For years the Sail Training Ship Lord Nelson, the world’s first tall ship designed to enable people of mixed physical abilities to sail side-by-side, stood idle and deteriorating after her decommissioning in 2019 and an extended period in port languishing.
Originally designed by Colin Mudie, built at James Cook Shipyard in Wivenhoe for the Royal Jubilee Trust and fitted out at Vosper Thornycroft, STS LORD NELSON was built to carry up to 40 crew and to be fully accessible for a mixed ability crew.
GOOD PIRATES was formed out of a deep desire on the part of Captain Locky MacLean (with whom I had the great honor of working back in 2025) to return this remarkable vessel to action with a bold new mission: to restore her as a platform for marine conservation, humanitarian outreach, sail and seamanship training and zero emission wind powered transport. Where the ship once trained sailors of diverse abilities, she will again carry crews to fragile ecosystems and remote island communities, blending tall-ship journeys with impact and proving that voyaging under sail can serve both people and planet.
Right now, a crew of veteran sailors, engineers and volunteers have started reactivating and restoring the much loved STS LORD NELSON TALL SHIP TO ITS FORMER GLORY.
I can’t wait to set foot on this gorgeous sailboat and set sail once again on an adventure!