Two Bermudians have taken their studies to the seas through a programme that lets teenagers attend school on a tall ship.

Nicholas Hands and Rachael Betschart, both 18, are taking a gap year aboard the Alexander von Humboldt II through the Class Afloat programme.

The 65-metre vessel docked in Hamilton on Thursday, giving the group of 50 students a chance to study marine science and learn about the island.

Mr Hands, from Devonshire, said it felt “natural” to be back home after having been at sea since October.

He added: “It was nice to see the island. It was just nice to see all the houses, see the reefs, see the water. It’s just comforting.”

Class Afloat, a Canadian programme, takes students aged 16 to 18 to sail around the Atlantic while gaining high school and university credits.

The programme gives them a chance to explore the world and adapt much of their studies to a real-world setting, all while working on a ship.

Mr Hands, who graduated from Mount Saint Agnes Academy last year, said that he learnt about Class Afloat through Ms Betschart, and was “hooked immediately”.

He said that he had previous sailing experience through the Endeavour programme and Spirit of Bermuda, but added that Class Abroad, which would have him at sea for eight months, was an entirely new experience.

Mr Hands said: “A big part of this experience is growing socially.

“You’re living with 50 people non-stop for three quarters of the year.

“You’re always surrounded by people, and you never get a break.

“At the start, it was 50 new people who have never met each other, and now it’s like one big happy family.”

Mr Hands, who is earning college credits through Acadia University while on board, said that it was easy for him to balance his courses with his sailing duties.

He admitted that it was difficult studying while being away from his professors.

But Mr Hands said that “people manage”, adding: “I’ve learnt to deal with hardships here”.

The Alexander von Humboldt II, which came to Bermuda from Cuba, will host an information session at the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club tomorrow before leaving in the afternoon.

It will set sail for the Azores during an 18-day voyage.

Ms Betschart, from Southampton, said that she learnt about the programme through a family friend, and was immediately on board with the idea.

The recent Warwick Academy graduate said that she had sailed competitively for years, but had a “completely different” experience on Class Afloat from what she was used to.

She said: “The boats that I usually sail are about eight feet long and they’re high-performance boats, so they’re all about fitness and cardio and how the wind works.

“This ship is more about teamwork and working together.”

Ms Betschart admitted that she found it difficult to trust her colleagues at first because they were strangers.

She added that they later became incredibly close after only a month.

Ms Betschart said: “It’s like we’ve known each other for years now.

“We’ve been living together, eating together, going to school together, doing everything together.

“At this point we can predict each other’s moves.”

She added: “We’re on our second semester, which is our last semester, and going into it, I knew we were all going to have to say goodbye.

“But it’s still kind of hard to imagine that we won’t be living together after this trip.”

Despite the upcoming split, Ms Betschart said that she had no regrets joining Class Afloat.

She also encouraged others who may be curious to sign up for the programme.