No schoolbus for lifetime sailor Luca

Luca Beihenert’s morning routine is not the same as other children his age.

Having spent his life living on boats sailing the southern seas, a daily return trip across Nelson harbour is small fry for the 12-year-old and his family.

The year 8 Nelson Intermediate pupil currently lives with his family on their 14-metre sailing vessel Kamiros, which is anchored near the Boulder Bank.

Each morning Luca leaves at 7.45am, taking a short dinghy ride across the Nelson Haven.

Once he arrives at the marina, Luca unlocks his bike before riding a short distance to school in time for the start of class.

The journey from yacht to school takes less than half an hour, except when Luca decides to visit the skate park.

Born in New Zealand to German parents, Luca and his older sister Lola have lived their entire lives on the sea, and have experienced unusual holiday destinations like South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands and attended school in the Falkland Islands.

At times, Luca said the family had seen more penguins, seals and sea elephants than people.

While in New Zealand, school holidays were usually taken in the waters of Fiordland, Abel Tasman National Park and right up to the Bay of Islands.

With their visitor visas set to expire, the Beihenerts will soon depart to French Polynesia, with Luca enrolled with the NZ Correspondence School.

He said while he enjoyed his itinerant lifestyle, being constantly on the move took its maintaining friendships.

‘‘There’s always something to do on the boat so you never get bored.

‘‘I like being free and being able to go wherever you want, and you get to see a whole lot of other countries and cultures.’’

A keen fisherman – and the only meat-eater in his family – Luca said he rarely got sea sick, except the occasional episode on the first few days of an ocean crossing.

Even after nearly a year in Nelson, Luca said he was yet to miss a day of school due to the location of his home.

‘‘There was one day where there was quite a lot of wind, so I waited a little bit and came in later.’’

While he was still unsure what his future goals were, Luca said more travel was likely.

Parents Hans and Eva have lived this life for 20 years, with Kamiros the third vessel to carry the Beihenerts on their ocean odyssey.

Hans said their first vessel was a smaller, damaged boat that was given to them as a doer-upper.

After arriving in New Zealand, they soon had to upsize with the arrival of Lola, then Luca.

‘‘Having children, the boat always needs to be larger,’’ said Eva.

Hans and Eva use their own dinghy for their daily routine, however both admit they are more at home aboard the Kamiros.

‘‘It’s not for everyone and not so easy on the larger seas but the main aspect is that it’s quite free,’’ Eva said.

‘‘The weather is the big chief, but apart from that, it’s nice.’’

– Fairfax NZ toll on