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| CAF Graduation Ceremony |
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| The capst'n |
Saying goodbye is one of the most challenging tasks a person
faces when a journey comes to a close. We, the students and crew aboard the
Sorlandet, knew that this day was going to come but never thought it would be
this soon.
The past 9 months have seen the oceans change colour and the
countries vary in landscapes as I sail around the Atlantic, but with these
natural changes came the creation of a family which fought hurricanes, fought
each other at times (often playful), faced grief in its worst form, hiked
mountains, and dove in the depths of exploration, adventure and high spirits.
I hate to say goodbye but as our crew anchored outside
Kristiansand and worked together to make our
home an unimaginable sight of beauty we realised that rather than see
this as the end and grieve at our closely approaching separation, we should
rejoice for all that our family saw and did.
From the 50 year old land in the Azores and the camel rides
along the Algerian border to the cliff jumping in Curacao and the climbing
aloft in a sea of stars, I have concurred an infinite bag of stories and
memories that will stay with me for the rest of my life. The sailing skills I
have acquired and the connections I have made with maritime crew have left me
with a yearning to return to the world of tall ships.
While this may be the end of an amazing journey with Class
Afloat, it is not the end for travel or sailing. I am sure that I will someday
cross paths with both my floatie friends and the Sorlandet. When that day is,
soon or in the in the distance, I do not know so for now we have with us each
other’s phone numbers, addresses, and of course social media (it is the 21st
century after all).
Am I sad to say goodbye? Yes. It’s only human to feel some
sorrow, but I am happy to have been given the opportunity to see what I saw and
feel what I felt. It’s been a wild run.
And with that I give my final adieu. Below is a copy of the
first blog I ever came across before I left. Every bit of it sticks true to
Class Afloat and the Sorlandet. Thank you for following the journey.
Yours truly,
Sophia Stewart
“You Know You Live On The [Sorlandet] When..
(by Cam)
You know you
live on the [Sorlandet] when…
-Showers are
noticed like a new haircut.
-Sleeping is
dangerous.
-For some
people, throwing up is a task that must be done regularly and without
complaint, just like cleaning the scuppers.
-You regularly
lie down in class for quick snooze.
-You talk to
your teachers like you would talk to your friends.
-If someone
is wearing two of the same coloured socks, they obviously have too much free
time which they should be spending on deck or in the galley.
-You walk
against the walls in order to keep your balance as the boat rocks.
-You walk
against the walls even on land, by habit.
-Sundays
mean [dessert after dinner]
-You hate
8-10 watch even if you get more sleep because you have to miss out on social
time.
-Your shipmates
are able to sympathize with your mother.
-If you roll
of out bed, you hit your face on the plywood.
-You have to
find grip points under the desks during class.
-You play a
violent game of rock paper scissors with your shipmates to see who has to go
talk to the engineers because the heads are clogged again.
-You strive
to be picked to ride in the zodiac.
-If you find
something that may be important to someone and you don’t know whose it is, you
keep it until a reward is offered.
-You’ve been
burnt, scraped or bruised by an item in the galley.
-When
everything must be stored on non-skid paper in order to keep it in place.
-Changing
your sheets reminds you of Christmas morning.
-You’ve ridden
the broomsticks on deck while you’re supposed to be cleaning.
-You cry at
the sight of land, but it’s not always happy.”
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| Sorlandet after the final clean |
