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Monday 9am - 4:30pm Tuesday 9am - 4:30pm Wednesday 9am - 4:30pm Thursday 9am - 4:30pm Friday 9am - 4:30pm

SALTS Sail and Life Training Society

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SALTS Sail and Life Training Society

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We help young people grow by challenging them through tall ship sailing, mentorship, and community

10/15/2026

Forty years ago this weekend, the Pacific Swift was launched! 🎉 Her launch was a day full of excitement, hope, and the start of a story that’s shaped thousands of young lives. We’re grateful for everything she’s carried over these four decades, all the adventures, lessons, stories, and community. Here’s to the Swift, still strong, still inspiring, and still carrying out the work she was built to do with every voyage. (Swipe to the end to see launch day vs present day!)

(We had a great time looking back to the beginning of the Pacific Swift's story these last few weeks! If you missed any of the other posts, you can go back and find them on our profile. Thanks for celebrating this milestone with us!)

10/07/2026

We couldn't share about the building of the Pacific Swift without highlighting the fact that she was built by an incredible community. Volunteers, donors, builders, and friends all put in their time, skills, and care to bring her to life. She’s more than a ship — she’s a reflection of the people who helped shape her. We are thankful to every one of those people whose hands and vision shaped the Swift into the vessel she is today.

While it’s impossible to name every individual who contributed to her creation, we did want to make one special mention. Some people don’t just help build a ship - they help build the community around it. Margaret and Martyn Clark poured their time and care into shaping a program that would impact generations. Their vision was for young people to come aboard and learn about life itself; how it can be lived abundantly, with purpose, and within a community shaped by caring, committed Christians. Their influence is carved into the Swift, from long days in the workshop to the bow figure modeled after Margaret. We are so deeply grateful for how that legacy is still bearing fruit today.

(As we approach the 40th anniversary of the Pacific Swift’s launch, we’re spending some time looking back at where her story began. Follow along as we celebrate her 40 years at sea together!)

10/01/2026

The Swift’s story stretched well beyond the work site. During Expo ’86, she drew wide attention — appearing in newspapers, magazines, and broadcasts that highlighted her craftsmanship and the young people she was built to serve. She was in the public eye long before she ever touched the water, and the dual focus on her construction and the mission of SALTS was a message we were grateful to have shared widely.

(As we approach the 40th anniversary of the Pacific Swift’s launch, we’re spending some time looking back at where her story began. Follow along as we celebrate her 40 years at sea together!)

09/28/2026

The Pacific Swift was built with careful craftsmanship from bow to stern. Her interior showcases hand‑built cabinetry, and her exterior includes carved dogwood flowers, engraved names, and a figurehead modeled after the beloved Margaret Clark - who, along with her husband Martyn, played a foundational role in the early days of SALTS and deeply shaped our programs and direction.

(As we approach the 40th anniversary of the Pacific Swift’s launch, we’re spending some time looking back at where her story began. Follow along as we celebrate her 40 years at sea together!)

09/25/2026

With the plans ready, building started in earnest and lumber was sourced, shaped, and cut with intention. Under the work of many hands, the Swift’s shape grew clearer and more exciting. As piece after piece was added, together they became the beginnings of a vessel built for belonging, growth, and community. What started to take form wasn’t just a ship for the sea, but a platform for thousands of trainees to discover more about themselves and create unforgettable memories for decades to come.

(As we approach the 40th anniversary of the Pacific Swift’s launch, we’re spending some time looking back at where her story began. Follow along as we celebrate her 40 years at sea together!)

09/18/2026

That’s a wrap on our summer sailing season! It was so special to welcome our ships back to Victoria and to witness the meaningful goodbyes that took place between trainees, crew, and volunteers after spending 10 days at sea together. It was clear to see the deep relationships and closeness that formed between those on board.

We then marked the transition between our summer and fall seasons at the Victoria Classic Boat Festival, where more than 850 visitors stepped aboard the Pacific Swift and Pacific Grace for either day sails or dockside tours, and got a chance to experience a snippet of SALTS up close. So grateful to our crew, staff, and volunteers who made those connections possible!

