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!
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
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
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.
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.
School Experiences
Youth Development Work
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.
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.
- stephm128
Our fourth trip on Tucker and just as special as the very first more than 10 years ago. She is an awesome ship with a super crew. Take your togs,... read more 
1/18/2021 - DebbieK1749 This was one of the best experiences and I would highly recommend it for everyone. The staff were friendly and so welcoming, chatting easily with everyone and sharing their experiences.... read more
1/18/2021 - InternationalMumma A marvellous day. In awe of the skilful and friendly crew (Skipper Ben, ably assisted by Jess, Michelle and Abby) who made it a day to remember. Scones and lunch... read more
1/14/2021 - craigyoung2019 Great experience. make sure you take the opportunity to help hoist sails and rigging.
Was a good windy day so we got some good sailing in.
The crew were awesome... read more
1/13/2021 - MnMsNZ99 Wow... this trip is amazing. We had the best time, the ship was beautiful, Captain Ben and his all female crew were awesome, so friendly and accommodating. The kids (and... read more
1/13/2021 - J1220MTmatthewh An exceptional experience and something we would do again we did a road trip from Christchurch to Northland and this was the highlight. Awesome day out, great crew, exceptional food... read more
1/12/2021
Kiddies Pirate Sailing
Youngsters (and their adults) get to dress up as pirates and enjoy a special pirate sailing on board Northland’s own tall ship on a short 2-hour sail from Russell. Let your inner pirate go wild and get creative for this fun-filled sailing.
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