07-11-2025
Today have been a really chill day. We started the day with a good breakfast as always, then we had cleaning and maintenance for the rest of the day. Before cleaning we had to pull a piece of paper from a bag which says which part of the ship you have to clean. I had library ward and have not yet had the heads (toilets), which I’m feeling lucky about each time we pull from the bag. We have also had the company of some dolphins for the first time on this trip which was nice then you feel like you actually are going further from Denmark, if it was not for going through the English Channel and seeing the white cliffs of Dover, I would still believe we were laying just outside Denmark’s coast. I can’t wait to get to the Azores where it’s a bit warmer and the water is a bit bluer. After cleaning we had maintenance and I have used the last 7 hours on painting and varnishing stuff and got the chance of using our new filter mask that we have been handed out. I felt like I looked like a pro but I defiantly wasn’t because it’s defiantly not easy painting things hanging in rope which is dangling from side to side because of the waves. After we were done with maintenance, we had the best spaghetti Bolognese which also were the talk of today and the excitement for Bo’s amazing food were next level. We also got to get the new sail up on the mizzen upper topsail which were exiting but also was why we got to eat without two from our mess because they were helping up there. Now I will set my hammock up and get to bed so I can get some sleep before night watch at 22. Goodnight from trainee 64.
05-11-2025
4. skifte blev vækket kl. 05.30. Jeg lå for en kort stund og sundede mig i min hængekøje, inden jeg tog mig sammen til at kravle ud af soveposen, smyge mig ud af hængekøjen og træde ned på det kolde gulv. Jeg tog mit tøj på og begav mig straks ud på dækket, hvor luften var kølig, og solen end ikke havde vist sine første stråler. Hurtigt ud på ét af de trange elevtoiletter, derefter ned for at pakke min hængekøje. Da den var pakket stramt sammen og stuvet af vejen, var det tid til at børste tænder. Jeg må have taget mig lidt for god tid, for pludselig fik jeg at vide, at der var ét minut til mønstring. Hurtigt greb jeg min klatresele og bevægede mig med raske skridt hen imod hoved-dækket. Her fik jeg dagens anden overraskelse – jeg skulle være på rotation de første seks timer af vagten; min klatresele skulle ikke bruges alligevel. Da jeg ville lægge den tilbage, var der kø indtil rummet, hvor de opbevares, så jeg fik én af mine kammerater til at hænge den på plads.
Jeg gik tilbage til hoveddækket og ind ad en tung dør i bagbord side. Derefter gik jeg ned ad to stejle lejdere. Jeg befandt mig nu i skibets hjerte, nemlig maskinrummet. Her tilbragte jeg den næste time – jeg aflæste temperaturer og tryk på nedkølingsvæske og olie. Da jeg var færdig, satte jeg mig på en taburet og læste i en af maskinrummets bøger – denne omhandlede den årlige kapsejlads Fyn Rundt.
Da jeg kom op fra maskinrummet var skibet vågnet og der hørtes snak og latter fra blåklædte unge mennesker, overalt på dækket. Jeg skulle være ordonans, så jeg rapporterede til den vagthavende kvartermester, der hurtigt satte mig i gang med at hjælpe hende med at sortere madaffald. Vi stod foroverbøjede med hver vores gennemsigtige plasticpose med madaffald, og sorterede banan-skræller, stumper af selleri, plastikfilm og vindruestilke fra. Derved kunne vi komme det inspicerede affald i ”smoothiemakeren”, der, som navnet antyder, blender affaldet til en grødet substans. Denne substans blev opfanget i en spand og til sidst smidt på den blå hylde, i strakt arm.
Da vi havde sorteret i en halv times tid, informerede kvartermesteren mig om, at det var min tur til at spise morgenmad. Arbejdet var foregået uden handsker, så jeg vaskede mine hænder grundigt to gange, hvorpå jeg gik ned på banjen for at spise morgenmad. En stor skål jordbæryoghurt med cornflakes, en halv bolle med skæreost og én med hjemmelavet hindbærmarmelade. Morgenmaden blev hurtigt fortæret, da jeg skulle videre på rotation.
I skrivende stund er klokken 20.31, lyset er blevet slukket på banjen og jeg skal på nattevagt kl. 03.30, så jeg indstiller skrivningen her
Elev nr. 54
03.11.2025
Today has been a good day.
The past few days has been affected a lot by the mass amount of people puking – including myself with a score of 11 – but now I seems that the seasickness has gone away, and the vomit zombies have risen from their slumber. So that’s a relief! Otherwise not much has happened for me today, it has been a pretty chill day (which is rare). The topic of the day has been the engine malfunction (which was quickly fixed), giga waves and a lot of people getting swept and soaked by a shipboarding wave, including myself.
I hope I will go up in the rigging tonight. That I by far my favorite activity. The feeling of being 20 meters up in the air with the wind blowing, is the best ever! I will end my diary on that note since I’m having nightwatch in two hours.
Goodbye
02.11.2025
To rise anew.
(An excerpt of the diary from Training Ship “DANMARK”)
This is the day we made some way as trainees on board this old, beautiful full-ship.
