Sailing from Åland to Poland in the Tall Ships Race 2024

August 5, 2024

Every year there is this big event called the Tall Ships Races. Old sailing ships from allll over the world race each other between different port cities. In 2024 the race was also through Åland, where I live, and I decided almost last second to hop on one of the boats.

The ship was the Excelsior, a sailing ship built all the way back in 1921 and I ended up sailing on it for six days, from Mariehamn in Åland down to Poland.

Looking back, saying yes was one of the best decisions I made because racing across the sea with no internet and no way out was super insightful. It also made me realize I actually really like sailing.

The harbor in Mariehamn

I've almost never seen the harbor this alive. There were food stalls everywhere and boats from all over the world: Italy, the UK, Germany, France, Sweden.

There was everything from tiny boats to huge ones. There was even a massive sailing ship all the way from South America (left ship in the image bellow)

Tall ships lined up in Mariehamn harbor before the start The harbor in Mariehamn right before the start

Leaving Åland

We left on the 27th of July and sooo many people were watching us. Every ship left at the same time to sail out to the start line of the race.

The weather was a bit cloudy but we all were excited.

Crowds standing on the rocks watching the ships leave Åland People lined up on the rocks to watch us go

Life on the boat

My home for the next days was a bunk down below with all my stuff shoved into a wooden shelf.

The crew was a real mix. Most people were from the UK, the captain was Polish, and a few of us were from Åland and Finland. We all just spoke English together.

We had shifts. Mine was 8 to 12. You steer the ship, help with the sails, cook, and clean the dishes. Then you sleep and do it again. And you really get to know the people onboard after 6 days of cooperating. It's not like you can leave during the sail.

The wooden bunks and gear below deck Where I slept and kept my stuff

Near Gotland we had a full day with almost no wind at all. The sea was just flat and we barely moved. It felt like the boat was frozen in place.

Flat open sea in the middle of the Baltic Somewhere in the middle of the Baltic Sea

The evenings on deck were the best part. We listened to 80s music, played cards and just vibed while the sun went down. I learned that the card game we call Finns i sjön is called Go Fish in English.

Sunset over the deck of the Excelsior Golden hour on deck

The storm

On the 29th it was storming like hell. We were going up, down, left and right the whole time.

The generator was roaring because the propeller was spinning like crazy. There is this small room with the map, and it has a red light in it. With everything shaking it honestly felt like a horror movie.

I was up on deck doing my 8 to 12 shift, steering the ship through all of it.

Plotting our course at night under the red chart light Working out where we were in the middle of the night

At night I would lay down and look up at the stars. I was amazed by how many satellites passed by. It made me think about how small we are, both in size and in time. Looking out at the night sky in the middle of the sea does that to you.

The logbook and the chart showing Gotland The logbook and the chart as we passed Gotland

Crossing the line

By the 31st we were getting close. Going 6.2 knots with less than half a nautical mile to the finish. We were finally going to make it.

We ended up almost last, but that is kind of expected. The Excelsior is a super heavy ship. The cool part is that on other routes it did not even cross the finish line in time, so this time actually making it felt like a real win.

Almost everyone was up on deck, super excited. To celebrate we brought out this big manual horn. You have to crank a handle to make it sound. When we passed the line we cranked it and all screamed GOAAAL.

Then I laid down at the front on top of the wooden thing and just listened to some C418 Minecraft music while watching the stars. It was so cozy. One of my favorite moments of the whole trip.

Arriving in Poland

We sailed past Gotland and Öland, then in through Świnoujście and all the way up to Szczecin.

Something funny happened as we came into Świnoujście at night. I recognized the port. The pier curved around the entrance in a way that felt way too familiar.

Then it hit me. I had been in this exact port hundreds of times in a ship simulator game I used to play all the time. I had never been to Poland in my life, but I somehow already knew the way in.

Looking down at the deck and the quay from up in the rigging Looking down from up in the rigging on a bigger ship I climbed in Poland

The festival

Szczecin went all out. There was a whole festival on the quay with food, music, a ferris wheel and huge crowds walking between all the ships.

The Tall Ships Races festival on the quay in Szczecin The festival on the quay in Szczecin

The Excelsior dressed in signal flags in port Our ship dressed up in flags in port

Going home

On the way back we crossed the border into Germany by car. It was the first time I had my passport checked to go through a Schengen country. Two police officers scanned it and waved us through.

I also tried alcohol for basically the first time on this trip. Just a little. My takeaway: it tastes like complete shit, but a bit of it is fine and it helps you meet people, but smoking, snus and vapes are a hard never for me.

What I took from it

Six days at sea with no internet, racing other boats, sleeping in a wooden bunk and steering through a storm. It made me realize I love sailing way more than I thought.

It also reminded me that you can just do things. I said yes last second to a random boat and ended up with sailing through the baltic sea. Hell yeah.