Q&A with Concordia
From the week ending June 13, 1997
Are you keeping in contact with your family and friends back home?
...Kirstie R., B.C., CanadaI keep in contact with my closest friends and my family. The boat has mailing addresses for them to write me back. Most people I write to like to receive the postcards and letters from the different ports I travel to. It is hard for me to relate to some of my friends back home now that I’ve traveled the world because I’ve changed so much since the last time I saw them. They have grown accustomed to living without me. It will be hard to get used to being with them when I go home. Some of the things I’ve done in the past year is unbelievable to some of my friends back home. Trying to explain to them what I’ve seen and been through, the friendships I’ve made onboard and all the different hardships I’ve had is hard. Hopefully, I’ll get used to life back home and not always compare it to my awesome Class Afloat year.
...Ms. Lyon's Class, Joseph E., Martin School, East TauntonRoaring along under a full press of sail is one of the most amazing experiences you could imagine. The strong winds and howling of the rigging creates a sense of excitement and awe of nature's power. The first time all sails have been set you know that to give up sailing would be near impossible. Of course the very first time you sail you may get seasick, which can be an unpleasant experience, but after a few days underway, the motion of the boat seems as natural as a swing in the park. Unfortunately, many people decide not to sail again because of this first experience. On a long voyage such as Class Afloat, you have no choice. After life at sea for five months very few of us still get seasick. The size of the sailboat also makes a difference. Concordia is so large the motion doesn't bother you too much unless the seas are very rough (which can be very exciting).
The first time you completely lose sight of the shore, you can understand why early explorers were concerned with straying too far from land. Your world is reduced to the distance from the tip of the bow to the stern. The close quarters brings everyone onboard together and we have all become very good friends. This aspect of sailing (the long voyage) is very different from your weekend bay cruising. To be honest, the opportunity to return home at the end of the day sailing sounds very enticing. I have been at sea on large sailing vessels for more than two years, sailing the east coast of the United States and from Malaysia to Denmark. I look forward to enjoying small sailboats on the Chesapeake Bay when I return to America.
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