We’ve now sailed for half a week or so and the last two days were a little windy. So much so, that ca. 20% of the trainees have been uneasy, some in need of assistance and others in hard denial (either way you have to get through it), but this reality changed today.
We shuffled, fell or jumped out of the hammocks with smiles on our faces, because we knew that today was a Sunday and a great breakfast was coming and when we then mustered, now suddenly with sun instead of rain in our faces, we were again calm and ready to drop sails and make them steady.
My quarter’s been practicing in the rig most of the day, moving around on the masts, trying our best to make the sails tight and look proper while keeping our balance and feeling the movement over the waves.
We’re still a little footloose on the deck in general, especially standing still with our hands behind our backs, but looking across the deck to the port-side watch, I could see my fellow trainees breathing slowly and feeling the fresh wind and I’m sure that starboard watch did the same. Then I knew, that we were starting to fathom what the coming months would bring and at last understanding, that we’d have to stand together and find creative ways of balancing restoration with concentration.
I have no doubt that we’ll figure it out.
To be working, sleeping, learning and walking around on a moving vessel like this, is something that I already know I’ll never forget and to be honest it’s starting to be something I cherish.
With kind and motivational regards,
Trainee 07
01.11.2025
I am writing this after a cold start to November. The day started at 5.25 with a yellow day. The day consisted of sail watch and rotations for me. In the morning, I was immediately put as second helmsman because of the rough weather. The helmsman position consists of steering the boat. During this time the sea got rougher by the hour and the seasickness started to affect most of the ship. The waves was up to 5 meters and some of the big ones rolled on to the deck and flushed trainees in the gutter, I had the best view over the chaos from the helmsman position. The rest of the day was simple tasks that made the day go by fast.
The food was also great as usual and after writing this I am going to have a nice sleep before my night watch at 4 in the morning.
Today was a good day!
#70
31.10.2025
31. October 2025 – Trainee 23 – Laurits R.
Today started at 06.00 and I haven’t slept much last night. After some delicious breakfast I had the engine watch, followed by helms watch. I was steering the ship. I completely lost the direction but luckily the first officer helped my steer us back on course. These watches were followed by a lookout watch, were you really get the possibility to enjoy the ocean views, the waves, lots of different kinds of ships and even oil rigs. You spend a lot of time alone and get the opportunity to reflect and think about your life on the DANMARK.
After this we had sails watch, where we helped taking care of the deck and even had the chance to climb the jibboom in the rough water. This felt like a wet rollercoaster in the middle of the sea. The funniest moment of our voyage so far happened today because a trainee puked the officer of the watch straight in the head from up above in the mast.
The sea sickness has reached it’s peak and Tobias puked no less than 21 times yesterday. Last night my quartermate Luna had a little vomit accident on the ladder in the mast and we had a slippery and smelly time getting down the mast.
The waves have been getting bigger and we’ve seasecured the deck with nets so no one will be thrown overboard
All in all, today we’ve been really sleepy and are excited to sleep, but were ready to continue this amazing adventure. It’s been a tough, challenging and exciting day with plenty of new things to learn.
Today ends with a great lasagna and bedtime at 20.00 getting ready for new horizons, challenges and a lovely lovely night watch tonight from 04-06.
To round off I will end with a quote from first officer Poulsen (who today told us our speed was about 3km/h) “We may not be going fast, but we’re making sailors fast”.
30.10.2025
`Pukeship Danmark´
Today was our first full day of sailing, for my quarter it started early with our first sailing watch from 02:00 – 04:00. Two hours of just bracing the mast, the time flew by and before I knew it it, we were already being released by the next watch. During the night watch there were quite a few trainees that started feeling seasick, but being back in the hammocks for a few hours of sleep definitely helped for some.
Putting the hammocks down in the morning on the other hand, was a very different story, breakfast wasn’t that pleasant for everyone. We started the morning by cleaning, we got separated in a group that does not get seasick in the front of the ship and the others. Cleaning at sea, while rolling is definitely more of an challenge than laying still at harbor.
After cleaning we started with an introduction about tools with the bosun, this presentation was given in the forward hold, that is a room under the deck. A lot of people started feeling very rough down there, and the puking buckets made an appearance in the room. Afterwards we had lunch and then for the rest of the day lessons outside, first we split up in messes and the 6th mess got the task to set and take up the fore course multiple times. 8th mess was assigned to the mizzen topmast staysail, we took it up and down around 3 times just to get the hang of it. The next thing was going up in the rigging and onto the yards for the people that were approved, the others were allowed to go in the jibnet.
During the day stories about the previous night watch were spread, puking in the mast, tripping on the deck, and the puke bucket in the engine room, were hot topics today. The highlight of the day on the other hand: People getting hit by puke from the yard, its almost like we are in the movie `Its raining meatballs´, just a bit different.
That was the day of an trainee in 8th mess on trainingshipdanmark.
