Reviews

I sailed on board The Pilgrim with my 11 year old son and it was an experience we will always cherish and remember. To do something so out of the ordinary from our everyday lives, it was a bonding experience for both of us, and such a joy to spend time with others, including the crew members. The food was outstanding, healthy, delicious and imaginative. We saw dolphins and seals and a whole host of birds. It was wonderful to have a go at pulling the ropes and being part of a team to get the boat going. It’s an experience that both my son and I will always remember, and the life skills that are learned as part of such an expedition are immeasurable, and not comparable to anything my son could have learned at school. The thrill, the adventure, the connection with nature and having time to just be are just some of the many experiences that I will cherish from the trip. It also feels great knowing that the money I paid for the trip is helping towards keeping a beautiful piece of living art work, and an important part of our history and culture alive for even more people to enjoy, hopefully for years to come. Thank you for this rich, wonderful experience. I am now officially hooked, and will be booking again!

Sophie

Great day sail, refreshed some of my skills from a tall ships trip 20 years ago.

Top crew in Richard the Skipper, a cool dude if there was one to be out sailing with. Fin who also  absolutely knew his stuff, Bob the knot and Mark really interesting guys. And of course great to see the MD getting amongst it and such a wealth of knowledge about Pilgrim… lashings of tea and cake and support to make it a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Might have to join the 55 volunteer club.

Top team, Top Crew and Top Day!!!

Amazing and wonderful!

I have sailed on a number of ships over the last few years, but Pilgrim will stay in my memory. The ship itself is an important piece of sailing heritage, but it was the people that made it special.

The good humour, enthusiasm, and professionalism was very impressive and made the voyage a pleasure. Brilliant food and baking, opportunities to join in, and a ready (and patient)  explanation for things I didn’t understand. Volunteers and crew alike are impressive.

My thanks to everyone involved.

I will also be ordering some merchandise including a book on Pilgrim!

I am writing to say thank you for the fabulous days sailing that we had on Tuesday.

Everything about the trip was wonderful but what made it was all of your friendliness and professionalism.

We were made to feel really welcome and had a fantastic time.

I hope you have a great season and hopefully we will be able to some sailing with you again one day.

I was on the day sail experience on Tuesday and have to say I am still buzzing!  Am ex-Navy and have not sailed (under sail) for quite a few years, but the day was brilliant from start to finish and have to say the crew were fantastic, encouraging all to get involved – which I did and can still feel it in my thighs even now!

But the crew were very good at looking after everyone and their hospitality was first class so very well done to all involved and will certainly be looking at other adventures to undertake on Pilgrim.  Many thanks.

I’m just back from an excellent weekend sailing around the English Riveria. We had a great time sailing, crewing, swimming and socialising. The crew were great even fantastic, the food was delicious and the sun shone.

After my experience and having chatted with the crew I am keen to become a volunteer on the Pilgrim.

I thoroughly enjoyed my holiday on Pilgrim of Brixham. She’s a beautiful and very well equipped boat with the extra plus of having been fitted with excellent showers.

The crew – skipper Richard, Mate Jess, Dave, Hugh and Tim were all very welcoming, patiently supportive of folks like me who couldn’t remember which rope to pull and overall were brilliant.

There was a wide mix of ages, experience and backgrounds across our guests which helped to make our trip all the more interesting as we got to know each other.

Our sail to the Channel Islands gave us plenty of unexpected and memorable experiences with the weather and tides causing interesting changes to our original plan on a daily basis.

Thanks especially to the wonderful crew who went the extra mile to feed us and make sure we were all okay!

So thanks to Bruce, Richard, Roy, Emily and Joules!

It was a great taster, especially as the sea was calm. I hope to come back next year!

Just back from brilliant sailing trip – really lovely swimming and paddle boarding, good food and company – thanks to Richard, Jess, David and Steve who really made it a brilliant experience for all – everyone was blown away with the boat, the location, the lovely experience, food and whole trip

Richard is an excellent skipper, ie experienced, calm, interested in people, encouraging to all levels, patient, not shouty, etc. A rare find! Crews, I’ve found, are all good teachers, work incredibly hard to cook, clean, show us the ropes & ensure we all had a good time, & are all volunteers!

