The Natal Day weekend saw Halifax as the port of call for the Gorch Fock, an iconic German naval tall ship. Measuring over 81 metres long, more than 18,000 cadets have been trained on the three-masted barque, says Capt. Elmar Bornkessel. She was launched in 1958 and has visited more than 60 countries around the globe. Departing Kiel, Germany on April 7, this marks her 189th overseas training voyage; one of the longest in recent years. Stops included France, Spain, Bermuda and several American cities, joining Sail 250 festivities and racing her three active ‘so-called sister ships’ for the first time since 1976. “For me, it’s not winning of the race that’s the important thing,” Bornkessel says. “Just to do (the race) again is much more important because it’s an historic event. I mean, to assemble four ships of the same class 50 years after the first time they have assembled together, that was, for me, the most important thing.” Bornkessel, the commanding officer, says Halifax is an important stop because of the 75th anniversary between Germany and Canada. “We also have a very strong Canadian-German defence cooperation,” he tells CTV News. “That’s also one reason why we are here, in order to symbolize the strong partnership and the bonds between Germany and Canada.” “The diplomatic purpose of this mission, but also the nautical reasons to Halifax,” he says. “Halifax, for us, is a very good port. It means recreation for the crew, because that’s also important when you do a voyage so long, that the crew has time for resting or recreation. Therefore, Halifax was probably the best choice here.” A massive lineup formed for the ‘open ship,’ an opportunity for Haligonians and visitors alike to hop aboard. “A piece of home for sure,” says Klaus Vogel, a German man visiting Halifax from British Columbia. “I thought I got to go on there. It’s once in a lifetime, and how is the chance, coming from B.C., and all of a sudden seeing the Gorch Fock here?” he asks. “Wow, incredible, “Beautiful ship.” IN PICTURES: The Gorch Fock docks in Halifax Erik Schultz, a midshipman and one of the cadets aboard, joined the journey in Norfolk about two months ago; a voyage about 2,700 miles to Halifax. He also says his experience has been a “once in a lifetime opportunity,” and that it’s been “very impactful” for his young career. “It’s taught me many soft skills, I would say,” he says. “For example, how to get used to the sleep deprivation, how to get used to pulling on ropes all the time. “Setting the sails, it’s all manpower,” Schultz says. “So, you can’t just say ‘No, today I’m not feeling like it.’ You just have to have to do it. But together with your comrades, it’s even fun – and it just teaches you mental strength.” After public visitation at Salter Pier, the ship will move down the harbour to HMC Dockyard, where they will do a crew swap, welcoming new cadets from Germany. “When we are in the naval dockyard, we will conduct sail training in port, which is a unique thing we do just on Gorch Fock, so pretty much we do all the sailing maneuvers, everything you can imagine,” says Bornkessel. That will be important because the next stop is Iceland, before returning to its home port in Germany. “(That) will be a challenging journey for us because crossing the North Atlantic, during that time, is quite something,” he says. “We will expect high winds, and high seas, of course. “Therefore, that’s nautical-wise, probably the most challenging part of this whole journey for us.” For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
