Come by Puerto Caldera on February 18th to see something truly remarkable.
Since 1978 when the Jubilee Sailing Trust out of Southampton, U.K. was established, over half of the company’s 45,000 sailors were disabled — 5,000 of which using wheelchairs.
Today, the tall ship Tenacious is one of only two in the world designed with features to allow physically-disabled persons to not just ride, but actually be part of the ship’s crew.
[quote_box_center]UPDATE: Tenacious was originally scheduled to arrive on the 17th, with an open house scheduled for the 20th. JST has recently shared the following updates:
Ship will now go to Playa Puntarenas, rather than Puerto Caldera, and aims to arrive on the 18th February. On that day, the ship will be open to the public from 4-6pm.[/quote_box_center]
A Ship of Peers
According to a recent press release:
[quote_center] “[Tenacious was] built to enable people of all physical abilities to sail side-by-side as equals.” [/quote_center]
Among the ship’s specialty accommodations are:
- hearing loops
- wheelchair lifts between decks
- integrated Braille instructions
- a joystick for people who want to steer the ship but cannot hold a wheel
- an audio compass for those who want to steer but cannot see
Schedule & Opportunities
So far, Tenacious has sailed across the Atlantic Ocean, entered the South Pacific and spent some time in Melbourne, Australia. In just one month, however, she will be arrive here in Costa Rica for a special 5-day cruise.
Tourists and locals are invited to meet the crew and see the ship when it arrives next month.
- February 18th: Tenacious arrives to Puntarenas
- February 20th: Tenacious opens to the public for FREE visits from 1:30pm until 4:30pm.
- February 21st: Tenacious departs for 5-day round-trip voyage with temporary crew members and passengers.
- February 25th: Tenacious returns from voyage
Sail with Tenacious
Voyage crew spaces are still available for the 5-day trip. Anyone over the age of 16 can join the Tenacious crew for these days, regardless of previous sailing experience.
Training will be provided by permanent members so that newbies can get the most out of the voyage, “whether that is showing a [new] crew member how to climb the rigging, steer the ship or haul on a rope to help set the sails.”
On ship lodging, called berths, can accommodate both able-bodied and physically disabled persons.
The cost of the voyage for passengers is £1000 ($1430). Voyage crew spaces, however, are subsidized, meaning members only pay £500 ($720). Bookings can be made by emailing [email protected]. Please use “JST Tenacious” as the subject header.