Ocean Classrooms & Citizen Science

Learning and Education at Sea

There has never been a more important time to learn more about our ocean systems and how it effects our climate and all the creatures that live on the planet, including humans.

The call to action is for all ages. Whether you can only spare a few days or a few months, you can make a valuable contribution.

Classic Sailing is increasingly getting involved with projects and inspirational leaders that are using sailing vessels as citizen science classrooms and research ships. It goes beyond just waking up the world to the importance of our oceans. Our latest partnerships promote sailing projects that involve ordinary people, from all walks of life, participating in environmental research, conservation and the search for solutions to damaging climate change.

If you want to justify your ocean wanderlust, then we urge you to do something useful whilst you see the world, or use your enthusiasm and new knowledge to be a passionate ambassador for the oceans.

Our big citizen science voyage programmes currently are Ocean Warrior Project on Linden and Darwin200 on Oosterschelde. Read more below.

We also have other pioneering sailing ships in our fleet that regularly explore remote corners of the world, and connect with conservation projects and help with scientific discovery. Sign up for our e-newsletter to be kept up to date with new expeditions, projects and vessels.

For example Tecla sails through the North West Passage every 2 years and around the world from North to South, looping Cape Horn, Antarctica as well as the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Santa Maria Manuela has worked with National Geographic divers exploring the underwater world around the Azores, and helping to create Marine Nature Reserves.

Enhance Your CV – Stand Out From the Crowd

If you think your future career might be an environmental one in fields like climate change, oceanography, coastal zone management, fisheries, offshore renewable energy, polar expedition planning or any work at sea, then participation in these expeditions is great for career networking with professionals and a way of standing out amongst the crowd at job interviews.

Ocean Warrior – Arctic Expeditions

What’s better than the wind in your sails and the open sea before you? Well, how about adding a sprinkle of scientific research that can contribute to our understanding of the world? That’s precisely what the #Resolute Expeditions, part of the Ocean Warrior project, brings to the table—or should I say, chart table.

Led by seasoned polar explorer Jim McNeill, these expeditions don’t just offer a thrilling nautical experience; they give sailors a chance to actively contribute to the critical scientific discourse on climate change and ocean health. The expeditions aim to amass consistent data over a decade, thereby creating a robust foundation for understanding how our oceans are faring in a rapidly changing climate.

If you are going to enhance your career CV, why not combine it with high adventure, sailing from Iceland around the tip of Greenland, or with an expedition in West Greenland and the North West Passage Approaches above Inuit territories of Canada and deep into the Arctic Circle during the short but spectacular Summer.

The Schooner ‘Ocean Warrior #Resolute Expeditions ship Linden’: Your Floating Lab

You won’t be cramped on some steel monstrosity; you’ll be on Ocean Warrior #Resolute Expeditions ship Linden—a traditional three-masted schooner. Equipped with state-of-the-art scientific instruments yet maintaining its traditional charm. Linden provides the perfect platform for combining old-world sailing with cutting-edge research. Trust me, it’s as romantic as it sounds, but with a high-tech twist.

This decade long mission will demonstrate that using a traditional sailing vessel equipped with state of the art autonomous scientific instrumentation can address key questions in polar ocean and climate research in remote arctic ocean sailing grounds where few researchers would normally get a chance to reach.

Darwin 200 – Round The World project

Three masted topsail schooner Oosterschelde is already half the way around the world as part of an incredible educational and activist project -DARWIN200. A well sponsored planetary conservation initiative that aims to train and empower the next generation’s elite environmental leaders and engage millions of students worldwide in conservation projects. Over 2023-2025, the beautiful tall ship Oosterschelde will re-sail the route of Charles Darwin’s voyage aboard HMS Beagle, and you can join her – whatever your age.

During this global voyage, the DARWIN200 team will:
• Train elite young conservationists, one from each of two hundred countries and states around the world. These ‘DARWIN LEADERS’ will become tomorrow’s top environmental leaders.
• Create the World’s Most Exciting Classroom by beaming activities, research projects, experiments, lectures, essay competitions and weekly ‘nature hour’ events to schools across the globe to engage millions of students, teachers and member of the general public.
• Undertake citizen science research projects by partnering with key conservation organisations to engage global audiences in tackling many of the world’s most critical environmental problems.

There are not many places left – but check out the route and options:

Sailing Voyages with lecturers and experts

Classic Sailing has over 300 voyages a year, so it is not always easy to identify which voyages will have guest lecturers on board. It is more common on the bigger ships as they have more cabins for extra staff. If a smaller vessel is running a themed voyage we will usually state if the voyage theme is being run by a skipper with good expertise on the subject, or whether they have employed a specialist to join you.

For example Tecla skippers have good Arctic and Antarctic knowledge and are well versed in wildlife, ice navigation and historic polar exploration stories. Tallulah’s skipper has run many past voyages with wildlife experts, so had good knowledge of marine life and birds in Cornwall. Provident runs hill walking and wild swimming voyages – often with expert guides. Trinovante has good contacts ashore in Orkney and Shetland from years of visiting the islands with guests.