I would do it again in a heartbeat! Contrary to my expectations, we had very little bickering on board on the trip across the Atlantic from Tenerife to Martinique. One participant said: "I've never been asked so often how I'm doing." The interaction was very good and I never felt I had to pretend or explain myself on board. On mixed cruises with other captains, I sometimes feel like I have to assert myself and prove myself.
So are all-female crews still special?
Unfortunately, yes. And there is an incredible need for such trips! We are still a long way from equality in the sailing world. As a woman, I still have to listen to people say: "Oh, that was a great jetty!" I always ask myself: "Would they say that to a man too?" I've been sailing for as long as I can remember. So why shouldn't I be able to do it just as well as a man!
Was the tone on board also different?
Yes, sometimes the tone on ships is rather rough. I can usually handle that well. But women tend to notice when boundaries are crossed. The sensitivity, the mutual empathy was greater than is often the case on cruises with men.
You have to form a team even more on tall ships than on smaller cruising yachts. How did that work?
Incredibly fast and with great warmth! The young people in particular cuddled up to each other a lot. At the same time, in such a large crew you are less at the mercy of individual people, there are still lots of other people on board. One challenge, however, was that there were already cross seas on departure from Tenerife and there wasn't enough time to get used to the wind and waves. That was difficult for many, and some people got seasick. Women had to let go, and even those who are usually very stable suddenly no longer had the situation under control. Our job was always to steer in such a way that the ship didn't start rolling uncontrollably. And we always had waves, right up to Martinique!
Has it always been your dream to sail across the Atlantic?
No, but the challenge on this very special ship appealed to me. I wouldn't want to be captain on the "Roald Amundsen" just yet, but it was a good chance to try myself out. When you get an opportunity like that, you have to take it.
You've been a skipper on tall ships before. What was different now?
On the "Zuversicht" we had a crew of two, on the "Roald Amundsen" it takes more than a dozen. There is a very distinctive command language on board, but this is also necessary because sailing is much more complex. A single square sail has ten to 14 lines.
Was it never boring during the four weeks?
Not at all! I could always look at the sky and the sea and couldn't get enough of it. Every day had different colours, waves and lights.
About the person: Meike Holland
The 53-year-old was co-captain and first mate of the brig on the transatlantic voyage. Prior to this, she had already sailed as skipper on the traditional sailing ships "Carola" and "Zuversicht". Holland works as a coach and sails a 30-metre archipelago cruiser in her private life.
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