Middle school students are setting sail as part of a yearly rite of passage.

The Spirit of Bermuda has commenced the 2017-18 school year with students from Dellwood Middle School.

Every middle school student on the island takes part in the typically weeklong experience aboard the boat.

The experience, the Bermuda Sloop Foundation said, encourages “self discovery, interdependence, co-operation, and working as team-mates”.

It added: “M3 students learn how to be part of a team in a unique environment that promotes community without the usual comforts of home.

“They have an opportunity to broaden their knowledge of Bermuda, engage in environmental stewardship, and to appreciate the beautiful coastal waters.”

Students from Dellwood have completed three weeks of voyages. The remaining group of students from the school is on their trip this week.

Students record and reflect on their experiences in a journal each evening as part of the trip.

One boy in M3 said: “Something that I learnt on the Spirit of Bermuda that I’ll take back to my life ashore is mutual respect.

“The way you treat others is the way you’ll be treated.”

An M3 girl said she leant “about the different types of sails and the different types of parts of the boat”.

She added: “Also, when something is to be done, do it without an attitude because if you do it with an attitude it will make it even harder.”