The Ultimate Field Trip at Sea
It’s hard to find an educational experience that truly engages students. Step aboard a tall ship and bring learning to life through hands-on adventure, teamwork, and real-world experience.
Over 4 to 5 days sailing the Gulf Islands, your students raise the sails, stand watch, and work together as a crew. Voyages depart Victoria’s Upper Harbour March to June and in September and October. We welcome schools, post-secondary programs, and youth groups for ages 13 to 22, with a limited number of adult chaperones.
Give Your Students an Experience That Lasts
Most field trips don’t leave a lasting impact.
Students sit, listen, and move on.
The experience fades quickly.
And meaningful engagement is hard to create.
You want something different for your group.
Something that challenges them.
Something that helps them believe in themselves.
Something they’ll remember for years to come.
A Proven Experience That Transforms Students
You want an experience that is safe, meaningful, and truly transformative for your students. We’ll work with you to build just that.
For over 50 years, SALTS has helped young people find just that through real responsibility, teamwork, and adventure at sea.
Learning Comes to Life at Sea
This is outdoor education unplugged.
Students get close to nature.
Your group becomes the crew, helping sail a traditional tall ship.
It’s all hands on deck, and it’s fun.
Students learn by working together to sail through the Gulf Islands while building confidence, connection, and practical skills.
A Simple Way to Plan Your Group Trip
How it works
Plan your trip with our team.
Step aboard and join the crew.
Learn, sail, and grow together.
What is included
Hands-on sailing instruction—your students will learn the ropes (literally)
All meals prepared on board—build community around the table
An experienced crew—we’re seasoned professionals and we know how to facilitate fun
A safe, structured learning environment
Accommodation on board
What Life Is Like Onboard
Leave the distractions of daily life behind.
Students take part in every aspect of life at sea:
Hoisting sails
Steering the ship
Navigating coastal waters
Rowing to shore in dories
Preparing and sharing meals
Along the way, they build confidence, teamwork, responsibility, and connection to each other and to our beautiful coast.
They return with a deeper understanding of their place in the world and what they are capable of.
Real Learning That Goes Beyond the Classroom
Make your curriculum come to life in new ways.
Students can deepen their sense of:
Biology through coastal ecosystems
Math and physics through navigation
Leadership through teamwork
Personal development through challenge
This is the kind of experiential learning that sticks.
Join us for an Educator Day Sail
Experience a day at sea with us firsthand!
Climb on board for a free Educator Day Sail designed for teachers of grades 8–12.
Spend a day at sea on a tall ship and see how field-based learning works at sea.
You’ll experience hands-on sailing, physical teamwork, unbeatable connection to nature, and a preview of the full group program.
Everything You Need to Plan With Confidence
Get the details you need to move forward.
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Two ships are available for group trips: the Pacific Swift and the Pacific Grace. Each ship can accommodate 18-30 trainees, including both young people and leaders. Up to four adults may join each trip, including a minimum of one male and one female teacher, leader or chaperone.
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Trip fees include all meals aboard ship, sail training materials and equipment.
Fall 2026–Spring 2027
5-Day Trips, Monday to Friday: $38,892.00 plus GST
4-Day Trips, weeks with a Monday or Friday statutory holiday: $30,996.00 plus GST
Fall 2027–Spring 2028
5-Day Trips, Monday to Friday: $40,080.00 plus GST
4-Day Trips, weeks with a Monday or Friday statutory holiday: $31,920.00 plus GST
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March 8 - 12, 2027
March 15 - 19, 2027
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SALTS group trips embark and disembark from the Upper Harbour in Victoria, BC. Trips typically embark at 1030 hrs and disembark about 1530 hrs on the last day of the trip. Victoria's harbour is a 30-minute drive from Victoria International Airport (YYJ) and a 40-minute drive from the BC Ferry terminal at Swartz Bay. Several charter bus companies are available for hire to shuttle groups between the airport/ferry terminal and Downtown Victoria. If your group requires accommodation before or after the trip, there are many affordable hotel and hostel options in Victoria, some within walking distance of where the ships are moored. Check out these resources to help you plan:
Charter bus companies such as Vancouver Island Coach Lines or Wilson's Transportation.
Tourism Victoria offers information about accommodation options in Victoria including some that are within walking distance of Victoria's Inner Harbour where the ships are moored.
BC Ferries schedules and fares.
A map of where groups will board and disembark, at the SALTS dock in Victoria's Upper Harbour.
For more details and tips to help with trip planning, visit our Resources for Group Trip Leaders.
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Group bookings are finalized about one year ahead and current groups receive first option to book in the next year. After the current clients have indicated their intention for the following year, groups on our wait list are offered any dates that have become available and are also notified if any dates open-up unexpectedly. To find out more about group trip availability or to register your group on the wait list, fill out this information request form, email the booking department, or give our Booking Manager a call at 1-888-383-6811 ext 109.
After a reservation date is accepted, a SALTS group trip agreement (contract) must be signed and returned with the first 25% deposit to secure the booking. A boarding package with trip details to help with planning is then forwarded to the group leader. The second 25% deposit is due six months prior to sailing and the final balance is then paid one month prior to the trip. All group participants (other than those with the Calgary Board of Education), complete an online trainee profile form and age-appropriate agreement and waiver prior to the trip. -
Bursary funding is available for young people participating in our group sails (trips booked by a school or other organization). If that is you, talk to your trip organizer about the Group Sails Bursary application process.
Prepare for Your Adventure
Access helpful resources to get ready.
Don’t Settle for an Ordinary Field Trip
With an experience like this, learning doesn’t just stay theoretical.
On a tall ship, students get the chance to take on real responsibility, build meaningful connections, and discover their potential in ways that stick.
Imagine What Your Students Will Bring Home
A week at sea changes how students see themselves.
They return more confident and connected.
More engaged in learning.
More sure of the wonder of this world, and their place in it.
And with stories they will carry for years.
Start Planning Your Group’s Experience
Give your students something they will never forget.