Sailing Experience Days from Southampton
Classic yacht sailing experience days from Shamrock Quay in Southampton. Explore our Solent sailing days on board a traditional wooden sailing boat. Delicious lunch included.
Have a fun filled sailing experience day onboard a 100 year old classic yacht
Experience the delights of the Golden Vanity on a Solent sailing day. Help us to hoist the sails, take the tiller, feel the warmth of the wood, and haul the ropes through varnished ash blocks as we catch the wind in the sails. Enjoy the gentle motion and the sounds of a traditional old boat.
Our yacht sailing experience days leave from Southampton or the Isle of Wight. How the day works out is up to you. There’s every opportunity to get involved as part of a team. Alternatively, you can sit back and relax and watch the stunning views go by and enjoy a delightful day's sailing experience on the Solent.
Whether you are helping to sail the boat or watching the world go by sailing can be hungry work. All snacks will be provided plus a delicious tasty lunch.
Proposed Itinerary
After a short introduction to the boat and your fellow crew mates we will cast off into the Solent to start your sailing experience day.
If starting from Cowes we may head either east to Osbourne Bay, overlooked by Queen Victoria’s holiday retreat - Osborne House; or we may go west past attractive farmland on the Isle of Wight and ancient woodland of the New Forest on the mainland, past the turquoise waters of Newtown Creek towards Yarmouth and back.
Our Southampton sailing experiences days on board Golden Vanity are like stepping back in time. She was built in 1908 for a private owner, a marine artist called Arthur Briscoe. She was built along the lines of a Mumble Bee Brixham Sailing Trawler although she never actually fished. This means she is a solid and stable platform from which to enjoy a lovely sailing day in the Solent.
On deck she is pretty much as she was when she was built over a hundred years ago. There are no winches. Traditional methods are used to raise and lower the sails, of which there are 5 that can be flown at any one time. None of the ropes are colour co-ordinated, none of them are labelled! Our experienced skipper and mate will quickly help you to get the hang of things though.
There is plenty of opportunity for team work when sailing Golden Vanity so if you want to lend a hand you would be more than welcome. If you would prefer to just sit back, relax and watch the world go by then you would also be welcome to do just that!
Down below, however, the boat has been modernised and she has all the comforts you would expect on a modern sailing boat. A spacious heads, a well-equipped galley and a large saloon area. There are also 6 bunks up in the forepeak for when we go on longer trips.
Golden Vanity is an Historic Ship. She is also part of the ‘Historic Fleet’ alongside roughly 200 other vessels including HMS Victory!
Day Sail - Dates
