I took a job on a whim, and ended up stranded at sea for six months
18 hours ago
- #resilience
- #pandemic
- #adventure
- Giulia Baccosi, 31, took a job as a cook on a cargo ship bound for Central America on New Year's Eve 2019, abandoning her planned job in Sicily.
- The ship, Avontuur, rescued 16 migrants adrift in a small boat near Gran Canaria, highlighting the dangers of the West Africa to Canaries migration route.
- As the COVID-19 pandemic began, the crew learned of global lockdowns via a satellite email, leaving them stranded at sea with no clear return plan.
- Ports denied the ship entry, forcing the crew to remain aboard for months, rationing food and fuel, and improvising cooking methods.
- The crew found solace in ocean wildlife, crafts, and relationships while confined to the ship's small space.
- After 188 days at sea, the Avontuur returned to Hamburg, Germany, in July 2020, where the crew unloaded cargo and celebrated their journey.
- Giulia reflects on her transformed self post-voyage and continues working as a ship's cook, currently aboard a vessel near Greenland.