Aboard the World's Largest Wooden Sailing Ship! | Götheborg Of Sweden

'Aboard the World's Largest Wooden Sailing Ship! | Götheborg Of Sweden'
In the summer of 2022, the Götheborg - a replica of an 18th century Swedish East India Company ship which sank in the port of Gothenburg in 1745 - docked at Canary Wharf in London. It holds the title of the world's largest wooden sailing ship.
The replica, constructed in 1995 and launched in 2003, was built on a one-to-one scale to the original trading vessel. It requires numerous crew members to operate on the open seas. Most crew members are volunteers or paying 'deckhands' who join the ship in the various ports she stops at, learning the skills of 18th century sailors.
This year she will be sailing through Europe and will continue to Asia in 2023 on a two-year long expedition, following a similar route to East India trading vessels of the 1700s. It will be the Götheborg's second trip to Asia, the first ending in Shanghai, China in 2007.
In this video, History Hit presenters Louee Dessent and Luke Tomes were given exclusive access to the iconic vessel, exploring the history of the original ship and the inner workings of the magnificent replica.
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#historyhit #göteborg #sailingship
00:00 Introduction
01:55 History of the Swedish East India Co
05:41 Götheborg Shipwreck
07:10 Artefacts Discovered on the Götheborg
08:24 Reconstruction of the Götheborg
13:22 Sailing the Ship
18:15 Götheborg leaves London

[@HistoryHit]

We’ve been aboard some fantastic historic ships recently: SS Great Britain, HMS Belfast and the (reconstructed) Gotheborg. Which of these epic ships would you most liked to have seen in its heyday? ⚓️

[@N_0968]

All of them would be lovely to see! Gotheborg sounds the most interesting though, it’s so beautiful and of course it’s closer to where I’m from originally.

[@Lenzp]

I sailed already several times with the Swedish replica Götheborg, the Russian replica Shtandart, and the Czech replica La Grace. All in all I have to say that Shtandart is my favorite ship. You can see them all on my play list kzbin.info/aero/PLl6xmtfWBj7rkZTxVorZlvk2HTc6hSF_5

[@54mgtf22]

In different ways they were all marvels of their day. I think SS Great Britain is the one I would like to have witnessed in it’s prime.

[@adamhauskins6407]

Rms Olympic

[@Ugly_German_Truths]

"Gottaberg" is exactly the wrong way round for the vowel sounds... Ghettabo--rg would be the closest an english speaker could hope to come.

[@TheFelixpax]

My dad was one of many people who worked on this amazing ship, and in 2005, when I was still only a small child, they sailed away to China and were gone for a really long time. While constructing and when it was docked at home in Gothenburg I visited nearly everyday as a kid and I have very fond memories of this ship. Thank you for sharing

[@Gomozen1]

Hi my dad was the captain on the journey to china his name is Gunnar Utgaard. What is your dads name? They probably knew eachother. Would be fun to see if thwy maybe knew eachother well.

[@xudongtang2763]

I visited this ship in Shanghai, China in 2006 when I was a child. Haven't heard about it since. Truly an amazing ship.

[@AckzaTV]

it sailed all the way to China???

[@sanjithd3343]

@@AckzaTV there’s a neat picture of xi Jin ping spinning the capstan on it. Very fascinating stuff

[@0lemus0lent05]

​@@AckzaTVwell back in the day it was made for the trade with China so yeah

[@pellman87]

​@@AckzaTVthat was the point of the ship

[@m.j.eriksson2673]

During my early childhood, I lived at walking distance from where the Götheborg is moored. From time to time, my pre-school teachers would take us local children to see her, and I heard the story of the original vessel's sinking from my father (himself a keen sailor and former professional maritime). I even watched her participate in a mock naval battle on the river Göta - To this day I recall seeing her making way under full sails, hearing the thuds of her guns. My love of naval history has all but grown since, and this video was like meeting a childhood friend. Thank you!

[@bentucker2301]

So eloquently put sir

[@datadavis]

Hats off to a true homo sapiens, a titan, a commander, en Göteborgare

[@Havreflan]

I too used to live near the Götheborg. I visited the shipyard in which it was made many times during my childhood. I payed for my name to be engraved in one of the many nails that made up it's constructiong. To this day I still feel a close connection to it, and a sense of familiarity.

