Photo: Maxime Van Cleven
The ‘Götheborg of Sweden,’ the largest ocean-going sailing ship in the world, is currently docked in Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain) where it will spend the upcoming winter, reports Catalan News. The ship will stay in the Catalan capital for maintenance and is open to the public most weekends before leaving for Asia next year.
The ship is a replica of the ‘Götheborg I’ that was used for trades in East India and sunk in 1745. The construction of the current version started in 1995 and was first tested in 2005, resulting in the largest operation sailing ship.
The crew consists of around 70 people of which a good 20 are permanent members. The rest of the hammocks are filled with volunteers from all over the world who join for a couple of weeks, gaining experience and helping with the maintenance of the three-masted ship.
After its previous stop in Malta, the ship will now stay in Barcelona for the next five months before sailing all the way to China as part of the East Asia tour. A part of the crew returns home for the winter, but volunteers keep joining to maintain the good conditions of the ship.
The ‘Götheborg of Sweden’ was open to the public the first days after arrival in Barcelona in late October, and visits are still possible on most of the upcoming weekends. Visitors can take a tour which shows the different sides an authentic ship has to offer. In addition to the historical knowledge and artifacts around the boat, the crew spreads out to answer questions.
The tour passes through the different decks and includes a look into the crew’s dining and sleeping area.
See also Transport blog
