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AFTER five months at sea, 34 university students and pupils on board a majestic tall ship, the Gulden Leeuw, docked in Cape Town this week.

The Gulden Leeuw is a 230-foot Class-A tall ship built in 1937 and recently restored.

Nine months of the year it is a home and classroom for Class Afloat – West Island College International, a private school offering fully accredited senior high school and university programmes.

Class Afloat is based in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada.

A dedicated team of academics and a professional mariner crew set sail with the pupils and students in September from Amsterdam, Netherlands, on the voyage of a lifetime.

Students attend classes on board the Gulden Leeuw, while sailing to 18 ports of call on four continents where they experience the local

culture, visit historic sites, participate in voluntary service projects and engage in exciting outdoor activities.

Among other ports, this year’s itinerary has included visits to Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Brazil,

Uruguay and Tristan Da Cuhna, the world’s most remote island.

The school will be visiting Cape Town until February 22. The Gulden Leeuw will then continue with a 16-day voyage to St Helena, followed by visits to Ascension, Bridgetown, Samana, and Hamilton before arriving back in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. In May, there will be a graduation ceremony celebrating their nine-month voyage of adventure and learning. Class Afloat welcomes applications from students worldwide. Spaces are available for the 2017/18 school year. Class Afloat offers South African students and young sailors the chance to receive a R150 000 scholarship in funding towards tuition for this school year. – Weekend Argus Reporter