Crushed Between Ocean and Sky

In late 2021, I set out on a unique sailing journey on the tall ship Bark Europa from Uruguay across the South Atlantic Ocean, towards South Georgia and Antarctica. For myself, the voyage was a long-awaited way of celebrating life again after my mother’s death in the spring of 2020. The crew and guests came from all over the world, and each had their own reasons for making the trip, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. One week into the trip, the ship ran into a massive storm and the main mast was struck by lightning. The intended itinerary was cancelled and we spent the next two weeks sailing directly to our end destination of Ushuaia, Argentina. This story is told by crew and passengers aboard the ship during the two weeks sailing towards Ushuaia after the lightning strike.