Journey

Horta (PT) – Falmouth (GB)

EMBARKATION DAY 08/07/2025 AT 17:00H
DISEMBARKATION DAY 20/07/2025 AT 09:00H

Once in the Azores, we are back in Europe. Long ocean crossings are always a bit alienating, but in a few days we get used to it. However, we are home now. The last leg of this Darwin 200 expedition takes the OOSTERSCHELDE to Falmouth in Great Britain.

Before we set off, we take a good look at the weather forecasts, because there is one last crossing on the programme where we have no shelter. The good thing about this route is that, even if the weather is bad despite the summer, it always brings a westerly wind. And that is exactly the wind we need. After a week we see a sharp increase in shipping traffic when we have reached the entrance to the English Channel. In the first week we were lucky to see sunfish, dolphins and maybe a shark. Now we see dozens of fishing boats trying to catch as many fish as possible at the edge of the continental shelf. The hundreds of seabirds around us are trying to do the same. Now that the water depth is going from a few thousand metres to less than 200, the wave action and the colour of the water are changing too. We can literally smell the land and we are almost, almost, home!

Perhaps we will make another stop in a French port to prepare for a grand homecoming and then make the last few miles to the same port that HMS Beagle once made. After a night of partying into the wee hours of the morning, we close the DARWIN200 Global Voyage!

Before and after your leg of the voyage
We strongly recommend that you book a few days’ accommodation in the port of embarkation (before you join the Oosterschelde), and a few days in the port of disembarkation (after your place on the voyage has been taken). This will allow you to recuperate before and after your adventure and give you the opportunity to explore places at your departure and arrival points.

Level 2

Level 2 trips are suitable for anyone with good health and a reasonable level of fitness, with no mobility problems. On these voyages, you can expect days with strong winds or high waves, but most of the time conditions will be good. There is not always a harbour nearby and therefore (medical) help from land is not always available.

OOSTERSCHELDE wants to be accessible to the widest possible public, but you should be aware that you are making a trip on board a sailing yacht. This demands more of your physical abilities than a daily walk. One trip is more demanding than another. With the different levels we provide an indication of what kind of trip it is. If you are unsure whether a trip is suitable for you, it is important that you contact Tall Ship Experience for advice.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Small backpack that does not take up too much space in the cabin.
On deck we recommend shoes with slightly rough and preferably soft soles.
On land we recommend firm, waterproof hiking boots.
Valid passport
Sunglasses and sun cream
Binoculars for spotting all kinds of water creatures.
Waterproof clothing
Camera and video camera to remember your trip forever

Price: 3.250,00€

Availability: Only 4 places are available

Vessel

Oosterschelde

The three-masted schooner “Oosterschelde” was built in 1918 as a sailing cargo ship. The ship plied European waters and was frequently seen off the coasts of Morocco and the Mediterranean. In 1930, heavier and more modern diesel engines were installed and the rigging was reduced. From 1939 onwards, the ship sailed under a foreign flag and in 1950 underwent a drastic conversion into a modern coastal vessel. In 1988, the “Oosterschelde” was returned to the Netherlands. The Rotterdam Sailing Ships Foundation took over the fundraising necessary to finance the restoration of the ship to its original condition. The “Oosterschelde” is now the only remaining representative of a large fleet of schooners that sailed under the Dutch flag at the beginning of the last century. It is registered as a monument by the Dutch Ministry of Culture. The “Oosterschelde” is autonomous and is used in domestic and foreign ports for presentation and promotion activities. domestic and foreign ports for presentation activities and by companies and other organisations. In 1998, the “Oosterschelde” completed a one and a half year voyage around the world. The ship sailed to Antarctica, the Falklands and South Georgia.

Journey details

Embarking

Disembarkation

Map of the journey

What is included

Navigation
Necessary basic training and workshops
Bunk bed with sheets and towel.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner corresponding to the sailing.

What it does not include

Transportation to and from the boat is at the expense of each person.

Sailing on the sailing boats of the Nao Victoria Foundation is a magnificent human, technical and natural experience. You will take part in the sailing watches and experience the camaraderie of people of different ages, cultures and backgrounds, all as fond of the sea and boats as you are. You will learn navigation techniques, manoeuvring, knots and rigging, as well as getting to recognise the main stars and constellations. And all this in a natural environment as different, indomitable and incredibly beautiful as the sea.

A mini adventure full of humanity. My dream since I was a child, to see the sails swell in the wind, with the bow cutting waves up and down. Swallowing the sky, swallowing the sea. I am one of those who never stop, I do not miss even the smallest detail and Nao Victoria and you have filled me. All my nights different, always ecstatic. Captain, crew a 10, volunteers, I have no scale to name your dedication, your courtesy, your bizarreness. Historically well prepared, I now admire even more those heroes who preceded us.

The person who decides to make a voyage aboard the nao Victoria will find: a wooden ship that tries to recreate the feeling of being in one of those primitive ships that achieved such great feats, with a crew of people enthusiastic about sailing, the history of Spain very close, attentive and friendly, which will allow us to participate in all maneuvers and activities.

Book now and don't miss out on your place

Journey: Horta (PT) – Falmouth (GB)

Price: 3.250,00€

Availability: Only 4 places are available