How to sail with us

Introduction

Ocean Youth Trust South is an adventure sail training charity which takes young people aged 12-25 to sea in our 72-foot yacht John Laing.

We take twelve crew members at a time, with a sea staff of five or six. Crew members can book as a group, or just come as individuals and make new friends. Voyages generally start on the south coast of England. Some are short local voyages; others may go west to Cornwall or south to France or the Channel Islands. Every season there are a few voyages going much further – perhaps taking part in the Tall Ships Race series. In recent years we have sailed to Ireland, Scotland, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Finland, Sweden, Poland, Russia, and Lithuania.

Most voyages last for five days but it is possible to sail for as little as two days, while some trips last much longer.

Our sea staff make every crew member a promise: whatever effort and enthusiasm you put into the voyage, we will match and beat. Whether your aim is to have the holiday of a lifetime, or to learn more about sailing and seamanship, or to experience the challenge of life at sea, John Laing has something to offer.

There are no compromises on safety, but our next priority is to ensure that everyone has as much fun as possible. There may be parties, trips ashore, beach barbeques or games on board, as well as great sailing! This is not a formal, regimented sail training experience. Crew members are encouraged to ask questions, try different activities and get involved with a wide variety of different tasks on board.

Please take the time to look through the site to see further pictures of our boat, find out more about what we can offer, and read comments from previous crew - along with the latest voyage programme 2015 or draft voyage programme 2016 and information on how to book.

Crew members aged 12-25
What will I do?
A typical voyage
The challenge of the sea
Sailing qualifications
Duke of Edinburgh's Award
What to bring
What previous crew members said
Ben's story
Questions and answers
Physical or learning difficulties
Staying involved
Bursaries and sponsorship
Information for parents and guardians
Crew handbook (pdf)
Raise And Sail - OYT South's website for young people wanting to raise money in order to sail with us.