Sailing training ship Gorch Fock is back in Kiel: Arrival of the Gorch Fock on October 4th, 2021 at the Kiel-Wik naval base with salt shots for the ceremonial return of the sailing training ship to its home port of Kiel.
On Monday, October 4th, 2021, the time had finally come: the traditional sailing training ship Gorch Fock returned to Kiel after around six years of renovation. Thousands of spectators along the Kiel Fjord and countless boats on the Fjord welcomed the Gorch Fock in Kiel and watched from the Kiellinie and on the water as the Gorch Fock sailed along the Kiel Fjord to the Landeshaus and then to the Gorch-Fock-Mole (formerly Tirpitzmole) moored at the Kiel-Wik naval base. Federal Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer was also on board the Gorch Fock from Eckernförde to Kiel.
To greet the Gorch Fock, a Transall and Tornados flew over the Kiel Fjord and the Gorch Fock.
More photos from the return of the sail training ship in Kiel: Picture gallery Gorch Fock will return to Kiel on October 4th, 2021
Gorch Fock in the Kiel Fjord October 4th, 2021
Gorch Fock sail training ship Kieler Förde with Coast Guard
Gorch Fock Kiel WWF Robin Wood Protest 04.10.2021
Marine Music Corps Kiel Gorch Fock 04.10.2021
In addition to all the joy about the return of the Gorch Fock to her home port of Kiel, there is also extremely justified criticism: On the one hand, the refurbishment of the sail training ship took much longer than planned. And the costs of around 135 million euros have gradually increased more than tenfold. And according to environmentalists, illegal teak from Myanmar was also used on the Gorch Fock sail training ship.
And it is precisely for this reason that when the Gorch Fock returned to its home port of Kiel at the Kiel-Wik naval base on October 4th, 2021, there were also several protests at sea and on land by various organizations, including ROBIN WOOD, WWF, Deutsche Umwelthilfe and FSC Germany .
The Gorch Fock, the sail training ship of the German Navy, was not only accompanied by private sailors. The Gorch Fock was to a certain extent escorted by the two minesweeping boats M 1058 Fulda and M 1067 Bad Rappenau, the police boats Staberhuk and Fehmarn, the customs boat Amrum, the SAR cruiser Berlin and the Kiel museum ship MS Stadt Kiel.
All in all, the return of the Gorch Fock with thousands of spectators along the fjord and all the celebrations reminded a little of the windjammer parade during Kiel Week. Only with the difference that there were gun salutes and tornadoes and the spectators only wanted to see one ship, the sailing training ship Gorch Fock.
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