#74
29.10.2025
Today we had sail duty and departure day meaning we are the first to actually sail the ship. Another thing is we finally passed our hammock inspection and now don’t have to have our hammocks checked before muster. After we prepared the last things and departed. I learned that when waving goodbye from the ship we stand in lines and the quartermaster marks when to bow and wave. I started as orderly, but I only had to close some doors before relieving the lookout. Then it turned 12 and I became sail duty on deck and just made det anker hole watertight using rags and a stick for 1,5 hours. People soon became seasick and puked though its understandable since some parts of the ship are really moving, though the captain said it is just getting worse the next 4 days. I also went into rigging to stow the main upper topsail and what an experience that was, feeling the ship moving in a whole new way and seeing the horizon only way to describe it is wow and beautiful.
#10
27.10.2025
Today I accidentally woke up the trainee next to me when I had too pee in the night, still feel a bid bad about it. But we could sleep extra in tonight since its winter time and we are getting quick with our hammocks, so an extra 1 hour and 20 minutes. Since it is Sunday, we got scrambled eggs and bacon with buns with peanut butter, jam and Nutella. We were then taught how to go on sail watch and what to do in different roles. After that we went to the rigging and almost set one of the sails but we ran out off time and had to tighten it back up again. Then lunch with pork jaw and gravy. After that we saw all the fire fighting equipment and water tight doors and how use and close them. We prepared for open ship but we parents weren’t coming and all the jobs too do were taken so I just read and played cards with some other trainees. Followed by dinner with pork tenderloin and mashed potatoes with gravy (I mean they are just fattening us up before the voyage where we are going to get the food that doesn’t spoil easily). Then last we scrubbed our pants and smocks on deck by hand and hang them up on drying lines.
#6
26.10.2025
Hello Everybodyyyy,
It’s sailors Sunday. And as if this is not good enough we started our day with 1 hours and 20 min more sleep than usually due to the change to the wintertime and our fast hammock skills 🙂 AMAZING. That makes the sailors Sunday even better.
After breakfast we learned a lot about watertight doors and sprinklers. Safety First!
The Crew also explained to us how to do the Lookout, be a helmsman or how to do the Engine Watch. Quarter two, paid a lot of attention since we are the first watch when we departure on Wednesday. (Very much looking forward for that 🙂 And we don’t want to look like “fishes out of the water”.
During the day we went up in the rigging and set and packed some Lower Topsails and the outer Jib. Entering the rigging is still very new for all of us, so most of us are pretty excited about it but sometimes it does get a bit scary. Anyways in the end of the voyage we are going to be pros 🙂
Maybe some of you have actually seen us today, since we had an open ship. I can tell I saw a lot of happy parents and relatives. The Trainees which didn’t have any relatives coming, kept the system running and helped out in the gally or bread room. Martin and I for example prepared (and already ate 🙂 some ice cream for diner.
Now I’m very much looking forward for my hammock. It’s even more cozy than I thought.
Gruesse Jule (Nr. 6)
25.10.2025
Today my mess where the daymen meaning we were woken at 05:20 and I was in the scullery (dishwashing) all the time except a nice 4-hour break in the middle of the day. We got some nice new clothes that looks like something from the 80’ies in style, but they are surprisingly warm. Though the nice thing about being a dayman is you can drink coffee whenever you want, as long the galley is not too busy. Though we had to stay long to do the last dishes and clean, but our hammocks was already put up so it was just straight too bed.
#18
23.10.2025
Sådan er det med mange ting. Der er så uendelig mange nye indtryk, termer, oplevelser, eventyr der alt sammen skal nås. På så forfærdelig kort tid. Vi kører med et hæsblæsende tempo, men folk tager det i stiv arm, og altid med et klap på skulderen og et smil på læben. Det er virkelig en gave at være med.
Men for at vende tilbage til, hvad vi har foretaget os på vores først fulde dag. Mig og mit quarter havde vores første gule dag. Her ombord betyder det, at vi skulle hjælpe med at brødføde besætningen, og sejle skibet. Mig (nr 1) og Malthe (nr 3) havde til opgave at hjælpe til med tilberedningen af morgenmaden. Her på skibet består det af koldhævede morgenboller med tandsmør og hjemmelavet marmelade. Dernæst afløste vi de to, der stod i scullery og overtog deres tjans som var opvask.
Herefter hjalp vi lidt til i det kolde køkken med forberedelsen af aftenens salat, som bestod af tyndt snittet spidskål og granatæblekerner.
Alt i alt kan man ikke klage over tilværelsen her. Vi bliver stopfodret med lækkerier og oplever de fedeste ting. Dog må jeg erkende, at vejret ikke har været med os de sidste par dage. Men ak, mere kan man ikke forvente af Danmark, så er det godt vi sætter kursen mod noget varmere snart:)
Vi er spændte og forhåbningsfulde og håber at gå en fantastisk tid i møde!
Bedste hilsner til alle derhjemme, Selma nr 1
22.10.2025
I går ankom vi på skibet lidt over 13:00. vi afleverede vores mobiler efter at have skrevet de mest nødvendige e-mailadresser ned. Der efter blev vi sendt over på skolen for at hente vores sailorsbag. Efter det fik vi rundvisning på skibet, en masse praktiske informationer og en hængekøje. Første nat i hængekøjen var hård, og kan godt mærke at den lige skal rettes lidt til.
#12