Sail across the Pacific from Easter Island to Tahiti via Pitcairn and the Tuamotus to Tahiti.
Your 33-day expedition sets sail from Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui, a remote and captivating island in the southeastern reaches of the Pacific Ocean, where the colossal Moai statues stand watch over a rich and mysterious history.
From here, your westward course carries you across a vast sweep of open ocean towards Pitcairn Island, before continuing on to the coral atolls of the Tuamotus and the ultimate destination of Tahiti.
Between these extraordinary island landfalls, you’ll be schooled in the ancient art of seafaring aboard a much-loved square-rigged Dutch tall ship.
As the miles fall away and the Pacific stretches wide around you, the ship truly comes alive. Raise the sails, take the helm, climb the rigging if you dare, and settle into the rhythm of watches, weather, stars and salt air.
This is no ordinary passage. You won’t simply be a guest on board, but an active part of the voyage crew, working alongside the professional sailors to help keep the ship moving safely and beautifully across the ocean.
No experience is needed, just a positive attitude, a willingness to muck in and a taste for adventure.
With no phone signal, limited email access and weeks of horizon ahead, this is a rare chance to leave the noise of day-to-day life behind and experience the might of the Pacific Ocean in all its traditional glory.
Highlights
- Learn to sail a traditional square-rigged tall ship
- Sail 2,560 nautical miles across the Pacific Ocean
- Visit Easter Island, Pitcairn and the Tuamotus on one extraordinary route
- Take the helm, help set sails and work alongside the professional crew
- Climb the rigging if you fancy seeing the Pacific from a more dramatic angle
- Spot whales, dolphins, flying fish and seabirds from deck
- Learn traditional seamanship, navigation and life at sea
- Enjoy a proper digital detox with limited connectivity and endless horizon
- Become part of the watch system and the onboard community
Make an enquiry for full details and availability!
Why you'll love this adventure
- You are the crew on this epic Pacific Voyage
- Set the sails, take the helm, learn to navigate by the stars
- Join voyage crew from around the world to sail this magnificent ship
Dates
Itinerary
The route and itinerary are always shaped by wind, weather, sea state, permissions and the practical realities of sailing a tall ship through remote ocean regions.
The planned voyage begins in Hanga Roa, Easter Island, before sailing west towards Pitcairn. From there Bark Europa continues towards French Polynesia, with a planned visit to Fakarava in the Tuamotu Archipelago before arriving in Papeete, Tahiti. Island visits are never guaranteed, which is part of the adventure, but the intention is to combine a substantial ocean crossing with some of the Pacific’s most extraordinary remote landfalls.
Please make an enquiry for the latest voyage notes, joining instructions and route expectations.
What's included
- Accommodation aboard Bark Europa
- All meals on board
- Unlimited coffee and tea
- Sail training from the permanent crew
- Interesting lectures and learning opportunities from the crew
- Participation as voyage crew
- Watch keeping, sail handling and seamanship instruction
- Use of onboard shared spaces including the library, lounge, poker corner, deckhouse and ship’s bar
- Opportunity to participate in research projects on board where available
Not included
- Travel to Easter Island and from Tahiti
- Travel insurance
- Visas or entry requirements, if applicable
- Landing fees or excursions ashore, where applicable
- Personal spending money
- Alcoholic drinks or bar purchases
- Any additional accommodation before or after the voyage
- Medical costs or evacuation cover
Trip notes
Price
Min age
Accommodation
The ship is ideal for ocean crossings and longer voyages, with various places for relaxing: library, lounge, poker corner and deckhouse. These different areas allow you to do your own thing: perhaps some quiet reading or a more active role in the social life in the deckhouse. The ship is equipped with a DVD player, a CD player, i-Pod connection and radio.
There are four 2-person cabins, four 4-person cabins and four 6-person cabins. The comfortable cabins each have an en-suite toilet and shower. An experienced cook and cook’s assistant will prepare three meals a day.
The ship is a Dutch vessel and part of the permanent crew is Dutch. Your fellow guest crew come from all around the world and you will find various nationalities among them. The common language spoken on board is English.
Meals
At sea it is very important to eat and drink well. An experienced cook and cooks mate prepare excellent meals every day. You will be suprised by the variaty of dishes. The cook will often use local ingredients from the ports we visit. And if allowed a fresh caught fish will be on the menu as well.
The general meal times on board are:
- Breakfast: 07:00 – 09:00
- Lunch: 13:00
- Dinner: 19:00
- Coffee and tea: 10:00, 14:00, 16:00, 20:00
Baking of bread and cookies is done at night. At sea, midnight snacks are prepared, usually during the dog watch (24:00-04:00)
During the day there are fixed coffee and tea breaks (10h00, 14h00, 16h00 and 20h00). Of course coffee and tea is available to you all the time. Meals usually are served with dairy and juice. We recommend you to bring a waterbottle from home which you can use to (re)fill with water.
Extra drinks like softdrinks and beer and wine can be ordered at the bar. You will pay your barbill at the end of the voyage (in cash).
Dietary requirements
If you are vegetarian or suffer from a food allergy please let us know on the booking form. The cooks on board the ship are very creative and serve a broad variaty of menu’s. However due to the size of the galley, the possibilities are limited and for example, the ship is not able to cater for vegans. It is possible to request a vegetarian meal.
