Cargo space on fast sailing ships was in great demand in the middle of the 19th century. It was the heyday of brigs, the two-masted, fully rigged tall ships, which were gradually replaced by larger full-rigged ships and barques. And so the operators advertise their day trips on the brig "Roald Amundsen" to major events such as the Hanse Sail in Rostock with the slogan "Sailing like 150 years ago". "Very archaic and hand-operated: almost four kilometres of rope on around 180 nails for a total sail area of 850 square metres, spread over 18 sails on and between two masts. The trick is: there's a system involved." The conclusion at least sounds reassuring.
The significantly higher workload compared to gaff-rigged schooners is intentional on board the "Roald Amundsen". After all, seamanship and sailing skills can be learnt particularly intensively with this rig - ideal on a sail training ship. "If you're interested in finding out more, just speak to the regular crew," says Captain Thilo Fink as he welcomes the day trip guests in Rostock. For Fink and his crew, the day trips during major maritime events are hard work. "The key challenge for the ship's command is to cope with the stop-and-go traffic of the numerous tall ships here on the Warnow," says the navigator.
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The "Roald Amundsen" was not built as a square-rigger. Her hull was laid up at the Roßlau shipyard on the Upper Elbe in 1952 as part of a series of luggers for deep-sea fishing and was converted into a large-capacity tanker during the construction phase. From 1 April 1952, the GDR's National People's Army (NVA) used the "Vilm" as a tanker and supply ship. From the 1970s onwards, the ship transported the bilge water pumped out of the NVA ships to a collection centre as a bilge de-oiler. This service was discontinued in 1989; the "Vilm" was laid up at the naval base in Neustadt in Holstein and used for residential purposes.
The boat builder Detlev Löll and Captain Hans Temme bought the ship at auction from the Verwertungsgesellschaft für Bundeseigentum in Frankfurt and took it over on 2 December 1991, rigging it as a brig on Löll's initiative. In 1992, the conversion began as part of an ABM project in Wolgast. In the summer of 1993, the unusual two-master sailed from Wolgast with its young regular crew to try out manoeuvring under the command of Captain Immo von Schnurbein. The former captain of the "Gorch Fock" was delighted: "I very quickly learned to appreciate the brig's good manoeuvring characteristics and excellent sailing behaviour," he is quoted as saying on the "Roald Amundsen" website.
Detlev Löll and Captain Hans Temme remained the owners, from whom the specially founded association "LebenLernen auf Segelschiffen" (LLaS) rented the brig free of charge. In 2014, LLaS took over the ship - also thanks to numerous interest-free private loans from members - and donated it to the newly founded association Traditionsschiffe in Fahrt at the end of 2016. LLaS, the home port of Eckernförde, remains the operator.
Trainee programme to learn traditional seamanship
The "Roald Amundsen" motors out onto the Warnow. Today's day trip differs significantly from the normal cruises of the traditional ship, which is one of the few German ships to sail continuously apart from two shipyard periods per year - in the Baltic Sea in summer and in the Canary Islands or the Caribbean in winter. Interested parties can register as trainees for one of the cruises, which are usually at least seven days long, even if they have no previous sailing experience. "You should have a desire for active sailing and a willingness to get involved in the rhythm and work on board," say the operators.
The daily routine on board is organised in a three-watch system. A helmsman (nautical officer), a topsman (sailor in charge of the watch), one or two deckhands (experienced sailors), a deckhand trainee and the trainees of a watch are responsible for the entire ship for four hours twice a day. They have to navigate, take the lookout and helm, set or hoist sails, carry out sailing manoeuvres, keep a harbour or anchor watch if necessary and take over their part of the clean ship. Individual watch members are also deployed in the forecastle. Meanwhile, the other two watches are off duty.
The trainees should climb into the rigging on the square rigger under normal conditions to carry out the work that needs to be done there. Nobody is forced to climb. But once you have enjoyed the view from the Royalrah, a good 30 metres above the sea, you might get hooked.
The furnishings are simple and functional - just classic
Sailing the brig can also be really hard work. For example, when the upper masts are set: The top three yards of both masts are attached in a retractable manner to keep the centre of gravity of the rig as low as possible. To set the royal, bram and upper mast, the sails are pulled down and their yards pulled up. The upper marsrah has to be moved the furthest. But even the busiest watch ends with the changing of the watch amidships on deck. And a ritual: the departing watch wishes the rising watch a "good watch". And the watch coming up wishes the watch going down a "good night's rest".
The departing watch hangs their oilskins and the obligatory climbing harnesses below deck in the so-called tiger passage. The mess room in the stern is large enough in the usual three-watch system. However, when the ship is fully occupied, it gets really cramped here for the traditional joint captain's dinner at the end of a cruise. Even from the outside, some crew members wish the "Roald's" bum was a bit longer. Sleeping is in fixed bunks, mainly in quadruple cabins. Additional hammocks can be stretched in the messelogis in the foredeck - in the traditional way. The furnishings are simple and functional. There are three toilets and three showers on board. The galley and the narrow navigation room are located in the aft superstructure.
Captain Thilo Fink explains how he came to be a square-rigged sailor. Fink was born in Bonn in 1974, grew up in Ecuador and learnt to sail there at the age of 13. He returned to Bonn at the age of 16, where he studied economics after graduating from high school. He obtained his sports boat licence, the BR licence from the German Sailing Association, worked for a sailing school, sailed dinghies and surfed. And in 2000, he was looking for an opportunity to sail on a sail training ship in order to "broaden his sailing horizons". The "Roald" website with its wealth of information appealed to him the most. So the brig was the first square-rigger he sailed on as a trainee. "Back then, I had no idea about anything here."
