For decades, the cargo ship "Tinka" sailed the seven seas - before it set out for new shores under the name of the Norwegian explorer and adventurer Thor Heyerdahl. Even in Corona times, it welds students together into crews.
"Tinka" is the name of the ship that was launched in Westerbroek, the Netherlands, in 1930. The steel hull motor ship with auxiliary sails initially serves as a freighter. Home port is Hamburg, destinations are South Africa and the Caribbean. In 1951, the midships of the ship were lengthened by a few meters in order to be able to transport around 300 tons more freight. The cargo ship is in service until 1979. The names change several times:"Tinka" becomes "Silke", then "Marga Henning". Finally it sails under the Panama flag as "Minnow".
It's inspired by an adventurer
In 1979, two German sailing enthusiasts bought the ship and over the next four years had it converted into a three-masted topsail schooner. One of the new owners, Detlef Soitzek, had previously served as navigator on a reed boat expedition led by Norwegian adventurer Thor Heyerdahl. He suggests naming the ship after its former expedition leader. Heyerdahl himself likes the idea. He sponsors the youth sailor and christens it.
From 1983, the "Thor Heyerdahl" was on the road as a special kind of training ship on behalf of a non-profit development company:experiential education was the focus of the trips. On the ship, the young people can learn independence, responsibility and team spirit and face completely new challenges. In addition to regular youth regattas, the "Thor Heyerdahl" offers schoolchildren a special programme:in the "Summer School" the youngsters sail for three weeks across the North and Baltic Seas. In the "classroom under sails" the tenth graders even spent six months on the Thor Heyerdahl:The route takes them from Germany across the Atlantic to the Caribbean and back again.
Across the Atlantic to Guatemala and Cuba
Together with the crew and teachers, the students form an on-board community. In addition to the work on the ship, normal school lessons take place on board. Multi-week stays in Guatemala, Costa Rica and Cuba complement the program. From 2007 to 2009 the "Thor Heyerdahl" cannot go on long journeys:The ship is completely renovated in Kiel and modernized according to the new safety regulations.
Despite Corona:The "Thor Heyerdahl" continues
The crew of the "Thor Heyerdahl" experienced the outbreak of the corona pandemic on the high seas. As the virus spreads around the world in spring 2020, shore leave for students will be cancelled. They stay on board without interruption for 47 days. When arriving in Kiel, the joy of seeing the families again is all the greater. In the period that followed, the three-master continued its voyages - even the six-month "classroom under sail". However, if you want to ride, you have to do several corona tests and do a quarantine first.