Sailing on this ship was a highlight of our New Zealand vacation. Built in the mid-19th century style, with canvas sails and rope rigging, being aboard is about as close as you can get to what it must have been like to be a sea merchant at that time in history. Everyone who wished to do so had an opportunity to help trim the sail, climb the mast (while securely tied in) or climb out to the bow over knotted ropes. The ship stopped at a small island with breathtaking views, where we learned all about Captain Cook. Lunch was grilled on board and was delicious. What an adventure! Definitely recommended!

Excellent day out. One of the best things we’ve done in the Bay of Islands. Gorgeous ship and super friendly crew. We helped set the sails, climbed the rigging and swung off the rope swing into the water at lunch time. Delicious lunch. All in all a great experience and good to feel you’ve helped contribute to their youth programme too. We were undecided about which trip to take, but glad we went for the full day rather than the sundowner. Good value for money overall.

Fantastic day, great sailing and swimming, friendly/informative crew, tasty lunch. Got to lift the sails and climb out and up while hooked into a safety harness. Best of all, the cost went to getting kids out on the water. Win win!

This was one of the best experiences we’ve ever had - truly unforgettable. The tall ship is great and there were lots of opportunities for those that wanted to help out. My husband loved helping with the sails and climbing the rigging! The stop-off at the island was simply spectacular. The views are second to none and we had a glorious swim before heading back onboard for a yummy BBQ lunch. We would absolutely recommend this trip to anyone, and to top it off, it’s so lovely that the money all goes towards teaching young people to sail. We’d give it more than 5 stars if we could!

I can’t recommend this trip enough. Many thanks to the captain and crew of the vessel (Marcel, Connor, Tom, and Arihi) for helping to make it such a great experience. You get to be as hands on (or hands off) as you want to be—for me that was very much hands on. I got to help hoist the sails, man the helm, ride the bowsprit, swing from a rope swing into the ocean, and my personal favorite—climb the rigging which gives you the best view on the ship! Only a handful of passengers wanted to climb, so they let me spend quite a bit of time up there which I really appreciate. We experienced all the weather during our day sail—wind, sun, clouds, and a brief but heavy downpour of rain—and while it dampened everyone’s clothes it didn’t dampen peoples’ spirits. I went on my birthday and I can honestly say it was the best birthday ever. I’d originally been suppose to come in 2020 but the pandemic put a halt to that so I had had 4 years to build the day up in my mind and the reality not only met but exceeded my hopes and expectations. And thank you for the birthday card; that was an incredibly sweet and unexpected personal touch. 💕

Good to be able to financially support this youth training organistion, and have a bit of fun in the process! The cost included a free ferry ride over from Paihia, and back at the end of the day which was a bonus. We departed from the jetty at Russel about 10am with all the guests- there were quite a lot on our trip- though plenty of room to sit up on deck. After motoring for a while out into The Bay of Islands, we anchored near a lovely sandy beach. The skipper and crew were very laid back about guest activities- some went in the inflatable to the beach, some swam to the beach, some stayed aboard and painted, some went up the rigging wearing harnesses. A couple of hours later, we all had a lovely BBQ onboard of Butter Chicken, Potato Salad and Green salad- you could buy alcoholic/non-alcoholic drinks to go with it. We then set off back to Russel, this time under full sail, and the skipper let those interested have a go at steering. We got back at about 3pm, after a great experience, then after a quick explore of Russel (the original NZ capital, and 'Hellhole of the Pacific' ) caught the free ferry back to Paihia.

Unique and fantastic way to explore Bay of Islands. Wonderful crew, happy and helpful. Delicious food for morning tea and lunch. Entertainment extended from 3 yo navigating the ship to people swimming to the island and back again. Also watching climb the rigging and using the rope swing. Nothing was to much trouble for the crew.

Such a fantastic day. We booked it after a recommendation from a friend and it was great. It suited the whole family - 2 x grandparents, 2 x parents and 2 kids age 6&8. The crew were very friendly and really involved the kids. Age 6 - climbed super high on the rigging and the crew member was so helpful and patient while he went up. Age 8 - 'steered' the boat while the crew member chatted near by giving the illusion of our child having control! We all jumped off the boat and swam in the sea. Great food. Highly recommended. Bring lots of suncream/secure hat.

This is definitely something to experience. The captain & crew were very inclusive encouraging everyone to take part in handling the ship. Do not recommend to take small children from possibly under 10 (there were 3 kids from about 3 to 10 with a family & were terrified most of the way over to the Bay). Take loads of sunscreen. A day to remember :)

A truely memorable sail with a great crew adding to the experience. Giving back to teaching youth how to sail adds to the reason to make this a bucket list must for those visiting Bay of Islands. Do it!

What an amazing day. The team were superbly skilful and happy to share their knowledge, the sails were set as quickly as possible, despite very little wind, we swam, climbed the rigging, helped hoist the sails and were made to feel at home on this beautiful boat. And then to top it off, the profits are returned into their winter youth training program Highly recommend it

A truly marvelous day. Crew very friendly and keen to get the passengers involved, all great fun. Wonderful lunch given and the scones where better than those we recently had in Raffles. Would recommend this trip to anyone wanting to do a boat trip out of Russell. Furthermore your money is helping youths learn to sail.

Great day out. It was nicely laid back so you could enjoy the activities or not as you wished. My highlight was climbing the rigging. Lunch was good and swinging off the boat entertaining. Highly recommend for all ages.

We had the best day on the R. Tucker Thompson! We did the day sailing with two children and the whole family had a fantastic time. The kids adored being able to steer the boat, hoist the sails and climb the rigging. The crew were fantastic: enthusiastic and very patient with the kids.

Lovely relaxed day out. Friendly, professional crew. Nice lunch. Well organised day, with little fuss. Views were fantastic.