The pride of the Navy returns to Kiel after years of absence. The “Gorch Fock” is basically a new ship. And the sailing training ship is driving well, says Commander Brandt.
After years of renovation, the sailing training ship “Gorch Fock” is heading back to the Kiel naval base on Monday. “It drives very well,” said Commander Nils Brandt of the German Press Agency.
He looks forward to the trip with great joy, only to “finally come back to our home port after 2232 days”.
The traditional sailor in Lower Saxony had been renovated for almost six years. The initially estimated 10 million euros became 135 million euros. In principle, it is a completely new ship, said Brandt. “From the outside, not much has changed on the ship.”
Brandt was satisfied with how the completely renovated barque lies in the water. The extensive renovation has made the 89-meter-long three-master significantly lighter. “This has improved the movements in the sea.” In total, more than 70 tons of weight have been saved through modifications. “This makes it more pleasant to roll in the sea and ultimately behaves much smoother when moving.”
The commander is not afraid of suffering from seasickness on the first trips after such a long time on land. With increasing age, the susceptibility to it decreases. “So far I haven’t gotten seasick during the test drives and all the trips before.”
During the shipyard layover, there were political discussions about the future of the ship due to rising costs. “In 2018/19, when the big break came, I was actually worried that we could get the ship going again and keep it for the Navy,” said Brandt. Ultimately, the decision was made «for us». Hopefully the sight of the ship in Kiel will convince many skeptics that the decision was the right one.
Before the sailing training ship moored at the Gorch Fock pier of the Kiel-Wik naval base on Monday, the commanding officer wants to take the ship on the fjord to the state parliament: “After such a long absence from the home port, we want to meet our godparents from Schleswig-Holstein at least once. Show Holstein State Parliament. “
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