Here's What it's Like to Sail on German Training Ship Gorch Fock

The German Navy’s sailing school ship, Gorch Fock, visited Helsinki from late August to early September. Stepping aboard the ship, one could not mistake the myriad of neatly organized ropes, pulleys, tall masts and steady presence of the personnel for anything but what it is: hard work and well-honed seafaring skills.

We toured the boat and spoke to members of the navy to learn more about what it takes to sail the seas on the Gorch Fock.

Commissioned in 1957, the ship provides basic seamanship training for the German Navy and is mandatory for officer candidates. The Gorch Fock is one of four sail training ship class vessels and a specialized storm sailing ship, which traditionally hunted for the powerful winds that ensured reaching destinations in time. These days the ship searches for good winds, which range between 20 to 30 knots.

Speaking to Captain-Lieutenant Hildebrandt, Toppsoffizier on Gorch Fock, we learned about what it takes to run the ship and provide cadets with adequate training and development.

“We need at least 100 people to run this for sailing: right now, we have a bit over 190 people onboard. We want to teach them to work together as a team because a sailing ship can only be operated by an effective team. They will definitely be familiar with the sea after this month on the sea,” said Hildebrandt.

The Gorch Fock’s size is imposing — reaching almost 90 meters in length, 12 meters wide, working onboard is certainly not for the faint of heart. Hildebrandt ran us through a typical day for him on the vessel:

“We have three watches of four hours each. I wake up and have a quick breakfast, from which I go to watch and sail the ship with the cadets. We have lunch and then a break of one to two hours, followed by the second watch. We then have dinner, which is followed by a little time for rest or recreation. I began another four-hour watch again in the night and then our day then starts again. Usually, I get five to six hours of sleep, which is more than enough.”

According to Captain-Lieutenant Hildebrandt, somewhat 100 people are needed to run the ship. Photographs: MORGAN WALKER/FINLAND TODAY

The almost 90-meter ship was moored at Katajanokka pier for the duration of the visit and hosted by Commodore Marko Laaksonen, who is the commander of the Coastal Brigade.

On board, we also had a chance to speak to a cadet, Celine Subklew, 24, who lives in Germany near Berlin.

She shared some of her experiences of being on the ship.

“This is my first time on the ship. It is interesting. I really like it but it is also very hard work, which can be scary at times. We haven’t had any heavy seas as of yet,” said Cadet Subklew.

On board, there are 23 sails in total, with the tallest mast stretching 45.30 meters above the water line. Staring at the main mast, I immediately wondered about the challenge of climbing it. The officer-in-training calmly answered: “Most of us have to climb the masts. The German Navy has a practice area that replicates this mast so we can practice before we come aboard the ship. Once you pass, they deem you to be safe enough to work on the ship. When you are in a working mode, you don’t really perceive the height in the same way.”

The largest sail requires up to 10 people to operate, and the smaller ones take two people on each side of the mast. If the large sail is hoisted, it requires up to 30 people on the deck below pulling ropes. After seven weeks at sea, Subklew would like to work on a replenishment ship. “They’re large, about the size of that one,” she said while looking on the horizon where Finland-Sweden cruise ship Silja Serenade stood docked in the South Harbor. “Though they sit a bit lower on the water.”

During their time on the ship, cadets face the unique challenges of seafaring, developing personal capabilities and understanding their strengths and weaknesses. Teamwork, tolerance and responsibility are required to keep the ship in constant operation, where cadets learn about the interaction between the elements, their own performance and how the ship and crew work together.

The Gorch Fock is a storm sailing ship so it is quite safe during storms. In former times, they searched for storms and went directly into them to gain speed. These days, they want to sail as safely as possible.

With strong winds, a storm-chasing ship could move more quickly during the times when the ship went more often to the U.S. through the Atlantic Sea.

The stronger the wind, the faster the ship.