This is an epic story
With the pandemic raging and global flights grounded, a group of Dutch teenagers, aboard a 100-year-old sailing ship, followed the routes of their ancestors, braving hardships for over a month to cross the Atlantic and return home.
In February of this year, before the pandemic had fully erupted globally, a group of high school students from various schools in the Netherlands flew to the Caribbean to participate in a six-week sailing study program. Their original plan was to fly back to the Netherlands from Cuba in March. However, no one expected that when the time came to return home, there would be no flights available.
What to do? Remaining stranded was clearly not the best option.
In the end, they made a bold decision, just like their ancestors—to sail across the Atlantic and return to their homeland on the other side of the ocean.
The ship, built in 1920 and named the "Wylde Swan," was originally manufactured in Germany for herring fishing and is now exactly one hundred years old. From 2008 to 2010, the entire ship was renovated and rebuilt, equipped with modern facilities and converted into a motor-sailer. It has a displacement of 355 tons and is equipped with a 480-horsepower diesel engine. Although it is not the rudimentary sailboat one might imagine, but rather more like a yacht, a vessel of this size is no different from a matchbox in the middle of the ocean when encountering a major storm.
Most importantly, the children's parents agreed. This was an adventure, but also one of the best life lessons in growth.
These children, aged between 14 and 17, were a little uneasy about crossing the Atlantic, but mostly excited. Who wouldn't be happy? Not everyone has the opportunity to experience such an adventure. Teenagers all over the world want to ride a white horse to the ends of the earth, fearing nothing.
They only worried about whether there would be enough food, how to handle their dirty laundry, and whether it would be fun.
On the island of Saint Lucia in the Caribbean, they stocked up on large quantities of food, water, and other essentials, as well as warm clothing. In March and April, the Caribbean is warm, but the North Atlantic waters are incredibly cold.
On March 18, under the care of 12 crew members and 3 teachers, 24 Dutch children embarked on this long and perilous journey home.
How many hardships would they face on the 8,000-kilometer journey? Everything was an unknown.
They left Saint Lucia on the sailing ship, heading toward the Netherlands. A doctor was responsible for monitoring the health of everyone on board. Two weeks into the voyage, no one on the ship had contracted COVID-19.
Midway through the voyage, they stopped at the Portuguese Azores in the middle of the Atlantic to replenish daily necessities, though they were prohibited from going ashore.
This is the "Midway Island" of the Atlantic. For centuries, people have stopped here to replenish supplies before continuing their voyage to Europe or the Americas.
On March 16, a case had already been discovered on this westernmost land of Europe.
A 16-year-old student named Jona recorded a video on the ship. In the video, he expressed his surprise at seeing many people on the island wearing masks. He had never seen such a world before.
Life at sea was simple, monotonous, and isolated from the world. They did not know that the world had become very different from before.
One of the difficulties of this voyage was that more than forty men and women were squeezed into a small space with almost no privacy. Changing clothes, using the restroom, and bathing were all problems.
This is the interior space of the "Wylde Swan." It seems okay, but living in such a place for dozens of days, no one can truly relax. You cannot understand the feeling unless you experience it yourself.
Because they were students, they still had to study on the ship. In addition, there was entertainment time, such as playing games and joking around. Everyone on the ship had tasks; some had to help monitor navigation conditions between 3:00 AM and 6:00 AM, and others had to clean the ship.
When they passed through the Bermuda Triangle, many were filled with fear. In this mysterious and dangerous sea area, countless ships have sunk.
Some children made "bucket lists."
The pitch-black nights, the violent winds and waves, and the unknown journey could not help but stir unease in the hearts of these children. If they couldn't make it home, what would they say to their parents, what would they say to the world? They engaged in the most serious reflection of their young lives.
While the ocean created dangers for them, it also gifted them many magnificent experiences.
The sunrise and sunset, ordinary scenes on land, were incredibly stunning on the ocean.
The brilliant galaxy, the bright moonlight, the chasing dolphins, and the sensitive thoughts of teenagers—these may all be once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
Their experience was similar to the boy in "Life of Pi," but they were much luckier. Accompanying "Pi" was a tiger that could eat him at any time. These children, however, were accompanied by a group of friends their own age.
Whether difficult or beautiful, there is always an end.
After 38 days of sailing, on the morning of Sunday, April 26, local time, the "Wylde Swan" returned to its hometown, the port of Harlingen, Netherlands.
The children hung up a self-made "bucket list" banner, which read: cross the Atlantic, swim in the ocean, and survive in the Bermuda Triangle.
A flare and a smoke signal were ignited on the ship, and orange smoke drifted over the calm harbor.
The waiting parents drove their cars, brought their pets, and lined up at the port to pick up their children.
These thirty-plus days were filled with so much worry and concern. The hearts of parents are truly universal.
The children had a different perspective.
The scene in the Azores had already shocked them. Returning to the Netherlands and seeing people keeping such a distance from each other, they were even more surprised.
Compared to when they left, this country looked very different.
Following regulations, they maintained a 1.5-meter social distance as they left the sailing ship one by one.
Some children screamed and rushed toward their parents, hugging them tightly for a long time. Some parents, while smiling, couldn't help but have red eyes.
The pandemic in the Netherlands is still serious. Currently, there are about 38,000 confirmed cases and 4,500 deaths.
These children might soon miss life on the ocean; although it was monotonous and boring, they were accompanied by many friends and didn't have to worry about viral infection.
Finally, I ponder a question. If Chinese children encountered this situation, would they dare to take the risk of sailing home? Of course, not bypassing the Cape of Good Hope, crossing the Indian Ocean, and returning to China. I think the vast majority of parents would not agree in the first place. Even being stranded on a small island in the Caribbean would be better than crossing countless winds, waves, and dangers to get home.
Perhaps this is the difference between continental civilization and maritime civilization.
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