27 May 2023 will mark 40 years since the day the “Dar Pomorza” was ceremonially inaugurated to the public as a museum ship. Until 31 October 2023, the National Maritime Museum in Gdansk is inviting visitors to the temporary exhibition “40 years have passed. From a school ship to a museum ship’, presented on the sailing ship in the 3rd watch room. The exhibition recalls the events and people thanks to whom this historic vessel gained its second life.

“Dar Pomorza”, the sailing ship of the Maritime School, has made 102 voyages and trained 13,384 students in more than half a century. 40 years ago, it became a Gdynia branch of the current National Maritime Museum in Gdańsk. 

The exhibition begins in the late 1970s and early 1980s. At that time, the withdrawal of the “Dar Pomorza” from school operation was considered. The exhibition presents the last years of the sailing ship’s active service: victory in the Cutty Sark Tall Ships’ Races in 1980 and the last voyage to the Finnish port of Kotka in 1981. 

In the background of these events was the story of the construction of a new sailing school ship: “Dar Młodzieży”, and a discussion about the further fate of the “Dar Pomorza”. The exhibition then documents the months-long process of transferring the ship from the Maritime University to the then Central Maritime Museum, showing the obstacles encountered during this process and the ideas for the location of the museum ship. 

The exhibits include the handwritten ‘Act of Handing over the Dar Pomorza Sailing School Ship’ and items such as the ship’s log book, a piece of commemorative tableware, boatswain’s tools, navigation equipment, spare parts, firefighting equipment and original signs encouraging donations from the time of the fundraising for the construction of the ‘Dar Młodzieży’. 

Adrian Andrzejewski