The Californian voyages provide men and women with a unique opportunity to experience the excitement of sailing a tallship and interacting first-hand with the marine environment. Each watch operates the ship for a four hour shift every eight hours, setting and trimming sails, standing lookout, steering the ship and conducting boat checks. Although there are many activities to keep you occupied during the voyage, time is set aside for keeping up with your personal log, photography or just plain relaxing and enjoying sailing aboard a tallship. During the voyage participants develop teamwork, self confidence and clear communication, while learning to sail the Californian. As these skills develop, other disciplines are experienced in a practical and applied manner such as history, math, science, social science and literature.
Instruction is performed by the ship's professional crew of eight.
Participants need no prior sailing experience, but are required to be adequate swimmers. Each participant will take an active part in actual operation of the ship and receive a certificate upon completion of the voyage. C.W. Lawrence, the first Revenue Marine Service vessel to come to California during the Gold Rush in 1850. The ship is fully inspected and certified by the United States Coast Guard as a sail-training vessel, and manned by a professional crew of eight. Built in 1984 by the Nautical Heritage Society, she has been designed from the keel up as a sail training facility.