This is Part 4 of my 7-part sailing series. Click here to see a list of the series posts.

My First German Lecture

Frank had invited me to prepare a talk about my experience studying in East Germany. Since rain and storms were expected in the evening, he thought few people would want to disembark and this would be a good evening for my lecture.

I had written out my talk using excerpts from my East German Blog, and then run it through deepl.com, an excellent online translation tool (I never use Google Translate anymore). I knew I’d make too many little mistakes (noun gender, verb declensions, adjective endings, etc.) and didn’t want those errors to distract from the body of my presentation.

I was excited to give my talk but didn’t know what the reaction would be. Would they be polite and listen to me, but bored by my reading aloud instead of speaking freely using only notes? Would a lot of my info be old news to many? I wasn’t sure.

I connected my laptop to a big-screen TV in the mess hall to show pictures.

I gave my introduction: how would a dumb American find himself studying in East Germany, and shared seven stories from my blog. I had to concentrate hard to read my German text carefully and sound out some of the tongue-tangling long nouns, so I couldn’t make as much eye contact as I prefer. But when I did, it appeared the audience was rapt, fascinated, and really engaged. They laughed at my self-effacing jokes about stumbling through cultural misunderstandings and language challenges.

When I was done, I received a rousing applause. Frank asked each person to tell the rest if they’d visited East Germany and for how long. Most had only spent days, a weekend, or a week either visiting relatives or sightseeing. Three of our 17 had lived in East Germany. I asked them if they had any corrections or comments on what I had shared. They had a few. Mostly they thought I had been too kind and looked on some of my experiences with rose-colored glasses.

After the talk, I was humbled by how many people came up to compliment me on the presentation. They said they had no idea about most of the stuff I talked about and were filled with wonder at my experience. There was a poignancy and irony that some American kid had seen and experienced more of the former East Germany than they had. I knew more about the experience of their brethren and sistren living next door from my one semester. They also complimented me on how easy my presentation was to follow, the humor, and just how enthralled they had been. That, I didn’t expect.

About six stayed after, and a spirited discussion about East vs. West Germany ensued. My brain was tired from the exertion, so I wasn’t able to follow it quite so closely. One thing I found interesting was the fact they find current German politics continue to follow former east-west lines, 34 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Day 5: A New Speed Record En Route to Marstal

The weather forecast again threatened rain on this day, but it also promised strong and favorable winds.

The captain let me take the wheel for the first couple of hours, and we hit 9.5 knots, a full knot faster than our previous top speed.

The wind grew stronger, and the captain took the helm while I joined others in pulling lines to adjust the sails. The deck was rolling and sometimes you lost your footing while trying to pull on the taut ropes.

With adjusted sails, stronger winds, and the captain at the helm, we achieved 10.4 knots, which would be our top speed for the whole trip.

The ship listed far to the side, and waves sometimes splashed over the lower deck. A container ship going in the opposite direction gave us some pretty exciting wakes and splashes. The great ship pitched and rolled over the waves. A few people susceptible to seasickness didn’t enjoy this day the way I did.

During this leg it became clear why the portholes were fixed shut. The rushing and roiling water made each porthole look like the window of a front-loading washing machine.

Although it remained mostly sunny all day, it was definitely colder than the previous day. Many people stayed inside the galley for long stretches. It was funny to see people walking tilted to one side. I suggested all the women should be renamed either Eileen, or Patsy InKline.

After a long day of high, favorable winds, we set a distance record to reach Marstal, Denmark, a trip of 101km/62 miles, nearly twice the previous day.

Click here to continue to Part 5

Sailing the Baltic 7-Part Series:
Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: Getting Underway
Part 3: Flying Sails, Flying Cards
Part 4: A Lecture and New Speed Record
Part 5: Avernakø and the Captain’s Dinner
Part 6: Sønderborg, Another Talk, and Back To Germany
Part 7: Disembarking and Postlude