Sail like a mid-19th century merchant! - Sailing on this ship was a highlight of our New Zealand vacation. Built in the mid-19th century style, with canvas sails and rope rigging, being aboard is about as close as you can get to what it must have been like to be a sea merchant at that time in history. Everyone who wished to do so had an opportunity to help trim the sail, climb the mast (while securely tied in) or climb out to the bow over knotted ropes. The ship stopped at a small island with breathtaking views, where we learned all about Captain Cook. Lunch was grilled on board and was delicious. What an adventure! Definitely recommended!

One of the best things we’ve done in BOI - Excellent day out. One of the best things we’ve done in the Bay of Islands. Gorgeous ship and super friendly crew. We helped set the sails, climbed the rigging and swung off the rope swing into the water at lunch time. Delicious lunch. All in all a great experience and good to feel you’ve helped contribute to their youth programme too. We were undecided about which trip to take, but glad we went for the full day rather than the sundowner. Good value for money overall.

THE best way to experience the Bay of Islands. - Fantastic day, great sailing and swimming, friendly/informative crew, tasty lunch. Got to lift the sails and climb out and up while hooked into a safety harness. Best of all, the cost went to getting kids out on the water. Win win!

The best time in the bay of islands - This was an amazing experience! The boat is beautiful and cool to check out. The crew were all very friendly and helpful. The food was really good, and the service was good. The money helps support kids learning how to sail too which is great. I’d highly recommend this experience.

Amazing Adventure - Excellent experience!!! I highly recommend this sailing tour to anyone who is visiting the Bay of Islands. The four person crew did a great job keeping us all safe & entertained. We saw a pod dolphins right next to the ship. A very fun & memorable adventure.

MUST DO! - This was one of the best experiences we’ve ever had - truly unforgettable. The tall ship is great and there were lots of opportunities for those that wanted to help out. My husband loved helping with the sails and climbing the rigging! The stop-off at the island was simply spectacular. The views are second to none and we had a glorious swim before heading back onboard for a yummy BBQ lunch. We would absolutely recommend this trip to anyone, and to top it off, it’s so lovely that the money all goes towards teaching young people to sail. We’d give it more than 5 stars if we could!

Hands on sailing experience - I can’t recommend this trip enough. Many thanks to the captain and crew of the vessel (Marcel, Connor, Tom, and Arihi) for helping to make it such a great experience. You get to be as hands on (or hands off) as you want to be—for me that was very much hands on. I got to help hoist the sails, man the helm, ride the bowsprit, swing from a rope swing into the ocean, and my personal favorite—climb the rigging which gives you the best view on the ship! Only a handful of passengers wanted to climb, so they let me spend quite a bit of time up there which I really appreciate. We experienced all the weather during our day sail—wind, sun, clouds, and a brief but heavy downpour of rain—and while it dampened everyone’s clothes it didn’t dampen peoples’ spirits. I went on my birthday and I can honestly say it was the best birthday ever. I’d originally been suppose to come in 2020 but the pandemic put a halt to that so I had had 4 years to build the day up in my mind and the reality not only met but exceeded my hopes and expectations. And thank you for the birthday card; that was an incredibly sweet and unexpected personal touch. 💕

Sailing into the past in days of old. - Everything about the whole R.Tucker-Thompson experience was rewarding. It was my wife's birthday and she wanted to go out on the water. Sailing on such an old time square rigged sailing vessel was just the perfect choice. The crew were very nice and capable and contributed a lot to the enjoyment of the day. Really got a kick out of taking the helm and getting a helmsman's feel for the sailing capacity which was impressive especially on the wind in my opinion. I have recommended it to many friends and family and would do it again . Great thing you have got going there guys. Wayne McCarthy

Don’t hesitate to book this one - Wonderfully positive and inspired young crew. Instead of rushing from photo op to photo op, you truly experience a great day. Lots of participation possible, but never required. We even raced another tall ship for a bit (our crew knew the folks on it) which made for some fun sailing. Cannot recommend more highly, as this non-profit also support sailing trips for youth up north. The scenery is breathtaking.

Don’t hesitate to book this trip! - Amazing day. Great crew, learnt really interesting history and had loads of fun on this sailing trip. BBQ lunch was good and plentiful. Boat was very cool. They’re a non profit organisation who use the trip proceeds for youth education on sailing, leadership, etc., so all for a great cause too. Highly recommend!