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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

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 (no more places available for Irish trainees).
This journey ends in IJmuiden and does not include participation in SAIL Amsterdam event, although trainees may choose to join on their own afterwards.
No money? No worries! This journey includes participation in a Dinghy fundraising program free of charge.

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!

IJmuiden, on the west coast of the Netherlands, is the water gateway to Amsterdam. Cruise ships, cargo vessels and pleasure yachts pass through its busy locks every day while the IJmuiden marina provides an excellent shelter from the North Sea storms. IJmuiden offers a wide, sandy beach that is popular with windsurfers and kitesurfers. Behind the dunes you’ll find a small nature reserve, perfect for a hike or a run. IJmuiden’s restaurants serve fresh fish, straight from the local market.

  • Esbjerg (DK)

  • IJmuiden (NL)

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. Reimbursement up to a certain amount, depending on the trainee’s country (according to the rules of the Erasmus+ Program).

Maximum possible reimbursement: from € 180 to € 320, depending on the country of origin and mode of transport (there is a higher subsidy for green travel options). The reimbursement will take place several months after the journey, based on receipts and tickets.

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
  • Price excludes transportation costs to-and from the ports. Our travel counsellor can advise you and book your transfers
  • 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).
  • "What an incredible thing to be a part of! So many people from so many backgrounds being brought together by a shared experience and bonded like no other experience could."

    Cody (23), 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

  • Sailing on Morgenster During the Tall Ships Races

    Morgenster, July 2018

    Esbjerg-Sunderland-Esbjerg

    – by Elin Giese, Sweden, 2nd time Trainee

    Being a trainee on board a tall ship is an experience you can’t compare with everyday life. This is my short article about how it is to sail with the Morgenster before and during the Tall Ships Races.   We all met …

    Read log
  • Dolphins

    Pollenca

    Oosterschelde

    Pollenca, Spain

    – by Ship

    The harbour of Soller is situated beautifully in a small natural bay at the northern side of the island Mallorca. Directly after departure we set the sails and with a southwestern wind 4-5 Bft we sailed to the east side …

    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.