Step aboard.
Find your place.
Come home changed.

Step aboard a tall ship and discover a world of challenge, friendship, and purpose. With SALTS, young people learn to sail, become part of a crew, and return home more confident, connected, and aware of what they’re capable of.

No sailing experience needed.
Apply for a Sailing Adventure
Donate to a Bursary

Young people are growing up with a lot of pressure, distraction, and uncertainty.

It can be hard to find a place where they can unplug, belong, take real responsibility, and discover what they’re capable of.

They don’t need another ordinary activity.

They need a real-world experience that helps them grow.

Group of people paddling a canoe across a calm lake with forested mountains in the background

We get it.

You want an experience that is exciting, meaningful, and safe. A place to build confidence, form real friendships, and feel part of something bigger.

For over 50 years, SALTS has helped more than 75,000 young people grow through hands-on sailing experiences aboard traditional tall ships.

Person climbing rigging on a sailboat against a blue sky

How it works

1. Choose your sailing adventure.

2. Step aboard and join the crew.

3. Learn, sail, grow, and come home changed.

What to expect

  • No experience required.

  • Seasoned captains and crew.

  • A safe, supportive environment.

  • Real responsibility, meaningful challenge, and life aboard a tall ship.

And somewhere along the way, something changes.

You gain confidence.
You build real friendships.
You discover your place in a meaningful world.
You realize you are capable of more than you thought.

This is more than a trip.

You get close to nature.
You learn to sail under an open sky.
You work together as a crew.
You share meals, responsibilities, laughter, challenge, and life on board.

Imagine coming home with more than memories.

You return more confident in who you are.
More connected to others.
More aware of your place in the world.
And full of stories you’ll carry for the rest of your life.

Two smiling young women pose at a ship’s wheel on a boat, with a forested shoreline and blue lake behind them.

Step aboard a tall ship and experience life at sea in a way few people ever do.

As part of the crew, you will learn to sail, take on new challenges, and grow in confidence alongside other young people.

You’ll work hard and play hard. From mug up and campfire songs to swimming, island exploring, talent shows, games, and quiet moments under the stars, every part of a SALTS voyage helps create memories that last.

It is an experience that stretches you, connects you, and stays with you long after you return home.

Don’t settle for an ordinary experience.
Step into something meaningful.

Apply for a Sailing Adventure
Donate to a Bursary

Young people step aboard unsure of themselves.

They leave stronger, more confident, and more connected to others.

Many describe their voyage as one of the most meaningful experiences of their life.

Help a young person discover what they’re capable of.

Young people need places where they can belong, take responsibility, face meaningful challenge, and grow.

Through SALTS, your support helps make that possible.

You help a young person step aboard a tall ship, join a crew, build confidence, form friendships, and return home with a deeper sense of courage, connection, and purpose.

Give a Life-Changing Experience
Help a Young Person Step Aboard
Person standing on a sailing ship’s bowsprit beside a white sail over blue water, with mountains and cloudy sky in the background

What our participants have to say…

  • “I loved being part of a crew and always having a role and sense of belonging.”

  • “There’s just something satisfying about yelling ‘2, 6, heave!’ and efficiently lifting something many times heavier than yourself.”

  • “I realized that I am allowed to dream.”

  • “The first night I was on night watch, with zero sailing experience… I was the most at peace I have ever been. I could see the Milky Way with my bare eyes above me and the glittering bioluminescence in the water behind us as we left a trail of light.”

  • “Please pass on my thanks to SALTS donors as I would not have been able to do this trip without financial support.”

  • “I learned skills that you can’t practice in a classroom, like being independent, staying positive even when tired, and taking care of my responsibilities so the whole crew could count on me.”

  • “I am so grateful that I got to have this experience, and I cannot stop talking about it to everyone I know.”

  • “Some of my favourite parts were the little things: hauling lines, singing during mug up, feeling the swells, or even washing dishes. Each part was special in its own way.”

  • “Long watches and unfamiliar tasks pushed me out of my comfort zone but also taught me resiliency and adaptability.”

  • “I would not have been able to go if not for the bursary that I received from you. My experience on the Grace was amazing and honestly life changing.”

For more than 50 years, SALTS has created life-changing sailing experiences for young people.

Each year, youth step aboard uncertain and return more confident, more connected, and more aware of their own potential.

Your support helps keep these voyages accessible, safe, and transformative for the next generation.

Close-up of thick nautical ropes tied around a wooden peg on a boat against a blue sky

A voyage can change the way you see yourself.

Join a crew.
Learn to sail.
Discover what you’re capable of.

Apply for a Sailing Adventure
Tall sailing ship reflected in calm coastal waters at sunset, with forested shoreline and small islands in the background

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Child in a red and black jacket aboard a sailing boat with white sails on open water
Child in a red and black jacket aboard a sailing boat with white sails on open water