Charter voyages on the Phoenix
Join us onboard Tallship Phoenix for the voyage of a lifetime, exploring the outstanding coastline of the UK & Northern France from a new and exciting perspective.
Phoenix is the last remaining wooden square rigged ship in the British Isles, making this an unmissable rare and unique opportunity to sail onboard.
We encourage guests to make the most of their time onboard by joining the crew to hoist and set the sails, climb the rigging, helm the ship as well as learning traditional methods of navigation.
Where the wind takes us
Charters are best onboard Phoenix when we have no set destination. We call these voyages "Where the wind takes us". We will set sail from and return to a specified port but our area of operation will be decided based on weather conditions.
It might be a hop over to France, an lrish sea adventure, a course around the stunning lsle of Man or a relaxing Cornish coastline voyage. The key is to make the most of the wind we have been given and work with it so we can enjoy the ship to her full sailing potential.
Bring a passport just in case and enjoy the romance and mystery of a traditional sailing adventure.
Book a voyage Example itinerary
Sailing experience
No sailing experience is needed as full training is given, so you can learn take part in sailing with the professional crew.
The guest to crew ratio is fantastic, with 5 crew to 10 guests, so there’s plenty of capacity for one-on-one training as required.
With square sails on both masts as well as a suite of staysails and a gaff-rigged spanker, there’s plenty to get to grips with, and that’s before we’ve even mentioned the added fun of a sprits’l and stuns’ls!
You have the option of an authentic 17th century sailing experience. Due to the number of lines and how few run to deck level, guests can expect an active voyage should they wish.
Guests can go aIoft with a crew member and assist with sail stowing etc. When we wear ship (jibe) we have to generously adjust 141ines whether fully set or not.
As a crew we operate the ship under sail with traditional navigation sighting the chart plotter rarely, and we actively engage guests to join in with navigational practices. Should they have an interest in celestial navigation, we have a sextant on board and would very much encourage the use of it! We operate as closely to 18th century standards of seamanship as we can, still making use of the bosuns whistle and take every opportunity to manoeuvre under sail; which to do properly can take at least 10 people.
Life onboard
The crew are welcoming and sociable, and you’ll soon feel like part of the team. They love to teach, sharing their love of this wonderful ship.
Also on board is an excellent cook, who you’ll often see pitching in to help on deck in between meal times. On charter you’ll enjoy a cooked breakfast each morning, with sandwiches and snacks for lunch and a hearty mariners dinner each evening. All of this as well as regular baked goodies to keep energy levels up!
Physical ability
Before you board Phoenix it’s important to understand there are a few physical requirements to sailing with us.
- You must be able and willing to climb 2 runs of a vertical ladder in order to board the ship and be comfortable going up and down steep steps to get access to below deck.
- If you wish to climb the mast you must be able to hold your own body weight in your arms.
- Ask advice from your doctor if any recent clinical operations or recent illnesses would affect your time onboard the ship. Depending on the voyage your only access to emergency care will be via helicopter.
- You may be bunked on a top bunk, the bunks are not tremendously high and for those able access is not considered difficult. However if you have any mobility issues you may want to highlight this to the First Officer.
Ashore
The crew is very social and when at anchor we will often send a scouting party to actively look for favourable coves for shoreside dinner and a fire on the beach. We ultimately take advantage of whatever the natural landscape offers. Each charter is unique, the upbeat nature of the crew spearheading the unforgettable memories many previous guests have had onboard Phoenix.
