Maritime Experience Day Trip on the Wylde Swan

by Jan Roosens CSTA on 23 Jan 2014 The Dutch sail training vessel Wylde Swan, which is the largest two mast top sail schooner in the world, has sailed on Wednesday January 22, 2014 from the Port of Galisbay Marigot with approx. 30 youngsters accompanied by teachers, some journalists, photographers and invited guests from St.Maarten and St.Martin during a Maritime Experience day trip.

Young people from the Collège Mont des Accords, the Sint Maarten Yacht Club, and the Kids at Sea Foundation had a fun day sailing and learning excursion on the Tall Ship.

The Maritime Experience Day was once again organized by the Caribbean Sail Training Association and sponsored by the Maritime School of the West Indies, International Liquor and Tobacco Trading ( ITLC ), Budget Marine, YachtAssistance and Life Rafts Etc. so that the day could be offered free of costs.

The Wylde Swan set sails precisely at 9.00 a.m. as announced, out of Galisbay. Director of the Port De Marigot-Galisbay Alberic Ellis was there to welcome the Captain and crew prior to the departure and to wish them a pleasant trip.

The Port of Marigot is hosting most of the visiting sail training vessels this season due to their appreciated cooperation and services that the port provides to the Tall Ships. Several of the yacht and ship agents, companies and suppliers prefer working with the Port de Galisbay while visiting St.Maarten-St.Martin.

The Wylde Swan sailed first East – North East towards Anguilla and then to Grand Case where they anchored for lunch.
Only nineteen minutes later the sailed again, this time direction North and returning in the late afternoon to Galisbay.
Kids learned to set sails, some taking the huge steering wheel (helm), climbing the masts (with safety harnesses) and helping everywhere to safely run a Tall Ship under supervision of Captain and Crew.

All the youngsters had a blast and they all wanted to return as soon as possible to sail on a next Tall Ship.

The Caribbean Sail Training Association’ s president Jan Roosens suggested to Rien Korteknie from the Kids At Sea foundation that they would initiate talks with Milton Pieters college and him to set up a multi weeks sailing program by next season for the youngsters.

The Wylde Swan is actually running such programs with Dutch youngsters which are on board for several weeks together with teachers who instruct the regular lessons from school in addition to sailing.

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