Date: 04th April 2020
Author: Frida
Geographical Position: 49°26.772´ N/ 006°12.957´W
Position: English Channel
Etmal: 85nm

Right now I’m sitting in the messroom looking back on the six months of our voyage.

Today we finally arrived in the English channel and we spotted land for the first time for two weeks. We’re back in Europe.

It’s crazy! This is my last daily report. I remember I always thought that if I have to write this report, the voyage would be almost over. Now we’ve only got seven more days (if we’re going to arrive on the 12th).

Seven more days

Seven more days to practice all the shanties, to spent the last days together, to buy our last things in the tuck shop, to get all the pictures together and to just enjoy the last days.

I had this picture in my head about how our arrival would be like. All the students on the yards, singing Shanties with Paul and Pete. All the families and dogs on the keyside, waving and shouting.

After a big welcome we would show everyone the Pelican and after a great goodbye party with all the students, families and crew members, we would finally say goodbye to each other.

But…

Since the Azores everything has changed: We weren’t allowed to go ashore on the Azores. We’re not going to Bordeaux but to Cuxhaven. We can’t see some members of the Crew again, for example Elie, Pete or Anson who wanted to come to Bordeaux.

We will be five or six weeks on board, without touching land once. We have no idea who is going to await us on the quay. We don’t know whether there will be all of our families or just one person.

We don’t know whether they will be allowed to get to see where we lived for six month or if the moment we leave the ship is the moment we are not allowed to touch each other. It’s all a big mystery… Thanks to Corona.

I think it changed almost all your lives out there and it changed our arrival as well. It will be completely different to be home again and we won’t be able to see each other for an uncertain amount of time.

Even if we live in the same cities. We can’t see or hug our friends at home. On the one hand, I think it’s just another adventure that we’re going to survive together, but on the other hand, I don’t like the uncertainty.

Sometimes it just drives me crazy, because I can’t imagine how it’s going to be.

I’m looking forward to be home again with my family, but I’m already sad that it comes to an end.

The last six months

We’ve lived this six exciting and sometimes very exhausting months together on board of the Pelican. We saw so many incredible and crazy things. More than most of the people see in their whole life and I’m just so thankful for all of it.

For all the nice and funny moments but also for the sad and exhausting ones. Sometimes I wanted to give up, for example when I was seasick, but there was always someone there for me!

I was never alone and we always looked after each other. We became a family and I’m going to miss all of them so much!

No matter how our arrival is going to be, we are going to enjoy it and even if nobody is on the keyside awaiting us, we’re going to make it special and a great goodbye!

P.S: Ganz liebe Grüße an meine Familie und alle da draußen. Wir sehen uns schon in einer Woche wieder und ich freue mich schon sehr! Egal, wie die Ankunft wird, spätestens Zuhause sind wir alle wieder zusammen und nur darauf kommt es an. Ich habe euch so lieb! Eure Frida
Und kauft schonmal ganz viel Katjes! 🙂

PPS: (Ein bisschen nachträglich) alles Gute zum Geburtstag Mama – vielleicht versuche ich mich ja mal an einer Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, wenn wir zurück sind! Ella
PPPS: Hanni, happy Birthday zu deinem 17ten Geburtstag. Ich vermisse dich und freue mich wenn wir uns (hoffentlich bald) wieder sehen. Ich habe dich ganz doll lieb und vermisse dich.
Deine Amelie