Tall Ships FAQ

"From my first race on Nantucket Sound many years ago to my most recent outing as a weekend sailor, sailing has given me some of the most pleasant and exciting moments of my life. It has also taught me something of the courage, resourcefulness and strength required of men who sail the sea in tall ships."

- John F. Kennedy, April 1963


  1. How can I find out more about tall ships?

    One way is to contact one or more of the International Sail Training Associations. For instance ASTA , the U.S. version has a directory of sail training ships and programs. The ones I know about are:

    Australia
      Australian Sail Training Association (AUSTA)
    Canada
      Canadian Sail Training Association
    Denmark
      Danish Sail Training Association
    Finland
       Sail Training Association Finland(STAF), c/o Pekka Tuomisalo 
       Sammontie 4 B 1 
       04230 Kerava 
       Finland 
       Also see Sail Trainees of Finland
    Germany
      Sail Training Association Germany (STAG)
    Italy
      Sail Training Association Italia
    Japan
      Sail Training Association of Japan(STAJ), Nanyo-do Building 2F, 1-14-4
      Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113, Japan; (03) 3818-6272; FAX (03) 3818-
      7816
    Netherlands
      Sail Training Association Netherlands (STAN), Postbus 55, 2340 AB
      Oegstgeest, Netherlands
      email: sta@dds.nl
    Norway
      Norwegian Sail Training Association
    Poland
      Sail Training Association Poland(STAP), Gdynska Fundacja Zeglarska, al.
      Zjednoczenia 3, 81-963 Gdynia 1, Poland
    Portugal
      Associação Portuguesa de Treino de Vela (APORVELA)
    Russia
      Sail Training Association Russia(STAR), St. Petersburg Engineering
      Marine College, Kosaya Line 15a, St. Petersburg, Russia
    Sweden
      Stiftelsen Svenska Kryssarklubbens Seglarskola
      Vita Gaveln 38
      Nya Varvet
      426 71 Vastra Frolunda
      Sweden
    United Kingdom
      Association of Sea Training Organisations (ASTO)
    United States
      American Sail Training Association
    
  2. How can I find out more about sailing Tall Ships?

    1. To Go Sailing
      In the U.S. I'd highly recommend getting a copy of Directory of Sail Training Ships and Programs from ASTA. It contains addresses and descriptions of many ships. Another source that I've used is Ocean Voyages, a ship broker. I use them to sail with Soren Larsen, and in their literature they have opportunities on many different vessels.

    2. Best Opportunity
      I'd say the best opportunity if you have the money are the various vessels that make up the Tall Ships of Maine. They survive by taking tourists around in the summer. The other way is to volunteer with one of the many ships. Again the ASTA directory is a good place to start.

    3. Operator's Manuals
      There are many books on sailing but the following three, which last I looked were still in print will help you better understand the mechanics of sailing tallships.
      Seamanship in the Age of Sail : An Account of the Shiphandling of the
      Sailing Man-Of-War 1600-1860, Based on Contemporary Sources
      by John Harland 
      United States Naval Inst.; ISBN: 0870219553 
      - a truly wonderful book
      
      Eagle Seamanship : A Manual for Square-Rigger Sailing 
      by Edwin H. Daniels 
      United States Naval Inst.; ISBN: 0870212516
      - the guide used by cadets in the Coast Guard to learn how to sail
      the Eagle
      
      Auxiliary Sail Vessel Operations : For the Aspiring Professional Sailor 
      by G. Andy Chase
      Cornell Maritime Pr; ISBN: 087033493X ;
      - a more modern view, but well worth a read.
      

  3. Professional Training
    You might check out Able-Seaman Training.

  4. Bibliography
    "Sailing Ships of the World" by Erik C. Abranson, Thomas Reed Publications
    1992. ISBN 0-947637-47-8
      Nearly 100 photographs and information on Tall Ships. Stunning book,
      but fairly expensive
    "The Art of Rigging" by George Biddlecombe, Dover Publications, ISBN
    0-486-26343-6.
    
  5. Some other folks experiences on Tallships

    Summer '99 on The Bounty
    by Phil Niedermann.


I'm always open to adding resources to my list, so if you know of other items, give me a holler: mbrmbr@acm.org

Form first updated: Thur Dec 30 08:38:56 1993 EST. Last updated: Tue Jul 15 06:38:56 2003 EST.

Copyright 1994-2015 Mark Rosenstein. Disclaimer.