Last year was Tallulah’s second season and skipper Debbie was building on her previous years testing the water with some themed voyages. She was fully aware that the collective total of these themed voyages help shape a boats distinctive style of sailing and ultimately the company she keeps! The strong threads that carry forward into 2024 are featured in this article.
These are holidays that have evolved from always trying new things, mixed with activities that have already proved a winner with guests on holiday in the past.
Many vessels create themes, but for Debbie these are not ‘add ons’. They are part and parcel of the ethos of her new company Sail Row Explore. She has two advantages at this game:
ADVANTAGE 1: Debbie’s previous vessel ‘Eve of St Mawes’ was based in Cornwall for 2 decades and this little blue pilot cutter with a big rowing boat, found many inventive ways of both showcasing the Cornish coast and seafaring traditions, and exploring every nook and cranny. Eve could have ventured off around Europe, we made a business choice to stay in Cornwall, Isles of Scilly and Brittany and focus on themed voyages instead. Each theme we added, created a different way of interacting with the ancient coastal landscape around us. 44ft Tallulah now takes on the mantel and can tap into all that previous exploring and experimenting with voyage content.
ADVANTAGE 2: A track record of encouraging customers to go on unlikely adventures that are not totally related to sailing. Debbie has sailed with over 3500 individuals on Eve of St Mawes who were initially seduced by the idea of sailing a pilot cutter at full tilt or relaxing on a soundless glide in sheltered waters, but often found delight learning about seal rescue, marvelling at wooden boat construction from their bunk, being allowed to just go for a solo row, or digging out the watercolours.
Bringing onboard marine wildlife experts, professional photographers, boat builders, walkers, botanists, eco-warriors, and their knowledge took voyages to a different dimension and purpose and attracted new audiences for sailing holidays. As Eve had 6 female skippers over the years (and 6 male skippers with the ability to step back from leadership and encourage others) it did shape the sort of sailing we did. Customers of all sailing abilities sailing were nurtured as best we could, because it was personal development and breathing space for adults, and not just about tying a bowline . In return they showed us what they liked in terms of holiday content and vibe on board. It was not always the obvious.
There are many themes within Tallulah’s 2024 sailing programme, but the 4 common threads that are shape her distinctive style are:
TALLULAH THEME 1: The Rowing Boat comes too
Whether it be 3 Day trips wandering the Cornish coast or an offshore romp to the Isles of Scilly, Tallulah likes to bring her 15ft row boat ‘Number 8’ with her. Too big to haul on deck, we tow her with 2 long lines, and she surfs along behind, sometimes at 8-9 knots. The benefits out vote the risks, and pilot cutter tenders traditionally had a tough life, ferrying the pilots across to sailing ships in all weathers. There are forecasts where we do leave her behind, but ‘Number 8’ is a big part of what Tallulah does.
More in ARTICLE ‘THEME 1: ‘Tallulah in the Isles of Scilly – The Row Boat comes too’
Tallulah – Scilly Island Hopping 2024.
TALLULAH THEME 2: Sailing with aesthetics in mind
Tallulah’s skipper is a keen photographer and artist who enjoys the platform that Tallulah creates to both make and capture great images. It’s about positioning the vessel to be in the right place for customers to be up close to sailing action and be part of creating sublime scenes. Composition, posing under full canvas and seeking out other beautiful boats to play with is part of what Tallulah likes to do. Many beautiful sailing ships visit Falmouth areas all year around.
Best Tallulah voyages for photographers.
More in ARTICLE 2: Creating a Scene – Sailing and Anchoring with Aesthetics in Mind
TALLULAH THEME 3: Blue Gym, Blue Health & Boaty Bootcamps
Try more than just sailing – multi activity voyages to restore your zest for living an active, healthy life. There is 1 Tallulah voyages in 2024 where yoga teacher Sophie Mydlarz from Recharge Therapy joins us. Nothing is compulsory but Sophie’s bubbly enthusiasm for watersports, wildlife and showing us outdoor yoga that can be flowing and muscle stretching, or meditative and de-stressing. Skipper Debbie will chuck in her slightly less graceful wild swimming, exploring with stand up paddle boards and row boats. We aim to encourage a salty life outdoors, blankets, candles and moonlit hot chocolate. Wine is also quite likely. Adrian and Will can vouch that its great for blokes too.
More in ARTICLE 3: Tallulah themes – Blue Gym, Blue Health, Boaty Bootcamp – Encouraging a Salty Life Outdoors
Tallulah – Boaty bootcamps 2024.
TALLULAH THEME 4: Goodbye RYA – Hello to our own Classic Boat Courses
Don’t get us wrong – RYA courses are awesome, and well recognised throughout the world. They create a structured pathway to learning both the theoretical and practical skills from beginner right up to ocean sailor or sailing instructor. So why is Tallulah’s skipper Debbie saying goodbye to teaching RYA courses and creating her own sailing courses?
read more in ARTICLE 4: Tallulah – Goodbye RYA – Hello to our own Classic Boat Courses, or dip into the course descriptions and find out for yourself. Some are purely about Tallulah. The 6 day courses use Tallulah as the mother ship and teach you big boat sailing plus beachcraft and small open boat sailing on ‘Wild Boy’ or ‘Outdoor Girl.’
Big Boat and Small Boat Courses 2024.
