Tall ship sailing in the Bay of Islands

The R. Tucker Thompson is an iconic gaff rigged tops'l schooner based in the Bay of Islands. Operated as a social enterprise, we run tourism sailings over summer, with profits used to fund youth development voyages over winter. Nau mai, haere mai, welcome on board!

Your tall ship sailing adventure starts here!

There are few places in the world where people can take part in sailing a traditional heritage vessel, and not in a stunning location such as the Bay of Islands.

Join us for a Day Sail

Help as much or as little as you like. Let the crew do the work or help hoist the sails and be in the crew.
Adult: NZ $159 Child: NZ $79.50

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Sundowner Sailing

If you are short on time, or just want a taste of sailing, then our Sundowner sailing is perfect.
Adult: NZ $67.50 Child: NZ $33.75

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3-day Bay of Islands Discovery Voyage

For something more adventurous,  join us for our 3- day Bay of Islands Discovery Voyage. A unique experience to truly discover the Bay.

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Charter the ship

If you want to build your own adventure, then you can charter the ship. Let us create an amazing experience for a few hours, a full day or overnight too. Talk to us about your special request.

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School Experiences

Whether you are a Kura Kaupapa Māori, Primary, Intermediate or Secondary school, we are able to offer an awesome educational experience for your students.

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Youth Development Work

We run 7-day voyages for the young people of Taitokerau Northland over winter. Designed to build confidence, create teamwork and develop leadership, these are life changing experiences.

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Support us

Your donation can help change the life of a young person. Whether you choose to make a one time donation, sponsor a child, or provide an ongoing commitment, every dollar we raise goes directly to our youth development work.

Donate Now

Bay of Islands Sailing

Sailing on the R.Tucker Thompson leaves a lasting impression to be cherished for years. The Bay of Islands is a magical place and to experience a great Tall Ship on your visit will create memories for a lifetime. 

View Experiences

  • star rating  Went with a group of school kids on a outing, great crew, nice lunch and kids loved climbing the rigging and jumping off the boat

    Phil R
    4/04/2021

  • star rating  A lovely day shared with Whanau. Sailing on the beautiful R.Tucker Thompson. Recommend as a must do in Russell. Great food, great crew, beautiful scenery and... read more

    SueW238
    3/12/2021

  • star rating  A day out on the R Tucker Tompson was awesome. The crew, lead by Captain Steve made the day fun and informative. Although I wasn't brave enough to go up... read more

    KevinD2135
    3/01/2021

  • star rating  Everything was great! We considered ourselves fortunate that there were only 13 passengers (4 crew) on our two hour Sundowner sail since that perhaps made it more intimate. The best... read more

    LandC46
    3/01/2021

  • star rating  A lovely day shared with Whanau. Sailing on the beautiful R.Tucker Thompson. Recommend as a must do in Russell. Great food, great crew, beautiful scenery and... read more

    Sue W
    3/01/2021

  • star rating  Fantastic day out with a fun, friendly and informative crew.
    We had a go helping hoist the sails, climb rigging and even took the helm!
    Very much recommend... read more

    Pinotfi
    2/25/2021

YTH 2113 Ono ra

by | August 1, 2021 | Voyage Blogs | 0 Comments

It was a beautiful sunny start to this morning’s routine as the trainees completed their morning swim and duties before enjoying breakfast. After breakfast we hoisted anchor and motored up the river to Limestone Island. On arrival we enjoyed a beautiful fettuccine...
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YTH 2113 rima ra

by | July 31, 2021 | Voyage Blogs | 0 Comments

Kia ora whanau, Hari huritau to Wano! Today we had a bit of a sleep in, with the sounds of rain on the deck and wind whistling through the rigging. Once the rain shower stopped, we were all on deck for our morning wash in our big bath called the ocean. Then it was...
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YTH 2113 wha ra

by | July 30, 2021 | Voyage Blogs | 0 Comments

Ahoy from the R. Tucker T. We have sure covered some miles today! Morning swim was started off by Rawhiti this morning. Then duties were completed, and breakfast eaten. With the wind gentle and the sun shining, it was a perfect time for trainees to have a go at the...
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YTH 2113 toru ra

by | July 29, 2021 | Voyage Blogs | 0 Comments

Kia ora whanau, What an epic day we have had. We woke up to the sun coming over the hill in the beautiful Whangaruru harbour. Zhynaliyah was the first in for morning swim. Once everyone had gone for a dip, the duties were completed. Then breakky was consumed and...
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YTH 2113 Day 2

by | July 28, 2021 | Voyage Blogs | 0 Comments

It was a beautiful sunny morning out here on the water with the trainees entering the deep blue just after 7:30am for their morning swims followed by a quick hot shower, after the morning duties and a decent brekkie we hoisted anchor and set a course towards the hole...
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Voyage Blogs

Check out the latest updates from on board the ship to find out what our young trainees are getting up to. 

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