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

sail away now

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 Good 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 Voyages

We run 7-day Youth Development 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. 

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SHIPS SCHEDULE

  • star rating  Despite the less than perfect weather, little sun followed by overcast skies but most disappointing but for a very short while little breeze for full sailing, we had an excellent... read more

    Mike M
    April 1, 2022

  • star rating  This is a great trip even if you’re not really into boats, or the idea of sailing is a little bit scarey. We had winds up to 30 knots or... read more

    quiver4
    March 1, 2022

  • star rating  My husband and I went on the cruise as a gift from our 3 children for our 50th Wedding Anniversary There were only 9 other passengers, apart from the 3... read more

    Lorna W
    March 1, 2022

  • star rating  We had an amazing day sailing around the bay of islands, chatting to the captain and crew. They were all so keen to pass on their local knowledge and sailing... read more

    Michael P
    January 1, 2022

  • star rating  Absolutely fantastic day. Crew wonderful and gave good history lesson of Bay of Islands. Will definitely be booking again

    Sandra E
    December 1, 2021

  • 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
    April 4, 2021

YTH 2210 – Ono Ra

by | June 26, 2022 | Voyage Blogs | 0 Comments

Kia ora whanau, was delightful to bump into some of you on the beach today! A wonderful final day indeed. We woke up in the beautiful Tutukaka to all sorts of interesting boats cruising past, ready to enjoy a stunning Sunday on the water. We had pancakes this morning,...
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YTH 2210 – Rima Ra

by | June 25, 2022 | Voyage Blogs | 0 Comments

Kia Ora whanau, We were blessed with the most INCREDIBLE sunrise and sunsets today. This morning’s antics in Whangaruru included some learning, a freezing swim, games on the beach, and brownie. It was sammies for lunch, before we squared the decks in prep for our next...
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YTH2210 – Wha ra

by | June 24, 2022 | Voyage Blogs | 0 Comments

Kia ora whanau, We have arrived safe in Whangaruru harbor! Today marked the start of the Maori new year, and also began our venture out of the Bay and southbound. We disembarked the ship in the morning and walked along the Cape Brett track, we coordinated with the...
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YTH2210 – Toru ra

by | June 23, 2022 | Voyage Blogs | 0 Comments

We are writing tonight from the stunning Deep Water Cove. We travelled here this morning and got straight in the water for a snorkel around the reef, where we were met with a beautiful array of fish and sea life. We spent the afternoon ticking off various activities;...
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YTH2210 – Rua ra

by | June 22, 2022 | Voyage Blogs | 0 Comments

Ahoy friends and family, Today was full of an array of different activities, we began the day on Moturua Island working alongside Project Island song, pulling some weed and learning about the fragile ecosystems. We also got out and into some sailing, and learning some...
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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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