Price
£1050
Nights
Seven
Age range
16-25
Start port
Portsmouth
End port
Portsmouth
DofE
Yes
RYA
Watch Leader
Voyage code
CF873
Bursary
Available
Voyage highlights
Are you ready to take the lead on your next sailing adventure?
This is an Open DofE Expedition, designed for any young person aged 16–25 who wants to build on their previous sailing experience and challenge themselves further at sea.
Over seven nights, you’ll complete both your Practice and Qualifying Gold DofE Expeditions, gaining practical sailing skills, leadership experience, and confidence while exploring the South Coast on a Leadership Voyage.
TSYT Leadership Voyages are co-created by you. It is the final stage of our three-voyage programme of Exploration, Empowerment, and Leadership, and has a strong focus on personal growth and development.
Sailing onboard a 72ft Challenger yacht, you’ll have the opportunity to develop your leadership style and practice decision-making in challenging offshore conditions. You’ll be empowered to understand your strengths and weaknesses, build courage, and learn how to make a positive impact on your community.
To take part in a Leadership Voyage, you should have some sailing experience or have a similar residential experience in other outdoor and adventure activities. If you’re not sure if this is the right one for you, give us a call to talk through what you’re looking for.
The expedition is structured in stages:
- TSYT Pre-expedition skills: Before setting sail, participants will build their practical seamanship and expedition management skills.
- Practice voyage (3 nights): First few nights on your voyage you will focus on skill application and confidence building:
- Operating and understanding the yacht’s systems
- Applying passage planning principles
- Practicing Man Overboard recovery
- Strengthening navigation competence
- Taking turns as watch leaders and team coordinators.
- Completing a short but challenging practice voyage
- Qualifying voyage (4 nights): Participants take full ownership of the voyage—planning, executing, and adapting their passage plan with minimal instructor input.
- Independent leadership and decision-making
- Effective teamwork in a dynamic environment
- Applying all seamanship and navigation skills learned
- Delivering the expedition safely and successfully from start to finish
The choice is entirely up to you (under guidance of your Skipper and mate). On the DofE Gold Expedition voyage, you are involved in all aspects of the voyage planning.
- Leadership and Decision-Making: Taking command, delegating, and leading under pressure.
- Passage Planning and Navigation: Plotting routes, using charts, and understanding tides and weather.
- Yacht Systems and Safety: Practical seamanship, maintenance, and emergency procedures.
- Communication and Teamwork: Leading and supporting your watch effectively.
- Environmental Awareness: for a leadership voyage you’ll get to understand the challenges to ocean health and explore sustainable sailing and ocean conservation.
As an Open Expedition, you’ll experience life in a watch system, taking turns as part of Port and Starboard watches. You’ll be fully involved in all aspects of sailing, onboard living, and expedition planning, making this a unique and empowering opportunity.
At the end of the voyage, you’ll receive a personal assessment of your leadership, teamwork, and communication skills—a great addition to your CV.
For those who already have a Competent Crew certificate, you will be able to work towards your RYA Watch Leader certificate.
The RYA Watch Leader syllabus covers the following up to the standard required for taking charge of a watch at sea or in harbour. It is at an equivalent level to RYA Day Skipper, designed specifically for sail training vessels.
- Rigging the deck and preparing lines to slip
- Helming on all points of sail and to a wind angle
- Efficient sail trim
- Awareness of tidal streams and heights
- Basic maintenance and equipment safety checks
- Managing power and water supplies
- Preparing for sea
- Setting up for coming alongside
- Awareness of colregs
- Awareness of safety and safety equipment on board
- Emergency steering
- Basics of navigation and passage planning
- Looking after a crew
RYA logbooks are available for purchase on board at a cost of £6 (skippers are only able to take cash for this).
We believe every young person should have the chance to experience a life-changing voyage and realise their potential.
Bursaries Available: We have funding available to support a young person who has faced, or is facing, personal challenges (For example: this could be a learning barrier, caring responsibilities or a young person currently not in education etc.). Check out our bursary guidance and apply if you need to!
Flexible Booking Options:
- Book your place with just a 30% deposit
- The remaining balance is due 8 weeks before your voyage
- Need more flexibility? We can set up a payment plan to suit your needs—just contact us for details.
The Skipper will determine the final route depending on weather and other variables. All meals on board are included.
Your Skipper can also recommend you for our volunteer crew training programme, if they feel you have the skills and attributes that we’re looking for. You can speak to your TSYT crew if this is something you’d be interested in and you’d like to find out more.
