board the S.V. Concordia , a tall ship built for learning with all the world for a classroom By Jarion Richardson Dawn broke over the tall ship S.V. Concordia as she rounded Cape Horn, South America.

A stiff breeze pushed the three-mast ship toward Port Stanley, on the Falklands Islands as 17-year-old sailor Ruth O'Kelly-Lynch emerged from the head (bathroom) and made her way to the shared cabins.

Ruth nearly tripped over her cabin mate's stray towel that never seemed to be properly stowed.

She sighed and resigned herself to talking to her bunkmate, again. Her shoulders hurt from the morning's physical training on the main deck -- but such was life on board.

The posted watch schedule said her eight-man and woman team was up for galley duty.

She hustled to the male cabins, busted in the door and shook a couple of loose screws -- the sleepier elements of her watch were awake.

After posting her watch team, she ascended to the sun-bathed deck of the Canadian tall ship as a shipmate ran past her trailing term papers and text books screaming: "I hope you studied for the marine biology final.'' Welcome to the Concordia , a 188-foot travelling high school, mounting 12 sails and a Polish crew who think the Atlantic Ocean is a nice backyard.

Ruth is a home-grown Bermudian girl who thinks hanging around the Saltus Graduate Year classrooms is too tame.

"I just went into the guidance counsellor's office at BHS (Bermuda High School for Girls) and looked for something interesting.'' she said, describing her search for something a little less traditional after high school.

"I saw this, then I looked it up on the web.'' she added.

Forty students from France, Germany, Bahamas, Canada and the US cram on board for two semesters at sea every year.

Class field trips are port of calls to exotic places with names like Fernando de Noronha, Ushuaia, Easter Island, Vigo, Praia, and Tristan da Cunha.

The entire programme is called `Class Afloat' and is designed to `forge new student standards in leadership, personal development and academic excellence'.

The academic courses include maths, history, english, anthropology, journalism, literature, economics, behavioural sciences, chemistry, physics, marine biology, calculus, psychology and philosophy and is accredited by Canada's college-level CEGEP system.

Concordia is associated with West Island College in Alberta and CEGEP Marie Victorin of Montreal.

The crew is made up of five professional sailors and five teachers.

But all this doesn't come for free -- expenses can exceed US $31,000 a year and everyone on the ship must be physically fit and mentally prepared.

Remarkably, Ruth said there is little competition or conflict.

She notes the punishment for fighting is "heavy-handed'' but she said, the environment made it a requirement that the team came first.

Her appointment to one of five watch leaders among the students was no sweat, she said, adding her experience in Outward Bound and Head Girl at BHS really helped.

"In my duties, I have to make sure everyone's up for watch. Make sure you are cleaning station and report to the Captain about people in watch.'' She said it's all an exercise in people management because if someone's sick or unable to complete their duties, the watch leaders shift crew and ensure the each watch has a complete roster.

While in port, watch duties are relaxed since classes stop and students, through teacher-organised excursions, are taken ashore to learn about other cultures first hand.

"We don't go to many tourist places because we're trying to really learn about the people. And we're docked -- on the docks. You get to meet some real "rough-neck'' people down there.'' she laughed.

A typical day on board Concordia starts at 7 a.m. for a half-hour of fitness training.

Then breakfast from 7.30 to 8 a.m. and a colours ceremony where the flag is hoisted at the `official' beginning of the day.

Afterward, the student/crew go about cleaning stations which can be anything from swabbing decks to wiping down walls.

From there, the daily schedule can get confusing for the uninitiated because one watch group will begin their duties while others start classes.

There are two two-hour classes, before and after lunch, before another watch change and homework or duties.

Ruth said because everyone's on a different watch and at different points in their study, one has to manage their time carefully because they can get caught up talking -- and there is always someone around to talk to.

In between all the work, Ruth said: "You find your own time to study.

Homework can be two to 3 hours a night.'' And what did Ruth learn from these experiences: "A lot of coffee helps and I'm able to sleep wherever, whenever.'' She said getting sleep wherever and whenever is a skill, "because most people can't just find a spot somewhere on deck for a quick 20-minute catnap.'' Although time at sea is broken up by port-of-calls, students can also be trapped on board for weeks at a time.

"It all depends. The trip across the Atlantic took 14 days but normally it's around two to 3 days.'' she explained.

One port of call landed the students on the small British colony of Tristan da Cunha, which is much more remote than Bermuda.

"There's only four family names there.'' she said.

The island is in the Southern Atlantic, directly between the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa and Argentina.

Ruth is now looking forward to the second semester on Concordia when the students port of calls will land them on Easter Island.

"That's where it's going to get really exciting.''