The world’s largest ocean-going wooden sailing ship will arrive in Gibraltar for the first time
Gothenburg, 10 February 2023 – The ship Götheborg of Sweden, the world’s largest ocean-going wooden sailing ship, today announced that Gibraltar will be the second stopover on the ship’s European Tour 2023. It is the first time the ship visits Gibraltar. Götheborg will be in Gibraltar 6 – 9 April and will be moored at the Mid Harbour Marina.
Götheborg of Sweden is a unique replica of an 18th century Swedish East India Company merchant ship that sank outside of Gothenburg in 1745. The replica took ten years to build and was launched 20 years ago, in 2003. In 2023, the ship is sailing in Europe and invites people to sail along as deckhands on board or visit the ship while in port.
Coming from Sète in the south of France, Gibraltar will be the second stopover on the European Tour 2023. After the stopover in Gibraltar, a long and adventurous sailing leg through the Straights of Gibraltar, along the coast of Portugal and across the Bay of Biscay is waiting.
“We are delighted and proud to welcome the magnificent ship Götheborg to Gibraltar for the very first time”, said Vijay Daryanani Minister for Business, Tourism & The Port – HM Government of Gibraltar. ” We are now looking forward to the opportunity for visitors to board and experience the Götheborg before she sets out through the Straits of Gibraltar to head north.”
The ship will be moored at the central location Mid Harbour Marina and will be open to the public during its stay in Gibraltar.
“ We have passed Gibraltar on two occasions before; last year after our stopover in Malaga and in 2007 on our way back to Sweden from China. Now we are excited to finally make an official stopover in this iconic place.”, said Kristoffer Bennis, Expedition Director at Götheborg of Sweden.
Last year, Götheborg of Sweden created great attention during her expedition. She made 13 stopovers in eleven countries across Europe. More than 60,000 people visited the ship during the different stopovers, and 500 people sailed with the ship as deckhands. One of the most noticed and publicised stopovers was London, where thousands of people greeted the ship as she sailed up the Thames and passed Tower Bridge.
Possible to sail along as a deckhand
As Gibraltar is announced as the second stopover on the European Tour 2023, the possibility to apply to sail along as a deckhand on board on the first and second sailing legs, from Barcelona to Sète, and Sète to Gibraltar, are opened up. A longer sailing leg consisting of the first six weeks of sailing has previously been published, with the possibility to sail along for free. With separate sailing legs being published, it is now possible to join just one sailing leg as a paying deckhand.
To sail the ship, a crew of 70 people is needed. About 20 persons are professional crew. The other 50 are deckhands, who are members of the public that sail along for the adventure, experience, and opportunity to learn how to sail an 18th century ship.
European Tour 2023
Götheborg will depart from Barcelona 20 March 2023, and head for its home port Gothenburg in Sweden where it will play a central part in the city’s 400-year jubilee at the beginning of June. The ship will make six stopovers during the 2023 expedition, and will invite visitors on board in ports, as well as offer the opportunity for people to sail along and experience sailing an 18th century ship.
Short facts: The ship Götheborg – history
Götheborg is a full-sized replica of an 18th century ship, that was owned by the Swedish East India Company, and that ran aground and sank outside of Gothenburg in 1745. In 1984 marine excavation of the original ship Götheborg was initiated and in 1995 the building of a new Götheborg was started. Eight years later, in 2003, the ship was launched, and between 2005-2007 the ship sailed the historical route to Asia and back. After that several expeditions around Europe were carried out, the latest one in 2015. In 2021 the ship sailed from Gothenburg to Stockholm and back, and in 2022 the ship sailed in Europe.
