The Sail Training Ship ‘South Passage’ is a 100 foot long, gaff rigged schooner. She was purpose built to give young people aged between age 14 to 17 the experience of a traditional sailing ship.
Her home port is Manly near Brisbane and her annual sailing program takes her north to Cairns in winter and south to Wollongong in summer. Most of our voyages are with school groups. We also run voyages for community groups, the general public and corporate groups.
 
Sail Training Association of Queensland: STAQ is a non-profit organisation and owns the ship. The members of the association are volunteers many with a background in sailing and a desire to make a difference in the lives of young people. Our volunteers are spread all along the east coast from Wollongong to Cairns. Some members of the association enjoy sailing and working with young people whilst others are more involved in vital support activities such as maintenance, developing training material and administration.
 
South Passage is a Purpose Built Sail Training Schooner: ‘South Passage’ is a gaff rigged schooner – this means she has two masts and the aft mast is taller than the foremast. She flies four sails – a main sail, fore sail and two head sails. The top speed she has achieved is 16.7 knots – just over 31 kph in the 2007 Brisbane to Gladstone yacht race.
 
Come Sailing with Us – Day Sails or Voyages: Ever wondered what it was like to sail like Captain Cook or Mathew Flinders? ‘South Passage’ can give you a taste of what it must have been like but with the safety and convenience of a modern ship.
 
On day sails, you can be as adventurous or as relaxed as you choose. Most public sails are BYO so you can sip a glass of wine and watch the world go by. Or the crew will get you involved in raising sails, tacking and gibing and taking the helm. You are welcome to don a safety harness and view the ship from the end of the bowsprit.