Dutch students complete Atlantic crossing forced by virus

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By ALEKSANDAR FURTULA

HARLINGEN, Netherlands (AP) — Greeted by relieved parents, pet dogs, flares and a cloud of orange smoke, a group of 25 Dutch high school students with very little sailing experience ended a trans-Atlantic voyage Sunday that was forced on them by coronavirus restrictions.

The children, ages 14 to 17, watched over by 12 experienced crew members and three teachers, were on an educational cruise of the Caribbean when the pandemic forced them to radically change their plans for returning home in March.

That gave one of the young sailors, 17-year-old Floor Hurkmans, one of the biggest lessons of her impromptu adventure.

“Being flexible, because everything is changing all the time,” she said as she set foot on dry land again. “The arrival time changed like 100 times. Being flexible is really important.”



Dutch teens cheer on their schooner Wylde Swan after sailing home from the Caribbean across the Atlantic when coronavirus lockdowns prevented them flying, in the port of Harlingen, northern Netherlands, Sunday, April 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)


Read more: https://apnews.com/1534addd5ef237377acd1b46ffa81e95

[Wounded Bear]

1. Cool story! nt

[IronLionZion]

2. That's quite a story

I'm thinking that's a good size ship for such a voyage during pandemic as long as no one had the virus. Because I would not want to be on a large cruise type ship or Navy ship these days with thousands of people and no escape.

[MicaelS]

3. What a wonderful story. n/t

[GulfCoast66]

4. Wow! That's life changing. Sailing across The Atlantic in their teens!

In a week they will want to be back on the ship.

I bet many made lifelong friends on the trip.