The full-rigged ship ‘Khersones’ on the Baltic Sea

A rarity – a sail training ship with comfort
Far on the horizon, a towering dome of billowing sails rises above the Mecklenburg coast, its 55 metres clearly visible. It heralds the arrival of the Ukrainian full-rigged ship “Khersones” (111 m long, 14 m wide, 6.5 m draught, 2,500 GRT, built in Gdansk in 1989, modernised, converted and refurbished in spring 2000), eagerly and excitedly awaited by her guests. They are going to spend a week aboard the great sailing ship, enjoying sport, fun and relaxation.

The weather promises a pleasant cruise. The sun playfully peeks through fluffy white clouds. The Bay of Mecklenburg glitters in the morning light. The passengers eagerly climb aboard “their” “Khersones”. Many are former trainees who, before 2000, had to sleep in cramped dormitories with twelve bunks. Those days are now definitively over, thanks to the ship’s new look. Modern comfort and cosiness are the order of the day—no true windjammer can offer anything comparable—in the “Windjammer” or “Commodore” suite, the “Honeymoon” cabin, or a twin or quadruple cabin, all naturally with shower and toilet. The authentic maritime ambience, with its welcoming, warm wood panelling, is striking. There is something for every need and budget, whether you’re travelling as a family, a couple or on your own.
At the aft gaff, Ukraine’s blue and yellow flag flutters impatiently; at the foremast, the black, red and gold of Germany. Ready to set sail for Scandinavian waters.

Learning by doing
Ute, a Slavic studies student and the ship’s German liaison officer, a role she took on out of enthusiasm for tall ships, first calls her sailing protégés to a lesson: some things simply have to be done! General conduct on board, safety regulations on deck and aloft, the basics of seamanship, and the most important tasks involved in setting and striking sail are all on the “syllabus”—voluntary, of course. Here, lessons have an immediate, practical purpose that everyone can see. We call it hands-on learning, or, in modern parlance, learning by doing. Ute is more than pleased with everyone’s motivation and eagerness to learn. She leaves the answer to the final question—where are we headed?—to the wind, which is the only one that knows.
The plan is to sail the waters around Bornholm, where there is still plenty of room for a tall ship to spread her sails. Pure seafaring, in other words. The weather cooperates: sunshine, wind and only light waves, which are no match for the “big ship”. The rigging creaks with promise.

A topgallant stays a topgallant
After a restful night and a hearty breakfast, the fresh breeze soon has everyone wide awake. Active trainees keen to lend a hand head for their mast; other passengers enjoy watching or taking photographs. At first, the work on the lines is a little uncoordinated, following the motto: we’re all pulling on the same rope, but in different directions. It gets everyone laughing. A Ukrainian sailing master explains what needs to be done and when. His theatrical facial expressions and gestures make everything clear to everyone. And quite a few Russian nautical terms are almost identical to their German equivalents. Brass is brass here, a foresail is a foresail, and a topgallant stays a topgallant—simple as that.

The experienced permanent crew scramble nimbly aloft and loose the sails from the yards. “What a breathtaking sight!” exclaims Christine from Schwerin as, a little later, the 3,000 square metres of canvas billow out. Captain Mikhail Sukhina, who has sailed around Cape Horn, allows only a few experienced sailors who know what they’re doing to climb onto the yards. Safety first! Everyone else may climb as high as the nearly 20-metre-high maintop platform. Naturally, they do so under Ute’s guidance and wearing safety harnesses—but also with cameras slung over their shoulders. “Fantastic!” say those climbing the shrouds, thrilled by the entirely new, almost exhilarating sensation of height and the view into the distance. “Our ship looks so small from up here!” The next tacks and gybes go quite smoothly.

Activity and relaxation
Meanwhile, on the fully equipped navigation bridge—unique in the world—some passengers practise plotting their position on the chart with dividers, ruler and pencil. “Let’s see if we can work out where we are,” says Gerd from Eckernförde, intrigued. He proudly shows the result to his wife Heidi. She is along as “just an ordinary cruise passenger” and enjoys the romance of sailing ships in a relaxed, unhurried way. “There’s so much going on here, there’s no need for entertainment,” she quickly realises. While her husband happily lends a hand everywhere, scrubbing the deck, painting or steering, she chats by the rail and simply lets life on board wash over her. Whether lending a hand or watching, everyone can unwind in their own way.

A shipboard community hooked on sailing
Over the next few days, the wind sends us back and forth between Møn’s chalk cliffs, Bornholm’s rocky shores and the coast of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. One moment, the Dornbusch lighthouse on Hiddensee flashes into view; the next, it’s the Hammershus lighthouse at Bornholm’s northern tip, or the one at Darßer Ort. From the Royal Yard, more than 50 metres above the sea, the view sweeps far across the Baltic and the hinterland.
After many sailing manoeuvres, we set course for Warnemünde once again. The promenade is crowded with spectators as the “Khersones” comes in, on a beautiful day. “What a shame!” is the unanimous response when it’s time to say goodbye. Everyone agrees that this has been more than a holiday. The voyage has turned them into enthusiastic trainees and fellow sailors—not sailors by profession, but holders of a captain’s certificate recording their sea miles. They have become a close-knit community on board.

The unanimous verdict: “‘Khersones’ is a must! You can get hooked. So: encore next summer!”
 
Text: Peer Schmidt-Walther, photos: Lutz Zimmermann (2), Ecker Yachting (1), www.inmaris.de

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