My review of Bobby Schenk's Blue Water Seminar

Christian Nüßer
Oct 28
2 min read

Location: Hanseatic Yacht School Glücksburg, Flensburg Fjord

Date: October 2025

A weekend full of knowledge, experience and passion for the sea

Last week I attended the legendary blue water seminar hosted by Bobby Schenk , one of Germany's most experienced circumnavigators. The venue was the Hanseatic Yacht School Glücksburg , located directly on the Flensburg Fjord.

As soon as you entered the seminar room, you could tell: This is where people meet who truly want to "get out." Not just a vacation cruise, but real life at sea —with all its challenges, risks, and magical moments.

Knowledge that supports – from navigation to psychology

Bobby Schenk, who has himself sailed around the world several times, not only taught technical fundamentals but above all an attitude: independence, responsibility and composure at sea .

I found the mix of topics particularly exciting:

Navigation & Technology: From sextants to modern plotters – the most important message: technology can fail, but knowledge cannot.
Energy & Communication: Which power systems, batteries, and satellite solutions really work when you're self-sufficient for weeks.
Crew & Psychology: Living in close quarters is an adventure for the mind and heart. "The greatest challenge at sea is often not the weather, but people," one of the speakers aptly stated.
Testimonials: Several circumnavigators openly spoke about mistakes, storms, but also about the incredible feeling of freedom on oceans far from civilization.

My personal insights

After two intensive days, I learned a lot – and some of it will flow directly into my future trips with Viserion :

knowledge	Significance for my travels
Perfect preparation is important – but the unpredictable is part of it	At sea, things never go according to plan. Flexibility and improvisation are essential for survival.
Technology does not replace experience	Even the best equipment is of no use if you don't master the basics.
Mental strength counts more than boat strength	Calmness, decisiveness and humor are the real life jackets.
Sharing knowledge – instead of hoarding it	The seminar demonstrated that sailing thrives on exchange. Nobody knows everything, but together we know enough.

Concrete impulses for my own project

I'm taking a lot from Glücksburg for my project "Sailing Viserion" : I want to focus even more on the topics of independence, life on board, navigation , and communication on long-distance voyages – authentic, practical, and honest.

This seminar is an ideal foundation, especially for preparing for future long-distance cruises or even an Atlantic crossing. Anyone considering blue water sailing will find answers to questions that are best clarified before setting sail.

Conclusion

The Blue Water Seminar was no ordinary weekend for me—it was a milestone on my own path to life at sea. Bobby Schenk demonstrated once again that seamanship is more than technique : It's a way of life.