More about my tall ship adventure
About MasterSkip
In 2012 a small group of passionate teachers and sailers were discussing what truly mattered to them: a new form of personalised education in secondary schools, where personal leadership, teamwork, and social development take centre stage. A combination of theory and practice in a unique and challenging location.
This is how, in 2013, the idea arose to take pupils from all kinds of Dutch schools out on a large sailing ship during school hours with their lessons taking place on board. The pupils then learn from the environment they are sailing through. They cross oceans and visit indigenous peoples and cultures. The world becomes their classroom.
Where I will be travelling
Curaçao – Sint Maarten sounds like a short trip in the tall ship world. But when you realise we’re sailing via Bermuda, you’ll understand that this is the Masterskip version of a tropical voyage. So yes, we’ll see the most beautiful islands. And yes, we’ll be snorkelling amongst the most stunning fish. But we'll also have to work hard.
Because we’ve organised this trip as a race. We’ll warm up sailing past the well-known Dutch islands and then head across to Jamaica. After that, we’ll sail between Cuba and Haiti. And once we’re properly settled in, we’ll go all the way to Bermuda. As one captain put it: “That’s a third of an ocean crossing.” And after we’ve explored those islands thoroughly, we’ll head back again.
We’ll be taking a westerly route to Bermuda, and on the eastern side we’ll catch the favourable southerly winds again. By the time you arrive in Sint Maarten, you’ll have clocked up a whopping 2,400 nautical miles.
That’s island-hopping that makes you stronger and sharper.
What life will be like onboard
Life on board will usually start with a early wakeup for breakfast, and then the studying starts. Before you even step foot on the boat you make a school plan, you speak with all your teachers to discuss what you will be doing on board, you cant do everything you would do at school after all. At 10 everyone will have a snack and a break from the schoolwork, but soon after the studying resumes. At lunch you can put the books away and start eating but try not to make too much mess because short after lunch ends its time for happy hour! Everyone has their own job and starts to clean the entire boat. After happy hour the sail training follows and you learn more on how to navigate where you're going! The evening starts with dinner, prepared by the chef with our help in the galley. Depending where we are, there are different activities for different evenings. And I have a feeling I'm going to sleep well.
What I hope to learn
I hope to learn how to navigate the oceans, work together to form a team with my fellow crew, sail the ship, meet new people, discover more of the world and the beautiful cultures in it and to challenge myself. But overall I want to make as many memories as possible!