Tall ships not only something special in terms of sailing
Like Fink back then, many trainees who sign up every year on the black-painted sailing ship, which comes very close to the popular image of a pirate ship, still feel the same way today. Many are also gripped by a similar enthusiasm. Over the next few years, Thilo Fink sailed in almost every position, as deckhand, topsider, assistant engineer, boatswain and helmsman. "I want to be able to do all the work myself in an emergency," he says of his many and varied assignments. He also acquired the necessary nautical certificates to be allowed to sail as a captain.
A tall ship like this is something special - "in terms of sailing, but above all because of the people," explains Fink. "In normal everyday life, you always have to deal with the same people at work and with friends. Here on board, I meet people I would never have met otherwise. This is often very interesting and exciting and has led to great friendships." Incidentally, the self-employed financial consultant, who now lives in Stuttgart, also met his wife, with whom he has two children, on board.
Volunteers perform over 4000 man-days per year
Thilo Fink stood on the bridge of the "Roald Amundsen" as captain for the first time in 2007. A total of twelve alternating captains (three of whom are women) are among the 60 or so regular crew members. "It consists of around 750 of the 1300 club members," says Eva Sönnichsen. "Around 280 regular crew members make up the hard core, who sail regularly," adds the LLaS treasurer. She has another impressive figure to share. On board alone, the volunteers put in over 4,000 man-days a year. In order to meet this enormous demand, sound training is very important. "Our training system is generally recognised," assures Sönnichsen.
Newcomers on board initially sail as trainees for at least twelve days. At the end of each voyage, the top guest certifies the skills acquired in the personal "blue booklet". The subsequent career stages in deck service are deckhand trainee, deckhand and deck guest. In addition to three helmsmen and the captain, the regular crew also includes an engineer, mate and bosun.
Eva Sönnichsen joined the volunteer crew of the "Roald Amundsen" in 2002 because she was getting bored of sailing yachts with more and more furling sails and electronic navigation devices. Now 74 years old, she sailed as a helmswoman as well as on deck, preferring longer trips such as from Cape Verde to the Azores. The accountant, who ran a medium-sized company in the Eifel region together with her husband who died seven years ago, took over the position of treasurer in the association in 2006. Since then, she has divided up the smuts, organised the provisions, sailed as a smut herself and managed the cash register. She says: "A ship like this is a time- and money-consuming organisation." The operation of the "Roald Amundsen" is comparable to a small business. Running costs: 30,000 to 35,000 euros a month.
The "Roald Amundsen" has now logged around 415,000 nautical miles. She is currently on a North Atlantic round trip. At the turn of the year she will be travelling in the Caribbean, in April she is expected back in Europe, and in the summer the Baltic States and Sweden are on the agenda. The Cruise plan is varied, just like the history of the brig.
Technical data of the "Roald Amundsen"
- Owner/operator: Traditionsschiffe in Fahrt e. V./LebenLernen auf Segelschiffen e. V.
- Home harbour:Eckernförde
- Year of construction: Planned in 1952 as a deep-sea fishing lugger and rebuilt by the NVA of the GDR as a tank lugger in Roßlau on the Elbe
- Remodelling:1992 in Wolgast to the brig
- Length over everything: 49,80 m
- Torso length: 40,80 m
- Width: 7,20 m
- Depth: 4,20 m
- Height of mast above keel: 34,00 m
- sail area: 850 m², spread over 18 sails on two masts
- Machine (Buckau-Wolf): 300 hp, 8 cylinders
- people on board: 17 permanent crew members and 31 trainees
- more information: www.sailtraining.de
Namesake Roald Amundsen
- 1872 Born on 16 July in Borge near Fredrikstad
- 1893 After dropping out of medical school, sailor on whale and seal trawlers
- 1895 Helmsman's licence
- 1897-1899 Helmsman on the "Belgica" during the Antarctic expedition of the Belgian Adrien de Gerlache
- 1901 Captain's licence. Studies (specialising in geomagnetism) at various German observatories. Purchase of the Hardangerjagt "Gjøa", built in 1872
- 1903-1906 First complete transit of the Northwest Passage with the "Gjøa"
- 1910-1912 Antarctic expedition with the "Fram" of polar explorer Fridtjof Nansen. On 14 December 1911, he and his four companions were the first people to reach the South Pole
- 1914 First Norwegian to obtain a pilot's licence
- 1918-1920 Failed attempt to reach the North Pole by drift with his ship "Maud" after travelling through the Northeast Passage
- 1923 Failed attempt to reach the North Pole by aeroplane from Alaska.
- 1925 On 21 May, he and his American patron Lincoln Ellsworth take off from Spitsbergen on a North Pole flight by plane. They have to make an emergency landing at 87° 44' N. The return flight is only successful on 15 June
- 1926 On 10 May, the Italian Umberto Nobile, Lincoln Ellsworth and Roald Amundsen fly from Spitsbergen across the North Pole to Alaska in the semi-rigid airship "Norge" built by Nobile
- 1928 Amundsen sets off on a rescue expedition for Nobile, who made an emergency landing in the Arctic with the airship "Italia". He has been presumed missing ever since
This article was first published in 2020 and has been updated for this online version.
