The STS Leeuwin II is offering an exclusive opportunity to join an historical voyage along the Western Australian coastline to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the first Dutch contact with WA made by Dutch sailor and explorer Dirk Hartog.
On the 25th October 1616 Dirk Hartog made landfall with his ship the Eendracht at the landmark soon to be known as Dirk Hartog Island in Western Australia’s iconic Shark Bay area.
As part of the anniversary celebrations next year, Western Australia’s own tall ship, the STS Leeuwin II, will offer history and sailing enthusiasts the unique opportunity to sail in Dirk Hartog’s steps, experiencing a taste of life aboard a traditional 1850s style vessel. Sailing enthusiasts of all ages will be invited to join the voyage which will depart from Fremantle on the 14th October 2016 and arrive in Shark Bay on the 21st October 2016.
The STS Leeuwin II is a three-masted barquentine with more than 810 square metres of sail and an overall length of 55 metres. The vessel is a working ship and all voyage participants will be invited to engage in all aspects of ship operations from sailing, steering and navigating to cleaning the ship, standing night watch and climbing the 33-metre main mast.
The original Leeuwin (Dutch for 'lioness') galleon was a Dutch ship that discovered and mapped some of the southwest corner of Australia in March 1622. The Leeuwin galleon was only the seventh European ship to sight the continent just six years after the first recorded European landfall by Dirk Hartog.
Cape Leeuwin, the most south-westerly point of the Australian mainland was also given the historic Dutch name by English navigator and cartographer Captain Matthew Flinders in December 1801.
Participants aged over 18 interested in joining the exclusive Leeuwin voyage can receive more information or register their interest by sending the Leeuwin Foundation an email to esther@sailleeuwin.com listing their name and date of birth.
The Leeuwin Ocean Adventure Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation based in Fremantle, Western Australia. An award-winning provider of experiential learning and leadership development programs, mainly aimed at young people aged 14-25. The Foundation’s mission is to challenge and inspire young people to realise their personal potential and make a positive contribution to the wider community, through the unique medium of a tall sailing ship.
