Sessions and Sail voyages in Australia

Sessions and Sail founder Barry Nisbet sailed from 2000-2009 as Mate and Skipper of the wooden brigantine Søren Larsen; it was probably then, during music evenings at anchor in the Pacific Ocean, that the idea of Sessions and Sail was born. 

So in February 2025, the connection with Søren Larsen was rekindled, and 23 musicians, including Sessions and Sail regulars Barry, Carol ‘Nessie’ Anderson, Pepita Emmerichs and Theo Barnard, set sail from Sydney Harbour.

Sessions and Sail Australia was back in February 2026, revisiting friends made the first time round - the community of Dangar Island, the Sydney Scottish Fiddlers, the Melbourne Scottish Fiddlers!

In 2027 we are making plans to explore Tasmania aboard the Søren - watch this site and our socials, or join our mailing list, for the first news of this.

On these voyages you will sail with a full Søren Larsen sailing crew, plus tutors both Australian and Scottish from the Sessions and Sail team.

Søren Larsen

Søren Larsen, built in 1949, was one of the last fully traditional, cargo carrying sailing ships made for Baltic Trade. She was lovingly restored and re-rigged by the Davies family in 1978 to the graceful 19th century Brigantine she is today.

She features a lovely sweep of open deck - poopdeck, waist and foredeck, where if the weather is good we may have up three sessions going simultaneously!


Søren Larsen has featured in Films & T.V. ‘The Onedin Line’, ‘French Lieutenant’s Woman’ and ‘Shackleton’ to name a few. In 1982, during the filming of Shackleton, she became the first wooden sailing ship to reach Arctic Greenland in 70 years. In 1991 she was the first British Tallship to round Cape Horn in 68 years.


Søren Larsen was the Flagship of the First Fleet Re-enactment
Voyage. She led a fleet of 7 square riggers on an ambitious eight-month journey from Portsmouth to Sydney.

Aboard Søren Larsen you'll sleep in cabins with either two or four bunks. There are two shared toilet/showers. 

Food is normally served on deck when the weather is good, or below decks in Søren's beautiful wood-panelled saloon.