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Polish Navy Makes Rare Call with Trainee Schoolship

20th July 2016
Making a rare call by a Polish Navy vessel to Ireland (Dublin Port) is the OKP Wodnik, a trainee schoolship with 100 cadets Making a rare call by a Polish Navy vessel to Ireland (Dublin Port) is the OKP Wodnik, a trainee schoolship with 100 cadets Credit: Wikimedia

#PolishNavy - A Polish Navy vessel is to make a rare visit to Ireland, as the trainee schoolship is heading to Dublin Port this morning, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The trainee vessel ORP Wodnik (251) arrived in Dublin Bay to pick up pilot from cutter, Liffey. The naval visitor is to be taken into port to Ocean Pier and remain on a three-day courtesy call.

On board are 156 personnel, of those 56 are crew and the balance are from the cadet school. During the Gulf War, the vessel was rebuilt to serve as an evacuation hospital ship.

ORP Wodnik was launched by the Northern Shipyard in Gdansk in 1976. The 77m long vessel has a full displacement of 1745 tons and has an armament of a bow mounted single double cannon. Aft of the twin funnels are a pair of double guns. 

She is one of a trio of such vessels of the Polish Navy whose ships names have the prefix ORP (Okręt Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej) which translates to the Ship of the Polish Republic.

The other trainee pair are the ORP Gryf also a frigate and which too entered service in 1976 and ORP Iskra. This sailing ship is no stranger to these shores, given she has taken part in Tall Ships Races down the years.

Poland is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) which earlier this month held a major two-day summit in the Polish capital of Warsaw, attended by US President Barack Obama.

The head of the Polish Defence Ministry discussed the enhancement of the eastern flank of NATO and the decision to deploy four robust battalions in Poland and the Baltic States.

Published in Naval Visits
Jehan Ashmore

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Jehan Ashmore

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Jehan Ashmore is a marine correspondent, researcher and photographer, specialising in Irish ports, shipping and the ferry sector serving the UK and directly to mainland Europe. Jehan also occasionally writes a column, 'Maritime' Dalkey for the (Dalkey Community Council Newsletter) in addition to contributing to UK marine periodicals. 

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Naval Visits focuses on forthcoming courtesy visits by foreign navies from our nearest neighbours, to navies from European Union and perhaps even those navies from far-flung distant shores.

In covering these Naval Visits, the range of nationality arising from these vessels can also be broad in terms of the variety of ships docking in our ports.

The list of naval ship types is long and they perform many tasks. These naval ships can include coastal patrol vessels, mine-sweepers, mine-hunters, frigates, destroyers, amphibious dock-landing vessels, helicopter-carriers, submarine support ships and the rarer sighting of submarines.

When Naval Visits are made, it is those that are open to the public to come on board, provide an excellent opportunity to demonstrate up close and personal, what these look like and what they can do and a chance to discuss with the crew.

It can make even more interesting for visitors when a flotilla arrives, particularly comprising an international fleet, adding to the sense of curiosity and adding a greater mix to the type of vessels boarded.

All of this makes Naval Visits a fascinating and intriguing insight into the role of navies from abroad, as they spend time in our ports, mostly for a weekend-long call, having completed exercises at sea.

These naval exercises can involve joint co-operation between other naval fleets off Ireland, in the approaches of the Atlantic, and way offshore of the coasts of western European countries.

In certain circumstances, Naval Visits involve vessels which are making repositioning voyages over long distances between continents, having completed a tour of duty in zones of conflict.

Joint naval fleet exercises bring an increased integration of navies within Europe and beyond. These exercises improve greater co-operation at EU level but also internationally, not just on a political front, but these exercises enable shared training skills in carrying out naval skills and also knowledge.

Naval Visits are also reciprocal, in that the Irish Naval Service, has over the decades, visited major gatherings overseas, while also carrying out specific operations on many fronts.

Ireland can, therefore, be represented through these ships that also act as floating ambassadorial platforms, supporting our national interests.

These interests are not exclusively political in terms of foreign policy, through humanitarian commitments, but are also to assist existing trade and tourism links and also develop further.

Equally important is our relationship with the Irish diaspora, and to share this sense of identity with the rest of the World.