The boat is just a thing of beauty. If you love wood, tan sails, great fat spars, blocks & ropes then you’ll love it.. if you love big luxury beds & fluffy cushions then you won’t! U have to muck in, not mind sharing cabin with (some snoring) old salts, but they soon all become friends & bond.

It’s a wonderful ‘holiday’ on many levels, whatever your abilities, & you’re supporting a charity which is keeping these magnificent old boats alive.

We had a fabulous day sailing on Pilgrim. The crew were very welcoming and encouraged you to participate as much or as little as you wanted. We would thoroughly recommend this experience.

On two trips this month, the guests have got together and presented cards to the crew at the end of their trip. These were the comments:

• Au revoir, fantastic holiday
• Brilliant week, well done and thanks
• Thank you for taking care of us
• Many thanks it was great
• Thanks for a great trip
• Hurrah for Pilgrim, thank you all
• Thank you for making this week so brilliant
• Thank you lovely people
• Thank you for all your hard work, it’s been a fabulous week
• You have all been ‘simply incredible’. What an absolutely awesome crew and skipper
• What a beautiful pilgrimage to beauty and good company. You have been the most wonderful guides and exemplars, thank you so much for this journey of body and soul
• Many thanks to the captain, crew and Pilgrim of course, for a fantastic trip
• Thank you all so much for making such a wonderful adventure like this possible. The community atmosphere you have fostered on board has been especially wonderful to be a part of this week
• Many thanks to Richard and all the crew for a very enjoyable trip. I had a very happy time. All the best to all of you
• Thank you for your hard work and effort creating a relaxed and enjoyable environment, tasty food and for accommodating everyone’s interests and needs. What a cracking crew and ship thank you
• Thank you to all of team Pilgrim for making this such a lovely and memorable holiday. Great food and company in fantastic weather. It’s been a real tonic
• Awesome boatness! Thanks for looking after us so well. It’s been a fantastic voyage and great holiday. See you again next year

Fabulous week long trip visiting the Isles of Scilly and south coast of Cornwall. Awesome crew couldn’t be faulted as they did everything in their power to make our trip as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. Quite how they fed us so well given the space constraints of the kitchen I still haven’t worked out. Nothing was too much trouble, relaxed and friendly throughout but with a reassuring commitment to anything relating to personal safety. The Isles of Scilly are great to explore and I did just as much walking as I would on a land based holiday. The Pilgrim is a boat full of history and character and a fantastic way to travel to and around them. Many thanks to the skipper, crew and fellow travellers for a wonderful week and great memories.

I had the most amazing week of adventure and fun sailing to the Isles of Scilly on Pilgrim. The skipper and crew were terrific, and there wasn’t a moment when I could have wished for greater care and thoughtfulness for my comfort and pleasure. Exploring all five of the inhabited islands, as well as enjoying this beautiful historic ship, was a fabulous combination. Amazing scenery, delicious home-cooked food, clear blue waters to swim in, friendly (but not intrusive) company – I am already thinking about where to go next year.

Wonderfully exciting trip to the Scillies! Great Skipper and Crew, fabulous catering, dolphins, bumpy seas, sunshine – highly reccommend!

Joined a 3 day trip on Pilgrim, the Brixham trawler, from Falmouth. There were 10 guests and 5 crew. Probably helped by being glorious sunny weather but the whole experience was amazing. The atmosphere is easy going and guests are encouraged to be as active and hands on with rigging and sailing as they wish. We all got to realise how much effort is required to hoist all those heavy sails up wooden spars. Coordinated team and technique required! First mate Jess is a great asset to the boat. Skip Richard handled Pilgrim expertly and calmly handed over the tiller to anyone who fancied steering. Full board catering provided by the crew during the trip and we also had 3 trips ashore to explore. Large & surprisingly comfy single berths in semi open bunks (2 main living spaces for guests) so be prepared for communal living. The ‘heads’ bathrooms were modern & clean with shower. Added measures re covid have been added: extra doors / sanitisers etc. Although we didn’t know the other guests / crew when we first met, we all got on well and there’s plenty of opportunity to be as sociable as suits. A great trip. Thanks