[@kristofferhellstrom]

I've been watching so many documentaries about UK history and I've always been impressed on how well the British people care about their history and how well they preserve it. I'm sure many UK history buffs were happy to see this ship in London. Thinking about how the harbors must have looked back in the day.

[@Randy-Snorton]

Unfortunately we’re told all our history his racist now because of colonialism and needs to be forgotten/defaced

[@taqiyasir8086]

@@Randy-Snorton your history is not racist at all!!! it is wonderful and absolutely amazing. The UK gave the world so much and I have a lot of admiration for the British. Never be ashamed of your Great British history!!!

[@Randy-Snorton]

@@taqiyasir8086 whilst I agree with what you’re saying if you took a holiday here and lived here for a while you’d see what I mean left wing agendas are pressing we basically ruined the world or something like that and that we still oppress minorities that live and were born here yet every good we did is completely void, not saying Britain didn’t do awful shit because we did but that doesn’t mean you can’t be proud of the good stuff, which you’d be called racist for (if you’re a white man anyeays)

[@SotonSam]

I love our history 🇬🇧🇬🇧

[@philroberts7238]

@@Randy-Snorton No, not forgotten, by no means! Reinterpreted, perhaps, or re-evaluated, but that is not at all the same as defacement - because abstract knowledge, unlike a statue, say, is not a concrete entity.

[@Ebhen1]

Very nice video! I was one of the volunteer crewmembers 2015 and sailed on the ship for two weeks from Bremerhaven, Germany to Amsterdam and on to Dover. I will gladly sign on again when the opportunity comes next year or so and I recommend you all to do it as well. It's hard work as a deckhand, but It is an experience of a lifetime! 😍 Shortening sails 35 meter up in the main mast in the middle of a rainy night out on the north sea somewhere is something you will never forget! The camaraderie onboard was in itself worth all the hard labor.

[@BasementBerean]

The ship is an amazing achievement, but I wish we'd seen it's modern side too. According to Wikipedia, this ship has "satellite navigation, communications equipment, modern facilities for the crew (kitchen, lavatories, washing machines, desalination equipment, ventilation, refrigerators), watertight bulkheads and fire protection (fire sprinkler systems, fire hydrants etc.)" and diesel engines. All worked into the original design specs somehow. It would be fun to step through a bulkhead and travel almost four hundred years.

[@kristofferhellstrom]

Mmm.. To be able to sail they needed to add modern equipment to the ship.

[@Lenzp]

all those things (except the navigation room) are located below the gun deck and only crew members are allowed to go there.

[@C64SX]

They have their own KZbin channel, full of videos :) kzbin.info

[@lutzderlurch7877]

A lot of modern stuff can be seen during the tour. It can be argued, gotheborg is a modern ship, wearing an 18th c costume

[@squarerigapprentice]

@@kristofferhellstrom yes. They did in fact, no matter where you are in the world you cannot build a ship and register it to navigate oceans without an engine, modern safety and navigation equipment, the coast guard and transport boards of each country mandate these things, and trust me if the original captain had this equipment he would have used it. It would be negligence to do anything else. Many of these beautiful ships were run aground, foundered in storms etc back in the day, due to insufficient navigation equipment, lack of radar in reduced visibility etc, and lives were lost because they had no life rafts, survival suits, or beacons to call for aid. It takes nothing away from sailing them how they were meant to be sailed :)

[@larsrons7937]

Götheborg is such a beautiful ship. I love the style of the ships of the 17th & 18th centuries. In 1980 I saw the Wasa in Stockholm, still adore that ship. Later I sailed a bit on a Danish 1913 schooner and got to know all the work there is to be done on a large sailing ship. But this Götheborg I never even knew it was built, it would be a dream to try a voyage on that ship. Thanks for the tour.

[@BolinFoto]

You can apply on the ships homepage.

