Sail Training Vessel Danmark coming to the Caribbean

by Jan Roosens on 3 Apr 2015 The Caribbean Sail Training Foundation announced today that one of their member vessels, the full rigged Tall ship Danmark, will visit the Caribbean Islands of Grenada on April 26th 2015 and St.Maarten-St.Martin on May 4th, 2015.

Claire Budhlall Spronk from Spronks' Provisioning and Mega Yacht Services in Grenada will take care of the vessel while they visit the Island and Yacht Assistance will do the same when the vessel is in St.Maarten-St.Martin.

The vessel will offer an “Open Ship Day” while in St.Martin to the general public. The Danmark is 252 feet (77 m) in overall length with a beam of 32 feet (9.8 m) and a depth of 17 feet (5.2 m), with a gross tonnage of 790 tons.

The ship was one of the ships that was used during the filming of the British BBC TVseries Onedin Line (1971-1980).

The sail training vessel is operated by MARTEC which is a maritime and polytechnic education center located in northern Denmark.

They offer several degree courses - the longest being Bachelor of Technology Management and Marine Engineering as well as Ships Assistant.

Martec also offers a wide array of professional courses and training in maritime subjects, offshore safety and technical skills and knowledge.

On board the vessel Danmark, youngsters can complete the education for ordinary seaman and receive a long list of STCW certificates.

On top of that, they build long lasting friendships and experience personal growth as part of a team of trainees.

The era of large sailing ships is definitely not over. As long as there is a desire to get an education as a seaman, they will always be there. The Danish Government had the Danmark built in 1932. The purpose was to have a proper Training ship. Now, as then, young people who want a career at sea can have their basic training on board the Danmark.

There is room for 15 crew members and 80 trainees on board the ship. To ensure the function of the ship it requires that all on board are involved in the operation around the clock. Furthermore, professional competence and social skills are highly weighted and during the voyages there is plenty of time and opportunity to train the skills of cooperation, tolerance and responsibility – all key skills in the daily society.

The trainees on the Training ship Danmark don’t only receive an education; they also visit exciting parts of the world and gain friendships that can last forever.

Many Danish youngsters choose to join a voyage after they have completed a secondary education.

History of the STV Danmark

The Sail Training Ship Danmark was launched in 1932 at the Nakskov Shipyard in Lolland and fitted out and began her maiden voyage the following year, and has since then been the principal training ship for the state of Denmark. The ship was built with a three mast full-rig, as this was seen as the most complex and most demanding rigging, which would also keep most hands busy.

The Danmark was built with the sole purpose of training merchant marine sailors, a task that has been interrupted only once: In 1939 the vessel visited the United States to participate in the 1939 World’s Fair in New York City, but at the outbreak of hostilities in World War II she stayed in US waters to avoid capture by the Germans.

She was then based in Jacksonville, Florida and after the attack on Pearl Harbor the captain offered the ship to the U.S. government as a training vessel. This offer was accepted, and the vessel spent the rest of the war training cadets at the United States Coast Guard Academy. The Danmark returned unharmed, and resumed her training duties for the state of Denmark in 1946.

The Danmark was originally designed for a trainee complement of 120 but in a 1959 refit this was reduced to 80, and the hired crew became better accommodated. For many years the vessel sailed two voyages a year, and all officer apprentices from the major Danish shipping companies joined a mandatory training voyage. Since April 2003 the operation of the Danmark has been conducted by Martec, while the vessel still is state property. A major refit of the berth decks in 2007, also meant an upgrade of the teaching facilities and the installation of air-condition.

Since 2010 the working- and teaching language onboard has been English, which not only enhances the Danish trainees’ linguistic skills for the universal profession as a mariner, but also enables foreign trainees to undergo basic sailors training on the Training Ship Danmark.

Caribbean Sailing Schedule STV Danmark

• March 10th - Trainees sign on in Frederikshavn Denmark
• March 17 - Departure Frederikshavn

• April 26th - Arrival Caribbean, Grenada
• April 29th - Departure Grenada

• May 2nd - Arrival St.Maarten - Saint Martin
• May 4th - Departure Caribbean Islands, St.Maarten - Saint Martin
• May 22nd - Arrival Azores, Portugal
• May 25th - Departure Azores

• June 11th - Arrival Copenhagen, Denmark
• June 14th - Departure Copenhagen
• June 15th - Arrival home Frederikshavn, Denmark
• June 19th - End-of-term, trainees sign of

General characteristics

Tonnage: 790 GRT
Length: 252 ft (77 m)
Beam: 32 ft (9.8 m)
Draft: 17 ft (5.2 m)
Propulsion: Diesel engine, sails
Sail plan: full-rigged; 26 sails
Complement: 15 crew; 80 trainees