Why do experienced sailors never tire of traditional sailing?

Even after 50+ years at sea, traditional tall ship sailing offers endless variety through going aloft, revisiting favorite destinations like Antarctica and the Scilly Isles, continuous learning opportunities, meeting new people on every voyage, and experiencing the timeless appeal of being on the water under sail.

Why do sailors return to the same sailing destinations?

Returning to places like Antarctica or the Isles of Scilly reveals new details with each visit. Different seasons, weather conditions, and shipmates create unique experiences. Second and third visits often provide deeper appreciation and understanding of these remarkable sailing destinations.

What can you still learn after decades of sailing experience?

Traditional sailing offers continuous learning even after 70 years of maritime experience. From traditional skills and heritage techniques to weather patterns, navigation, and the unique characteristics of different tall ships, there's always something new to discover on the water.

Is traditional tall ship sailing suitable for solo travelers?

Yes, traditional sailing attracts many solo travelers who enjoy meeting like-minded people on voyages. The shared experience of working together on a tall ship, standing watches, and learning traditional skills creates strong connections between crew members, making it ideal for those traveling alone.

What makes dawn watch special on a tall ship?

Dawn watch at sea offers unique moments of tranquility and natural beauty that never feel like a chore. Watching the sunrise from a traditional sailing vessel, feeling the morning breeze, and experiencing the ship come to life creates memorable experiences that keep sailors returning to the water.

Why I Never Tire of Traditional Sailing Experiences

Why my traditional sailing experience never tires me. Adam – Sunday, January 20th 2026

Hi sailor,

This week I’m going to tell you all about why ‘I never tire’ is it bragging, true, false, practical, impossible, probable, promotional, some of these, just a traditional sailing experience, all of these, none of these. There are ten sections to enjoy.

1 A Sparkling Sea

I never tire of being on a ship gazing over a sparkling sea with wind and the sun in my face, the ship moving beneath my feet and all I can hear is the wind on the sails, the rigging and swish of the waves as we power through the water – heaven!

It doesn’t matter if its hot and I’m in shorts and a T-shirt or it’s an icy seascape and I am warm in proper clothing, just being there and recognising the beauty of the moment is all.

Hot Voyages

Cold Destinations

2 Going aloft

The first time I went aloft was in 1990 and I can remember thinking, ‘ What the hell am I doing up here? I’m a father of three young children. Should I be doing this?’ Well the boring answer is it was safe and precautions were taken to keep it that way. The real reason I love doing it is the pure excitement. It still scares me but being scared is a good thing as then I take care and don’t act fool hardy. So up aloft I never tire of the adrenaline rush, the views of the sea and ship below me, the people look so small. My body adjusting to the sway of the ship as I work on the sails. Somehow you get used to handling rope and sails in such a way that it helps you stay safe. There are not many parts of the anatomy you can’t use to get an active position as you hand or release the sails. Legs, thighs, shoulder, head, bum or back they can all be useful.

In the photo Dan the Man getting ready to stow the gaff sail on Oosterschelde, note how his leg is wrapped around the topping lift and his shoulder is leaning in to it as well, the other leg in front is pushing against the gaff sheet. This means he can use both hands to control the rope.

Dan the Man getting ready to stow the gaff sail on Oosterschelde, note how his leg is wrapped around the topping lift and his shoulder is leaning in to it as well. This means he can use both hands to control the rope. All part of a rich traditional sailing experience.

3 Going back to places –

Here are some places I never tire of dreaming to returning to:

Antarctica and its unparalleled ice and snow scapes, going ashore on some of the islands like Paulet with its Antarctica explores survivors huts still standing but now occupied by blue eyed shags. Of Deception Islands hot springs and the massive colony of Chin Strap Penguins and of course of stepping ashore on the Antarctica Mainland. It’s unlikely that I will be able to do this again so I remain proud of myself and Mike who beat two Argentinians at table football at their research base of Base Esperanza.

Voyages to Antarctica

South Georgia beats Antarctica for the sheer volume of wildlife with colonies of Penguins, seals and albatross. Walking the end part of the route across South Georgia Ernest Shackleton took to find relief for his crew will remain one of ht high points of my life. I did also toast his grave with a wee dram which has to be done when in Gritviken.

Rare but when you can go for it – Voyages to South Georgia

Isles of Scilly, I don’t dream of returning to the Scillies, I actually do it at least once a year. Mostly to be part of the Gig Boat World Championship but also because it’s a wonderful place to explore with some of the best beaches in the world. Every island has its own character, my favourite is St Agnes and Wingletang Down.

You can sail there on these voyages.

the Isles of Scilly Sailing on Tallulah with Classic Sailing

4 Places I dream of going –

The world is my oyster but time and resources are short. I never tire of looking for remote places to sail that are out of the ordinary. Cities get more and more like each other and to be honest I am more at home on a remote island watching nature, the sea and sky. In 2026 I’m looking at either the Baltic or the Pacific. I will have to decide soon whilst there are still berths available.

5 Meeting people

I am not a solitary person so I never tire of meeting new people. On a ship it’s really simple. Everyone is there for a shared experience, one and all know it gets better the more you cooperate and work together. The truth is everyone has paid to be there and you know the best way to make it enjoyable is to join in and have fun.

Every voyage, even on short voyages you will make new friends and new stories.

Meeting people is a big part of a traditional sailing experience.

6 The dawn watch

You’ve been put on the dawn watch and it means getting up to be on watch for four in the morning. Oh my goodness how will I cope with that? You will. This is the quiet watch where you have some simple pleasure to look forward to. It gradually grows lighter and then the sky in the east seems to catch fire and the sun glides into view, the day warms up and you know it won’t be long till breakfast. A simple pleasure I hope you do or will never grow tired of.

Coastal Voyages

7 Teaching the ropes

There is a lot to learn in traditional sailing, there is no reliance on powered winches or steering, you get to do things manually as a team or steer on your own with supervision. Even if you sail on the same ship in the same place the weather can’t be relied upon to be the same. Even if it was the people will be different,

Passing on the skills and knowledge to make sailing interesting and enjoyable is one of the constant joys of my life.

How ever old you are you can still learn to coiling a rope properly.

8 Weather watching

There are places ashore that have consistent weather but at sea you always have to be prepared for the weather to change. At home today I study the same barometer as I did as a child. Is it going up, steady or falling, all good indicators of the weather to come. Learning about weather systems, the clouds and atmospheric pressure has never been easier.

The RYA day skipper Theory Course includes a section on weather and is a really good starting point.

Will I tire of watching the weather? No way.

9 Never tire of learning on a traditional sailing experience,

I thought when I was in my sixties that I would not be able to continue to learn new things or gain new skills. How wrong I was. For me learning keeps life interesting. Keeping an open mind gets harder with age but if you put yourself in new positions and find new challenges both mental and physical life is never dull. For some the best way from one place to another is a straight line A to B. It gets much more exciting if you wander off and take in C, Q and R before even thinking about Z. Keep learning, I aim to always do that.

RYA Practical Courses for formal learning

Short taster voyages