THERE’S a new dining venue in Weymouth – but you’ll need a sense of adventure before you can be rewarded with a cup of hot chocolate on board Tall Ship Pelican of London.

A nautical pop-up café has opened up the galley of TS Pelican to the public to serve up bacon and egg baps and homemade cakes.

The mess deck on the ship, docked in Weymouth Harbour until April next year, is being transformed each weekend into a Pelicanteen – a family ‘fine fayre’ diner.

Serving up hearty soups, warming jacket potatoes, toast and tea, volunteers hope the new café will entice people to climb aboard and learn more about the ship while enjoying a hot brew.

Kirstine Darch, who helps promote the ship, said: “She’s a stunning ship. People who work on board feel the love and passion for her - she’s a unique vessel and 45 metres in length.

“The café is something we have done for the last couple of years. She is a training ship and so very expensive to run and so this is a way of raising funds towards her running. It’s a marvellous way to get people engaged and learning.

“It is inexpensive and all homemade. The cakes and cookies are all made by volunteers and even the weekend chef is a volunteer. The ship couldn’t survive without the volunteers.”

Walking around the deck, young shipmates are currently working on the maintenance of the ship. The mess deck is a tidy size and dressed to welcome families.

Kirstine said: “We’re alongside the harbour all the time and people always walk past and they rarely get a chance to come on board and experience how the crew live and so it’s a great opportunity to come on board.

“People can wander around the decks, try the rigging and even try their hand at the ships wheel while the rest of the family enjoy a cup of tea.

“In good weather we get chairs and tables out on the deck and people can bring their dogs on board.

“We aren’t a big flashy eatery, but what we do offer is a warm welcome, tasty food and a chance to experience life on board.”

The ship runs training voyages for people aged 15 to 25 during the summer months under its charity Adventure Under Sail.

Kirstine said: “The café will keep her afloat and keep on giving young people a chance to sail. The young people come from varying backgrounds and find it changes their life.

“We are also looking at doing a few fine dining nights with local chefs and musicians to come along and do some special evenings for anyone who wants to get involved.”

* Pop-up coffee shop, on board Tall Ship Pelican of London, in Weymouth Harbour from 10am to 4pm every Saturday and Sunday. Bacon, sausage and egg baps cost £2.