Over the next 24 hours after boarding the ship, we stayed anchored at Caló d’en Rigo outside the Es Portixol marina. A lot of things were happening to me and around me as we were going through the basic sail training program containing theory and practice.

We learned all the necessary safety procedures and alarms, familiarized ourselves with sails and the layout of the ropes, toured the ship to understand its systems, fitted our harnesses, got to know permanent and instructor crews. All to become responsible seafarers and feel confident on board.

Everything seemed add its quota of significant information.

Over those hours, I had my first glimpse of the reality of what I was embarking on. Such things had no place in the classrooms of my childhood. They were only possible here, under this sky and on this sea.