Palma.—Marina Port de Mallorca has been visited by Kapitan Borchardt, a Polish training ship built in 1918.
The vessel has a permanent crew of four: captain, cook, engineer and bosun.
The rest of the crew changes on a weekly basis or every two weeks with new students eager to learn how to sail and enjoy the sea in a different way than usual.
96 years old, this vessel has a lot of history behind her, but since she changed owners three years ago, she has become a dedicated training ship for people who know little or nothing about the nautical world.
According to Thomas, the captain of this centennial ship, all the students form part of the crew and are involved in running the ship. “It is better for people to be part of the whole process. They steer, they do the navigation.
“The aim is to have a proper ship with ropes and hard work, and sail a bit further than Stockholm or Poland” he said.
Nevertheless, it is very different to sail with students rather than with experienced people, because as Thomas explained, “it is the same sailing, we’ve got sails, we’ve got sea, but everything is much more difficult because they are students and inexperienced.
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The training ship Kapitan Borchardt moored up in Palma.