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.”

CALLING ALL OF YOU ADVENTUROUS SOULS

The STS Leeuwin II is undertaking its once-a-year trip to the breathtaking destination of Monkey Mia in April and is inviting people of all ages (16+) to join the 8-day voyage and experience the thrill of tall-ship sailing in Western Australian waters.

If you're up for a new challenge, looking for your next adventure or just want a change of pace for a week - jump aboard for a raw and exciting sailing experience.

The voyage departs Fremantle on the 18^th April and arrives in Monkey Mia on the 25^th April.

Voyage participants will depart the ship and arrive at the resort on the Friday night, providing a great opportunity for a weekend visit to the dolphins and the Monkey Bar.

Participants will join up to 40 people of all ages spanning from 16-80 for this unique once-in-a-lifetime experience and will have the opportunity to get involved with all aspects of sailing the working ship.

Highlights to be expected of the voyage include climbing the 33-metre main mast and experiencing the 360 degree views of the scenic West Australian coastline, setting and furling the sails, taking the helm, plotting the course and much more.

“The voyages to Monkey Mia are always incredible as sailing through the night up in Shark Bay we generally get to see the breathtaking phosphorescence phenomena and at that time of year we often see meteor showers,” said Alison Coumbe, Leeuwin volunteer crew member.

No previous sailing experience is required, only willingness for adventure and being ready to experience tall ship sailing in its rawest form. 

Katie Hughes, Monkey Mia resident and Wildsights Shotover Cruise tour guide participated in the adult voyage from Monkey Mia in 2013.

“I loved every minute of the whole experience,” Ms Hughes said.

“I would recommend it to anybody and I would really love to do it again myself,

“I especially enjoyed climbing around in the rigging and I really felt like a part of the team,” she said.

This voyage is coming up next month  and places are limited so to book your berth today or inquire about scholarship opportunities call us on (08) 9430 4105, visit www.sailleeuwin.com or email ashleigh@sailleeuwin.com 

"You only live once, but if you do it right - once is enough."

WOODSIDE COMMUNITY COLLABORATION

Woodside Energy hosted another successful annual Community Partners Day last week, where Leeuwin representatives joined other community partners in an eventful afternoon  at the Woodside sponsored, Perth Fringe Festival.

Through team discussions and activities, partners learned more about Woodside's future community plans and how through collaboration of services and ideas we could continue to positively impact on the broader West Australian community.

Woodside have supported the Leeuwin Ocean Adventure Foundation since 2006, providing young Western Australians the opportunity to take part in a youth development program that has long term benefits in their future careers and personal lives.  

 Leeuwin Communications and Marketing Office Ashleigh Tapper, Woodside Corporate Affairs Manager Tarita Cameron, Woodside Community Relations Adviser Violeta Taneska, Leeuwin CEO Anne-Marie Archer.

FOR THE LOVE OF TALL SHIPS

Leeuwin has been featured in online magazine Friends of Tall Ships Worldwide.

The feature elaborates on the Foundation, the ship and the work we do. Coupled with some beautiful images, the piece makes for a good read whether you're a fellow Tall Ship lover, or  just looking to learn more about Leeuwin.

You can download a free copy of the magazine here: 

https://sites.google.com/site/friendsoftallships/e-magazine

https://sites.google.com/site/friendsoftallships/e-magazine

LIFE STARTS NOW

WATCH THE OPEN ADVENTURE

 PROMO VIDEO

We're gearing up for our Open age Adventurer Voyage coming up this April. A voyage for all ages and all walks of life. 

This is the only voyage sailing up to Monkey Mia in 2014 so don't miss out!

"You only live once, but if you do it right - once is enough."

POSTCARDS FROM BUSSELTON

As you all know we are currently on our way home from a short stay in Busselton this past weekend where we opened the ship for tours after our first Youth Voyage of the year. 

The Jetty and ship combination made for some beautiful pics shared through Facebook and instagram. Great to see people tagging #leeuwin and #sailleeuwin! Here's a few faves...

Source: @kinkyc via instagram

Source: @nicnurtures via instagram

Source: Emma Cooke photo via Facebook

Source: Gail Thornton photo via Facebook

Source: Wendy Thornton photo via Facebook