The four-masted barque "Sedov" was launched in Kiel in 1921 as "Magdalene Vinnen II". In 1937 she narrowly escaped sinking in a hurricane. Today the "Sedov" is one of the largest sailing ships in the world.
With a length of 117.5 meters, the "Sedov" only has to admit defeat to a few other windjammers that are still sailing. But unlike new ships like the "Royal Clipper" from 1990 or the "Sea Cloud II" from 1999, the "Sedov" is a real veteran of the world's oceans. The four-masted steel barque has been sailing the oceans since 1921 - first as a cargo ship, later as a training ship and once even as the star of a TV film.
Launched as "Magdalene Vinnen II"
On March 23, 1921, the ship was launched at the Krupp-Germania shipyard in Kiel. At that time the four-master was still called "Magdalene Vinnen II". For its owner, the Vinnen shipping company, the four-masted barque is an important basis for the new beginning of the company, which lost all its ships in the First World War. The sailing ship is also equipped with an auxiliary diesel engine from the start. This makes it barely slower than a cargo steamer, but requires much less fuel. Until 1936, the "Magdalene Vinnen" transported goods of all kinds around the world. She sails as far as Australia, South Africa and the Seychelles and circumnavigates Cape Horn twice, which is notorious for its stormy waters.
From cargo ship to training ship "Kommodore Johnson"
In 1936, Norddeutscher Lloyd Bremen bought the "Magdalene Vinnen II" and converted it into a freight training ship. New quarters are being built so that up to 60 officer candidates can travel on the ship in the future. The ship was also given a new name:from August 12, 1936 it was called "Commodore Johnson" - after an employee of the Lloyd fleet who worked his way up from cabin boy to commodore.
Almost sinking off the Azores
A few months later, on March 1, 1937, the ship finds itself in the worst situation in its history:the "Kommodore Johnson" is just off the Azores. There she gets caught in a heavy hurricane that pushes huge amounts of water onto the foredeck. The ship, which is already listing, fills up. The list gets worse as loaded grain shifts to port. The "Commodore" tilts dangerously and now has an inclination of 56 degrees. The crew tries desperately to move the load. 200 tons of water are now on the port deck, in the crew and cadet quarters it is already reaching the portholes. Waves hit the ship hard.
Finally, on March 3rd, the "Kommodore Johnson" sent an SOS radio message. The situation is extremely threatening when finally two tankers come and help. They smooth the waves by pouring oil into the turbulent sea. When the storm died down, it was finally possible to stabilize the damaged "Kommodore Johnson". The people on board are saved, the ship can continue the journey under its own power.
The "Kommodore" becomes the "Sedov"
In 1939, a few weeks before the outbreak of the Second World War, the four-masted barque returned to Germany. During the war she made only a few training trips. At the end of the Second World War, the "Kommodore Johnson" was anchored in the Kiel Fjord together with the "Padua" - the later "Kruzenstern". Both ships go to Russia as reparations. The four-masted barque was given the name "Sedov" - in memory of the researcher Georgij Sedov, who died in an Arctic expedition in 1914.
Under the Russian flag
In 2005, the "Sedov" portrayed the "Pamir" that sank in 1957 in a TV film. In 1937, the ship only narrowly escaped a similar accident.The ship soon picks up speed again:from 1952 to 1957, the "Sedov" travels to South America and South Africa as a training ship for the Russian Navy. From 1957 to 1966 she was an oceanographic research and training ship in the North Atlantic. In 1966, the Soviet Ministry of Fisheries took over the four-masted barque and used it for training trips in the Gulf of Finland. In 1967 the "Sedov" in Kronstadt was temporarily taken out of service. Then, from 1975 to 1981, she was completely overhauled and rebuilt in the Naval Shipyard in Kronstadt.
Museum, school ship and movie star
Since then, the largest traditional windjammer in the world has had accommodation for 240 men and a glass-roofed ballroom with a stage. There is even a museum on board the training ship, where sailing students and visitors can find out about the history of the ship and its namesake Georgij Sedov. Since 1989 it has also been possible for guests to sail on the "Sedov" as part of the crew.
The "Sedov" has one of her biggest appearances in 2005:In the ARD TV film "Der Untergang der Pamir" she embodies the ill-fated Flying-P-Liner, which got caught in a hurricane on the Atlantic in 1957 and sank. 80 of 86 crew members died.
Welcome guest at northern German harbor festivals
When the Sedov is not currently sailing the seven seas, she is often a guest in northern Germany. The four-master can regularly be admired at harbor festivals, for example at the Hanse Sail in Rostock or at the Kiel Week.