2014 VOYAGE PROGRAM RELEASED

Our new voyage program for 2014 has now been released and there are a range of voyages running all through the year until December.

With scenic destinations including Monkey Mia and Bunbury on the program again this year, a voyage on Leeuwin promises to be a kaleidoscope of new adventures, unexpected friendships, inspiring destinations and stories that will make you want to come back and do it all again.

Check out the new program on our website where you can also find information on our range of scholarships available, and application forms to book your place today or pass the info on to a friend. 

DOWNLOAD 2014 LEEUWIN VOYAGE PROGRAM

CHECK OUT WHY OUR RED SHIRTS LOVE VOLUNTEERING ON LEEUWIN

One of the things that makes our tall ship and sail training program so unique is that unlike a lot of other tall ships, we rely on a dedicated team of volunteers to sail our ship and run our program. 

Aside from our five permanent crew members, the Leeuwin can have up to ten volunteer crew members aboard each voyage and require a minimum of six volunteers to sail on our popular three-hour day sails during the Summer. 

All of this is made possible by the dedication and support of a bunch of volunteers we call our "Red Shirts."

Volunteering takes a special kind of person. These are often people that don't have a lot of time, but have a lot of heart. We have an active volunteer base of about 350 people here at Leeuwin. These are people who have at some stage, had their very own Leeuwin voyage experience and loved it so much that they come back time and time again to sail our awesome ship. 

Why do they come back over and over again? Lots of reasons! They get to sail for free, call a tall ship 'home' for weeks and wake up out on the ocean to sunrise, hang out with a whole bunch of new and old friends, keep active, come to all of the social activities the Leeuwin holds, learn new skills that often lend a hand in helping them out with their careers, but most importantly - they get to give back the experiences they had on Leeuwin that made the voyage so fun and rewarding, to other people.

But don't just take our word for it... take a look at THIS VIDEO of some of our regular volunteers shedding the light on why they volunteer on Leeuwin:

If you are interested in volunteering with us or want some more information, you can get in touch with our Volunteer Coordinator Ali on (08) 9430 4105 or visit http://sailleeuwin.com/content/volunteering

THE "STARFISH STORY"

Leeuwin voyages aim to make a positive difference to every person that walks on board. We try to provide each and every trainee and volunteer a positive experience that they will think back on fondly.

We recognise that the voyage program may not be for everyone, however we like to think of the Leeuwin in a similar light to the popular “Starfish story” originally written by Loren Eiseley;

“While walking along a beach, an elderly gentleman saw someone in the distance leaning down, picking something up and throwing it into the ocean. 

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, picking up starfish one by one and tossing each one gently back into the water. 

He came closer still and called out, “Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing? 

The young man paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean.” 

The old man smiled, and said, “I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?”

To this, the young man replied, “The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.”

Upon hearing this, the elderly observer commented, “But, young man, do you not realise that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can’t possibly make a difference!”

The young man listened politely. Then he bent down, picked up another starfish, threw it into the back into the ocean past the breaking waves and said,

 “It made a difference for that one.”