Last week I sailed from Harlingen to Antwerp in 6 days during the Tall Ship Races on board Bark Europa.

I saw many amazing things during this trip; from two and a half meters long jellyfish and luminous plankton to drilling platforms (oil rigs) and windmill parks larger than Dutch cities. Also, early sunrises and dark nights when the moon is our only illumination at sea. Even satellites and the International Space Station were seen on the deep dark sea.

In addition, we sailed through waves of two and a half meters while the wind made the ship heeling so much that the water sometimes splashed onto the deck. On the other hand, we had a training to climb the masts on a calm sea and I climbed to a height of 25 meters with a climbing harness for protection.

Saw England for the first time from a distance of 10 kilometers and then we sailed back to the Belgian coast. We had a nice party evening on board the ship before we docked in Antwerp the next day.

All in all an unforgettable experience that I would recommend to everyone.

Coen de Bruijn, Trainee