I arrived in Lisbon this morning “the largest wooden ocean-going ship in the world”, Sweden’s Götheborg. Before anchoring, the ship opened fire as it passed the Belem Tower.
Götheborg on its way to Asia and Lisbon is the eighth leg of the Asia Tour 2022/2023. It will be in Lisbon until September 9, mooring at Cais Rocha Conde de Óbidos, in Alcântara, and open to the public for visits during its layover. Tickets can be purchased OnlineEntrance costs 15 euros.
The Swedish Götheborg is a full-size replica of the 18th century Swedish East India Company ship that sank off Gothenburg in 1745 and is visiting Lisbon for the first time since its launch in 2003.
“The city of Lisbon is proud to be a part of HMS Goteborg’s expedition,” said Alberto Lablin Guimarães, Secretary General of the Lisbon City Council, in a statement issued by the sailboat promoter. “The presence of this ship on the Tagus River is a great moment and an exciting event for the city, which will give us the opportunity to get to know better this expedition, whose mission is grounded in human values, innovation and sustainability.”
The ship embarks on a two-year expedition, the Asia voyage 2022/2023. Following in the footsteps of the original 18th century ship, the purpose of this expedition is to strengthen trade relations between Europe and Asia. Gothenburg will sail through Europe in 2022, stay in the Mediterranean for the winter and head to Asia in March 2023. In September 2023, it will reach the expedition’s final destination, Shanghai. The ship left Gothenburg on 8 June 2022 and has since passed through Helsingborg, Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Oslo, London and Bremerhaven. The next stop after Lisbon will be Malaga.
Anyone interested can sail as a crew member on the Lisbon-Malaga route and on the following routes. Applications to join the flight are open to anyone. The statement explains that the ship has about 20 professional crew members, and the remaining 50 members of the ship’s crew are ordinary citizens traveling “for adventure, experience and the opportunity to learn to sail in an 18th century ship.”
The history of the current Götheborg in Sweden begins in 1984, with the commencement of offshore drilling of the original ship Götheborg. In 1995, the construction of its replica began, and eight years later, in 2003, the ship was launched. Between 2005-2007, the ship sailed the historic route to Asia and back.
Photography: Pedro Neves
“Hardcore alcohol maven. Hipster-friendly analyst. Introvert. Devoted social media advocate.”
