| Pogoria |
Photo by: Maurycy Śmierzchalski
Specifications: Three-masted barquentine A three-masted barquentine, built in 1980 in Gdańsk Shipyard. The construction of the ship was financed by Polish Television for the Iron Shackle Fraternity, the first Polish sail training organisation established by Adam Jasser, which carried out a programme of sea education both on board and on TV. The ship got the name of a Silesian lake where Maciej Szczepański, the then Chair of the Radio and Television Committee, took his first steps in sailing. This brought about debates after Polish "August 1980" on Pogoria, as she was regarded a luxurious yacht of the ruling elite. In 1980, the ship made a successful debut in The Cutty Sark Tall Ships' Races. She proved her weatherly qualities while going to the Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station with an expedition of the Polish Academy of Sciences: she covered 21,000 nautical miles in 132 days. In 1983-84, carrying out the programme of the "School Afloat", she made a cruise to Sri Lanka with a group of young trainees. In her short life, the ship also made a round-the-world cruise and rounded Cape Horn east-west, within the "School Afloat" cruise of Polish, American and Russian trainees in 1988-89. In the early 1990s, her future became uncertain for lack of funding. However, her sailor friends did not forget her. They convinced mayor of Gdynia Franciszka Cegielska that the ship had to be saved. The Nauta Shipyard had its liabilities converted to an obligation to carry out complete refurbishment of Pogoria; the ship was put to the care of the city of Gdynia and the Gdynia Sailing Foundation. When the Sail Training International Poland was established in 1993, the Pogoria became its flagship. She is used to train young sailors, makes tourist cruises and takes part in international races. In 1994 she sailed over the American Great Lakes, participating in the Maritime Heritage Festival in Toronto. In 1999, the Pogoria won the Cutty Sark Trophy, the main prize in The Cutty Sark Tall Ships' Races. In 2000, she participated in the Tall Ships' Races 2000 Cádiz - Bermuda - New York - Boston - Halifax, and four years later she crossed the Atlantic again. Now she makes one- or two-week Mediterranean cruises. Captains of Pogoria: The ship does not have a regular captain. In the 1980s: Later: Dar Pomorza | Dar Młodzieży | Pogoria | Iskra I | Iskra II | Zawisza Czarny I | Zawisza Czarny II | Lwów | Elemka |
