Twelve youngsters (ages 10 to 15) from the French experimental school L'Ecole en Bateau (The Floating School) have set out on a unique educational expedition that will take them on the voyage of a lifetime, sailing the "Kerrek Ven" - a 3-masted fishing schooner, as they follow the voyages of Christopher Columbus from Seville to the Caribbean and Venezuela.The boys form an integrated group, and control all aspects of the expedition from navigation and maintenance to the filming of the voyage. They also write reports for the press, radio and television and produce their own monthly magazine. Many have been on board for at least a year. Using only 19th century navigation equipment, they explore the volcanoes of the Canary Islands, go scuba diving in the Caribbean, walk in the rain forests of Venezuela, the jungles of Guatemala and even follow the migration of humpback whales.