Photo credit: PixelOpa, marinetraffic.com
A few months ago, one of my colleagues from our Customer Support Team shared with me an interesting request we had received about the “Classroom Under Sail” project, mentioning that it is a nice initiative we may consider writing about on the blog. She was right.
A parent, Ralph Wiedemann, had reached out to MarineTraffic asking for more information on how to monitor the movements of the ship where his son and 33 more students were on board. He wanted to find out how they could receive Satellite AIS positions to track the entire journey.
Classroom under Sail (KUS) is not a new initiative. It is a different kind of school, a project of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU), operating successfully for more than 20 years.
During KUS, a traditional sailing vessel and foreign countries become the classroom for six months. A group of 34 young people aged 15-16 years along with their school teachers and sailing instructors, are transferring their lessons to the sea for a unique educational experience.
Starting and finishing at Kiel, the route usually includes voyages to the Canaries, the Caribbean, Panama, Cuba, Bermudas and Azores.
The Covid-19 pandemic hasn’t stopped the young sailors from schooling on the high seas. They continue their programme by taking the proper healthy measures and making adjustments to their voyages.
“Due to Corona they need more time after each country for self-quarantine to be sure not to have the virus on board, so they take a shorter route through more safe countries”, Ralph commented.
On the way back, the students take over the ship on their own, applying what they’ve been learning and exercising over the past months. The idea is that the students are responsible for all vessel operations; to navigate, cook, and even repair the boat.
“They will elect a captain and all other positions, from engine to kitchen”, the parent added.
Due to the particular challenges on board and on shore, the students will learn more about themselves and grow from their different tasks, according to the project’s description.
About the “classroom”
Sailing under the flag of Germany, the Thor Heyerdahl is the training vessel where the KUS students travel on board. She is almost 50 metres long and was built 90 years ago.
According to MarineTraffic AIS data, the vessel has made 51 voyages and travelled around 11,229 NM during the past 12 months.
Where is the vessel now? To learn the current position of Thor Heyerdahl and view more details and photos of her, visit her page here.
