Return after around six years: Accompanied by several dozen sailing and motor boats, the completely renewed sailing training ship “Gorch Fock” has reached Kiel.
The sailing training ship “Gorch Fock” returned to its home port of Kiel on Monday after six years. In the early afternoon, the 89-meter-long three-master passed the Kiel-Wik naval base.
The ship and crew were greeted with 20 rounds of salute from the outer pier of the base. The “Gorch Fock” returned the 21st shot. Several dozen sailing and motor boats accompanied the three-master. Thousands of people watched the arrival on the banks of the fjord.
Before the ship was supposed to moor at the Gorch-Fock-Mole of the base in the course of the afternoon, a lap of honor was scheduled in the inner fjord, where the state parliament of Schleswig-Holstein is located. Parliament is the godfather of the completely renewed three-master.
Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (CDU) and the Inspector of the Navy, Vice Admiral Kay-Achim Schönbach, were also on board for the last nautical miles of the journey. In the morning in Eckernförde Bay they had stepped from a mine-hunting boat on board the “Gorch Fock”.
Because much more had to be done on the ship, which was built in 1958, than initially thought, the renovation costs considerably exceeded the initially calculated ten million euros. In between the ship stood before the final end. Ultimately, however, the then Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen (CDU) approved the increases and set a cap of 135 million euros for the renovation of the ship. On Thursday, the Navy took over the three-master again from the Lürssen shipyard in Bremen.
Meanwhile, conservationists criticized the use of the teak built on deck. The upper deck of the three-master is equipped with the wood. “The teak used to renew the deck is most likely illegal wood from the last remaining virgin forests in Myanmar,” said an alliance of five organizations. The Ministry of Defense or the authorities subordinate to it have ignored the procurement guidelines.
“The Navy does not comment,” said a spokesman for the German press agency. Because courts have dismissed lawsuits against the use of the wood, conservationists have taken action before the Federal Constitutional Court. Its decision is still pending. Due to its nature, teak is often used for the decks of sailing ships.
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