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

Brest (FR) - Dublin (IE)

19 July - 31 July 2024

12 days, Thalassa

From € 1000,-

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Clean Circle Navigators Exchange@sea Powered by Erasmus+ Sail Training

17-22: € 1000,-

Book this journey

Thalassa:
Brest (FR) - Dublin (IE)

19 July - 31 July 2024

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*Last places available, only for Estonian trainees – at request.* Bon Voyage, Plastic! (Nr 3) Sustainable Youth Exchange for trainees from Estonia, France, Ireland and the Netherlands.
Sail tall ship Thalassa from France to Ireland and discover new horizons! Set course for a journey of cultural exchange, sustainability research and personal development. Learn to sail a large ship, together with an international group of young people: steer, navigate, climb the masts and set the sails. Join the global plastic research of the seas, and brainstorm solutions for a cleaner future with the marine biologist on board. Make friends from all over Europe and learn to live and work in a multicultural group. Enjoy the stars during a night watch, explore the coasts of France and Ireland, and have an unforgettable adventure!
Join the Dinghy fundraising program to gather money for your journey and learn to use your own potential.
For young Windseekers aged 17-22. Additional fees may apply due to the necessity of becoming a member of a partner organisation of your country (up to € 25-50). In order to join this journey you need to have a valid passport, since we expect to visit the UK.
There are no more places available for Dutch trainees, but you can join one of these Exchanges instead!
There are no more places available for French trainees, but you can join the Morgenster instead.

About the Journey

Join tall ship Thalassa for an adventure filled with Sail Training, cultural exchange, and environmental learning! Get out of your comfort zone and explore the uncharted waters, learning by doing, together with young people from 4 European countries. Visit beautiful places, and leave them cleaner than you’ve found them. Make fast friends with your watch-mates during long discussions at night watches. Speak English daily, become more confident, and enjoy the adventure!

Take part in the plastic research of the sea, under the guidance of a marine biologist from The Ocean Movement. Collect samples of sea water and analyse them for microplastics, joining the citizen scientists all over the world. Look for dolphins and other marine wildlife, and learn more about how their environment has been influenced by human actions. Make your own plastic-free cosmetics, organise beach clean-ups with local people, and share the best sustainable practices from your own country.

Spend 12 days living and learning in an international mini-society on board. Learn to communicate and work together towards the common goal. Discover your similarities and differences, and learn to use them to your advantage as a group. Join games and fun challenges set out by the mentors, share your favourite national foods with the others, and compile an international playlist from the journey.

No budget? No worries! The Windseeker Dinghy will help you get on board. The program, much more than just a fundraising training, is part of your preparation and included in the Exchanges. Raise money for your journey, supported by an experienced coach. Learn new things about yourself and gain life skills. It is also a great way to connect with other trainees. Let us know at booking if you’d like to take part. Join Dinghy and get going!

Ports

Brest is a major French port on the Atlantic coast, historically of strategic importance. Much of the town was destroyed during World War II, but some historic landmarks remain. Today Brest is an important navy port, so expect to see war ships berthed in the harbor. Every four years, Brest hosts the international festival of the sea, boats and sailors, with many Tall Ships attending. South of Brest you will find national park d’Armorique, a tranquil reserve where you can escape from the city.

Dublin is the capital and largest city of Ireland. It is located on the east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey. Founded as a Viking settlement, the Kingdom of Dublin became Ireland's main city. The city has many landmarks and monuments dating back hundreds of years that you can visit. Walk through one of the many parks Dublin offers; it has more green spaces per square kilometer than any other European capital city.

  • Brest (FR)

  • Dublin (IE)

Sponsorship and costs

This journey is co-founded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union. The subsidized youth price for this journey is € 1000,- per trainee instead of the regular price of €1440.

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: 19 July 2024 - 31 July 2024
  • Embarkation: 17:00 / Disembarkation: 10:00
  • For Windseekers aged 17-22 years
  • Participating countries: the Netherlands, France, Estonia and Ireland
  • Windseekers joining: maximum 26
  • 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
  • Bedding and towels are provided on board
  • Windseekers from the Netherlands and France need to become members of their countries’ Sail Training Associations for a small fee (€ 25 - € 50).

  • "If you believe and push yourself there is nothing you can't do."

    Tan (17), Turkey

You sail on the Thalassa

Shipping type: Barquentine
Homeport: Harlingen (NL)
Date built: 1980
Trainees: 30
Length: 47m
Height of mast: 35m
Sail: 800m2

Sail in style. The Thalassa is more than capable to sail every imaginable sea and ocean. A 3-masted barquentine, she carries square sails on the foremast, while the main and mizzen masts are both gaff-rigged. Thanks to that she can …

Read more

Windseeker logs

  • Statsraad Lehmkul

    The Best Two Weeks of my Life!

    Statsraad Lehmkuhl, July 2016

    Antwerp - Lisbon

    – by Windseeker Manon

    The moment right before I began my sailing adventure I had a lot of fears and doubts. I have saved money for so long and I have worked really hard for it. What if I did not like the meals? …

    Read log

  • Arrival Kristiansand

    Vega Gamleby

    Skarhamn - Kristiansand - Aalborg

    – by Jeroen (18) and Anouk (16)

    Jeroen After being the most seasick person on the whole boat, today I felt better again! So happy with this, had a lot of fun in my watch. This watch we got the chance to climb in the mast. First I …

    Read log

Photos

  • Dolphins
See more

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.