Say yes to adventure and embrace incredible Tall Ships experience
Young sail trainee Beenie-Ann Wood reflects on a special adventure aboard Swan this summer
TWO WEEKS ago, I embarked on a journey voyaging across the North Sea from Norway to Denmark and back to Shetland as part of the Tall Ships Race 2026, without any sailing experience, just a passion for adventure.
Already I look back fondly, with a heart full of new friendships, memories, and the desire to continue chasing opportunities like this one. A huge thank you to Sail Training Shetland, the Swan Trust and all the fabulous sponsors and grant makers which made this dream a reality for 16 young trainees. Their hard work and unwavering support have given young people across Shetland the encouragement and ability to take part in a life-changing experience which we will all very much treasure.
Rewinding to the very start, we arrived in Stavanger, Norway where 10 trainees joined Shetland’s very own Swan, and six joined the Norwegian tall ship Sorlandet. My first feeling at seeing the Swan docked, standing tall in all her beauty, surrounded by the other stunning tall ships is a feeling I will always remember – a mix of excitement, joy, and nervousness! It is a true honour for all of us Swan trainees to represent Shetland onboard such a significant vessel in the isles’ history. We carried immense pride with us as we sailed from port to port, giving tours of the ship to new friends, who immediately picked up on her unique charm and strength.
As we set sail from Stavanger into the dramatic high waves, we faced challenges and hard times, however our Swan crew soon became a family. There was always someone there to offer a helping hand, cuddle or nice warm cuppa. Even during the toughest of times when the rain, wind and cold tried to drag us down, we managed to keep our spirits high and find the joy in every moment. Like we were told before our voyage by Sail Training Shetland – “you get out what you put into the experience”. This was my mindset throughout and sums everything up perfectly.
While sailing we were split up into three watches before we all came together at tea-time. This was always the highlight of my days, as these were the times we spent getting to know each other and laughing around the table. I soon became very close with the crew and have left with new, life-long friends and many, many inside jokes which I am sure will continue to make me laugh for years to come!
Swan retired from the race due to extreme weather conditions, however that didn’t stop the party onboard! Some of the trip’s best times were spent sailing the new course, through the Lymfjord towards Aalborg, from port to port alongside other class B ships like us. This unexpected turn of events led to us forming connections with other crews, many of which I am still in contact with. The sailing community is a perfect representation of diverse cultures and ages joining together to create a safe and accepting space built on respect for each other and sailing.
One of my favourite memories from my time at sea is when we docked in Struer for the night as we made our way through through the Lymfjord. Darkness fell, highlighting each boat along the waterfront with their sparkling lights and friendly people onboard. We took out our guitar and fiddle to strike up a tune which began to pull everyone in. I sat strumming from chord to chord, watching new faces, smile and sing along as music connected us all together, and the outside world felt a million miles away.
Being so out of touch with normal life, yet growing closer to its true meaning, made me value the hidden blessings we are surrounded by, yet often overlook. Feeling so small in an ocean so vast puts life into perspective, highlighting what’s really important – the people we meet on the way, sharing cultures, stories and advice, dancing, singing, and forgetting embarrassment exists.
Shetland flags proudly waving in the wind, the Boston Two-step on repeat and many, many Macarena’s later, we arrived in Aalborg in style. After much anticipation, we finally made it and were warmly met with our fellow trainees on the Sorlandet. We all couldn’t wait to explore the port, and most importantly give it our all at the crew parade, but before that, I had the privilege to attend the trainee reception alongside two others from the Swan. Here, 100 trainees from all over gathered to celebrate and meet each other. It was a wonderful way to meet new people and exchange stories from our travels which is what Tall Ships is all about.
We wanted to represent our home and culture in a memorable way for the crew parade and so turned ourselves into proper, peerie Shetland trows. There were lots of glitter, face paint, crazy hairstyles and even dirt involved to complete our looks, and with the help of some pots and pans, a fiddle, guitar and crew full of good vibes, we took on the streets of Aalborg. At the prize-giving, we got a special mention for our exceptional efforts, as well as the prize for being the youngest crew in Tall Ships this year with an average age of 16 years and 5 months.
The rest of our time in Aalborg was spent touring the city and port as well as other tall ships, a whole lot of dancing at the crew party and an emotional end of race firework display which truly was amazing. In this moment, everything felt so surreal. I have dreamt of doing Tall Ships for years, and there I was taking in every single detail alongside a crew I never knew a couple of weeks ago now can’t imagine the experience without.
We made it to back home to Shetland excited to reunite with family and friends, yet sad to leave behind the adventure of a lifetime and so anchored for one last time together. We spent the night playing games and soaking in the last memories onboard Swan.
At this point, our daily lives had completely changed, and it was hard to picture going back to normality the following day. Sat together around the table, we looked back on the past couple of weeks, revisited what we had originally said we were most excited about in regard to the voyage and felt content knowing it gave us more than we had ever imagined.
I have learned so much about sailing, teamwork, different cultures and mostly, I’ve learned so much about myself. I think that’s what makes this experience beautifully unique for everyone, while we are all in the same boat, we each faced our own challenges, high points and lows which shaped the people we left as. Every single crew member inspired me and impacted my experience in the best way possible.
I truly feel endlessly grateful for this experience as it’s shown me what the world can be if you just say yes to adventure, push yourself outside of your comfort zone, embrace emotion whether it be laughter or tears, help others when they need someone to lean on and just be yourself!
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