Schooner Soteria

Soteria is a classic gaff-rigged schooner involved in sailing training, tall ships festivals and other exciting adventures.

The boat is always looking for volunteers afloat and ashore. No sail experience necessary, we teach on the job!

The vessel is linked with a Christian organisation called Youth With A Mission (YWAM).

CLIMB ONBOARD: Visit the Soteria website to find out more.

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Sailing into Life

CLOUDS AND CANVAS: Three classic sailing vessels glide into Dublin Bay, schooner Soteria (foreground), Golden Leeu (right) and an unnamed gaff-rigged boat. June 2013

Sunset in Whitehaven, England (June 2013)

Schooner Soteria in Ireland

SCHOONER Soteria is tied up in Cobh (pronounced ‘cove), near Cork. Cobh has a rich maritime heritage. It is the last place the Titanic visited before embarking on her doomed trans-atlantic passage. It is also the town where many of the victims of the Lusitania disaster were buried in 1915. On a far brighter note, Cobh expects to welcome at least 60 cruise ships this year, which will bring much cheer to a country bruised by economic storms.

Soteria participated in the Cobh traditional boats festival last weekend, which was great fun. There was sunshine, sea shanties and a friendly race around the harbour, which resulted in no less than three boats sailing onto the sand bank on a falling tide. No boats or captains will be mentioned, although I can confirm that Soteria was afloat at all times 🙂

CREW WANTED

We’re on the look-out for crew. So if you fancy some summer sailing, please do get in touch with us.

We’ll be sailing from Cobh to Baltimore in southern Ireland on 9 or 10 July, where we’ll be staying for less than a week, before we sail back to Cobh, and then we’ll sail from Cobh to Bristol between about 16-19 July. We’ll be in Bristol for a week, including the Bristol Harbour Festival from 26-29 July. After Bristol, we’ll be sailing to Bangor in Wales.

More more info, call Vicky on +44 778 453 9022.

Liverpool to Whitehaven, via the Isle of Man

AFTER a busy week in Liverpool, schooner Soteria set sail for the Isle of Man on Friday 14 June. The crew list read as follows: Chris, Vicky, Dave, Richard, Beth, Mark and Denis.

The 70-mile overnight trip was tough, with force 5-7 winds, possibly gusting more, and a typically choppy and confused Irish Sea. We tied up the boat on the visitor’s berth in Douglas on Saturday morning, and gratefully caught up on some sleep.

The original plan was to spend two days resting and exploring on the Isle of Man. However, the locals predicted north-easterly winds, and Douglas offers no shelter when the wind and swell comes from this direction.

So, on Sunday morning, we slipped our lines and sailed north-east, with a gentle wind pushing us towards Whitehaven. We motored through the sea-lock and docked the yacht in Whitehaven’s inner harbour, before watching a magnificent slow-burning sunset.

* The Whitehaven Maritime Festival takes place from 21-23 June 2013.

Come sail with us – June/July 2013

STEP aboard our beautiful gaff-rigged schooner and experience a sailing adventure on the deep blue sea. We offer sail training and the opportunity to explore the dynamics of teamwork and community at sea.

13-17 June 2013
Liverpool to the Isle of Man, the Isle of Man to Whitehaven, Cumbria. 5 Days
250 pounds

24-27 June 2013
Whitehaven to Cork, via Holyhead. 4 Days.
350 pounds

1-3 July 2013 2/3 Days
Cork to Baltimore (southern Ireland)
250 pounds

mobile: +44 778 453 9022 (Vicky) or 077 845 39023 (Chris)
email: schoonersote@gmail.com

Pictures from Liverpool

THE SOUTH AFRICAN CONNECTION: Roger, Sheyne and John from South Africa enjoying lunch on Soteria.

LOW FLYING: A professional wake-boarder demonstrates his skills in Albert Dock, Liverpool.

WORKING TOGETHER: Schooner Soteria tied up alongside Next Wave in Canning Dock, Liverpool.

Soteria in Liverpool

SCHOONER Soteria is moored alongside the YWAM yacht ‘Next Yacht’ in Canning Dock, Liverpool. We’ve been participating in the Mersey River Festival (7-9 June 2013), which has been great fun.

A big thank you to Noel, Adam and Mel, who sailed with us from Dublin to Liverpool. We enjoyed bright sunshine, flat seas and we even saw a few whales swim across our bow. It was fantastic having you onboard.

Here in Liverpool, it’s been fun to learn more about the city’s strong maritime heritage, not to mention it’s close ties with the Beatles, and of course the rivalry between it’s two local football clubs, Liverpool and Everton.

The river front has been buzzing with tall ships, wake-boarding displays, acrobatic aircraft, giant puppets and the sound of sea shanties. On Saturday, ‘Next Wave’ was open to the public, with more than 300 people stepping aboard and finding out more about the boat and Youth With A Mission (YWAM). We have also been speaking to the public about Soteria and the opportunity to sail with us on the high seas.

The other good news is that schooner Soteria will be participating in the Whitehaven Maritime Festival in two weeks’ time.

Come sail with us: Schooner Soteria’s programme: June 2013

Fancy a summer adventure on the deep blue sea? We’re looking for people to join us aboard Schooner Soteria, a beautiful gaff-rigged vessel that was originally built in 1932.

We offer sail training and the opportunity to experience life aboard a traditional sailing yacht.

mobile: +44 778 453 9022
email: schoonersote@gmail.com

Dublin to Liverpool
4-7 June 2013
150 euros

Liverpool to Newry, including a visit to the Isle of Man
12-16 June 2013
350 pounds

Newry to Cork
23-27 June
350 pounds

* We’ll be sailing from Cork to Cornwall in late June/early July. We’ll also be sailing from Cornwall to the Canary Islands later this summer. Dates and details to follow.

PHOTO GALLERY: Sailing into Dublin

Gulden Leeuw, a Dutch-flagged tall ship, sailing across Dublin Bay.

RUSH HOUR: We kept to the very outside of the channel as we entered Dublin Harbour.

THE OLD AND THE NEW: A classic yacht and a modern ferry.

Gaff-rigged schooners gliding across Dublin Bay.