Austral Islands Sailing Holiday from Tahiti

Life on board

Sailing with expedition vessel Tecla is a true authentic adventure where every voyage promises to create life-long memories. Join her seafaring family where guests are welcomed to learn the ropes alongside the knowledgeable crew and share experiences with fellow guests in awe-inspiring destinations.

Getting Involved

Setting the sails on Tecla is a beautiful challenge. This lady is over 100 years old and has two masts, 6 sails and some heavy spars that need to go up! The crew of Tecla has worked on her rigging for years to perfect her sailing qualities. She can sail close hauled or down wind, she can sail in very light weather and she handles well in rough weather. 

Guests are encouraged to actively participate in every aspect of Tecla’s sailing journey. From raising all the sails to trying their hand at the helm, participants can fully engage in this adventure by immersing themselves in the elements, revelling in the experience. The ship provides a warm and humbling atmosphere, allowing guests to embrace life aboard a traditionally rigged vessel while exploring some of the world’s most breathtaking destinations. 

Typically operated by a dedicated crew of 3-4 members, Tecla accommodates a maximum of 12 guests. The deliberately small group size fosters an intimate experience, enabling genuine connections to form between the crew and guests.

Keeping Watch

It is not always necessary to start a voyage with watches. On many voyages Tecla sets sail in the morning to be at anchor or moored somewhere new every evening. This way, all guests can be part of the sailing and the anchor watches are done by the professional crew.

It only becomes necessary to ‘do’ watches as soon as one or more nights are to be sailed through and more than 24 hours are spent out at sea. This way, there are always enough people on the deck to handle the sails and keep a lookout. Tecla works a three watch schedule, this means you will be on watch for 4 hours, have 8 hours of rest and then again you will be on watch for 4 hours. So within 24 hours you will be on watch for 8 hours.

The watches are divided into the Red, White and Blue watch.

Red: 00:00 – 04:00 and 12:00 – 16:00 hours
White: 04:00 – 08:00 and 16:00 – 20:00 hours
Blue: 08:00 – 12:00 and 20:00 – 24:00 hours

Each watch has a watch leader, one of the permanent crew. The crew will give you instructions during your watch. For example: your first watch might be filled with instructions on what watch keeping is. You will be told what is expected and you will be informed about the navigational equipment on board. 

Watch keeping means being out on deck, awake and helping out where necessary. You will sit on the aft relaxing, being on the lookout or with bad visibility you will be on the front of the Tecla on the lookout. You will be steering the vessel in turns. Three watches means that the watches are never bigger than 6 people. 

For the comfort of all those on board a schedule will be decided with everyone and we will try and stick to it. While watches are in progress, breakfast will be at 08:00, lunch will be at 12:00 and dinner at 18:00. 

Dining at Sea

An important part of the day on Tecla, the food is always influenced by her surroundings. The dynamic menu remains flexible, adapting to the unique flavours of each locale. Whenever possible, food is sourced locally so you could be eating tapas, peppers and plantain in the Canary Islands and fresh fruit, beef and rice in Brazil. 

For colder climates and around the North Sea, you will find a Dutch specialty of “stamppot” – mashed potatoes and smoked sausages! Our cooks have a passion for food and make sure that her meals look and taste amazing. Our favourites are lasagne, Lamb curry’s and fresh fish on the BBQ or from our smoker.

During a longer stay on board you will hardly ever see the same dish come by. Most of our meals are served with a salad or fruit on the side. On longer trips we take good care of our vegetables and fruit to ensure that you will enjoy fresh food as long as possible.

A Typical Day

When we are underway, breakfast is at 08.00. This is usually a buffet where you will find fresh baked bread with cereals and porridge. When we are anchored or in harbour, breakfast time is a little more flexible and we’ll be outside if the weather is nice! Sometimes we’ll have eggs, or ‘wentelteefjes’ (French toast), or a fresh fruit salad.

Lunch is almost always served with something warm or special from soup, sausage rolls, fresh fruit or special bread.

Dinner is at 18:00 when we are sailing. When the weather is good and it is still nice and light outside we will serve dinner in a buffet style outside. If this is not possible you will find a buffet downstairs with the possibility to eat inside or outside. When we are not sailing and eating inside, you can find a set table where we can enjoy the meal together.

Below Decks

Recently refurbished, there are six twin bunk, ensuite cabins on Tecla. Nestled into the mid-ship, they’re spacious, comfortable and steady whilst underway. All beds are at least 80cm wide and over 2meters long, thoughtfully equipped with a dedicated reading light for personalised comfort.. All cabins are ensuite with a wet cell shower and plenty of hot water! Ample storage space for clothes and conveniently located storage beneath the beds cater to the needs of longer voyages and travellers with soft suitcases or rucksacks.

The communal area at the front of the ship has cosy cushioned seating and two tables for meal times and evening entertainment with a warm and inviting atmosphere..There’s a little nook tucked opposite the dining area that’s perfect for some relaxation while reading a book.