Sail Portsmouth’s Sea Challenge program provides high school students from the Seacoast region an opportunity to participate in an adventure-filled, experiential education program aboard tall ships.

What Does Sail Training Look Like?

Many teachers will tell you that students learn best when working with their hands, their hearts, and their souls. Rather than when sitting in a classroom or in front of a computer screen, the Sea Challenge offers the opportunity for students to live and work as one of the crew on a tall ship. It’s an ideal setting for all kinds of learning and transformation.

As a Sea Challenge student, here’s what you can expect:

• You’ll work alongside the ship’s crew to sail the ship toward its destination in a safe and efficient manner. You’ll climb masts, adjust rigging, navigate, steer, cook, stand lookout and much more. You will be as dependent on your team as your team is dependent on you.
• You’ll be expected to be resourceful, creative, hardworking, collaborative, courageous, and to have fun!

Parents and guardians, here’s what you should expect from this experience:

Students often come back with a sense of transformation, having traded the comfort and familiarity of their homes and digital devices for the rigors,sights, and sounds of the sea. Often, on the last day, they are reluctant to leave the ship and their shipmates. They know they will miss the fun times and meaningful conversations. They return to shore with new friends, vivid memories, and pride in their accomplishments.

What Kind of Ship Does the Sea Challenge Take Place On?

The ships can be two-masted schooners and three-masted square-rigged ships. All are regularly inspected and certified by the U.S. Coast Guard. The safety of the ship, crew and passengers are the Captain’s number one priority.

Recent Sea Challenge ships in the program have included the schooners Roseway from Boston and Harvey Gamage from Portland, and the square rigger Oliver Hazard Perry from Newport.

How Can My Student Get Involved?

Sail Portsmouth recruits students from diverse backgrounds with the help of traditional and alternative high schools as well as several community youth organizations. These organizations identify youths who they believe will benefit from this kind of challenging and inspirational trip.

Students are welcome to apply for the Sea Challenge here.

What is the Cost for the Sea Challenge?

The cost is $1,900 for a week at sea.

We realize many families cannot afford the full tuition. Our philosophy is that no one who wants to go gets left behind. That’s why we created the Sea Challenge Scholarship Fund. If Sea Challenge interests you, please contact your school counselor or, contact one of the Sea Challenge Coordinators, John Considine, jconsidine@sailportsmouth.org, or Susan Johnson, sjohnson@sailportsmouth.org.

Sponsor a Student!

For $1,900 you can send a deserving teenager from an underserved family to sail training for one week. Sea Challenge voyages scheduled for this Summer 2024.