And so just like that—we’re into our fall sailing season! We’ve already welcomed our first group of students on board this week with two fall trips underway and look forward to an Educator Day Sail happening on Monday, and then more fall trips after that! The energy and curiosity the students have already brought on board mark the start of this new season, full of learning, growth, and adventure.

Here’s to a meaningful fall ahead. ⛵🍂

Photos 5 & 6 by Madeline Anderson

09/14/2026

As we approach the 40th anniversary of the Pacific Swift’s launch, we’re spending some time looking back at where her story began. Before she ever touched the water, the Swift lived on paper, in the dozens of line drawings and careful drafts shaping her future. Each revision refined her lines, her strength, and her purpose. These early sketches were where imagination met determination, and laid the foundation for everything that followed (swipe to see just a few of the many that were drawn up!)

We'll be sharing more posts looking back at the building of the Swift in the next few weeks leading up the anniversary, but our series starts here: with vision, pencils, and the dream of a ship that would change the lives of many and create a platform for beautiful onboard communities.

08/25/2026

It's crazy to think that the third summer trip has already ended and the fourth is underway! Trip 3 was filled with awe-inspiring views and many wildlife sightings. During the Swift's trip down the west coast of Vancouver Island, sunfish were spotted from aloft by some crew and a second one later during their sail. They also got to see Puffins skittering across the top of the swells. Meanwhile the Pacific Grace was navigating back to Port Hardy from Haida Gwaii and experienced a unique es**rt, with six to eight whales in sight at different points of the compass. They enjoyed home cooked meals by Heather, the cook on board, and visited idyllic white sand beaches with "icing sugar" like sand, turquoise water and stunning offshore rock outcroppings. We can't wait to hear about all of the stories that come from the fourth and final trip of the summer. Anchors a'weigh!

Photos: 1 - David Eggert, 3 and 4 - Emi Kelly-Bodie

08/05/2026

Summer is flying by and so are our trips! Our second set of summer trips came to a close last week, with both ships docking in different areas. The Pacific Grace in Haida Gwaii while the Pacific Swift docked in Port Hardy after their 10-day journey north from Victoria.

These trips were packed with fun, learning, and breathtaking scenery. Trainees enjoyed refreshing swimming spots, viewing wildlife, and the ships rafting up for games and singing together. Trainees also completed their lessons and took times to reflect on what they'd learned. Scenic highlights included stunning waterfalls, sandy beaches, and stunning sunsets.

Our third set of summer trips begin on Thursday! We look forward to hearing stories from the youth on board these trips when they return!

Photo credit: 1-3 + 5 Sonia Crawshaw

07/30/2026

Our summer sailing season is in full swing!

Our first 10-day trips of the year wrapped up on the July 18th and our trainees disembarked with many stories to tell from their time on the water and exploring BC’s coast.

Both ships set out on a Salish Sea adventure that took them on similar routes but had them disembarking in different locations. They sailed through the waters of Desolation Sound and the Strait of Georgia, and then the Grace traveled up to Port Hardy while the Swift sailed back to our dock in Victoria.

Throughout the trips, there were many opportunities to set sail, and lessons about sails, chart work, and rules of the road were taught. There were times of hiking, reading, making friendship bracelets, swimming and games. Both ships were treated to orca and humpback whale sightings!

One evening the ships were able to “raft up” alongside each other at anchor so that the trainees from both ships could enjoy waterfalls, go for an evening dip, and end the day all together with singing and laughter during mug up.

Trainees enjoyed sharing with one another and the sense of camaraderie that developed within their floating communities during their 10 days at sea.

Trip 2 began last Thursday, and we can’t wait to hear about all their adventures when they come back!

Photo credit: 1, 2 & 3 - Emi Kelly-Bodie

Address

451 Herald Street
Victoria, BC
V8W3N8

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 4:30pm
Tuesday	9am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	9am - 4:30pm
Thursday	9am - 4:30pm
Friday	9am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+12503836811

Website

http://www.salts.ca/

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