At the wharf – by Emilia

When the wharf-time in Kiel started on Tuesday October 13th 2015 we started to be real KUSis. During the wharf-time the last preparations were made for the forthcoming trip and the ship was equipped for our first leg to Tenerife. After two weeks of preparation done by the sailing crew it’s now our turn to settle the rest.
We spent the first few nights in a hostel. After the bus ride most of us were extremely tired, the programme however went on with the baggage inspection. We all had the same problem that we couldn’t take that many things with us and we hardly could carry the kitbags and trekking bags alone. Everybody knew that we should not bring too many items even if the wish to take half a pharmacy mostly came from the parents. In the evening after the whole excitement the discussion for the next day’s plan started. The bus trip had tired us out, but the news to sail away one week later than planned shocked us!
Hearing this news everybody woke up instantly. During a routine check of the main engine, foreign bodies were recognized in the oil circulation which damaged the machinery bearings. Now new spare parts have to come and they still have to be inserted. This procedure will last at least one week. When we’ll leave the shipyard another boat a so-called tug, will bring us to the river “Schwentine“. But we are not despondent. We want to use this week to learn how to sail correctly (without sea sickness). The sailing crew will show us their skills.
On Wednesday we went by bike to the HDW shipyard. Everybody was wide-eyed with amazement as we finally saw the “Thor Heyerdahl“, our home for the next six months. Everybody fulfilled the duty that was assigned to him or her and helped motivatedly, because there was a lot to do. I had the task to collect the “KUS“-clothes and put them in order. Other duties were for example, to disassemble all our bicycles for the Cuba tour as small as possible in order to store them on the ship. Another task was to carry all the food on the ship. We transported a lot of food so that we won’t run out of food at sea. My muscles still hurt from carrying all the groceries. On Thursday evening we were finally able to move in our cabins what has quite chaotic, because oft the lack of space for our luggage. The good teamwork also continued during the next days. On Thursday Uri, Raja and I worked in the galley. It was the first time for me to cook for so many people. We prepared noodles with tomato-vegetable sauce. It was really hard work, especially to wash the fifty plates.
Finally on Friday afternoon we all cleaned the ship together – the so-called sentry duty – for the parents and friends who were going to come in the evening to say goodbye. After all these days we all recognized how interesting, funny and exhausting a week in the wharf can be.