[@henrikwannheden7114]

It's a great honor to have this impressive ship docked just minutes from where I live. It's a familiar sight when taking the Sunday walk on the docks and everyone knows her and appreciates her. It's funny that you bring up the smell, that typical smell of tarred ropes. It's the smell of spring, when they starts raising the rigging. It's truly awesome to see her sailing, and I've often met her on her training runs in the archipelago around Gothenburg. Then you really appreciate how large she is.

[@tntfreddan3138]

Saw it depart from the harbor when delivering a tank container in the Kiel terminal. It's beautiful.

[@dixonqwerty]

I saw this ship getting launched into the water in Gothenburg. Really cool experience with all the boats welcoming it by honking their horns!

[@drtrekwars]

A beautiful ship, and any group of people who come together to recreate these historic ships is surely a wonderful project! I had the fortune of vistiting Gotheborg when she was anchored in London last Summer (2022) It wasa wonderful experience, one I shall never forget. And another notch on the various tallships I have visited!

[@aaronhomewood5456]

What a beauty of a ship 😍 Brilliant insight into the original ship and also this reconstruction!

[@TheMikael78]

I am from Göteborg, it’s so cool to see that you visited one of my cities prides

[@russelldsyder1344]

I've visited her in Gothenburg straight after her return from China. She's marvelous. And the first fly by wire ship ever. When officer's voice commands lead to steering 😂

[@brucebehner4142]

I've been on and sailed the Kalmar Nyckel, which was an even earlier ship. The swedes really knew how to build them.

[@Merecir]

It is only a matter of time before we make a sailing copy of the Wasa (with fixed ballast problems). 😁

[@andreascarlberg3998]

That is a heroin of a ship with record number of Atlantic crossings in her days BUT she was built in the greatest sea nation in Europe of the time: the Neatherlands.

[@brianmessemer2973]

I especially enjoyed your interview with Dave Farrall. Both knowledgeable and articulate, he gave me some new insights into the life of Age Of Sail ships. Brilliant video 💯

[@yonte92]

Fun fact about the Swedish East india Company 🇸🇪 the company was co founded by a British man 🇬🇧 a Scot to be more precise (Colin Campbell) and this ties in well with the City of Gothenburgs history, so many brits moved to the Swedish west coast during the 17th and 18th hundreds that the city earned the nickname "Lilla London / Little London" you can se the British influence in the city with everything from Bricklayerd walls, architecture and traditional british pubs, to common names such as Glenn and Morgan. 🇬🇧🤝🏻🇸🇪 Cheers to our British allies and friends🍻

[@otgiggs]

Everyone is called Glenn in Gothenburg!

[@foerihelvete]

I had the privilege of getting a private tour on board a few years back when a friend's brother was working on the ship. Truly a marvel of craftsmanship and living history. I implore anybody to visit the ship when it visits you!

[@dariuszbednarz1381]

Visited this state of the art on Sunday-18.06. Smell of the wood and resin is just insane 😍

[@Dan-xx5jq]

Spain, France and Portugal should rebuild their gorgeous ships like this to recreate history and for tourism.

[@olivermj69]

I saw this ship sail up the river, outside my school in Gothenburg. Truly an amazing and massive ship!

[@dirtybaumrinde1932]

Thank you for this Video. It brought me on the Götheborg in Summer 2023 and introduced me to my new passion of sailing tall ships.

[@DS-xh8iv]

Absolutely loved this. Amazing, I have always been fascinated by Europes sailing ships. Well done.

[@gerryjamesedwards1227]

I'd love to go aboard her! What a fantastic thing!

[@girlnorthof60]

A fantastic ship! This video is a reminder to me of why I appreciate my full History Hits subscription... like Dan says, the Netflix of history docs. At my fingertips 24/7... the future of history is here 😎👍

[@HistoryHit]

Awesome, thank you!

[@Neptune0404]

Some help to anyone trying to pronounce it in Swedish. To begin with, the GÖ is pronounced like the "you" sound of "young", next THE is pronounced like the "the" in "therapy", BOR as the "borr" in "borrow", and then to finish up, I've actually heard it pronounced a bit differently, either by adding the same "y" sound of young but cut it off before the "ou", or by adding a "i" sound as in "in", or by going from the "y" sound into a "i" sound. I'm not entirely sure which ending is "correct" but I think either of the three options would pass as correct. Hope this helps!

