German tall ship berths in Bermuda
A German training ship is berthed in Bermuda for almost a week after spending nearly a month at sea.
The three-masted Gorch Fock arrived in Hamilton Harbour on Thursday with about 190 crew members on board.
The ship, commissioned in Hamburg in 1958, is the German Navy’s primary training vessel and more than half the crew aboard her voyage to Bermuda are naval cadets.
Jens Alers, the Honorary German Consul-General in Bermuda, said: “Even though the ship has all modern navigation on board, these sailors learn by navigating by the stars, using all the traditional methods and being able to deal with a very harsh ocean in the most original way anyone can imagine.”
The vessel sailed to Bermuda from the Canary Islands and will be in port until June 3, when she will head to the United States to celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary.
Mr Alers said: “The crew will be very keen on having some terra firma under their feet for a couple of days and enjoying Bermuda.”
Till Knorn, the German Consul-General of New York, and several other guests are attending a large reception aboard the ship this evening.
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