Ahoy! Today, a personal letter from Antonia has landed in your inbox. She tells you about her time in port in Augusta and what’s currently happening on the ship. In addition to her studies, Antonia volunteers for our association. Among other things, she works in the media department – and when we recently needed someone to travel to the ship to represent the SSC (Ship Shore Coordinator), Antonia didn’t hesitate and traveled to Augusta. Just do it. People like Antonia keep our business running. What did she experience on the ship? Read for yourself.
On Thursday, I took my last exam for this semester, and two days later, I set off from Vienna to Augusta, Sicily. It’s been almost a year since I had last been on the ship; last time I saw her, was when she was still in dry dock in Valletta, Malta. Back then, our ship had a hole in the hull, which came as quite a shock. A lot of welding was done, the thickness of the steel plates on the outside of the ship was measured, and we tried everything to sail again safely as soon as possible.
So, getting off the bus in Augusta and seeing the Sea Punk I back in the water was all the more wonderful now. One side has just been freshly painted, the ship looks really pretty. And since last year, it has been out on several rotations. I stand there for a moment and feel happy. This is what we work for all this time.
When I arrive on the ship, everyone is on deck for their lunch break. After a quick round of introductions, everyone goes back to work and I take my things down to my cabin and settle in. It always takes me a few days to get used to life on the ship again, but then it’s easy to fall into the routines and daily schedules.
For the first few days, Benn is still there and explains my tasks as Ship Shore Coordination to me. After a good year of video conferences and remote association work, it’s nice to see him in real life again. I’m also gradually getting to know the other crew members better. At the moment, we are a rather small group; when Benn left, there were only five of us.
During the day, we mainly sand and repaint the ship’s hallways on deck, replace lamps, check batteries, and repair cables. Smaller and larger tasks that keep the ship in good condition. In the evenings, we sometimes have a barbecue with the other ships in the marina, go out for an ice cream, or have visitors from Augusta come to see us at the pier. Little by little, the group is growing closer together.
I am always impressed by how much time and energy people are willing to contribute for something they believe in. This is something that gives me courage when I read the news and get frustrated because of racist policies and rhetoric against people on the move. Ultimately, we have each other, and together we can make a difference. We don’t have to accept fortress Europe. We can all shape what borders look like. Even if we can only try to offer our guests on board a brief moment of rest on their long and exhausting journey, and thereby support them on their way, it is worth it.
Love & Rage,
Antonia
We do as much as we can on a voluntary basis. But sea rescue costs money. Not doing it costs lives. Will you help us make our rotations possible and continue supporting people on the move? Then please, donate now.
