Tall Ship Sailing Expedition
Tall ship sailing programs offer immersive maritime experiences where participants learn traditional seamanship, navigation, and teamwork while living aboard a sailing vessel. Programs can combine adventure with leadership development, environmental education, and personal growth through extended voyages along coastlines or across open water.
Building your Award:
Review the example goal, Assessor and reflection to help you build your Gold Project
For my Gold Project, I will complete my tall ship sailing journey and extend its impact: prepare by completing required swim tests, safety certifications, and pre-voyage training while researching maritime history and navigation basics, fully participate in my 2-week tall ship voyage by learning all watch duties, sail handling, navigation, and galley rotations while documenting the experience through journaling and photography, then share my learning by creating a presentation for my school’s outdoor education classes, writing an article for the school newsletter, and mentoring 3 students interested in applying to sailing programs.
Tall ship program captain/mate, voyage coordinator, or school outdoor education teacher
Living aboard a tall ship transformed my understanding of teamwork and responsibility. When you’re on watch at 3 AM and the safety of everyone depends on your alertness, you learn what accountability really means. I discovered strengths I didn’t know I had. I became confident working at heights after initially being terrified of climbing the rigging. The most powerful lesson came during a storm when our crew had to work together seamlessly despite exhaustion and fear. I learned that trust is built through shared challenge, not just shared time. Creating my school presentation helped me articulate how these experiences connect to everyday leadership. Mentoring prospective sailors reminded me how intimidating it felt before I started – and how worth it the leap of faith was.