Highly recommended not just for the opportunity to consume your own body weight in John’s superlative home made cakes, swim in the sea every morning and view what felt like our own personal display by the red arrows in the bay – we also had a wonderful time sailing this beautiful boat along the coast (in spite of some rather ”spicy” conditions on the Saturday) and made new friends into the bargain. Richard, Jess, Em, John and Richard 2 were welcoming, encouraging and patient and bent over backwards to ensure we got as much out of the five days as possible. Producing three meals a day for 15 people plus elevenses and afternoon tea is no mean feat at the best of times but even more so from a tiny galley and on a jubilee theme as well… Pilgrim is beautifully turned out and a credit to the crew and volunteers who maintain her (I was especially and pleasantly surprised by the bathroom facilities!). Thank you all for making it such a memorable experience. We will be back!

I had three days onboard a vintage sailing vessel experiencing the sense and feel of all elements of handling the sails and steering the boat – and living onboard for a couple of nights. The Skipper was a joy to work with and the crew members were very good natured and attentive.

Thanks Pilgrim for a great sailing experience. Thanks to all the crew you worked hard to make it such a good time and it worked! We felt very welcome and we participated in the adventure as much as we wanted- no pressure – which was great. The crew were also great company and there was no clique at all. Special thanks to Linda who provided wonderful quiche and bread pudding!

What a superb boat! This trip was on our bucket list and we did it, just. From a friendly informative welcome right through to the end, the crew were exceptional. We managed to help the crew and learnt new skills while enjoying the sounds of wind, sea and Pilgrim herself as she sailed across Torbay. Unfortunately the sea conditions were not kind for us and although we were both having a brilliant time our stomachs took over for the rest of the trip. Even during time with heads over the side the crew offered water, blankets and restorative encouraging words. Sailing on Pilgrim is something everyone should try, huge respect to the generations that have sailed on her previously and to those who continue to keep her afloat. Thank you Richard and your crew, we had a brilliant time!

Had a great 3 nights onboard Pilgrim, my first proper sailing experience. The crew were great, fun and knowledgeable. Getting know the other guests was nice. The food was good and plentiful. Getting involved in raising the sails and having a go on the tiller was fun. The coastline is very pretty and getting to pop into Babbacombe Cove and Dartmouth for a pint in the evenings was nice.

I have just returned from a great weekend sailing on Pilgrim. This was my first time sailing a heritage vessel and it did not disappoint! Pilgrim is a beautiful boat and the skipper and crew encourage everyone to get involved if they wish (there is no pressure to if you just want to chill and admire the beautiful coast). The food is good and plentiful. I am hoping to get back for a longer voyage soon. Thanks All.

A wonderful weekend on a beauty of a boat. A knowledgeable crew and experienced, decisive skippering by Richard meant even those new to sailing felt safe. Every level of involvement was catered for – from those who want to sit and survey to those desperate to hoist and helm. Good food, good company. I will surely be returning for a longer voyage.

I spent a memorable weekend on Pilgrim. The weather was variable – from sunny and calm to, well, exciting! The captain and crew were incredibly welcoming and all of the guests threw themselves into the work of sailing this wonderful vessel. Food was plentiful and tasty, and the scenery second to none. I’ll definitely be back for a trip to the Scillies sometime soon.

Pilgrim had a skipper, 4 volunteers and 4 guests of which I was one, and on my third trip in this boat. It was disappointing that the original venue in France had been cancelled so a shorter trip up and down the Devon/Cornish coast was improvised.

This proved to be a more than adequate alternative and I have nothing but thanks to and praise for the skipper and volunteers whose professionalism was of the highest standard making me feel safe the whole trip in all weather conditions. We guests did what we could to assist. Food was excellent and plentiful!!!!!

Thank you all.

