Best day of the holiday! - Best day of the holiday! Totally fabulous experience from start to finish. Beautiful boat, with such lovely staff! They went above and beyond to make our day special and we loved having the opportunity to help put up the sails and climb the rigging. This is a boat trip with a difference! Fabulous scones and bbq lunch! Thank you so much to all the staff! On top of that, any money from your ticket goes to their charity to help give young people experience this adventure! A must do trip in Bay of Islands! !

New Zealand at its best - Wonderful day out, sun, sea and sand. Dip in the water. Fabulous weather. Food was yummy. Staff were really attentive. They looked after everyone and we’re “down” with the kids!

A memorable day - From start to finish a great day out, one of the best excursions I have been on. The welcome by Skipper Terry and his crew was exceptional, his knowledge and enthusiasm rubbed off on everyone. I had a blast. The big difference as far as I that we actually sailed the vessel ! Without any blaring music or raucous drunks. An unforgettable day and the scenery was good too. If you get the chance go.

A day out of time on the good ship R Tucker Thompson - From start to finish a day to remember. The chance to sail on a gaff-rigged ship and all in a good cause was not to be missed. Joining instructions from Paihia were easy involving a short ferry ride over to Russell. It wasn’t long before the ship hove into view and tied up alongside. The skipper, wearing a jaunty festive baseball cap, checked us off on the list. He was so professional, approachable and friendly and set the tone for the entire sail. Soon we were all on board and after a safety briefing, delivered seriously but with a light touch, we set off under engine. If you wanted to you could take the wheel and steer, climb the rigging and help set the sails, no pressure if you didn’t want to either. We cruised in and around some islands and coves with history lessons and points of interest picked out. Not long into the sail, cream and jam scones made an appearance and were demolished quickly along with a welcome cup of tea. Conditions were perfect although we were under engine until we arrived at the mooring point in the cove of one of the furthest out islands. Here we stopped four about an hour and a half, it was so laid back and relaxing that I lost track of time! You could climb aboard the rib for a trip to shore, swim or walk, or you could swing off a long rope and jump in to the water for a swim around the boat or to the shore. Something for everyone. Pre lunch drinks were provided so anyone not wanting to do any of these activities could just kick back in the sunshine and watch with a glass of wine or a beer. Eventually everyone returned to the boat for lunch, a fantastic salad, chicken and potato salad dish. Because the ship is a charity there were souvenirs available but no hard sell, very tactfully done - and probably all the more effective for it too. After everything was squared away it was time to up anchor, set sail and head back. After a couple of hours sailing with a fair wind at our backs, a chance for more to learn how to handle the wheel and some very energetic sail-setting we returned to Russell to finish our day and tie-up alongside. Although we were all tired from the sun, fresh air and activities, it was with considerable reluctance we left the ship. The Skip made a lovely speech to thank us and the crew saw us all off safely, very happily allowing for photos and farewells. An unmissable experience. Thank you to Skipper Terry and his amazing crew. You made our day. This is an amazing charity which does fantastic work for young people so it was good to be able to support the work.

Sail like a mid-19th century merchant! - Sailing on this ship was a highlight of our New Zealand vacation. Built in the mid-19th century style, with canvas sails and rope rigging, being aboard is about as close as you can get to what it must have been like to be a sea merchant at that time in history. Everyone who wished to do so had an opportunity to help trim the sail, climb the mast (while securely tied in) or climb out to the bow over knotted ropes. The ship stopped at a small island with breathtaking views, where we learned all about Captain Cook. Lunch was grilled on board and was delicious. What an adventure! Definitely recommended!

One of the best things we’ve done in BOI - Excellent day out. One of the best things we’ve done in the Bay of Islands. Gorgeous ship and super friendly crew. We helped set the sails, climbed the rigging and swung off the rope swing into the water at lunch time. Delicious lunch. All in all a great experience and good to feel you’ve helped contribute to their youth programme too. We were undecided about which trip to take, but glad we went for the full day rather than the sundowner. Good value for money overall.

THE best way to experience the Bay of Islands. - Fantastic day, great sailing and swimming, friendly/informative crew, tasty lunch. Got to lift the sails and climb out and up while hooked into a safety harness. Best of all, the cost went to getting kids out on the water. Win win!

The best time in the bay of islands - This was an amazing experience! The boat is beautiful and cool to check out. The crew were all very friendly and helpful. The food was really good, and the service was good. The money helps support kids learning how to sail too which is great. I’d highly recommend this experience.

Amazing Adventure - Excellent experience!!! I highly recommend this sailing tour to anyone who is visiting the Bay of Islands. The four person crew did a great job keeping us all safe & entertained. We saw a pod dolphins right next to the ship. A very fun & memorable adventure.

MUST DO! - This was one of the best experiences we’ve ever had - truly unforgettable. The tall ship is great and there were lots of opportunities for those that wanted to help out. My husband loved helping with the sails and climbing the rigging! The stop-off at the island was simply spectacular. The views are second to none and we had a glorious swim before heading back onboard for a yummy BBQ lunch. We would absolutely recommend this trip to anyone, and to top it off, it’s so lovely that the money all goes towards teaching young people to sail. We’d give it more than 5 stars if we could!