Pioneer Sailing Trust – New Staysail for ‘Pioneer’
A report sent into us from the Pioneer Sailing Trust:-
REPORT ON ACTIVITIES – Detailing how the Essex Heritage Trust funding has been applied in 2025.
Funding from the Essex Heritage Trust contributed towards the purchase of a new staysail for Pioneer. The vessel was still operating with her original sails, made in 2007, which are now reaching the stage where gradual replacement is necessary. The staysail is a small but essential sail positioned forward of the mast and is used when Pioneer tacks through the wind. Attached to a metal track on the deck, it plays a crucial role in helping the vessel turn and manoeuvre safely. Due to the nature of its use, the staysail is subjected to significantly more stress and strain than the other sails.
Over the years, the staysail had been repaired numerous times, but by last year it was deemed beyond economical repair. Funding from the Essex Heritage Trust covered three quarters of the cost of a new staysail. We initially approached the sailmakers who had previously worked on Pioneer’s sails; however, they were unable to take on the project as they were retiring. We therefore sought quotations from several other organisations and carefully considered the available options.
Through this process, we were pleased to engage Poppy Curtis, a local young sailmaker at the start of her career in traditional sailmaking. She was already familiar with Pioneer and was delighted to take on the project. Following initial measurements, a usable sail was produced and subsequently refined over several sailing trials to achieve the correct shape. We have been extremely pleased with the performance of the new staysail and are equally pleased to have supported a young person entering the industry.
Traditional sailmakers are becoming increasingly difficult to find, so it is encouraging to see a new generation developing these vital skills. We are extremely grateful to the Essex Heritage Trust; their funding has enabled us to keep Pioneer in excellent, safe working condition for the many groups we work with each year.
I have gathered feedback from several groups who have benefitted from sailing on Pioneer CK18 in 2025. The sails would not have been able to go ahead without our new staysail and the funding generously granted to us from Essex Heritage Trust. The comments truly speak for themselves, but what stands out most is how deeply meaningful the experience has been for those involved.
At Pioneer Sailing Trust, we’ve dedicated significant effort to shaping and strengthening our organisational culture — reflecting on how we work and how we can adapt to meet the diverse needs of everyone who comes aboard. Time and again, the same themes emerge: participants say they feel safe, supported, and confident to “give it a go” within the nurturing environment created by the crew.
Many of those who join us face considerable personal challenges, particularly around acceptance and belonging. Their time aboard Pioneer often becomes a transformative experience — one that helps them feel seen, valued, and confident in who they are. This sense of acceptance can represent a huge step forward, something that in other settings might take years to achieve.
Belonging and acceptance are essential for emotional and psychological well-being. They foster connection, reduce loneliness, and build self-esteem. When people feel accepted, they are more likely to take positive risks, engage authentically, and develop resilience in the face of challenges. Within communities and organisations, this sense of belonging strengthens collaboration and overall satisfaction. Ultimately, feeling connected to others is a fundamental human need — one that profoundly shapes our happiness and mental health.
The feedback below captures the outcomes we strive to achieve every year.
Feedback from sailing groups 2025
Alton Park Junior School 18/06/25
“Dear Staff, Well, how lucky were we to be given the chance to experience a day on The Pioneer. A heartfelt thank you for our amazing day with your staff aboard The Pioneer from all the children and the staff at Alton Park. From start to finish the day was exciting, informative and extremely well executed. The feedback from children was positive, they loved steering the boat and looking through the treasures of what could be found at the bottom of the seabed. Some of the children had never been on a boat before, and they may never get the opportunity again, so these memories will stay with them forever. Watching the children grow in confidence throughout the day was lovely, they started by saying they were scared to go on the boat, then scared to go down the ladder and then watching them at the end of the day quite happily moving freely around the boat and confidently going up and down the ladder was heart warming. So, thanks to yourselves and Aquinas for making this trip happen and long may it continue.”
“From a personal point of view it was heartwarming to see the children grow in confidence throughout the day + being able to do something they wouldn’t normally be able to do.”
CARA Essex 08/10/25
“We were made to feel so welcome by the Pioneer staff and crew. The briefings on land and then explanations on the boat were really clear and informative, and everyone was so generous in sharing their skills and knowledge with us.”
“A huge thank you to everyone for hosting some of the CARA team on Pioneer. It was such a special opportunity, and was so interesting to learn the history of Pioneer and see the engineering behind the ship.”
“We all just wanted to say once again what an amazing day we had yesterday! It was truly wonderful to be on the water, learn some new things and see the incredible design and engineering of Pioneer! Thank you all so much for hosting us, and making us all feel so welcome and relaxed. Everyone had a brilliant day, we are so appreciative to you all.”
DBIT Essex County Council Various Dates
Steve’s feedback on family during activity: Family seemed to enjoy the knowledge shared by Pioneer staff about sailing and history of Pioneer. What I noticed was that they spent part of the day talking together, with the mum focusing on what her son was saying, and actively listening to him. I also noticed how the mum looked pleased and impressed when her son was steering the boat, and when he was talking to the crew.
Families feedback: They were interested in seeing a trans-Atlantic rowing boat and hearing one of the crew explain what it is like to row long distances at sea. They were also interested in the history of Pioneer, and how the boat was restored. Also about some aspects of sailing, such as how the position of the sails affects the speed of the boat, and how it is possible to sail in different directions in relation to the wind direction. Son was also interested in the boats engine including what sort of engine it is and what fuel it uses.
Leon’s Feedback: J and his Mum really enjoyed the sailing. J is a young man with quite low self esteem and doesn’t get the opportunity to do many things to push himself.
Megan’s Feedback: I didn’t actually sail but I just want to comment on the friendliness of the staff from the offset, they were welcoming and quickly looked to establish a relationship with our families. From feedback, I have heard how encouraging the staff were off our families, and eager to get everyone to give things a go!
Cherrelle’s Feedback: I really enjoyed the interactions the crew had with the families. It was very informal but extremely informative. They adjusted the experience to the needs of the group and provided lots of opportunities for children, parents and staff to get full involved with the sailing of the boat. We learnt about the history of Pioneer, how to tie different knots, how to put up and put down sails, they caught lots of sea creatures which was very interesting. The group I was with were all engaged throughout the trip.
Charlotte’s Feedback: The family I attended with, and I were so grateful that the Pioneer Team went above and beyond on our sailing day. The weather was forecast to be terrible and we had a low tide, however the staff had organised breakfast on the boat and were so warm and welcoming, I observed the family I attended with to be comfortable and happy, we chatted and had a laugh together the staff joining in and sharing some of their histories and stories from the boat and their sailing experiences. I noticed the family were very relaxed and although it was their second time on the boat, the staff managed to make it totally different from their first, it was just as exciting, and we even managed to dredge some star fish on the day too. The day was helpful in supporting conversations with the young person I was with, she used some time we had alone together to talk about her independence, hopes and plans for her future and helped me to understand what support she needed from me ongoing. The sailing days are so integral to the support our service offers to families and gives families with few opportunities, a day out free of financial and organisational pressure which in the current context of the world is few and far between. The day offers opportunities for connection, fun and teamwork and offers us the opportunity to view our families at their very best.
Thankyou Pioneer.
Mus’s feedback: I really enjoyed see my families have fun together and share new experiences. There was so much laughing and it just really helps to bond people together. The crew are a lovely bunch of people who enjoy teaching, and they always had a way of getting people interested (but I also just really like to ask questions). Also, the bacon and eggs breakfast on the boat that the crew arranged last minute was a great way to start the morning of a potentially miserable sailing day, and it really set us all up for a great time 😊