Amazing, amazing, amazing. Went on the 3 day Devon heritage tour. Great views, brilliant sailing. The skipper to and crew were 1st class. Attending on my own but we all bonded quickly, great stories and people. Highlight of my year. Hope to one day crew again with you.

Thank you all.

This was amazing! Thank you so much to Richard, the skipper, and the crew ( Joe, Tim, Martin and Liam) and Barbara the cook for keeping us all safe, teaching us lots about putting up sails ( and taking them down), having fun, and generally giving us a good time! We sailed from Falmouth to Brixham, stopping at lovely coves and harbours along the way. The weather was very hot for the first few days – not great for sailing although we still got a bit in, but honestly, we didn’t care. We swam from beaches and also jumped off the boat. Then the weather turned but we got some real sailing in at that point. There were only 3 of us punters last week and so we had loads of space and were treated like royalty. The food was great and as I am a coeliac and need gluten free food there is always some anxiety about that, but no mistakes were made, and I felt very well looked after. The crew were all lovely and I can’t recommend any trip on Pilgrim highly enough.

What a fantastic trip with a great crew. I’ve just returned from a five day trip around the Cornish coast and it truly exceed all of my expectations.

I travelled on my own and the crew made sure that all seven passengers were very well taken care of. We had a mixed ability group and the trip is perfect for those who want to get a real hands-on experience, or those who wanted to dip in and out.

I was very surprised by the quality and quantity of food served and I have no idea how Barbara managed to get it all out of the small galley.

I would have no hesitation in recommending Pilgrim and I have already started to look for my next trip.

I recently enjoyed an excellent five day trip on the Pilgrim, a restored Brixham trawler, sailing from Falmouth along the south coast of Cornwall.

The crew were brilliant, letting us get involved with the sailing as much as we wanted, and were able to do. Many thanks to all the crew from the skipper to the cook and the other passengers. It was so good to get back to some sort of normality after Covid and enjoy a holiday in the fresh air. It all felt very safe as well as exciting. We were able to anchor or moor in a sheltered spot every night and go ashore. We had four days of sunshine and good sailing conditions after one rainy day.

The Pilgrim should be much higher up on the list of things to do in Brixham.

Sailing this beautiful boat to Dartmouth, in a force 4 to 5 breeze with sunshine. Perfect.
Friendly crew and interesting fellow passengers. One being a descendant of the family who built the trawler 125 years ago. Plenty of cups of tea and banter.

I had the opportunity to join Pilgrim for the day on Saturday Sept 26.
My thanks to the Skipper and crew for a terrific day out from Brixham. I have many years of sailing experience (not necessary) and was agreeably surprised how well behaved Pilgrim was in a pleasant 20 knot breeze. A great day and a very welcoming and accommodating crew – thank you,

We’d seen this gorgeous, historic Brixham trawler moored in Dartmouth from time to time and booked a half-day sail. It was a fun, relaxing experience, in which you could get involved in the sailing bit as much or as little as you felt like. Despite minimal wind that day, we made it out well into Start Bay. For social distancing they’ve reduced the usual number of visitors, and I have to say all the covid precautions and arrangements were very well done indeed. The skipper and volunteer crew are friendly and good company, and we’re now hoping to do an overnight/multiday sail on the Pilgrim once they are able to offer that again, perhaps next year.

Best of all worlds, a channel crossing, and music festival, OK 26 hours of feeling like I was in a washing machine was not great, nice bash on the head and seasickness, sailing has tricks to play and it is all part of the experience, but great to drop anchor at Isle de Brehat and recover with a rum and a stroll round the island with new friends.

Paimpol ‘Chant en Marin’ festival is amazing, noisy and great for checking out all the traditional boats in the harbour, and meeting old friends. Challenging mountineering to reach our boat jumping over a watery abyss for those with short legs! but always help available from the rest of the boats’ crew.

Sailing on Pilgrim is fun and hard work, the crew are helpfull and informative just letting the guests do as much as they are able, learning all the time how this lovely boat works.
Thank you Richard , Julie and crew, I’ll be back.

