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.

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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  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

  • star rating  I went on this cruise as a single person and enjoyed every minute. Interaction was encouraged but I diidn’t feel I had to . The crew were fantastic - really... read more

    Linda W
    2/21/2021

YTH-2104 Ono Ra

by | May 10, 2021 | Voyage Blogs | 0 Comments

Kia Ora Tucker friends and family. Great day today exploring over in the other side of the bay. The usual swim kicked off the day, followed by duties and a big fry up for breakfast. We went for a quick fish before hauling anchor and heading to explore some cool caves....
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YTH-2104 Rima Ra

by | May 9, 2021 | Voyage Blogs | 0 Comments

Kia Ora friends. Some of the trainees woke up with the sun this morning, having spent the night on deck tucked under the course sail. Isla, Sarah and Emma lasted the whole night. We went for a swim first thing, scoffed some breakfast and launched the little boats. We...
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YTH-2104 Wha Ra

by | May 8, 2021 | Voyage Blogs | 0 Comments

Kia Ora from the Tucker Whanau. Todays blog is written with the help of our lovely trainees. This morning we went for a nice crisp swim, ‘it was actually nice!’ Maia said. The trainees stayed in for ages. “They are craaazzy” the crew said. After breakfast, we learned...
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YTH- 2104 Toru Ra

by | May 7, 2021 | Voyage Blogs | 0 Comments

Kia ora Tucker whanau Earlier wake up than usual today!  At 0630am we pulled up the anchor from Deepwater cove to assist a stunning sunrise by the Hole in the rock.  Despite the morning swell, we manage to get the dinghy out and take our trainees through the rock. We...
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YTH- 2104 Rua Ra

by | May 6, 2021 | Voyage Blogs | 0 Comments

Kia ora from the tucker   Today went absolutely fantastic. In fact, the ice has definitely been broken between these 12 awesome trainees, and the shy start to fade away for the most reserved. The day has begun with the daily morning swim, it was hard to get them...
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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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