Sailing Vessel Tenacious Makes Tracks To Caribbean

With the name bearing Tenacious the 30 paying crew will have to be that too.  As they prepare to literally learn the ropes of this 65 metre three masted barque.

Sporting some 18 sails this Jubilee Sailing Trust ship is about to leave the UK on a multi-leg sailing adventure which will eventually take the ship to the Caribbean.

Grey skies at Portland before she left. The Sailing vessel Tenacious.

Heading firstly to Torquay from the ship’s current port of Portland the wooden ship built in 2000 will likely call at Falmouth too.

Once clear of the South West Approaches the Tenacious will then head South skimming the French coast and Bay of Biscay with a call in Lisbon followed by a leg to Gibraltar.

With several sailing trips from The Canaries up to around Christmas time. Then turning west into the ‘trade winds’ and to the Caribbean.

Although, in fact on a holiday these paying crew are very much on a working holiday. They will be fed and watered on route. However, they will have to split into sailing watches and be expected to turn-to in order to set and lower sails.  Using those newly acquired rope handling knowledge.

Sailing Vessel Tenacious Sails With New Crew On Each Leg

Steering the ship, assisting as lookouts and yes scrubbing the decks too! Cleaning ship every day both above and below deck will be all part of their new holiday routine.

On this trip the crew were made up of 30 men and women from around 22 years old to around 70.

This ship in particular prides itself as being user friendly for all abilities. Wheelchair accessibility to the decks, cabins and mess decks.

One crew man on this trip David Wilkins from Gillingham in Kent is totally blind and has some hearing issues too. That has not stopped him as he is now embarking on his 9th trip with the Jubilee Sailing Trust. And his favourite part of any trip steering the ship!

David Wilkins is totally blind and on his 9th trip on  the sailing vessel Tenacious.

Catherine Siklos from Yorkshire is another ‘salty’ crew member with some previous sailing trips down to the Antarctic in her ‘holiday’ sailing log! With the Bay of Biscay on their route she was looking forward to some rough weather!

Catherine has sailed before on a Jubilee Sailing Trust ship.

As well as the paying crew there are full time permanent crew members all commanded by Captain Darren Naggs.

These full time crew are there to ensure safety of the ship.  And pass on their nautical experience and answer any questions by these paying crew members. A full time chef caters for these guests and the permanent crew.

Even specialist marine engineers and medical staff are there to keep the ship, its crew and machinery all healthy as well.

Halyards And Hawsers All Part Of Learning The Ropes

For the crew arriving on a typical sailing ship the numbers of ropes and names of them are quite baffling. Terms like halyards, sheets and hawsers add to the complication.  Plus knowing your port from starboard.  Or forecastle from aft and throw in a ‘poop deck’ and ‘heads’ it’s a different world!

But with help from the ship’s Bosun or Mates by the time they dock in Lisbon it will all be second nature.

Permanent crew always ready to help on the Sailing vessel Tenacious.

The Jubilee Sailing Trust aims to bring together people of all abilities, ages and genders. The unique mission of the trust is to give people of mixed abilities and circumstances the freedom to explore their ability, potential and place in the world through inclusive adventures at sea.

Accommodation is in curtained-off upper and lower bunks lining the port and starboard sides.

Plus a nice locker to store away perhaps not a huge amount of personal items you may have brought with you.

With men using one side and women the opposite. There are numerous ‘heads’ or toilets plus showers dotted around the lower decks. Several lifts operate between the decks. The toilets and shower areas are wheelchair friendly and private.

Preparing for that very first departure from the port of Portland it was a period of intensive learning for this new crew. Overseen by various watch leaders, mates and officers they took the new ‘recruits’ on a range of health and safety talks and ship orientation walk-a-rounds.

The new crew will start their watch keeping duties almost straight away.  Splitting up into small teams.  They will be responsible for ensuring the ship is safe and have to be prepared and dressed into the correct clothing ready to haul ropes for the sails or yards at any time of the day or night!

Paying Crew Will Have To Be Tenacious On Watch Too

Watch keeping is usually 4 or 8 hours.  Although there will be periods when they will be asleep and others working. This constant rotation is all part of life at sea and will take a time to adjust to but this become second nature very soon!

Captain Darren Naggs.

Captain Darren Naggs said; “When you sign on Tenacious you join the crew and you become part of a crew as every one is involved in all aspects of the ship. That could be setting sails, working on the navigation charts, being on look-out or cleaning. Getting the ship from one port to another everyone is all part of that. And people like that involvement and hence do feel part of something very special.”

“We like to keep people fully involved and the crew feel a real sense of achievement. Many also make friends for life here. I get a big kick out of seeing people literally make a personal voyage of discovery on Tenacious.”

The Jubilee Sailing Trust started in 1978 and since then has taken around 50,000 people to sea. Its first ship was The Lord Nelson. Later in 1993 the Tenacious was conceived and built in wood.

The planned voyages are listed here with costs stated: https://jst.org.uk/voyages/

However, there may be bursaries applicable to your personal circumstances do apply using the link: https://jst.org.uk/bursaries/