3 day sail around Torbay. Just a brilliant experience. Can’t speak highly enough of the crew especially the volunteers who give up their time to help people sail. They were all so competent, helpful and friendly, happy to share their experience and some great yarns along the way! Skipper Richard and mate Julie took us from Brixham to Dartmouth then to Torquay right out into Torbay. Julie also managed to produce the most amazing meals from a tiny galley and kept us stocked with snacks and hot drinks all day. Space is tight and you have to be prepared to sleep in a communal bunk room with pretty low head room but definitely worth it for the chance to experience life on board this historic vessel. Everyone was welcome to join in and help get sails up etc though us being fairly ancient with dodgy joints we were more than happy to just watch!

I went down to Brixham in late April for a four day trip sailing around the Devon coast on Pilgrim. At 65 this was my first solo holiday and I was a little apprehensive. I was made to feel so welcome by the skipper, Richard, mate, Julie and the three volunteers, Tanya, Bob and Bruce. Sharing accomodation with the other four guests, dining and working together on hoisting sails and taking the helm quickly made me feel part of a team and I couldn’t have asked to meet a better bunch of people. We had some rough weather the first day which for me only made the sailing more enjoyable. Having had no previous experience – unless you count the Norfolk Broads – I am now hooked on sailing and planning a longer trip to St Kilda and the Hebrides. I can thoroughly recommend a trip on Pilgrim especially for the solo traveller. The food was great too. (Via Trip Advisor)

How was the accommodation on board?

Good

What did you think of the safety briefing?

Good

Was the sailing?

Just right

Did you have any rough weather sailing?

Some

Did you feel the voyage had?          

A good mix of sailing and ashore. I am inexperienced as a sailor but have a fascination for the sea, so this was a brilliant taster (and now I want to do more).

Did you receive enough personal attention/ tuition?        

Excellent

Were you satisfied with the skipper/ paid crew?

Excellent

What aspects of your holiday did you enjoy the most?

The exhilaration of being under sail in a good wind and rough(-ish) sea. For someone unaccustomed to sailing it was a fantastic experience.

What aspects of the holiday did you least enjoy?

Weather being too rough on second day to leave harbour; no-one’s fault of course.

If you could sum up your voyage in a few words they would be?           

Richard the Skipper and Julie the Mate and their crew were absolutely brilliant. They were welcoming, attentive and took time to explain and demonstrate the necessary tasks and skills for us guests to get involved. The food was good and plentiful and a great time was had in the evenings around the table with singing and laughter (and the odd drop of ale). All in all, a great experience that I look forward to repeating.

Great experience, two days aboard, lovely crew and volunteers. You will be well looked after and made to feel at home straight away. (via Trip Advisor)

Wonderful unique experience aboard heritage boat

3 day sail around Torbay. Just a brilliant experience. Can’t speak highly enough of the crew especially the volunteers who give up their time to help people sail. They were all so competent, helpful and friendly, happy to share their experience and some great yarns along the way! Skipper Richard and mate Julie took us from Brixham to Dartmouth then to Torquay right out into Torbay. Julie also managed to produce the most amazing meals from a tiny galley and kept us stocked with snacks and hot drinks all day. Space is tight and you have to be prepared to sleep in a communal bunk room with pretty low head room but definitely worth it for the chance to experience life on board this historic vessel. Everyone was welcome to join in and help get sails up etc though us being fairly ancient with dodgy joints we were more than happy to just watch! (Via Trip Advisor)

What did you think of the safety briefing?

Excellent

What did you think of the accommodation onboard?

Good

Did you have enough personal attention?

Good

Did you think of the Captain/Skipper and the paid crew?

Good

What did you think of the food quality?

Average

How was the sailing?

Just right

Did you have any rough weather?

None

Did you feel the voyage had?

A good mix of sailing and ashore.

What was the best bit?

Heading away from shore far enough to catch the wind which in any case obliged in the afternoon by increasing

What was the worst bit?

Thinking we might be becalmed initially in Brixham harbour

Any other comments

A super day assisted by lovely sun and cloud weathering do not seem successfully to have uploaded a few snaps (technical ignorance!) so send these separately.

