The fully accessible tall ship S.V. Tenacious - which is owned and operated by the Jubilee Sailing Trust (JST) - has arrived back in Portland.
Tenacious is a tall ship specifically designed and built to enable people of all backgrounds, ages, and abilities to sail the oceans of the world.
It has a mixed-ability crew, including disabled people, those with mental health conditions or long-term ill-health issues and the socially isolated.
During her six months, she has sailed some 12,000 nautical miles including two transatlantic passages, both westbound and eastbound.
The ship had set sail from Portland in October of 2022 visiting Lisbon, Cadiz, Gibraltar, the Canary Islands, The Caribbean, Bermuda, and The Azores Islands before she finally returned to Portland on Sunday, April 30.
Captain Darren Naggs of the Tenacious said: "At each port Tenacious has called in whilst she has been away we have done our utmost to engage with local communities, arranging visits and opening the ship for tours to the public where we can, we love to show our ship off to local folk!
"The ship and her crews have made friendships and connections all over the world. However, we always look forward to coming back to Dorset where we are always made to feel very welcome. The first sight of the beautiful coastline here after being away for a long time is always a thrill.
"It is often said that 'it’s the voyage that’s important not the arrival', that’s true perhaps particularly with our type of voyaging, but having said that arriving home to Dorset is something very special indeed."
The crew sail the ship in what can sometimes be challenging conditions, and find that regardless of what their personal circumstances may be, they have a key role in sailing the ship, looking after their shipmates, and bringing Tenacious safely into the harbour. This is an empowering thing to achieve for everyone involved.
The Tenacious will be alongside Q Pier in Portland Port for three weeks carrying out maintenance. She will then sail the summer voyages which will take her on a full circumnavigation of the UK, including an international Tall Ships Race.
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