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Join a sailing adventure on a Tall Ship and set course for new horizons!

Esbjerg (DK) - Ostend (BE) - IJmuiden (NL)

08 August - 18 August 2025

10 days, Eendracht

From € 900,-

Book this journey

Exchange@sea Powered by Erasmus+ Sail Training

15-25: € 900,-
26-28 (at request): € 1100,-

Book this journey

Eendracht:
Esbjerg (DK) - Ostend (BE) - IJmuiden (NL)

08 August - 18 August 2025

*Last place available for a female trainee.* Haul Away Pollution: sustainable Exchange@sea. Set sail from Esbjerg, Denmark, aboard the Eendracht for an unforgettable North Sea journey with young adventurers from around Europe. As you visit Denmark, the Netherlands, and Belgium, you’ll learn to sail a tall ship: steer, navigate, work with sails, make knots, sing shanties… Participate in meaningful work with The Ocean Movement, contributing to plastic research by analysing sea samples for a global citizen science project. Along the way, forge friendships across cultures, and share your country’s food, music, and traditions, supported by experienced mentors. Reach IJmuiden, a coastal town near Amsterdam, where you’ll disembark with a phone full of new international contacts and stunning photos, and with memories of a beautiful adventure!
For trainees aged 15-25 (26-28 at request) from: Belgium, Denmark, Latvia, the Netherlands and Ireland.
This journey ends in IJmuiden and does not include participation in SAIL Amsterdam event, although trainees may choose to join on their own afterwards.

About the Journey

Sail the Dutch tall ship Eendracht from Denmark to the Netherlands, exploring the coast of North Sea with young participants from different countries. Stand behind the helm and set course for the horizon - can you feel the rush from steering a large Tall Ship by yourself? Use teamwork to unpack and hoist the sails, letting the wind fill them up and carry you to your next port of call. Plot your course on sea charts, tracking your position as you navigate this unforgettable adventure.

Join The Ocean Movement in vital plastic research at sea. Learn about marine life and the effects of human activity on the oceans. Use a Manta trawl to study water pollution, analyse your findings, and contribute to a global database as part of worldwide research efforts. Help organize beach clean-ups and engage local communities to create lasting impact. Get hands-on by making your own plastic-free cosmetics and brainstorming innovative solutions for a cleaner, more sustainable future for all.

Make friends from around Europe and share your culture with them as you sail together. Discover the similarities and differences between your countries, help the cook prepare your national dish for the others, and create an international playlist for the voyage! Take part in fun games and activities organized by mentors, and challenge yourself both on board and on shore. With Exchange@Sea, there's always something exciting happening—you'll never have a chance to be bored!

No budget? No problem! The Windseeker Dinghy will help you get on board. More than just fundraising training, Dinghy is a personal development program, and is included in the Exchanges. With the guidance of an experienced coach, you'll raise funds for your journey while learning valuable life skills and discovering new things about yourself. It’s also a fantastic way to connect with other trainees before your adventure begins. Simply let us know during booking if you’d like to part.

Ports

Esbjerg is a beautiful coastal city in the South-West of Denmark, with the second biggest harbour in Denmark – a lively place full of fishing and shipping activities. You can observe the town’s maritime history in its attractions: from the Fisheries- and Maritime Museum, Esbjerg Skibet statue to the Men at Sea monument, everything brings you back to the sea. Visit also the Ribe Vikinge Center, a fun outdoor museum where you will meet the Vikings themselves!

Ostend (Oostende in Flemish) is a seaport and tourist destination on the Belgian coast. The original belle époque architecture was largely destroyed by two world wars, but the city still has plenty of worthwhile sights to see, such as the Mu.ZEE, the Petrus and Paulus church, and the fort Napolean. Visit one of the museums, check out the lively cultural agenda, and step in a Belgian tavern for a ‘pinteke’. And don’t forget the beach, which can be crowded in the summer!