[@1971irvin]

I saw it when it was visiting here in Oslo, a very impressive ship.

[@N_0968]

What a beauty! 😯

[@nopeyadayadayada1248]

This was very nice. The decay was evident and wasn't explained till the guy talked about only having half the crew that's needed. Having been in the Navy I can tell you this ship needs a mission. Pleasure cruises with volunteers are nice but an actual working boat would be something I would pay to be a part of.

[@jonathanandrew2909]

Commission this ship and sail it to Africa. Then fill up on slaves, err, I mean immigrants and take them to America/the Caribbean. Drop them off and then fill up with sugar and cotton. Sail back to Europe. Repeat. You’ll be rich!

[@fortnitetrashcan8308]

Proud inhabitant of swedens best city, Gothenburg! love from sweden guys

[@Evilminiature]

Second best.

[@fortnitetrashcan8308]

@@Evilminiature Nej, göteborg är bäst så är det bara

[@franciscojose6496]

History hit pure information of course tank you lovely channel

[@MrMarty77]

We visited her in Februari of this year. Amazing vessel.

[@mrpeacecraft]

I like your style. Short and informative.

[@dennisheape971]

The U.S.S. Constitution launched in 1797, is Still Afloat In Boston Harbour. According to the U.S. Navy’s website, the length of the USS Constitution overall is 305 feet (93 meters); 207 feet (63.1 meters), billet head to taffrail; 175 feet at waterline (53.3 meters.) a width of 43 ft 6 in (13.26 m). In total. Making Her the oldest floating Tall ship. Maybe check her out in your travels.

[@eddiel7635]

Surely HMS victory, built in 1759 is older… 🤓

[@adriandumbrava221]

@@eddiel7635 HMS Victory is the biggest but i cant sail anymore, USS Constitution is the biggest and oldest ship that can sail on its own power

[@eddiel7635]

@@adriandumbrava221👍🏼

[@jesuschrist7169]

But it just uses it's motor and scared to go into a real ocean therefore not counted!

[@doodskie999]

Man, the amount of manual labor ships had to have in the past is mind blowing

[@jonathanandrew2909]

Yes, but it provided adventure and excitement to those on board, if you didn’t get too sick. Some sailors would also smuggle back their own goods and make a bit of gold on the side.

[@jsytac]

…and that’s why toilets on a vessel are called ‘heads’, because they are at the ‘head’ of the ship.

[@Chr.U.Cas2216]

👍👌👏 Simply fantastic!

[@Mr.Fabulous-1990]

I wonder if they had any help from the people who made the 'Batavia' replica in the Netherlands when they were making this one. I find it so amazing that they are re-discovering the knowledge of how these ships were build.

[@jimboi95]

I'm 28 and I've been petrified of hitting the big 3.0 because of these tales of low test. Thanks for the reassurance

[@MilledSteel]

Fascinating episode

[@PAVASAKOS]

At 14:30, the crew was larger because of expected deaths due to scurvy and diseases such as cholera Until ‘Captain’ (he wasn’t a captain then) James Cook’s groundbreaking research and discoveries, a ship could expect 25% casualties as a matter of course. This is why English sailors were called limeys

[@LoudnessJP]

Beautiful ship!! My god what a beaut

[@nilsekluund]

It's fun to see that two of the captains I have sailed under is the captain of the ship

[@54mgtf22]

Love your work 👍

[@sailingariadne4675]

The most beautiful ship!

[@plunder1956]

Because I have family in Gotenborg I've both seen the ship and been on bord. Gotenborg itself is an amazing port city with amazing canals and historic buildings.

[@jonathanandrew2909]

It’s definitely a beautiful city!

[@franciscojose6496]

Continue this exellent story tank you for your videos

[@LusiaEyre]

Sailing leg on it was added to my bucket list.

[@anotherjones5384]

Any fans of the Hornblower series should be recognising this vessel

[@puabi666]

I fell in love with 1 of the sailors on 5 of june 2023....I want to see hm again❤❤❤

[@EnRandomSten]

Ah that Swenglish "good mårnin'” brought a smile of joy

[@Vollce]

What a beauty.

