crossing from Rotterdam to Tenerife

The OOSTERSCHELDE is moored in the Leuvehaven in Rotterdam. Should you be brought by friends or family, there will be plenty of time to show them the ship. As soon as everyone is on board, the captain will call all those on board together. He will discuss the plans for the upcoming trip with you and he will inform you about the safety procedures and other rules on board.

This is a sea voyage for the seasoned sailor. You are part of the crew and participate in the watch system. During this milestone, we only make stops if the circumstances require it. You will stay on board a historic three-master for 20 days, like a real sailor!

We leave the same day. We sail across the North Sea to the English Channel and then we cross the Bay of Biscay. This part of the trip we may have to deal with bad weather and it will also be quite cold. We always relieve each other at the helm and certainly during the first part of the trip, sails will have to be hoisted or lowered regularly. When there's no work to be done on the sails, there's plenty to see for the people on watch. These are the busiest waters in the world and all around us we are ships of all shapes and sizes.

Maybe we'll make a stop in Vigo, on the Spanish coast, just above Portugal. But if the weather is favourable, we will sail further south along the Portuguese coast. Gradually it becomes less cold. Once at Cabo São Vincente, the first shorts appear and we can expect good weather and favorable winds for the last five hundred nautical miles to the Canary Islands.

We will arrive in Tenerife by 25 December at the latest and for the first time in weeks on a stationary ship, we can enjoy a Christmas meal together. Guests not sailing with us to Cape Verde will disembark the next day after breakfast.

These trips are only suitable for the experienced and fit sea traveler. During a crossing or long journey, there are few possibilities to divert to a port and medical care is not available within 24 hours.

Atlasail would like the OOSTERSCHELDE to be accessible to as wide a public as possible, but you have to realize that you are making a sea voyage on board a sailing ship and that that requires more of your physicality than a daily walk. Moreover, some journeys are more challenging than others. With the different levels we give an indication of how difficult the trips (can) be. Not sure if a trip is right for you? Contact us and we can discuss it.

Sailing along on a tall ship is a special experience. The Oosterschelde sailing ship has been sailing the 7 seas since 1917. Today you can sail on a sailing cruise in modern comfort. The sailingship is 50m long and offers a multi-day sailing holiday with 24 guests. With 3 masts and many sails we try to provide sustainable island hopping and ocean crossing. The huge salon and the cozy cabins will put you in a holiday mood. She prefers to sail to the Azores and sail in Cape Verde.