FreundShip Sail
Shared experiences that last
Under sail out onto the open sea. Strangers become a crew, a voyage becomes a friendship.
The adventure begins.
Lines are cast off, the wind fills the sails. Ahead lies the open sea, and with it the urge to discover something new.
Beyond yourself.
The first grip on the shrouds, the look upward. And then you climb.
Your hand holds the course.
The watch at four in the morning. The ship trusts you.
Every knot holds.
Seamanship you do not learn online, but on deck.
Then the ship is yours alone.
One guitar, two languages, one laugh. That is the sound of friendship.
Five days. Two countries. One crew.
Wind, open sea, a watch change at four in the morning – and beside you someone from another country grinning as sleepily as you are. On a tall ship nationality counts for nothing, only the hand on the same rope. FreundShip Sail brings young people from Germany and the United Kingdom on board so that, after just a few days, they return home as friends.
The project is supported by the Foundation of the British Chamber of Commerce in Germany, in the spirit of the German-British FreundShip.
Request application documentsSupport the project
Why you want to be on board
- A real adventure. A three-master, and you are part of the crew: setting sails, taking the helm, night watch under a sky full of stars.
- Friendship across borders. A week shoulder to shoulder with peers from the other country – strangers become a crew.
- Cook together, live together. With the ship’s cook the galley becomes the place where two languages turn into one crew.
- Something that lasts. Stories, friends in another country, and a confidence you only find at sea.
- No sailing licence needed – just a love of the sea and of people. For young people aged 16 to 18 from Germany and the UK.
What awaits you on board
In the mornings you and the others watch unforgettable sunrises together; at night, perhaps, the Milky Way across a pitch-dark sky. You feel the spray on your face and learn to read the chart with the captain. You work out how the tides set the time for leaving harbour, cook your favourite dishes with the ship’s cook in an enormous pot, and uncover the secrets of sailors’ knots. You experience how wind and sails bring the ship onto course, and on the bridge you explore the instruments used to navigate the world’s oceans.
More than sailing: a shared theme
The goal: young people from Germany and the United Kingdom get to know one another, form friendships and discover each other’s culture. They grow curious about one another, come to understand each other, and treat one another and each other’s culture with respect.
FreundShip Sail is more than a week of sailing. The teams from both countries choose a shared theme and work on it before, during and after the voyage: they research, exchange ideas, document their findings and reflect on what the shared experience contributed to their learning. A week at sea becomes a project that resonates long afterwards.
The young people join the ship through partner schools in Germany and the United Kingdom, accompanied by experienced teachers and supervisors. The exchange is designed as an annual format: a bond between schools and young people that lasts beyond a single voyage.
Life on board
We sail a genuine three-master. Young people are accommodated in multi-berth cabins, guided by an experienced crew. Everyone lends a hand – on deck and in the galley. Those who leave FreundShip Sail come away knowing not only another country a little better, but themselves too.
The young people work as trainees alongside the crew: they stand watches and take part in the work on board. Together they sail and tie knots, watch the tides and the weather, hold a course, cook, eat and laugh a great deal.
For whom
Pupils from Germany and the United Kingdom aged 15 and over who apply as a school project. The supervisors are provided by the participating groups.
Dates 2027
30 to 48 young people sail together with their supervisors, one half from Germany and one half from the United Kingdom.
- 14–18 June 2027, from and back to Kiel: 15 young people and 2 supervisors per school.
- 12–17 August 2027, from Bremerhaven to Harlingen/Amsterdam: 24 young people and 3 supervisors, or 17 young people and 2 supervisors, per school.
- 12–17 September 2027, from and back to Harlingen/Amsterdam: 24 young people and 3 supervisors, or 17 young people and 2 supervisors, per school.
Come aboard
Tell us why you want to be part of FreundShip Sail. Which project would you like to work on? How do you picture your future? What do you dream of? What would you like to contribute?
Request application documentsFor schools
Why it needs supporters
At a time when people are forgetting how to talk to one another and Europe and Britain are drifting apart, FreundShip Sail builds bridges among those who will shape tomorrow. Your support ensures that taking part never depends on the size of a family’s purse. The project is designed to run for many years: every voyage is a new cohort of young ambassadors between two countries.
Take part & support
Become a supporter and help young people take part.
