Group Bookings

To enquire about availability or for further information, please contact or phone us on 01475 722 722.

Download our leaflet – Group Leader

Ocean Youth Trust Scotland’s ethos is that financial costs should not be a barrier to participate in our youth voyages. We expect groups to contribute as much as they can but the amount will depend on the type of organisation, internal budgets, fundraising and the ability of the young people to make personal contributions.

We understand that many of the youth organisations that sail with us have restricted finances. To combat this, we have our Assisted Berth Scheme.

This fund is limited and the amount available changes year on year, so some applications may not be successful.

If the cost of a voyage is unaffordable, please download our ABS form and return it to bookings@oytscotland.org.uk

Each of our boats have bunks to sleep in, and each crew member will be assigned a bunk by the staff onboard.

The crew cook and eat all meals onboard, using fresh ingredients and a varied diet. You will be able to detail any special dietary requirements on your booking form.

The boats have two toilets and there is hot water onboard but no showers. Showers are available when the boats are tied up at a marina for night. Some marinas charge for the use of their showers, so a couple of £1 coins is always useful.

We encourage the young people not to bring phones, they are usually too busy to use them and the signal is not very good at sea. There are limited places to charge electronics. Each boat has a phone for emergencies and keeps in contact with the office. If you have an emergency and need to make contact you should call the office in the first instance or the emergency pager 07623912543.

James Watt Dock Marina, Greenock has ample free car parking. There is a car park at Oban Pier, which is chargeable.

On the booking medical form, details of medication and how it is taken must be noted for the skipper. Please make sure your child brings enough to last the voyage.

Sea sickens is common and usually passes after the first day, the sea staff know how to cope with a crew member who feels unwell. There is medication which can be purchased from the chemist if you feel you may need this, but please read the instructions on how to take these and let the skipper know if you are taking them onboard.

The route for each voyage is planned by the skipper, taking into account the weather and the ability of the crew. A typical voyage will be a mix of harbour, marina and at anchor.

Once tied up alongside for the night and after the evening meal, a discussion will take place about how the day went and what plans there are for tomorrow. The crew can play games onboard or go for a walk along the shore – this may also be a good time to find the showers. Some nights there might be the opportunity to night sail, where the crew will be split into two watches and sail overnight, which is a great time for stargazing.

Before each voyage we deliver a pre-voyage preparation session. Our aim is for one of the sea staff who will be on the voyage to deliver this, but this is not always possible. This is a good time to ask questions.

All food is provided, although there may be an opportunity to visit a local shop when ashore, therefore a small amount of money may be required. Some change for showers is also advised.

Our sea staff are trained in dealing with all types of behaviour and will work with the young person to engage them fully.

Our sea staff training and qualifications comply with our safety terms and are all PVG checked.

We have a relationship with Top Sail insurance. Find out more by visiting their page.