SaS seeks coaches

School at Sea ship Thalassa travels around the Caribbean with students. After Dominica and Curaçao, they surfed on an uninhabited island. School at Sea is also looking for enthusiastic coaches to accompany the pupils.

The SaS students discover the Caribbean in a way that few people experience. On Dominica, they visited the impressive Boiling Lake and learned more about Rastafari culture. Christmas they celebrated on the Thalassa. Then on to Curaçao for a tropical New Year’s Eve with a Dutch touch. In Panama, they admired the beautiful islands of Guna Yala (San Blas) with highlights being an adventurous jungle trek and a few days of survival. This was also where they planned their first trip of their own. In case you are now thinking: they are just having fun … No way! School work went on as usual, even on Christmas Day there were tests scheduled for some students.

Tropical rainstorms

Those who think of the Caribbean may think of clear blue skies and bright sunshine. But in Dominica, our SaS students also experienced a few tropical rainstorms. That is also part of the experience. A ‘bit of rain’ is not such a bad thing for SaS’ers. But it did make for a challenging trek to the bellowing Boiling Lake, with muddy paths and slippery rocks. Fortunately, a natural hot tub, mud masks and cooking eggs in the heat springs made up for it.
The busy Dominica programme also included a night at a rastafari community with a hike to Victoria Falls, snorkelling at Champagne Reef and, to conclude, a visit to the impressive Trafalgar Falls. In short: it was an adventurous exploration of rugged, beautiful and slightly rainy Dominica!

On an uninhabited island

After Dominica, the SaS’ers set sail for Curaçao. From the Thalassa, they enjoyed the New Year fireworks – a Dutch tradition that the island is also familiar with. An important part of a visit to Curaçao is the Kura Hulanda Museum, which focuses on the history of the slave trade, among other things.
After Curaçao, the Thalassa left the Caribbean and travelled to Guna Yala (also known as the San Blas), an autonomous region in eastern Panama, where the SaSs were warmly welcomed by locals. On the middle deck, they set up a colourful market with handmade items. The SaS’ers browsed fanatically for souvenirs, with the colourful molas, traditional textile artworks, being particularly popular.
Then a great adventure began: three days of survival on a desert island! Huts were built with tarpaulins and leaves, and the first campfire was lit. The menu included scrambled banana pancakes, coconut and even grilled home-caught lobster. Besides survival, there was time for snorkelling, supping and singing around the fire. Of course, they left the island tidy, even cleaner than they found it. A beach clean-up yielded as many as 15 full bags of washed-up rubbish.

SaS is looking for new coaches

SaS is looking for enthusiastic coaches who want to guide students in realising their dreams. During the Fundraising Pathway, where pupils collect the money for their trip, each coach supports one or more aspiring SaS students in achieving their goals and development steps. The coach is not only a mentor, but also part of their adventure – a special and educational experience. This requires about one hour a week for at least half a year. Experience is not required – enthusiasm is!

Does this sound like fun? Then get in touch with us.

Source and image: SaS newsletter.

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