News

December 22, 2000

A school of a lifetime

"The sea and the white sails have given their bodies speed and their soul escape, and these schoolshipboys will probably find their way whether they stay on land or sea. Our sailing ships are a school of life ... »

February 20, 2000

War, occupation, reconstruction

In 1939, when dark war clouds loomed over Europe, the summer cruise ended earlier than usual. The ship was leased to the Navy, which used it as an accommodation ship in Horten. The Germans took over the ship on 9 April 1940, and a period of degradation began for the magnificent school ship. Unrigged and rigged, it was towed to Kirkenes where it was anchored at Jakobsnes harbour. What exactly happened to Sørlandet during the war years it has been difficult to get verified. It is said that the ship was used as a coal warehouse and prisoner ship, i.a. for German deserters. Conditions on board were difficult. The prisoners were divided into pools and alternated being outside and inside due to lack of space. Furthermore, it is rumored that the prisoners sabotaged the conditions on board. It has been claimed by the authorities that the prisoners themselves opened the bottom valves and lowered the ship. Another version, which has been given more credence, is that the ship sank after it was hit in the waterline during a Soviet Russian bombing raid. The barge was raised and towed to Kristiansand.

February 2, 2000

"Continuation School" for future sailors

The school ship Sørlandet achieved the status of "continuation school for future seafarers", approved by the Ministry of the Church. In practice, this became a sailing seamen's school for boys who often came directly from the primary school with no other ballast than what this school stood for. On board the "continuation school", the students were offered practical instruction in seamanship, i.e. learning to sail and master the conditions on board The Ship with the strict demands for discipline and duties that were imposed. In addition, the students received instruction in theoretical subjects such as Norwegian, social and health studies, easier arithmetic tasks etc. by teachers who had to be approved by the school director. the teaching turned out to be to a great extent required, especially for those pupils who had not taken school teaching on land very seriously.

January 24, 2000

Our youngest Vikings

Here, Southern Norway's presence would become the precursor to many targeted and export-oriented Norwegian PR advances towards America. Our country had little opportunity to make its mark at this world exhibition, the largest of all such exhibitions, but it was said afterwards that the schoolship outweighed the Norway did not be able to do any other way.

January 23, 2000

Meet The Schoolship Boy Ansgar Thorkildsen (1923-1998)

Glenn and Bonnie Thorkildsen contacted us a few weeks ago via Facebook. They wanted to share pictures and tell of their father and father-in-law who they thought sailed as a schoolship boy on Sørlandet in 1937. We got a series of pictures and learned a little about what he had done until he was called to military service when World War II broke out. Here's the story.

January 19, 2000

"We became men"

Sørlandet got a "flying start" with successful voyage to Denmark and London in 1927. It was also memorable that King Haakon and Crown Prince Olav were welcomed on board the ship's first Oslo voyage . It happened on 23 July 1927 while the schooner was at anchor outside Kontraskjæret. The King and Crown Prince showed great interest in the school ship boys' display in rigging and yards with setting and salvaging sails. The king and entourage were on board for a couple of hours and inspected the entire ship under the leadership of captain Selmer Lindeberg. It was the first time that the Royal House was a guest on board the ship, and there were to be more such events in due course, most recently during King Olav's 25th anniversary as monarch in 1982.