Sailing to Palau: Taitung’s Young Sailors Cross the Pacific for Friendship and Cultural Exchange

Never in our wildest dreams did we imagine we would one day bring our team of young sailors to Palau. Not Palau the small town, but Palau the island nation in Micronesia: a tiny speck in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, surrounded by coral reefs and lush tropical forest. From September 30 to October 5, 17 people from Taitung, including sailors, parents and coaches, made the journey. It became one of the most memorable trips in our school's history.

From Taitung to Micronesia

Starting a sailing school on Taiwan's east coast already felt like a leap. Taking our young sailors to Green Island and Lanyu, on Taiwan's outer edge, felt like the icing on the cake. Micronesia was far beyond anything we had dared to imagine.

Yet the Pacific has always connected the places along its shores. Taitung and Palau are separated by open ocean, but they share a deep maritime heritage. Long before modern navigation, Austronesian peoples crossed vast distances using their knowledge of wind, waves and currents. That tradition is still alive in communities along Taiwan's east coast and throughout Micronesia.

During our stay, our sailors spent five days on the water, trying different types of boats. They sailed Optimists and Lasers alongside local sailors from the Palau Sailing Association. They also tried traditional Micronesian canoes, learning how Palauans sail and how the ocean shapes their daily lives.

Beyond the boats, the kids were curious about everything. They made friends with Palauan and Japanese children, playing together in and out of the water, often without a shared language. It turns out sailing is a very good translator.

The Palau Taiwan Friendship Race

The highlight of the exchange was undoubtedly the Palau Taiwan Friendship Race on October 3. The weather, however, had other plans. With a typhoon nearby, conditions were unstable throughout the day, with serious squalls, heavy rain and strong winds sweeping across the course.

It was a challenging day, but nobody backed down. Sailors, support crew, parents and coaches worked together as one team, looking out for one another along the way. Everyone finished the day safely, and the young sailors returned stronger and more united.

For us, the race results mattered far less than what we witnessed on the water: courage in unfamiliar waters, teamwork, and friendships formed with sailors they had only just met.

We hope all our students will grow into great sailors, but even more importantly, into kind and warm people who understand and accept other cultures. Travelling abroad is one of the best ways to learn that the world is wide, diverse and full of people who are happy to share their way of life. Experiencing different places and cultures firsthand helps children see the world from a broader perspective.

We also hope this was not a one-time trip. Together with the Palau Sailing Association, we would like to keep creating opportunities for sailors from Taiwan and other countries to sail together, while helping the sailing community in Palau continue to grow.

A Community Effort

This trip would not have been possible without the support of many people. Thank you to all the parents who trusted us to take their children so far across the Pacific, and to our instructors Allen and Kuan for their support throughout the journey. We are also deeply grateful to our extended Palau family for such a warm welcome: Sam, Jin, Yuto, Tim, Lauren and all the moms and dads of the Palau Sailing Association; the crew of Alingano Maisu; Zea from MVS; Jimmy from the Taiwan Embassy; and everyone who helped make this exchange happen.

Some of the best adventures start with a question: what if we sailed there? Palau reminded us that the horizon is never the end of the journey, and that friendships can form quickly when people share the water. We can't wait to see our Palauan friends again, whether in Palau or in Taitung.

Mesulang, Palau! See you soon.