The world’s oldest operating full-rigged ship, Sørlandet, which anchored off Dun Laoghaire as Afloat reported, subsequently entered the harbour, where it visited for almost a week, writes Jehan Ashmore
The Norwegian trainee tall ship Sørlandet, previously called to Dun Laoghaire in spring, is owned and operated by Stiftelsen Fullriggeren Sørlandet, a non-profit foundation based in Kristiansand. At 97 years old, the remarkable veteran vessel also holds the distinction of being the first tall ship in the world to offer sail training for women in 1981.
Its first participation in an international race for tall ships was in 1956, and the Class ‘A’ tall ship has also taken part in the Tall Ships Races of 2017, 2018, 2019 and most recently in last year’s event.
The permanent crew of 20 and up to 72 trainees on board the 34.44m height tallship came alongside to berth at the south Dublin Bay harbour’s Carlisle Pier. It is from this pier that the last of the old ‘mail-boats’ Hibernia and its twin Welsh counterpart, Cambria, served Holyhead.
As above photo, the Sørlandet is seen from the Lexicon Library, which affords wonderful panoramic views of the harbour waterfront and its wharfs and piers. In addition, the expanse of the bay's vista, spanning from Dublin Port to Sandycove Harbour and Howth Peninsula beyond forms an impressive backdrop.
Placed in front of the library’s first-floor rear window was a stand with a map of Dublin Bay (circa 1695) and where children are asked to pick a square in the bay and use co-ordinates to find hidden treasure!
The above photo framed by the map's stand was taken on the day after the tallship’s anchorage in Scotman’s Bay on 4 October, however, by last Friday it had departed Dun Laoghaire.
Its next port of call is Vigo, Spain, in the north-west of the Iberian Peninsula.
In the meantime, Sørlandet has since crossed the Celtic Sea and is approaching the westbound shipping lane of the English Channel, before heading into the Bay of Biscay.