing from Elizabeth Street Pier and Brooke Street Pier.  There a great variety of harbour cruises, entertainment cruises, fireworks cruises and short cruises on offer, with ticket prices as low as $35 for a short cruise to see this amazing festival from the seaward side.

Sail Past and Fireworks Cruises

On Monday afternoon, as the MyState Australian Wooden Boat Festival draws to a close, the feature vessels and yachts of the AWBF set sail at 3:00 pm for the Sail Past that honours the 179-year history of the Royal Hobart Regatta with a dip of the pennant as we pass Regatta Point and turn in front of the Tasman Bridge.  Some feature vessels will offer special cruises this evening, to view the Regatta’s spectacular fireworks display.

Can’t remember all of that?  We’ll make it easy for you.  Just click on the link below to see a full sailing schedule for all feature vessels, correct at the time we go to print.  All details and ticketing are handled by the ships themselves.  Click on the booking link in the schedule to go directly to where you need to be.

tall-ship-sailing-schedules-2017

Young Endeavour

Lady Nelson

Tenacious

Yukon (photo: Rob Oates)