With SaS from Panama to Bermuda

With the School at Sea project, a class of students sail across the ocean and back again on a three-master for six months. EOC Varende Vrienden travelled with Danique, Isis, Jade, Marit and Valentine.

This time the report is by Isis and Danique

As we write this, it won’t be long before we return home. It is March 10,  and we are really counting the days. Quite a frightening feeling, speaking for ourselves. Something we have worked for and been for so long is about to come to an end. When we return, we will only have the memories and the good friends left over from this. The rest is end of story…

Birthday on board

But first, let’s talk about what we all experienced! After our trip in Panama, it was gradually time to leave for Cuba, where we would make our next trip on our own.

On 29 January, we left Portobelo. Now we would (almost) only sail closer to home. For the first time, we were sailing north, so the return trip officially started. The sailing to Cuba went smoothly. I (Isis) was on watch with our new helmsman Jet and found this period of waiting to be one of the most enjoyable ever. The watches were hugely enjoyable and we were now allowed to listen to music. This makes watchkeeping a bit more fun after all.

My birthday was during this crossing to Cuba and I turned seventeen. I would describe my birthday as ‘special’. I may have received a nice birthday box from home and congratulations from the people around me, but it didn’t really feel like a birthday for me and I was still a bit homesick. These are those realisation moments when you are really far from home.

Navigation and boarding lights

In the new watches, I (Danique) got Sam (the captain) as officer of the watch. I like the fact that with Sam in the watch, you can basically do anything, as long as you take your responsibilities. Still, I found it quite exciting. Not all watches went equally smoothly or well, but you learn from that too! During the watches to Cuba, we also learned a lot about the ship, specifically about navigation and ship’s lights.

Through the bay

After eight days of sailing, we arrived in Cuba. We had to clean everything thoroughly before this arrival because they are quite strict when checking in Cuba. It was a special entry, as we first had to sail through the bay for a long time. Unfortunately, we could not swim as the water was not very clean. Once the anchor was in, we went ashore in groups to clear in. Normally Sam always does that for us, but now we all got a ‘face check’.

After being cleared, we had to get on with our schoolwork. The following day too, but we were also told the groups for our own trip. We were happy about this, this was going to be a super trip! Who you had as your guide remained a surprise for the following day.

Journey through Cuba

On February 9, our own trip began. Each group drew its own plan. Isis and co stayed the first night in Cienfuegos and then went to Havana, before heading back to Cienfuegos via Viñales and Playa Larga. During her trip, she learned to salsa dance, visited caves and a theatre, rode horses and lounged on the beach. Danique went to Trinidad and Santa Clara after a day in Cienfuegos. She went to the beach twice, went horse riding, took a salsa class and managed to find a disco in a cave after several attempts.

We both noticed that this trip was completely different from the one in Panama. You can see government policies everywhere and the population seems immensely poor. Yet people were very friendly and helpful. Getting vegetables was also difficult, especially if you wanted to eat cheaply. As a result, we often ate pan-pizzas and sandwiches with ham or cheese.

Ship takeover

Soon it was time to leave and that meant ship takeover! Before we left, the applications were already there and Isis became ship’s doctor, Danique boatswain. This period was volatile. For instance, one moment we were swimming in the middle of the ocean because there was no wind, but not much later all the sails went up again. Danique sometimes found it quite difficult as boatswain, but learned a lot from it.

After about three days of ship takeover, we continued sailing with the normal school and watch schedule. In this week and a half, we caught a lot of fish, saw dolphins and just before arriving in Bermuda, even saw whales jumping!

Cabin change

Arriving in Bermuda was really beautiful. On the one hand, there was forest everywhere and very, very blue water, but also lots of cottages. When we stopped, the cabin swap began. Sander had made a layout, which he had ‘accidentally’ lost in the toilet a few days earlier. Two fellow SaSers had made their own layout. Which one would it be? It became the ‘lost’ version. We were both happy with our new cabin mates for the last leg of our journey.

The next day, we visited Ocean College (on the Regina Maris and the Johann Smidt, ed.). It was fun to see these other ships inside and hear what they all go through there. Afterwards, we took a walk around the island and were able to run.

In the evening, everyone was very happy with the kitchen service, because we ate pizza, only there was (too) much made… Everyone got half nauseous, but we still started the arrival party around 21:00! Everyone had to dress up as something or someone with the same initial as your first name. Our German friends from Ocean College also dropped by. They left early as they were leaving the following day. We stayed for a while, so partied on!

Bermudan spring sunshine

The next day, we had free time and explored the island. Most people went to the capital and almost everyone bought a Bermuda jersey or shirt. There was also a solo moment on Bermuda. For the first time in a long time, that meant spending three hours on your own and in silence reading the letter to ourselves that we wrote in Dominica, and reflecting on yourself and the trip. Or just taking a nap, snuggled on a grassy field or a bench in a Bermudan spring sun.

After a few more school days, it was soon time to leave for the Azores again. Europe, here we come!

Read the whole story in the newsletter Sailing Friends of the EOC.
Image: SaS.

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