Charter Sailing on a Traditional Ship

Traditional wooden sailing charter vessel bessie ellen

Charter sailing on wooden ship Bessie Ellen

We have recently launched another section of the website focusing on traditional charter vessels.  Although not our core business, we have teamed up with a good friend and owner of Bessie Ellen, Nikki Alford, to utilise our website to promote Bessie Ellen and Irene, another West Country trading ketch from the early part of the 20th Century.

Nikki has been running Bessie Ellen for many years now doing everything from carrying cargo to sail training with disadvantaged youths, however the majority of her time is spent taking people on sailing holidays and providing them with superb experiences and first-hand knowledge of what it is like to sail a traditional vessel.

Traditional wooden charter vessel bessie ellen under sail

The Bessie Ellen – 1904 West Country Trading Ketch

This is something that we are very passionate about and Richard has been involved with Bessie Ellen skippering her on quite a few occasions so if we can help bring in some more business through our website then it can only be a good thing.

This year Nikki has taken over the management of Irene and will be offering berths aboard this magnificent gaff ketch throughout the year.  This will range from day sails to week-long holidays, but for a more detailed look at the itinerary, it is best to follow the links through to the boat’s website. Here you will find details of costs, dates and locations to suit everyone.

Sailing one of these superb vessels is an experience everyone should enjoy.  Even for the seasoned sailor who is perhaps used to smaller yachts, there will be an enormous amount of knowledge and enjoyment gleaned from time aboard Bessie or Irene whether it is learning how to splice heavy 3-strand rope, handling the heavy gaff rig or simply learning the quirky art of helming a 150-ton ship, a week or so aboard one of these boats will never be forgotten!

Wooden Ships classic yachts brokers have an extensive database of boats for sale. With a wide range of sailboats, classic yachts, motor yachts and small classic boats, Wooden Ships has one of the largest selections of traditional wooden boats and yachts for sale in the UK. For more information about anything on our site please do ask us