Safe Aboard Avontuur

We are doing well. We are all safe, sound, and healthy aboard the Avontuur.

We have been busy sailing her across the Atlantic Ocean. After a challenging first leg from Elsfleth to the Canaries, our passage from Gran Canaria was smooth, as the winds and waters have been kind to us. Along the way, we’ve encountered many wonderful creatures, including whales, dolphins, flying fish, and paradise birds. Beyond marine life, we’ve seen many more shades of blue than we thought possible.

During the three weeks we have spent crossing the Atlantic, we have mostly lived in a bubble, outside of fast news because we have no internet connection apart from an expensive satellite service for ship business and emergencies. After two weeks, we received several emails from Cornelius Bockermann, the owner of the Avontuur, with news about the increased severity and impacts of the Coronavirus. One such email started as follows: “Dramatic times! You will not find the world the way it was before you set sail from Gran Canaria!”

The limited information we received about curfews, travel restrictions, and suspended port operations raised questions that stretched our imagination. Most obviously, the news raised concern about our loved ones – as we have been unable to hear from them or speak to them directly while sailing.

Things will be different on this side of the Atlantic. And we’re not talking about the difference between the black volcanic beaches in the Canaries and the pristine white sand of the Caribbean – which we won’t be able to visit any time soon.

Initially, it looked like we would not be able to anchor anywhere in the Antilles, as ports and anchorages were reportedly closed. As you can imagine, we were looking forward to making land in Marie Galante, where we were scheduled to load a cargo of rum. And we were also counting on (well-deserved!) shore-leave, as the stories of beaches and from the more experienced crew sparked our imagination.

We are now due to arrive in the harbour of Point-à-Pitre (on the island of Guadeloupe, not Marie Galante) on Tuesday March 24th at 8am, local time, for emergency provisioning only. Marie Galante was meant to be the end of the journey for five shipmates and the captain. Due to the current situation, captain Michael Vogelsgesang and two others have confirmed they will stay on. Meanwhile, three shipmates are scheduled to leave the vessel have no idea whether they will be allowed to go ashore – and even if they are, repatriation home is very uncertain.

Two oncoming shipmates have had to cancel due to lack of flights to the Caribbean, and three new crew are currently in port waiting to hear if they can join. We are not sure if this will be possible, as permission from relevant authorities is pending.

The situation we find ourselves in feels very surreal. We can only assume the world is gripped by fear about the spread of the Corona virus.

We simply can’t imagine what life ashore is like now. And we probably won’t be able to experience it for a while, as we’re not allowed shore leave – and probably no crew change either. But, at last, we will be able to connect our phones once we are within range.

Just as Schrödinger’s cat is both dead and alive until the box is opened, the world ashore is both in crisis and normal until we make land. Given the limited information we have now, we have only our imagination to build an understanding of life beyond our ship. We are not sure when or where we will be able to leave the ship to find out how the world around us may have changed.

In the meantime, we have become a lively community of fifteen people living a harmonious life aboard. After months at sea, we’ve become rather competent at helming, gybing, reefing, and cleaning the heads – as we call toilets on board. We also keep on being surprised by the variety of food, stories, and jokes that enrich our days. Either way, there’s always more than enough painting, cleaning, cooking, and manoeuvring to keep us busy whenever we’re awake.

Our life aboard is however just a small part of what Timbercoast, Cornelius’ company that operates the Avontuur, is about. We are at sea to transport cargo to Germany, to demonstrate am alternative to business as usual in the polluting maritime transport sector. While cargo loading at Marie Galante has already been cancelled, we remain optimistic that further cargo operations from Honduras, Belize, and Mexico won’t be affected and that we can continue to demonstrate our idea of positive change.

We wish everyone good health!

The Avontuur Crew

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This Crew Statement, drafted by Christiaan De Beukelaer and collectively edited, was initially shared by Timbercoast through social media.