IJmuiden, located on the west coast of the Netherlands, is the maritime gateway to Amsterdam, with both cargo vessels, and yachts passing through its busy locks daily. Its sheltered marina offers safe harbour from North Sea storms, while the wide sandy beach is a favourite spot for windsurfers and kitesurfers. Just behind the dunes lies a peaceful nature reserve, ideal for a hike or run, and the local restaurants serve fresh fish straight from the nearby market—perfect for a post-adventure meal.

  • Esbjerg (DK)

  • IJmuiden (NL)

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Sponsorship and costs

This journey is co-founded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union. The subsidized youth price for this journey is € 900,- per trainee instead of the regular price of € 1100.

Traveling to-and-from the ports will be reimbursed by the Erasmus+ Program of the European Union, up to certain amounts, depending on the country of origin, distance and mode of transport. The reimbursement will take place several months after the journey, based on receipts and tickets.

Maximum possible reimbursement:
Belgium: € 309 (€ 417 for green travel)
Denmark: € 309 (€ 417 for green travel)
Ireland: € 309 (€ 417 for green travel)
Latvia: € 309 (€ 417 for green travel)
Netherlands: € 211 (€ 285 for green travel).

The participants of this and other Erasmus+ journeys can join the Dinghy fundraising program for free (without the usual € 75 fee.)

Key points

  • Dates: 8 August 2025 - 18 August 2025
  • Embarkation: 17:00 / Disembarkation: 10:00
  • For Windseekers 15-25 years, age 26-28 at request
  • Participating countries: Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Latvia and the Netherlands
  • Windseekers joining: maximum 36
  • No sailing experience required!
  • Official language on board: English
  • Price includes: accommodation and meals, excludes drinks at the bar
  • Travel to-and-from ports will be reimbursed under Erasmus+ regulations (rules apply)
  • Windseekers need to have a health insurance and a travel insurance
  • Need to take with you on board: towels
  • Participants might need to become members of their National Sail Training Associations (any additional fees for this are included in the journey price).
  • "I have learned that despite my small size, I can do anything if I put my mind to it."

    Samantha (18), Australia

You sail on the Eendracht

Shipping type: Three-masted Schooner
Homeport: Rotterdam (NL)
Date built: 1989
Trainees: 39
Length: 58,1m
Height of mast: 44,7m
Sail: 1033 m2

Adventure, action and fun await on board of the largest three masted-schooner of the Netherlands! The Eendracht's focus is especially on youngsters, but anybody is welcome to sail along. Whatever you choose, you're always contributing to a good cause. The …

Read more

Windseeker logs

  • We are all Adventurers

    Bark Europa

    Antartica

    – by Windseeker Robin

    We are all adventurers... each of us in our own way. For some... it's facing the sea-sickness of rolling swells and books that move across the table on their own. Or climbing the mast all the way to the top, …

    Read log
  • Mentoring on The Maybe

    Maybe, July 2017

    – by Killian Borland (17)

    I was a youth volunteer on The Maybe for the month of June 2017. It was an experience that I will never forget. I loved every minute of it. One of the best things about sailing on The Maybe is that …

    Read log

Photos

  • Dolphins
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OTHER JOURNEYS YOU MIGHT LIKE

STO Garant

This Journey is covered by the STO Garant guarantee. You can find the conditions for this guarantee scheme on STO Garant’s website (www.sto-garant.nl/en/downloads).

This process is automatic and you do not need to do anything else. After receiving your booking, Windseeker will send you detailed information on how and when to pay for your journey – together with all the other important details.

 

What does it mean?

In short: you do not pay the booking amount to Windseeker but instead into an escrow account. This trust account holds your payment in reserve until your journey’s end. The booking amount is then released to Windseeker on the day after your trip ends. If Windseeker or the Ship should become financially insolvent before the end of your trip, STO Garant will implement the guarantee. The Guarantee Scheme details how you can make a claim under the guarantee in such cases. You can read more about this here.