Brig ROALD AMUNDSEN

Facts and Figures

A steel hull, two masts. 850 square meters of sail area spread across 18 sails—ten of which stretch along the 100-meter yards, stacked on masts as tall as a fourteen-story building. The combined weight of nine humpback whales, eleven whale sharks, and 1,742 dolphins and tuna equals the displacement of the brig ROALD AMUNDSEN. A human chain from bow to stern would be made up of a team of 37 to 48 people—and all of them are part of the crew. The traditional ship has already sailed over 450,000 nautical miles—equivalent to circling the moon seven times plus the distance to and from its home port.

A traditional ship, sailing year-round worldwide, rigged as a brig in 1992 in Wolgast after extensive modifications to the original hull, which was designed in 1952 in Roßlau/Elbe as a deep-sea fishing vessel and served in its first life in the navy of the former GDR. A piece of German-German history, today it represents traditional seamanship and promotes international understanding. The ancient rhythm of seafaring can be experienced on board by anyone curious enough to come on deck.