The Youth Gift in Cadiz. Last European stop before leaving for the Atlantic

Polish school sailing ship The Gift of Youth wrapped in Spanish Cadiz. This is the last European port on the voyage to the United States and the moment of breath before the most important stage of the cruise – crossing the Atlantic.

According to the daily ship traffic newsletter of the Port of Cadiz, the sailing ship of the Maritime University of Gdynia was included in the list of port entrances on 8 May. The Polish frigate moored at Ciudad, where the crew and apprentices prepare to cross the Atlantic. The photographs of the unit were published by the port authorities of Cadiz. For locals it is an impressive guest under the Polish flag, for the crew – the beginning of preparations for the longest section of this year's expedition.

From Gdynia through the North Sea to Cadiz

The Gift of Youth He left Gdynia on 16 April. After leaving the Pomeranian wharf, the sailing ship crossed the North Sea, wrapped up in Douglas on the Isle of Man, and then peeled course south, towards Cadiz.

The last section of the voyage to Spain was to run in very good conditions. According to the report of the commander of the unit, the captain-in-chief Michał Sadowski, a significant part of the route was beaten on sails. Advantage wind, the stock of time and good weather allowed the crew to pass this stage to the rhythm to which such a ship was built.

It's important because The Gift of Youth is not an ordinary passenger ship or a floating attraction. It is a school frigate on which future officers and mechanics learn the sea in practice: watch, work on board, sail handling, discipline and responsibility for the ship.

Cadiz as a gateway to the ocean

Stopping in Cadiz is practical. This is where the first stage of the expedition ends and they begin preparing to cross the Atlantic. Crew replenishes supplies, checks the ship, prepares documentation and arranges the exchange of apprentices.

On board are students of the Mechanical Faculty of the Maritime University in Gdynia and students of the Marine Schools Team in Świnoujście. In Cadiz another group will take their place – students of the Navigation Department who will sail further towards the Bahamas and the United States.

Before the boat leaves the port, new apprentices will be trained. They need to know the ship, the safety procedures, the rules of watchkeeping and work at heights. On our school boat, it's not enough to look down at masts. You have to go to the river, work with the sails and follow the rhythm life at sea.

The Atlantic will check the apprentices and the ship

Before The Gift of Youth the longest and most demanding section of this year's expedition. The crossing of the Atlantic is expected to take about four weeks, and the route will not be the shortest line on the map. It will be decided by the weather conditions, wind and safety of shipping.

After leaving Cadiz, the most important part of the cruise begins. The Atlantic will check the crew, trainees and the ship itself. Only then will this year’s expedition truly take on an ocean dimension.

It is on such an episode that you can best see what sea practice is under sail. Students aren't passengers. They work in watches, participate in the life of the ship, perform on-board and machine tasks. The day is marked by watch duties, alarms, meals, cleaning, training and weather. A romantic image of white frigate quickly collides here with a very specific work.

Traces The Gift of Pomerania

This year's expedition also has a historical dimension. The Gift of Youth It flows to the United States in connection with the celebration of the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence. It's a reference to a cruise. The Gift of Pomerania From half a century ago.

In 1976, legendary White Fregat She participated in the celebrations of the 200th anniversary of the independence of the United States and the regiments of Operation Sail ’76. The route led through Plymouth, Tenerife and Bermuda to Newport, and the culmination of the event was a great parade of sailing ships.

Today this historic story continues The Gift of Youth – a sailing ship built in Gdańsk, which has trained Polish marine personnel for over four decades and remains one of the most recognizable Polish units abroad.

Polish flag in Cadiz

Photos from Cadiz show a sailing ship in the southern scenery: clear quay, calm port water and a slender beak of frigates with a net of buksprit. This image is impressive, but behind it is a very concrete work – preparing the ship, crew and apprentices for a long ocean crossing.

For the Polish maritime economy is another moment when The Gift of Youth recalls the importance of training under sail. Not as a sentimental addition to modern shipping, but as a school of responsibility, resilience and teamwork.

After leaving Cadiz, the most important thing begins. part of the cruise. The Atlantic will verify the preparation of the crew, apprentices and the ship itself. Only then will this year’s expedition truly take on an ocean dimension.