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Sailing instead of distance lessons: the Pelican of London casts off in autumn - with 33 students, three instructors and experienced sailors on board
Photo:
Hauke-Christian Dittrich / dpa
Set the sails and simply sail away from the corona pandemic in a three-master on the Atlantic: What may sound like a distant holiday dream in the shutdown, was for 33 pupils on board their "floating classroom", the training ship "Pelican of London", Reality in the past six months.
On Saturday the group of students returned to Germany after two Atlantic crossings.
The tall ship entered the port of Emden around noon - the voyage had also started there at the beginning of October, before the second shutdown.
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Finally there: student Martha is greeted by her father
Photo: Hauke-Christian Dittrich / dpa
Overjoyed, with cheers and many tears of joy, parents and siblings welcomed their family members at the harbor quay - and they thanked them by singing loudly with numerous shanties before the mooring maneuver from board.
The federal police monitored the arrival and compliance with the corona rules.
"We were like family"
In addition to lessons, excursions and sailing were part of everyday life on board for the pupils, who are mostly in the tenth grade.
On their cruise of around 14,500 nautical miles (approx. 26,000 kilometers), the group sailed to Gibraltar, then on to the Canary Islands, the Caribbean and through the Panama Canal to Costa Rica and back.
Experienced sailors and three instructors accompanied them.
"We were like family," said 15-year-old Martha Dingeldein of the solidarity on board the sailor.
The corona pandemic is causing her a little uncertainty.
"Going home now and knowing that it's not the same as it was on board, where you can just hug everyone, that will be difficult," Martha said.
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Half a year at sea with the Pelican of London costs around 25,000 euros, according to Ocean College
Photo: Hauke-Christian Dittrich / dpa
On board, largely without telephone and internet, the pandemic hardly played a role, reported Finja Blatt from Stuttgart.
"We had a little bubble to ourselves and didn't notice that much of Corona," said the 14-year-old.
There was no mask requirement on board.
That will change soon.
Everyday school life starts again for the first returnees on Monday.
mjm / dpa
