Moritz Wichmann

The sailing trip was a very special and enriching experience for me. I was able to gather many new impressions, discover beautiful places and experience sailing up close. I particularly remember the adventures in the bays, such as swimming at dawn to Voidokilia beach and the subsequent rocky climb to Palaiókastro, where we watched the sunrise. Sailing at night during the Perseid rain was also magical. The night swim with the fairy lights was particularly fun. I was able to enjoy many beautiful sunrises from the deck of the boat. I also enjoyed snorkeling and exploring the caves at Antipaxos. It was nice to be able to actively help out, from steering the boat to helping with the rigging. This made me even more interested in sailing. The moments when the skipper sang sea shanties were a particular highlight, creating an epic atmosphere on board together with the crew. But there were also moments that were challenging for me at first. As I had no sailing experience, I felt a little excluded and useless at the beginning, while the experienced passengers were already actively involved. It was only after an intensive discussion with the skipper that I felt like I was really part of the crew, and from then on it was exciting and enriching for me too. Unfortunately, we weren't able to sail to all the planned stops and there were unscheduled 25-hour trips with night sailing. For the future, I would like to see a slightly better flow of information, e.g. a small meeting in the morning to discuss what is on the agenda for the day and who is taking on which tasks, as well as a joint feedback session in the evening. This would not only make organization easier, but would also strengthen the sense of community even more. Nevertheless, the positives outweigh the negatives for me: I learned an incredible amount, made wonderful memories and discovered a new passion for sailing. I would definitely travel with the Freespirit again, preferably with Moritz on board, who some of my fellow passengers already knew from previous trips and whose personality and manner were highly praised. Next time, I would certainly bring a few of my friends with me, with whom I would like to share the experiences.