Gorch Fock (2)

built at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg as a training ship in 1958, launched on August 23 and commissioned on December 17, 1958.

designed on the basis of the same drafts as for the "Eagle" ex-"Horst Wessel" (1936), the "Sagres II" ex-"Albert Leo Schlageter" (1937) and the smaller ships "Mircea" (1938) and "Gorch Fock" (1933).

in reaction to the sinking of the "Pamir" in 1957 she was equipped with additional safety equipment, such as watertight bulkheads and superstructures, and the capability of recovering from a 90 degree knockdown.

used by the German Navy on training voyages around the world and as marine ambassadors for peaceful coexistence and international understanding.

sails usually 2-3 voyages a year in the North Sea and Atlantic, often spents the winter in Kiel/GER.

1964 visit at the world exhibition in New York/USA.

1985 general overhaul in Kiel lasting half a year.

1987-88 her 80th to 83rd training tours comprised circumnavigating the globe in 336 days, participated the Australian Bicentennial celebrations in Sydney.

1996-97 she undertook her longest training voyage to date lasting 343 days, she called 18 ports in 16 countries in the Mediterranean, Suez Canal, Red Sea, South China Sea, Mauritius, Cape Town, Brazil, West Indies and Azores.

regular participant in international sail training events amd races, often in the top league, has taken part in the transatlantic Tall Ships Races in 1964, 1976, 1980, 1992 and 2000.

2001 she underwent a 9 month major refit, new interior suitable for men and women as crew, new rudder facilities and a bow thruster, improvement of fire protection, conditioning facilities for waste-water, exchange of the electrical equipment.

despite regular shipyard overhauls, 2015 a major repair was required what was completed not before summer 2021 due to mismanagement, cost explosion, corruption and breach of trust allegations against the shipyard and its insolvency.

named for the marine writer Johann Kinau who used the name "Gorch Fock" as a pseudonym.