Durban ahoy!

AFTER a long period without having such visitors, Durban is about to be visited by one of the world’s oldest Tall Ships – a sail training ship from Norway. The sailing ship’s name is Sorlandet, which was built in Norway in 1927 at the Hoivolds Mekaniske Verksted (shipyard) in Kristiansand, which is in the extreme south of that country facing Denmark. The shipyard was still building boats and ships until at least recently. With a gross tonnage of 499 tons and displacing 891 tons, Sorlandet is a three-masted full ship and the oldest full-rigged ship in the world that is still in operation. She is one of three Norwegian Tall Ships.

When built, she cost £25 000. Her length is 57 metres, beam is 6.87m, height 34.2m and she has a 4.5m draught. She has 27 sails for a sail area of 1240m2.

When built, Sorlandet was entirely reliant on sail but in 1958 she was fitted with an auxiliary engine for added manoeuvrability.

As with her two sister ships, she was built primarily as a training vessel to provide cadets with the opportunity to learn to sail under canvas.

In fact, her first voyage was the short haul to London with a crew of 90 men, most of them trainees.

In World War II, she was used as an accommodation ship for German submariners but after the war she was restored and by 1948 she was back at sea. In 1974 the Tall Ship was sold and for several years remained laid up.

Several years later her owner returned the ship to her home port of Kristiansand and soon after a non-profit foundation was established that secured her restoration.

Taking such measures was necessary to keep the ship afloat both financially and with sufficient crew. That’s the way it has become with many of the Tall Ships of today.

Since then the ship has sailed the Seven Seas, becoming in the process the first Norwegian sailing ship to encourage women among the crew. Today the ship welcomes trainees from between the ages of 15 and 70 of both sexes and from all walks of life and nationalities who join the crew on pre-arranged cruises according to a set cruise fee.

Sorlandet took part in the centenary of the Statue of Liberty celebrations in New York in 1986 and in the latter 1990s she provided sixweek courses in sailing and seamanship to bolster the recruitment of young seafarers to the Norwegian Navy as well as to join the Norwegian merchant marine.

The sailing ship has had a number of full refits and restorations including her most recent in a Turkish dry dock in 2012 that included the replacing of many of her riveted steel hull plates, support systems and a complete rebuild of the main “Banjer” area, where students sleep and attend classes.

Sorlandet is approaching Durban from the Indian Ocean, having recently sailed in Southeast Asian waters during a world circumnavigation. She is under charter to Canada’s West Island College International, which gives high school and university courses at sea under the guidance of the A+ World Academy.

She sailed from Kristiansand in August last year and will return to Norway almost two years later, having visited 22 countries and 44 cities.

Incidentally, the name Sorlandet is Norwegian and means “Southern Land” and is the name for the area where Kristiansand is.

Sorlandet is due to arrive in Durban on Friday and is expected to berth at O shed on the T-Jetty, facing the city, where she will remain until December 22.

It is not known at this stage if the ship will be open to the public – the last time sailing ships called was something of a debacle after a statement that the public could visit them, only for visitors to be turned away by security at the main gate.

Hopefully, a statement will be issued when the ship arrives, otherwise please phone the port for enquiries.