General travel report

The first days on board were tough. Saying goodbye to my parents in Harlingen was emotional, especially as I realized I would be away from home for six months. The first week in Harlingen was filled with lessons on sailing and safety. Although I had a lot of homesickness, I really enjoyed learning about sailing. When we left for Den Helder and I could briefly contact my parents, I felt some relief.

The sea was rough at times, and I felt a little seasick, but luckily not like many others. Many of them had a hard time. We started the watch schedule, and my first real watch was from 12 AM to 3 AM. After some rain, my first night watch was canceled. In Boulogne-sur-Mer, we had some free time, but I still felt quite sad. It was strange to feel so homesick, as I don’t usually get that way. But I know this feeling will ease as time goes on.

The night watches continued, and we set course for Tenerife. The new watch schedule was 4 hours on, 8 hours off, and I had the 12 AM to 4 AM shift, both day and night. Sam, the captain, said the trip to Tenerife would take “two halves,” but after ten days, that answer hadn’t changed. The journey ended up being longer than expected, but we learned a lot: filling out the logbook, determining our position with coordinates, working in the engine room, and even studying during rough weather while dolphins swam alongside the boat.

Tenerife was a welcome change. We had an exchange with a local school, played a football match against a German school (which we won 2-1), and went on a 17 km hike in the volcanic El Teide area. We spent our free time at the beach and at a market, having lots of great conversations with new people.

Schoolwork

My schoolwork is going well, although I’m still behind schedule. The pace is challenging due to the language barrier, but I’m doing my best to catch up and avoid falling further behind. It’s tough, especially with reading and subjects that require a lot of attention. But I’m motivated and determined to finish the year well.

Watch

During the watches, I’ve learned a lot about the ship’s systems: filling out the logbook, checking the engine room, setting the sails, and learning knots. I want to get better at quickly locating the lines and working more effectively with my team.

Evaluation by Mentor Nick

Devi has a strong skill when it comes to interacting with people. She easily makes friends with everyone on board and is actually the only one who mixes with multiple groups. I mention this because she herself expressed concerns about not being able to connect with her peers, mainly due to her background and not being familiar with Dutch youth culture. However, the opposite has proven to be true, and this ability to connect has become one of her strengths.

When it comes to school, Devi occasionally needs help getting started, but once she's on task, she works well. The pace is challenging due to the language barrier. Fortunately, she reads a lot, which is great for her Dutch, but sometimes she doesn't prioritize things as well as she could. As a result, she's a bit behind in certain subjects. She recognized this on her own and created a visual overview of her progress in each subject, which gives her a clear idea of what to focus on. Devi sometimes started her schoolwork late during the first weeks, but she's improved that quickly. We're gradually building up speed, and I see strong growth in Devi’s development. School here has been tough for her, but she’s a true fighter.

Evaluation by Captain Sam & Project Coordinator Sander

The first period is over. The North Sea, the Bay of Biscay, and the Atlantic Ocean have really put you to the test. Despite seasickness, you kept up with watches, kitchen duties, and schoolwork. It was harder with the rough weather, but your dedication was clear.

Of course, not everything went smoothly: cleaning could be improved, more focus was needed on schoolwork, and table manners could have been better. But it’s great to see that the group dynamic is strong. You take care of each other and create fun moments together, whether it’s a haircut, sports on deck, or just chilling. A great example of this is how you already set up hammocks in Tenerife. Even when things didn’t go as planned, like no stopovers or the non-climb of Teide, you handled it well.

In short, things are going well, especially for this part of the journey. However, be aware that there’s still work to be done. Stay critical of yourself and your team, whether it's during kitchen duties or watches. Keep raising the bar and be honest when things didn’t go as well. Think before answering “it went pretty well” when asked how things went. The same applies to schoolwork: don’t procrastinate and ask for help if you’re struggling. This way, you’ll keep growing, and we hope to see this development continue throughout the rest of the journey.

Enjoy the Great Crossing! Make it something beautiful!

Health and Lifestyle

I’ve been going to bed early because I realize how important sleep is. My eating habits have changed, I’m eating more than usual and trying to pay attention to my nutrition. I don’t crave many snacks, but an occasional piece of licorice is nice. The watches also provide a physical workout, which helps keep me active.

Kitchen

The kitchen duty is sometimes exhausting, but I enjoy it. We’re getting faster each time, although my group isn’t the most efficient yet. I want to improve at coming up with and preparing dishes, although our oatmeal doesn’t always turn out great.

Spanish

We’ve learned how to introduce ourselves and do basic communication in Spanish. It’s still difficult for me, but we play fun games like Spanish bingo. It’s challenging, but I’m picking up the language quickly.

Reflection on Competencies

During one kitchen duty, I tried to communicate more and work better with the team, but things didn’t go as planned. I need to listen better and cooperate more, especially with the chef, to divide the workload effectively. In another situation, when we had to do a project on El Teide, I realized I had misjudged the deadline and waited too long to start. This caused stress and miscommunication within the group. In the future, I want to take more responsibility and improve my leadership skills.

My vision for this part of the journey

I’m happy with my progress so far, but I know I can expect more from myself. I want to work more efficiently, communicate better during the watches, and be faster with my schoolwork. The journey has just begun, and I’m looking forward to what’s to come.

Sponsor agreements

In every port I’ve visited, I’ve hung the flags of my sponsors, Flaka, Itamex and Kraken Yachts. I’ll continue to do this in the upcoming ports.

Love,
Devi Tiemessen