[@TheGamingNorwegian]

I was on a tour of it in 2012, pretty special.

[@RasmusDyhrFrederiksen]

Beautiful ship. Just like in old time - Denmark needs to respond with bigger sailing ships!

[@jonathanandrew2909]

And what about the original East Indie Company (aka the Netherlands)?

[@bcn1gh7h4wk]

4:09 ohhhh THAT'S how I know it. I had this ship in Age Of Pirates 2, as "East Indiaman". great for trading.... not so much for fighting.... takes a lifetime to turn.

[@wildcolonialman]

Fabulous effort.

[@bluehampar]

Sailing on with her was the most amazing thing i've done and i wan't to do it again

[@williamfalck4882]

Sang some sea shanties and pirate songs with a few of them before they left Stockholm. Really amazing ship!

[@DuckLord9999]

I would love to see a veteran crew from back in the day just working a massive sailing ship would be cool af.

[@christianheller64]

in fact, the frigate Jylland bigger is 100 meters long and 2493 tons, but this ship is a museum that stands in a dry dock and it has a steam engine even though the sails have probably been the primary propulsion, the museum can be seen in Æbletoft in Jutland

[@liam-398]

If they were going to reference ships like those, they would have mentioned the HMS Victory, because she is still a commissioned vessel.

[@BasedBidoof]

Cool, seems like it would be a fun vacation to sign up

[@JohnSmith-xs4sx]

USS Constitution is still in the water, still in service and larger.....HMS Victory larger still but no longer afloat ....thanks for the tour of this beautiful ship :)

[@EMILOLIVER]

I was part bulilding this ship for a short period, at that time they just raised a couple of ribs, and when i left more than half of the where raised. originallly it was oaktrees but now its laminated pine.

[@evalevy2909]

This channel is addictive

[@wilg9400]

I visited the ship once back in 2006 when she stopped by Shanghai

[@ghostofkadesh9041]

Awesome ship 👍😃👍

[@elliotcurrie7143]

I sailed as trainee crew aboard the Brigg Roald Amundsen in 2002, and we were rigged with modern nylon ropes and sail. It was explained to me that nylon didn't become waterlogged and consequently heavier the way old fashioned hemp rope and cotton canvas does in wet conditions. Rope is heavy enough when it's dry- I'm impressed that they are using the real stuff here, but I would imagine that nylon is stronger and more predictable under load.

[@user-ul3dw8so7r]

I see that every couple years off the coast of my town 😍😍

[@datadavis]

I visited the wharf when they built her. Cost the citizens of Gothenburg millions of dollars to build, i think it was worth it!

[@jonathanandrew2909]

When it originally crashed on its third trip, I’d imagine it didn’t pay off economically. Hopefully this one sails for 💯 years.

[@johnwalsh7256]

Great video 📹

[@williamandersson2594]

I was on the training ship Gunilla and when we where aprotching the port of gothenburg the Gothenburg Ship (ostindiefararen) shot salut to as as we sailed alongside couse our captain was good mates with Torben the captain of gothenborg :)

[@Dan-xx5jq]

So lucky. How I wish I could get on that ship.

[@mikehenson819]

Wonderful vesel!

[@MrFroglips69]

Groovy episode.

[@marcusfridh8489]

The Swedish eastindia company, the ship was in my town in 2013, i saw it live there

[@jangelbrich7056]

I sailed with her three times. I can only recommend it to anyone who is interested (and physically capable, of course).

[@hjalberg8869]

My greatgreatgranddad vas the guy that was the guide for the captian when they hit the rock!!

[@Nallebjorn1]

My gradfathers brother helped to build this skepp.

[@alixsprallix]

great video

[@Yarrp3D]

The emblem shown at 3:34 "Honi Moi Qui Mal Y Pense" is the motto of the British chivalric Order of the Garter. Nothing to do with the Götheborg nor with the accompanying text.

[@59tante]

well done

[@MrArcher7]

Can you do one on the Trincomalee? The most beautiful wooden frigate in the world?

