New answers received by 11/29/95
: Has Class Afloat made you realize that you took anything for granted at home?...Mr. Ashton's 7th grade -- 9/21/95
nswered by Anne Valerie Menard -- 11/6/95
After a few days on the ship you begin to realize that very simple stuff you enjoyed at home is missing from your day to day life. The warm comfort of my large bed is probably what I miss most. My mother’s cooking and my favorite snack foods are things that I miss from home.
Privacy is also very hard to find on a ship filled with so many people. At certain times it is difficult to find a good place to be alone with some peace and quiet. Those are the things that I enjoyed the most at home and that I do not have here. I really miss being lazy especially when we have hours of school work and ship maintenance work. I used to love waking up late and doing nothing for the whole day. Obviously, there is no place for laziness around the Concordia.
: Do the sails tear and if so how do you fix them?...Crystal, 8th grade -- 10/30/95
nswered by Lukas Leddington -- 11/13/95
In response to your question, yes, occasionally a sail will tear due to bad weather and high stress factors.
The process we use to go about mending the sail is a rather basic needle and thread sewing job. However, these are not your usual household sewing tools. We use a no. 14 needle which is a bit larger than a toothpick, wax thread which allows easy weaving through the stiff sail, and a palm. A palm is a piece of leather which fits over the hand like a glove and has a metal plate in the palm to push the needle through sides of the tear.
Maybe one day, Crystal, you can mend a torn sail onboard the Concordia! I hope I have answered your question clearly and would be happy to answer any more. Take it easy.
: Do blind or other physically challenged students participate in Class Afloat?...Ms. Collopy's 5th grade class, Bedford, CT -- 11/21/95
nswered by Kristin Smith -- 11/27/95
Although we do not have any physically challenged students onboard this year, we have in the past.
One student who comes to mind is a wonderful Japanese girl named Soni who was blind. Soni joined Class Afloat for a special three week crossing from Yokohama, Japan to Honolulu, Hawaii.
When Soni arrived she was given a very thorough introduction to the ship. Within two days she knew the ship and its workings better than most of the other students. She could tell you which sail was being hoisted just by listening.
Soni also went aloft to set and furl sails. When she did, two students would help her. One student would climb before her and one would follow so that they could guide her. Soni had little fear and was willing to try anything new. We all had a great deal of respect and admiration for her.
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