Paper short abstract:

This paper aims to share research findings on the transformative impacts of sail training experiences on young participants, emphasizing the enhancement of their relationship with nature within the ocean environment.

Paper long abstract:

Exploring the ocean's significance in sail training is crucial for shaping Blue Futures. A comprehensive approach to altering our relationship with the ocean involves immersing oneself in it. This transformation occurs during experiences on traditional sailing vessels, which not only foster maritime skills but also cultivate awareness of the ocean's condition and our impact on it. These voyages often serve dual purposes, collaborating with research institutions.

In my dissertation, "Sailing Through Life: Experiencing Difference within Mutuality Aboard Tall Ships" (Pijoan, 2020), I take an anthropological stance to examine how an education focused on attending to the ocean as a novel perceptual environment influences young participants encountering such experiences for the first time. The study sheds light on the transformative effects on the lives of these trainees, observing how their habitation and relationship with the ocean's rhythms and tempo contribute to a realization that, contrary to terrestrial assumptions, humans do not control nature; rather, they are subject to its forces. This newfound respect for nature, nurtured in the cradle of the sea, underscores the significance of engaging with the materiality of the sea in propelling and supporting solutions for safeguarding our oceans within the framework of blue futures.