If you suffer from a food allergy, please let us know as soon as possible and the ship will discuss with the cooks to see what is possible.
Keep in mind several ingredients are used in the gally like nuts and gluten. If you allergic to this the cook will provide for seperate dishes and menu’s. However on board and in the galley these ingredients are present.
Who is this trip for?
- Ages 18 -73 (request full details for sailors 65 and 70 years+)
- All nationalities (main language spoken on the ship is English)
- All levels of sailing experience from complete novices to experienced sailors
No experience needed
Everyone is welcome to take the helm, set sails, assist with manoeuvres, navigation, weather observations, furling the sails on the yards and much more. The permanent crew will give lectures and instruct you during the voyage in steering, navigation and line handling. This will be done in a “Dutch” style, so without yelling, blowing whistles and so on.
Sailing experience is not necessary. Instructions will be given in watch responsibilities, basic sail theory, line handling, steering and navigation.
This combination voyage is a perfect chance to truly experience life at sea. The days are filled with assisting in sailing, helping with all kinds of maintenance activities, sailing training, lectures on (celestial) navigation, ocean winds and currents. During nightwatch, there is more than enough time to stargaze. Clear skies with the most magnificent starry nights occur. The sky of the northern hemisphere is losing terrain, with Big Bear and Polaris slowly sinking below the horizon.
Additional notes
Life onboard
Onboard the ship we call our guests ‘voyage crew’. This means that the permanent crew will train you to be a sailor. Unlike going on a cruise, here you will be going on a hands-on, active sailing adventure. You will be divided into three watches; Red watch, Blue watch and White watch, named after the colors of the Dutch flag. You will be ‘on watch’ for four hours after which you have eight hours of free time.
During your four hours on watch there will be different tasks that will be divided between the members of your watch. There will always be two people on helm duty. You will together, maintain a steady course on the helm. The crew will explain how to steer the ship and what to look out for. During the watch there will also be two people on look-out duty at all times. On the bow of the ship, you will stand look-out. You spot ships, buoys, debris, and icebergs in the water then communicate this to the officer on watch. The rest of the watch members will be on deck duty. The permanent crew will give you sail training and you will assist in all sail handling. This involves setting- and taking away the sails by hauling- and easing lines, climbing the rigging to furl or unfurl the sails.
The crew will instruct you how to work on deck and you will learn how to trim the sails to the directing of the wind. During deck duty, there is also time to assist the crew with the maintenance of the ship. This way you will learn how to work with traditional tools and methods. Woodworking, sailmaking, celestial navigation, and traditional rope- and rigging work will all be apart of your sailing voyage. The captains and officers are easy to talk to and like to get involved in your sail training. They will explain traditional- as well as modern ways of navigation. They will organize and run you through safety drills and procedures.
During your eight hours ‘off watch’, there is time to rest and enjoy the scenery. You can read a book in the library or in the deckhouse. The bar will be open for a drink and a snack. The crew will be giving lectures on various subjects, from traditional sailors skills and knowledge to science and astronomy. During your time off watch, you can still assist the permanent crew and the voyage crew ‘on watch’ with sail handling and maintenance jobs. The galley team sometimes asks for a hand peeling potatoes or apples on deck so they can make yet another of their famous pies. In the deckhouse, there will be people playing games, reading books, listening to music, writing diaries and emails. Your off watch time is for you to fill in, you may do as little or as much as you would like. These hours are also for you to catch up on your sleep.
When you are setting sails, reading or working away on deck, in the galley they are always busy preparing meals to keep everyone well fed. Multiple course meals will be served three times a day with coffee and tea times in between, what ever the weather. In the evenings the crew prepares team challenges and pub quizzes to enjoy together with your watch mates.
Tour operator
Originally built in 1910, this beautifully restored Dutch tall ship has been crossing oceans and seas on a regular basis since 2000 and has a reputation of a ship that really sails.
Following the favourable winds of traditional sailing routes has brought her to all the continents sailing both the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Ocean, thus earning her nick name ‘ocean wanderer’.
Crew and guests join the ship from all over the world and all ages. As a sail training vessel, everyone on board is assigned to the watch system to help sail the ship - navigating, taking the helm and handling the sails. Sailing experience is not required just a desire to sail to new horizons and experience all aspects of a sailor’s life on board: The wind, the sea, new friends and adventure.
Enquire today
Tall Ship Easter Island to Pitcairn Island to Tahiti
"*" indicates required fields
Please complete the enquiry form above with as much detail as you can and we will send you all the trip information and connect you with the operator so you can make a booking directly.
If you have queries and questions about the trip include those in your form and we’ll personally reply to you within 24 hours.
Why Book with Another World Adventures?
Book direct with the tour operator. No mark-ups, no fees.
Save time by browsing our handpicked collection of the best adventure travel experiences.
Claim free travel gifts when you use our site to find your next trip.
A most helpful, friendly and knowledgeable travel company!
Very helpful and provided lots of research material and excellent personal perspectives on the tall ship sailing trip I was interested in taking.— Martin
Excellent thoughtful service.
They were prompt and friendly, and so thorough and helpful in connecting me with my adventure.— Tina
One of a Kind Service!
From the very beginning of reaching out to AWA, they were super helpful, enthusiastic and informative.— Matt