Sailing Training: Learn, Explore, and Sail

Tallship SV Florette

Sail training, brought to life aboard the historic ship Florette, offers an extraordinary experience that goes far beyond traditional education. Imagine navigating the open seas while gaining essential skills like teamwork, leadership, and resilience. This isn't just about personal growth; it's about forming a deep connection with maritime heritage.

Celebrated by UNESCO for its importance, sail training is key to preserving cultural traditions and imparting invaluable life lessons. On the Florette, trainees dive into the thrilling challenges and rewards of life at sea, ensuring the art of sailing continues to captivate future generations.

The Importance of Preserving Maritime Heritage

Sail training is more than just skill development; it’s an adventure that fosters an appreciation and respect for our maritime heritage. As participants navigate the open seas, they embark on a journey through time, encountering the history and traditions that have shaped our bond with the ocean. This immersive experience bridges the gap between our seafaring past and the present in a way that textbooks simply can't. In our fast-paced, tech-driven world, the essence of our maritime roots often fades into the background.

Sail training offers a rare chance to unplug from modern distractions and dive into the timeless art of sailing. Participants engage with traditional navigation techniques and become part of the vibrant tapestry of seafaring cultures. By preserving maritime heritage, we ensure that the skills and knowledge handed down through generations not only survive but thrive in today's world.

Sail training goes beyond mastering the art of navigating a ship; it's a transformative journey for personal growth and development. Imagine living on a ship where teamwork, effective communication, and quick adaptability are not just skills but lifelines. These invaluable abilities seamlessly translate into every aspect of life and are in high demand by employers.

But the adventure doesn't stop there. Sail training presents challenges that ignite resilience and foster self-sufficiency. Participants confront obstacles, face their fears head-on, and break through comfort zones. These exhilarating experiences boost confidence and self-esteem, empowering individuals to tackle life's challenges with newfound courage.

As sail training takes place on the open seas, participants are exposed to the beauty and fragility of our marine ecosystems. This firsthand experience creates a deeper understanding and appreciation for the ocean's importance in our daily lives. Participants learn about sustainable practices such as responsible waste management, energy conservation, and minimizing carbon footprint.

Sail training programs also offer unique opportunities for scientific research and data collection on various environmental issues such as ocean pollution and climate change. This participation in real-world research projects allows individuals to make tangible contributions towards preserving our planet's health.

Sail training is a vibrant adventure that unites people from all walks of life, creating a tapestry of diversity and inclusion. It's an exciting journey where participants learn to collaborate and coexist with others who bring unique perspectives, beliefs, and customs to the table. This enriching exposure fosters understanding, empathy, and open-mindedness.

But the adventure doesn’t stop there! Sail training often involves docking at foreign ports and mingling with local communities, igniting a cultural exchange that broadens horizons and introduces new ideas. It encourages participants to think globally and embrace their role as global citizens. The friendships and connections made on this journey can last a lifetime, creating a network of passionate individuals dedicated to driving positive change in the world. In essence, sail training offers far more than just a chance to learn the ropes of sailing. Join Florette for a range of exciting opportunities with diverse combinations that promise unforgettable experiences on the high seas!

Internship Traineeship Program

Set sail on a maritime adventure with the Tallship Florette Traineeship Program, perfect for those aspiring to careers on yachts and traditional sailing vessels. This distinctive program offers practical experience and education aboard a classic ship. Designed for future seafarers, it blends adventure with professional training, equipping participants for a successful maritime career. You'll gain knowledge and skills alongside an experienced crew, laying the foundation for an exciting future in the industry. Tallship Florette is a proud family-run enterprise, led by Captain Ron, who boasts over 25 years of mastery at the helm of Florette. Supporting him is Nicole Haynes, the first mate, who brings 7 years of Canadian Navy expertise. Together, they have mentored countless professional sailors over the years. Their dedication to fostering the next generation of seafarers is at the heart of the Florette family, ensuring each participant leaves with not only skills but a deep passion for life at sea.

As a trainee, you'll take on diverse roles that ensure a comprehensive understanding of sailing and life onboard:

Deck Hand
Bosun’s Assistant
Cook’s Assistant
Engineer’s Assistant

Placement Details: 1st March – 1 2 July 2025 Embarkation: Malta Disembarkation: Italy Duration: 134 days Price: 9800.-

30st August – 20st November 2025 Embarkation: Italy Disembarkation: Italy Duration: 83 days

Price: 5800.-

Develop essential life skills aboard a majestic Tall Ship, spending several months at sea. This unique experience transcends traditional education, offering a journey of self-discovery and personal growth. Onboard, you'll master the art of sailing, teamwork, and leadership while navigating the challenges of the open sea. This immersive setting cultivates adaptability, resilience, and problem-solving abilities, empowering you with the confidence to tackle life's uncertainties. Embrace this adventure to gain invaluable insights and skills that extend far beyond the confines of a classroom.

what's included

All meals onboard the Tallship Florette
Refreshments throughout the day
Use of safety equipment
Comfortable accommodation
Instruction and lectures delivered by fully qualified crew

what's not included

Travel to and from the vessel
Personal travel insurance
Shore excursions and meals on land (unless specified)
Visa free

Captain Lisa Roland

How long did you sail with us aboard the Florette?

