What makes Oceans of Hope a success
I embarked on Oceans of Hope in Barcelona to join her on her way back to Copenhagen where the circumnavigation ends. Several MS crews have been onboard this ship and carried the torch, thus contributing to the creation of an international community around the project. A project that would not succeed if it wasn’t for the contribution and effort of each individual.
Sailing is the connecting link, the third entity, and the gathering point of all the wonderful people I have had the opportunity to get to know as deckhand onboard. We have spent the late fall crossing the Bay of Biscay, the English Channel and the most southernly North Sea together.
Living with MS is a shared stigma between the crew members. But what unites and takes up space during the sailing is the community and the challenge of following your dreams despite uncertainty and fear. To some, the journey helps to rediscover or grow a lost lifenerve. To others, breaking out of your comfort zone and going against the shackles and barriers of a stigmatising disease kickstarts a development in order to create new traces in a traumatised nerve system.
Changing people’s lifes
On the way, I met a man who had a clear aim with his time onboard Oceans of Hope: He wanted to recapture his identity and the joy of life that froze the moment he was diagnosed with MS. And during his stay he changed.
At the beginning he was sitting alone, quiet and gazing out into the blue. As time went by he became more and more interacting, participating, and happy. He turned out to show a good sense of humour despite the physical challenges and limitations, that had previously controlled his life.
It seemed to me that this journey was not at all an easy ride to him. He was constantly confronted with physical and mental challenges and disabilities. Nevertheless, this trip started a movement in him that had been blocked for years.
I had many touching experienced like this onboard. Several from the MS crew shared with me the relieve of being met and accepted despite their undeserved limitations. Their trouble were seen and taken seriously. The relief of not being constantly told by others what to do in order to feel better, even though ment in the best possible way. To one, the opportunity to go sailing with his local MS society gave the energy and courage to break with years of deadlock, and made him apply for Oceans of Hope as well.
I have thorough experience working as a supervisor and leader of groups and institutions. As soon as I got to know the Sailing Sclerosis project I knew that Oceans of Hope possesses the strength and force that founds the idea of “work like you talk”. Contact, equality, caring and love is what drives this ship around the world.
About the author
Hans Bloch Jespersen is a 68-year-old teacher and psychotherapist from Holbæk, Denmark with many years of experience working with group dynamics. When not at sea, he runs his own practice specialising in supervision and teaching at social work institutions. Hans is an enthusiastic sailor and an active member of the Danish Ocean Cruising Association. He has been a volunteer onboard Oceans of Hope from Barcelona to Copenhagen.