Gerda (ship)

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The Brigg Gerda was a Swedish freighter . The ship was on October 28, 1868 at the Olof August Bodin's shipyard in Gavle on down Kiel . The launch took place in the spring of 1869. The brig was 36 meters long between the perpendiculars and eight meters wide.

The ship, which had a crew of nine, began its maiden voyage on June 8, 1869 from Gävle to Grimsby, England . Until it was decommissioned in 1930, the Gerda called at ports in Sweden, England and the Mediterranean area. During this time the owner changed several times.

The Gerda became the oldest brig in the European merchant fleet and when it was decommissioned it was the last Scandinavian brig that was still used as a cargo ship. Knowing about the maritime historical value of the ship, the last owner of the Gerda sold the ship in 1936 to the city of Gävle, which used the brig as a museum ship . However, due to poor maintenance, she sank at the pier in 1959.

The new Gerda

The new Brigg Gerda

In the fall of 1993, a non-profit organization began building the new Gerda according to the plans of the historical model. The aim of this project was not only to let the Gerda emerge in a new splendor, but also to revive many dying handicrafts. The shipyard (Gerda varvet) has its own forge for the production of all metal parts such as B. the capstan . A total of around 23 tons of forged goods were produced. On June 9, 2000, the new Gerda was launched after 13 years of construction at the Gerda shipyard in Gävle. The new ship is not an exact copy of the original Gerda , but rather a modernized, handicapped-accessible variant which, in addition to the sails, also has a marine diesel engine .

The new Gerda has a crew of 12 and is used for passenger trips. The association was supported with 4.4 million Swedish kronor from EU structural funds for the purchase of life-saving appliances and safety equipment .

Technical specifications

See also

  • Galleon Batavia , a similar project from Holland

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