[@kixigvak]

In Alaska, where I live, a tugboat struck a well-known rock and sank. An investigation revealed that the captain, who was minding the helm at the time, was playing Tetris on his computer and forgot about the rock.

[@marco8414]

I would love to see a reconstructed Wyoming, it would be more than double the size of this ship and completely made of wood.

[@CaptainM792]

I saw a model of the Götheborg at the Opium War Musuem in Humen, China. The museum is right next to the site where Lin Zexu destroyed the confiscated Opium.

[@MusicMike939]

I think Cieba at sail cargo could be as big or bigger. I bet people getting experience on this shiip, would have a good chance of working on sail cargo's two ships when they launch.

[@magnemoe1]

Very nice ship. Now I think Constitution is some meter longer and its an original ship, but its many way to measure the length of ships and sailing ships get messier. Nice location, remember sitting just on the other side of Thames drinking a beer looking at tower bridge and that wharf then an trireme came under the bridge 30 some years ago. Now that was weird, I knew they had reconstructed an trireme in Greece back then but did not expect to see it in London :)

[@funnelvortex7722]

The constitution is also nearly 2x the Gotheborg’s tonnage, so yeah not the “world’s largest wooden sailing ship”.

[@jodis8228]

Constitution hasnt been an ocean going ship in over a hundred years though.

[@funnelvortex7722]

@@jodis8228 I really wish they'd take Old Ironsides out more and actual sail her around. They only "sail" her like every 5 years for one hour and the last display where she was just motoring around the harbor was just... kinda pathetic. The USCGC Eagle gets a lot more glory on that front. Call the Coasties Navy rejects all ya want, but at least they, well, actually *sail* their sailing ship.

[@CoreyLeightonCL]

@@jodis8228 She's fully capable though. But she's also the real deal, not a Volvo diesel-powered replica, so why risk it?

[@twinturbo8304]

When was it built?

[@shinnam]

Interesting, from the Vasa, the Göthenburg, the Wilhelm to the Estonia , the Most famous Swedish ships sunk.

[@bjornh4664]

"Wilhelm"? You mean "Wilhelm Gustloff"? That was German. And "Estonia" was - you guessed it - Estonian.

[@K_Honkonen]

Really nice video. I live at the site where it was built in Gothenburg. Have some original Chinese porcelain from the original ship at home.

[@jonathanandrew2909]

Sounds like those Swedes really enjoyed Chinese porcelain, like it was crack to them. I suppose it would’ve only been clay, wood, or metal dish ware prior to that.

[@mrvinnyviking]

ever heared about the Batavia? This replica was built years before they even started to thin about the Gothenburg. IMHO the Swedes learned a lot from the builders of the Batavia.

[@crusader8626]

Reject modernity embrace götheborg

[@thebenefactor6744]

Avast! She be larger than we thought matees!

[@stevelawrie9115]

It's a masterpiece

[@jonathanandrew2909]

No. It’s a master-whole.

[@AckzaTV]

they should make war games between these old ships of the line with some sort of laser tag or paint ball cannons that dont damage the ships but allow you to fake accurate enough damage and battles with some sort of red paint that washes off

[@pabeeter2262]

The Largest Wooden Sailing Ship Is The Wyoming. Not the Götheborg. You even acknowledged that there were larger ships at 9:13 please don't clickbait us.

[@blubden7732]

Of course it's not the largest wooden sailing ship ever, but it's the worlds largest operational wooden sailing ship to this day. Use common sense and you would have figured this out yourself

[@puddlesailor2871]

Loved the video and your channel! Just FYI there is no such thing as "rope" on a ship, only lines XD.

[@davidwilson2394]

I remember visiting this build a long time ago. Also I saw the VASA. Still trying to find my painting of this vessel. I think someone stole it.

[@plasmasun]

It's crazy to think that there were even bigger wooden sailing ships back in the day.

[@keithmoriyama5421]

This is a small one-- 788 GT as opposed to 3,000+ tons of a ship of the line.

[@plasmasun]

@@keithmoriyama5421 They're mind boggling. They are amazing.

[@doesntlikeu]

this is so cool!