Eviana’s spirits sailed high on the Spirit of Adventure

2 days ago
5 min read

The Hearing House kiritaki/client and cochlear implant user Eviana Peterson recently joined the Spirit of Adventure on a five-day journey – this is the story of her sailing adventure.

“I’m a Year 13 student at Mount Maunganui College in Tauranga and I’m currently looking at study options and universities for 2027. I hope to pursue my interests in either Art and Creative Design or Marine Studies. I’ve been doing ballet since I was four years old and am training for my RAD Advanced 1 exam in September. I have a 16-year-old sister, Isla-Belle, and a 14-year-old brother, Jarvis, who are both hearing kids.

“At the age of five months, I was diagnosed as bilaterally profoundly deaf and received my first CI at three months later. Not long after my first operation, I began receiving support from The Hearing House. I still remember all the support and love I got from my family and all the wonderful people at The Hearing House. By the time I turned five, my parents wanted to support my communication and access to opportunities, so they fundraised $45,000 for my second cochlear implant and surgery. It took six months of fundraising, and when I was five and a half, I had my second surgery to implant my left ear.

“At that time in New Zealand, public funding supported only one cochlear implant for children, with funding for two implants introduced later in 2014.

“This was a long journey for me and my family, but as of today I am very grateful for all the support and encouragement that everyone gave me, and I believe that has helped me become who I am today.

The Spirit has always been a dream

“Going on the Spirit of Adventure has always been a dream of mine after my younger sister and I joined Tauranga Young Mariners when I was 10. I remember hearing about the senior girls’ experiences on ‘The Spirit’ and always hoped to be able to do this one day. Last year, I’d booked a 10-day ‘Development Voyage’ departing in February this year. However, after weighing things up I decided to cancel the trip. Having had previous sailing experience, I know that safety is a top priority on board and I didn't want to be a liability to the crew should an emergency arise at night when I don’t wear my CI’s. Within a few days of cancelling, Mum received a phone call from Lauren from the Spirit of Adventure Trust, who informed us about the five-day ‘Inspiration Voyage’. This voyage caters to youth who live with a disability and there’s a higher crew to trainee ratio. All needs and diversities are catered to by the Spirit of Adventure team. We were thrilled to be informed about this voyage, as we didn’t know about this option. The voyage was departing immediately after my original 10-day voyage, so the timing was perfect. I’m so thankful to Lauren and Andie for reaching out and giving me the opportunity to participate in a supported and inclusive environment which meant I could fulfil my dream of sailing on the Spirit of Adventure!

“My voyage number was INS935 departing Princess Wharf Auckland on the 16th of February. The morning that we arrived at the wharf felt surreal as this huge, stunning tall ship stood before me. I’ll never forget that moment.

Life aboard the ship

“Due to the weather on the first night, we stayed in Auckland Harbour. We played games and got to know each other and the ships’ layout, along with being briefed about our watch groups. The next morning, we pulled anchor and started our sailing adventure. Just like a 10-day voyage, we were expected to work within our watch groups to keep the ship sailing and maintained. The participants are known as trainees, and many trainees had their own support person/caregiver who were also welcome on board. All together we were a group of 30. As I didn’t require a support person, I was teamed up with another independent trainee, and we were allocated a dedicated crew member. The three of us worked together to complete our duties and participate in activities. Some of our fun activities included sailing the luggers, climbing the rigging, rafting, and team games on shore. There’s also the option of taking a night-shift duty where you and another trainee monitor the ship for a few hours during the night. This is fun to do as you get to watch the ship’s monitor screens and take an hourly log record of the weather conditions and tide.

Overcoming challenges

“There were some small challenges that I faced on this voyage while wearing my CI’s, but nothing that stopped me from being fully capable of participating. The first challenge was having to hold on to my aqua-kit while jumping off the ship. The height from the gunwale to the water was enough to make my aqua-kit fly off my magnet, but when I landed in the water, I would swim away from the landing zone and reconnect my CI to my head enabling me to communicate to the other trainees in the water. The second challenge was when I went aloft and climbed up the rigging. The sheer height and the wind strength may have caused me to lose my CIs. However, this was an easy fix as I just wore a headband which didn’t stop me from reaching the very top of the ship and seeing the stunning view of the Hauraki Gulf.

“Even though I don’t sleep with my CIs at night, the accommodation on board is close-quarters meaning you sleep in bunks. If an emergency would ever occur, the movement of the other trainees would be enough to make you aware of the situation. Also, my dedicated crew member understood my communication needs and would make sure I was awake. During this voyage I slept on the top bunk (right beneath the light), therefore in the morning a bright light would get turned on, and that would wake me up! As far as charging batteries and my drying pack, there was the option of using a charge station close by my bunk, however I was happy to charge them safely on the bridge (the ship’s control centre).

Just do it!

“As a CI user going on this Inspiration Voyage, I would highly recommend this as a great starting voyage for any hearing impaired/CI youth. It's a great introduction to sailing and seamanship. Sailing experience is not required and it’s ideal for developing your confidence and leadership skills in an extra supported environment. So, if you're thinking about it, don’t hesitate to go for it!

Eviana’s next adventure

“After doing the five-day Inspiration Voyage and witnessing first-hand the supportive environment, and with the encouragement from the crew, I knew that I would be 100% capable of participating in a 10-day Discovery Voyage. I understand that this voyage is more challenging, with more intense activities, but I feel that I’m well prepared having completed the Inspiration Voyage - it’ was a great way to get a taste of what to expect for my 10-day voyage. I can't wait to return in July this year which I’m busy fundraising for.

“I hope to become a volunteer crew member/support person on Inspiration Voyages in the near future so that I can help and encourage people of all abilities to journey on The Spirit!”