Summer season 2013! What was the most valuable lesson you learned at sea? This could be a maritime skill, a life lesson, or a memorable adventure.

Florette was where I had my first glimpse of what true seafaring is. Onboard, I learned a huge amount of practical foundational skills but the most important lessons I took away were of work ethic, integrity, and an understanding that seamanship is a lifelong quest of growth and learning.

Why would you recommend the Florette traineeship to maritime enthusiasts?

There are few who live and breathe traditional sailing in the way that the Haynes family do. For those with the passion to go to sea, Florette is a safe environment, where you can absorb an unending amount of knowledge. The family environment on board makes the ship feel like home almost immediately, and whether short or long, your time aboard will have an impact which lasts a lifetime.

Engineer Luke Farrugia

How long did you sail with us aboard the Florette?

I sailed with Florette for 4 months,
from April 2018 till end of July 2018

What was the most valuable lesson you learned at sea?

During my time on Florette I had learned many valuable skills and lessons which I continue to use throughout my career, some of these being how important teamwork is and a bond between crew members, others being general maintenance, basic engineering, sailing skills, people skills I had also learned about the colregs and lights and about holding watches.

Why would you recommend the Florette traineeship to maritime enthusiasts?

Learning from very seasoned sailors who also take patience to help you grow is very difficult to come by nowadays, on Florette I was never turned away and anything I wanted to learn about the captain and mate would always show me or give me a helping hand in, when you learn in a way that it is a fun experience they tend to stick with you for life.

Deckhand Will Reis

How long did you sail with us aboard the Florette?

I joined Florette as a guest, initially only planning for 2 weeks but eventually stayed for 8 months!

What was the most valuable lesson you learned at sea?

This could be a maritime skill, a life lesson, or a memorable adventure. Being able to calmly but confidently receive, process and issue instructions to guests and voyage crew with little experience of sailing or learning new skills in a non-native language.

Why would you recommend the Florette traineeship to maritime enthusiasts?

As a trainee, you are quickly taught and given reminders of the skills you need to be a responsible and efficient member of a working crew. As well as learning how to handle the sails, the Permanent Crew are always happy to teach you about maintenance and how to cater for over 30 people onboard! Florette has a very intuitive rigging which is both simple to learn as well as teach to guests.

How did your experience with us prepare you for your career or personal growth afterwards?

I had a background in international scientific monitoring equipment, so I was accustomed to explaining new and complex concepts to large groups of people from all over the world. However, many of these topics did not have an immediate time-critical element to them. My time on Florette has greatly improved my ability to explain what is going to happen, who is going to do what and when it will happen - especially when things happen fast with the sails! I'm now heading back to a similar role but this time my 8 months at sea will see me working much closer with oceanic science.

What are you doing today?

This morning we were anchored in a quiet bay in south of the island of Lipari. As the guests and a few crew went for a morning swim, I helped prepare a buffet breakfast before lifting anchor for the short motor over to the island of Vulcano.

With my background in volcano and geology, I climbed the famous volcano on the island with the guests and gave some small talks about the landscape around us.

After returning to the ship, it was time for a quick swim and a wash before setting course for the island of Salina. We had enough wind to set the mainsail which this particular set of guests had not set before. After giving a short briefing to the team of guests working with me on Port side, we set the mainsail, foregaff and foresail before I took over on the bridge to steer. I noticed one of the guests had been curious about steering earlier in the trip so I invited him and his wife to come and learn how to steer safely to our anchorage for the night.

As we approached land under darkness, the Captain called for sails to be dropped and for lookouts to be stationed on the bow. After radioing back to warn of unlit boats in our intended location, we made a small diversion, dropped anchor and served dinner.

Afterwards, it was my turn to be on watch. After the majority of the washing up was finished, the rest of the crew were free to relax and head to bed while I finished things off. After all the guests finished chatting and headed to bed themselves, I checked all lines were coiled up neatly and the appropriate lights were all lit before letting the Captain know that I was coming off watch.

A little bit of Netflix before bed and then time to sleep!

Your feedback is incredibly important, and we’d be thrilled to feature your story on our platforms to motivate future trainees. Please feel free to share any standout memories or thoughts from your time with us.

After the Captain agreed to let me stay on as a volunteer trainee, I was very excited to sail up around the Hebrides off Scotland and back down across the Bay of Biscay. Campfires on the beach, several days' hike from anywhere else followed by days of spotting whales while on lookout will always be something I'll cherish.

Ready to set sail on this transformative adventure?

Ready to set sail on this transformative adventure? For more information or to request an application form, please contact us.

Please note: To participate in the traineeship, you must meet several important criteria. Firstly, candidates must be at least 18 years old, ensuring they have reached a level of maturity suitable for the program's demands. Additionally, possessing an ML5 medical certificate is a mandatory requirement, verifying that participants are physically capable of undertaking the training.

Furthermore, completion of Basic STCW (Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping) training is required, which equips candidates with essential maritime skills and knowledge. Participants should be in good health and physically fit, as the program may involve physically demanding activities. Mental stability is also crucial to handle the challenges that may arise during the traineeship. It is important that participants are free from addictions, ensuring they can fully commit to the program. Proficiency in English is necessary for effective communication, as it is the primary language of instruction and interaction throughout the traineeship

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