Ascension : SV Concordia
Submitted by The Islander (Phillip Stevens) 31.03.2005 (Article Archived on 14.12.1999)

The SV Concordia, Class Afloat ship, dropped her anchor in James Bay on St. Helena around 12:15 on Monday 7th March, after travelling from Walvis Bay.

SV Concordia

The SV Concordia, Class Afloat ship, dropped her anchor in James Bay on St. Helena around 12:15 on Monday 7^th March, after travelling from Walvis Bay. The ship, at 55 metres tall, carries the theme “Your Passport to Education.”

Travelling with the nine fully licensed crew and eight lecturers, are 48 senior school students, who are mainly Canadians. It’s difficult to imagine a school smaller than ours here on Ascension, and harder still to envisage one permanently afloat!

The 50 selected students are given the chance of a lifetime when they enrol on the “Class Afloat” programme. The floating classroom provides students with education courses such as Journalism, English Literature, General Psychology, Global Issues, Mathematics, Chemistry, physics, etc.

So, as they pursue their academic studies onboard the ship, they also get the opportunity to learn some seamanship skills as they travel the seven seas. SV Concordia spent the best part of a week on the Island of St. Helena before departing for Ascension Island on Saturday 12^th March.   Her last visit to St. Helena was on the 21st April 2001.

At present, the Islander Team has been unable to confirm that this ship is actually on its way to Ascension, although recent news reports from around the world suggest that we should be having a visit some time in the near future.