Scilly Isles trip June 2019

My wife and I enjoyed an excellent week on board “Pilgrim” although on the first night my stomach suggested otherwise!!!! The Skipper … Richard … together with First Mate Julie and crew Colin and Roy ensured we had a great time visiting several of the islands. Fortunately the weather was favourable in the main. Julie did an excellent job of keeping us well fed in spite of the cramped conditions..

The ONLY negative would be what i best described as the “Challenging” accommodation for the guests; having said that I guess the real answer would have to be what does one expect on an “Old Lady” a great deal more than 100 years old! (Via Trip Advisor)

Pilgrim’s Director of sailing responded:

Thank you for your comments, so glad the weather was (mostly) kind to you.
We have had to use every possible inch of the space below deck to accommodate 15 people and that includes space for heads, showers, engines, galley storage, water, fuel and other essential equipment. One thing is for sure, there’s no need to store fish, so the below deck area is far more appealing now than it was 124 years ago when she sailed as a fishing trawler!

What did you think of the safety briefing?

Excellent

What did you think of the accommodation onboard?

Excellent

Did you have enough personal attention?

Excellent

Did you think of the Captain/Skipper and the paid crew?

Excellent

What did you think of the food quality?

Excellent

How was the sailing?

Not enough

Did you have any rough weather?

None

Did you feel the voyage had?

Not enough sailing.

What was the best bit?

Wow, what can I say about my first trip on the beautiful Pilgrim with Classic Sailing – it was amazing! I am still smiling about the utterly brilliant weekend. The Skipper Richard and crew of Colin, Lynda, Jess and Jack could not of made me feel more welcome! I booked this trip as a bit of an escape from the day to day normal life on the land and it was well worth it; I returned home more relaxed, a little sunburnt but wanting to just jump straight back on board! It was great fun being allowed to be involved with raising the sails and learning a little bit of history about the vessel. If you are thinking about booking a voyage, be in a day trip, weekend or longer….do it! I could not recommend it more highly and as a single traveller I also felt at ease and safe while on the whole voyage. And the wonderful crew could cater gluten and dairy free. The added bonus of it being the Falmouth Classic and Sea Shanty Festival meant there was music and a little rum to go around!

What was the worst bit?

There were no worst bits.

Why do you sail? It really helps us to know your specific reasons.

To try something new, to help relax and de-stress from the usual 9 to 5, being on the ocean is so good for soul!

Any other comments

I have marked not enough sailing just because I wanted to be out on the water longer not because the trip didn’t have a enough sailing – it certainly did!

What did you think of the safety briefing?

Excellent

What did you think of the accommodation onboard?

Excellent

Did you have enough personal attention?

Excellent

Did you think of the Captain/Skipper and the paid crew?

Excellent

What did you think of the food quality?

Excellent

How was the sailing?

Just right

Did you have any rough weather?

None

Did you feel the voyage had?

A good mix of sailing and ashore.

What was the best bit?

An hour on the helm.

What was the worst bit?

When going about the volunteers took over and didn’t include the guests

Why do you sail? It really helps us to know your specific reasons.

I like being at sea with only the wind for power.

Any other comments

A big thank you to the volunteers and charity donors for keeping Pilgrim going so well

What did you think of the safety briefing?

Excellent

What did you think of the accommodation onboard?

Excellent

Did you have enough personal attention?

Excellent

Did you think of the Captain/Skipper and the paid crew?

Excellent

What did you think of the food quality?

Excellent

How was the sailing?

Just right

Did you have any rough weather?

None

Did you feel the voyage had?

A good mix of sailing and ashore.

What was the best bit?

Helping to set sails, handling ropes and being looked after by a very friendly Skipper and crew, in particular by Lynn who made us very welcome and kept informed of everything happening on the boat. Although I am a BCU coach for Canoe/Kayak it was an experience not to be missed. Thank you all for a very enjoyable days sailing.

What was the worst bit?

None really,

Any other comments

I would certainly pass on my recommendation to others for this type of sailing.