Family Voyages

The Family Who Sails Together…

It can be tricky trying to find active holidays that suit the whole family. Traditional sailing can be the ideal solution. You’re together, working and living together, but everyone gets to participate at their own level.

Thrill-seeking teenager? Great, climb the mast! Grandparent who’s a bit of a twitcher? Fabulous, stand lookout and keep watch for wildlife! Child who shies away from busy team activities? No problem- get to grips with helming under the quiet and kind direction of the crew, and enjoy the satisfaction of being the one driving the ship! Interested in the joyous geekery of navigation? Just fancy a workout? Want the opportunity to swim off the ship? Spot dolphins? After some exciting and adventurous photos for Instagram?! Fancy the sleep of the righteous after a day in the fresh air and salt spray? Or would you rather just make yourself comfy on deck and read your book? There is something for everyone on a Classic Sailing holiday.

I’m not going to lie, it’s not always the most straightforward thing to book a traditional sailing trip for a group, but it is definitely worth it! To make things as simple as possible, we’ve gathered all the info you’ll need here in one place. If in any doubt about whether a trip is suitable for you and your peeps, get in touch and we’ll be happy to help.

Which Ship’s Right for Us?

Each boat in the fleet has it’s own particular restrictions on age, as each boat is operating in different areas, with different accessibility restrictions and doing different kinds of voyages. Depending on the flag state of each ship, there are varying legislative barriers too. Here’s a summary of which boats can take what age groups.

Please note that even if a ship doesn’t have a formal lower age limit, the skipper will always have the final word on whether a particular trip is suitable for you. They have a legal responsibility to keep you safe on board, so please don’t be offended if you apply to book an Antarctic expedition across the Drake Passage with your toddler and you’re told that perhaps a shorter, less remote voyage might be better suited. Again, if you’re in any doubt, just get in touch.

Click on a ship to find out more about them.

SHIP	MINIMUM AGE	MAXIMUM AGE
Eye of the Wind max 12 guests	No lower age limit for accompanied children 18+ unaccompanied	No maximum age- all sailors answer health and mobility questions to ensure voyage suitability
Grayhound max 10 guests	Children welcome on daysails 18+ for residential voyages Younger sailors permitted on whole-boat charter	No maximum age- all sailors answer health and mobility questions to ensure voyage suitability
Johanna Lucretia max 12 guests	Varies by voyage (16+, 18+ or 20+) Younger sailors permitted on whole-boat charter	No maximum age- all sailors answer health and mobility questions to ensure voyage suitability
Moosk max 8 guests	Varies by voyage (16+, 18+ or 20+) Younger sailors permitted on whole-boat charter	No maximum age- all sailors answer health and mobility questions to ensure voyage suitability
Morgenster max 24 guests	No lower age limit for accompanied children 18+ unaccompanied	No maximum age- all sailors answer health and mobility questions to ensure voyage suitability
Oosterschelde max 24 guests	No lower age limit for accompanied children 18+ unaccompanied	No maximum age- all sailors answer health and mobility questions to ensure voyage suitability
Provident max 8 guests	12+ for accompanied children 18+ unaccompanied Younger sailors permitted on whole-boat charter	No maximum age- all sailors answer health and mobility questions to ensure voyage suitability
Santa Maria Manuela max 48 guests	14+ for accompanied children 18+ unaccompanied	80
Sunbeam max 10 guests	No lower age limit for accompanied children 16+ unaccompanied	No maximum age- all sailors answer health and mobility questions to ensure voyage suitability
Tallulah max 6 guests	12+ for accompanied children 18+ unaccompanied Younger sailors permitted on whole-boat charter	No maximum age- all sailors answer health and mobility questions to ensure voyage suitability
Tecla max 12 guests	No formal lower age limit, but we would advise that Tecla’s voyages are among the most adventurous and challenging, and are designed for an adult voyage crew	No general maximum age, although one may be imposed on certain very remote expedition voyages All sailors answer health and mobility questions to ensure voyage suitability

How to go Sailing as a Family

There are two ways you can sail as a family with Classic Sailing, either by booking on to an existing voyage, or by arranging a whole-boat charter for your clan. Which route you choose will depend a lot on the size of the family group.

Joining an Existing Voyage

It can be simplest to book on to an existing trip if you’re a family of 3 or 4 looking for a holiday within the next 6 months or so. Larger groups can sometimes be accommodated on the bigger ships, even at relatively short notice. Best to drop us an email with your requirements and we’ll check up on the latest availability for you. Choosing the right trip is key- don’t go for something hugely adventurous, at least to start with. Bear in mind that simply being on board a tall ship is quite the adventure!

Every family is different, but a short voyage in relatively sheltered waters gives plenty of scope for everyone to enjoy themselves. Light wind sailing can be just as much fun as the heavier stuff, even for the die-hard sailors among you, but it also allows those who’d rather be relaxing to have a nice time too. Also, there are many more opportunities to get up the rig when the weather is calm, so you have your own floating climbing frame for the youth to get to grips with!

Have a look at our voyages in the Baltic as a starting point for flat-water cruising, or Island Hopping trips which allow the skippers to find shelter in most weather conditions. You can also explore all of our short breaks with one to four nights on board by clicking below.

Short Breaks

Sail on Oosterschelde around the world explorere.

Whole Boat Charter

Imagine having your own Classic Sailing vessel for your next family holiday. Your own floating home for the day, weekend or week as you journey from place to place. Just you, your nearest and dearest and the professional crew who will, by the end of the trip, feel like part of the family too!

If you’re looking to go sailing with a larger group of 5 or more people, and if you have younger children, then whole-boat charter can be just the thing. You’ll sometimes get a discounted rate for booking the whole ship, and it allows the crew to tailor the voyage specifically to the abilities and wishes of your group.

Timing is key with organising a whole-boat charter. All of the ships have to get their sailing schedules launched as early as possible in order to secure the bookings they need. ‘Off the peg’ trips (ie, voyages that are launched as part of the ship’s standard schedule) are usually available for private charter only up to the point of the first individual booking. Bespoke voyages (ie, voyages that are designed specifically for you, outside of the ship’s usual schedule) have to be fitted around a vessel’s other commitments. If you want a family sailing holiday during the high summer, particularly, then you need to get in quick!

It’s never too early to start the conversation, so get in touch and we’ll help you find an adventure to suit you and your family.

Sailing Holidays on Provident with Classic Sailing

Our best bits were… Miriam climbing the mast on her 12th birthday… taking part in exciting and fun sailing…rowing ashore to explore a variety of otherwise hard to reach islands.