For centuries sailing ships crossing the Atlantic would sail from Europe ‘South until the butter melts’ to a latitude around the Canaries or the Azores before heading West with the reliable North East trade winds, so avoiding the strong Westerly depressions that race towards our shores in winter. For Classic Sailing tall ships Morgenster, Eye of the Wind, Tecla, Oosterschelde and Santa Maria Manuela, the migration path south in search of the sun is a hard one to resist.
Explore the MEDIUM HOT with wind– Canaries for Nature Lovers The longer you spend in sunshine outdoors during the winter, the happier you will be – it’s a medical fact.
You don’t have to fry on a Caribbean beach to get a great tan or feel good about yourself. On Tenacious in the Canaries you spend most the day outdoors at sea gaining an effortless healthy glow whilst you help sail the ship.
The sun shines and reflects off the water topping up those happy endomorphins and the only sounds are a few creaks of delight as this lively wooden sailing ship enjoys the free power of the wind.
Hotspot for dolphins and whales & a hidden gem for mountain walking It is not a clichéd marketing tag – the Canaries really are a hot spot for many species of dolphins and whales, as proved by the number of cetacean research projects based on the islands.
What few people realise is that these volcanic islands have abundant marine wildlife, many protected marine nature reserves and the ocean current sweeping past brings turtles, manta ray and other rare marine life.
Scotland to the Canary Islands
Here’s an unusual voyage south for you. Join in Ullapool, easy to get to by coach from Inverness. Sail South over 19 days to Santa Cruz in the Canary Islands. You will really experience a changing climate on this long voyage from cool Scotland to warm Tenerife.
Tecla heads Southwards and stops in the Canaries on its way to Antarctica.
TROPICAL HOT with trade winds– Cape Verde The nine islands of Cape Verde lie 16 degrees north of the equator and sit squarely in the NE trade wind belt so they are hot and as windy as the West Indies.
Our 1916 topsail schooner Oosterschelde has made this tropical archipelago off Senegal her winter base for a series of 11 day sailing expeditions.
Her crew have a tried and tested itinerary to gain the most out of some exhilarating sailing and forays ashore. Cape Verde was our Classic Sailing Directors choice for our annual holiday (yes we do pay for it !), so if you can spare 2 weeks then follow the insiders tip. #
Bay of Biscay for the Brave
Do you ever have the romantic urge to just leave these shores on a sailing ship of old ? Go beyond the reach of a mobile phone signal and haul on blocks and tackles with sailors who have not got a phone glued to their ear ? Eye of the Wind, Morgenster and Oosterschelde have sailed around the coasts of Europe under sail many times and frankly the experience of sailing a tall ship across Biscay and down to Spain and Portugal is about as authentic as you can get (although the living quarters are rather more plush).
Oosterschelde 20 day mile building voyage 6 to 26 December 2022 Rotterdam to Santa Cruz, Tenerife, Canary Islands from €2950 per person
Sail on the Eye of the Wind from Brest to La Coruna in Northern Spain, 7 days only €1960
Affordable Caribbean
Morgenster has five voyages in the Caribbean but only limited availability.
Some of the islands Morgenster could visit.
Tobago, Grenada, Grenadine’s, Saint Vincent, St Lucia, Martinique, Lesser Antilles, Dominica,Guadeloupe, antigua, Barbuda, St Kitts and St Nevis, St Maarten/St Martin, the Leeward islands and Barbados.
Caribbean Sailing holidays on Morgenster
Autumn and Winter Voyages to the Sun
