When the “Hiorten” stole the show

One eagerly awaited guest was still missing on that late afternoon of June 14, 2003 in the Old Harbor in Wismar. The Swedish Festival had already begun and with it the hustle and bustle on the quayside in the Old Harbor. Small and large traditional sailing ships were already crowded there. And if a sudden salute from an on-board gun had not attracted attention, it would hardly have been noticed in the general hustle and bustle of the approaching sailors. The proud replica of the ship soon took shape. The “Hiorten”, a replica of a historic Swedish mail sailing ship, had finally arrived.

The team wore historical costumes

The staging of the five-man crew was also worthy of a film. As the sailing ship came in, they demonstrated apparent craftsmanship in historical costumes in the style of the 17th century. Admittedly, with a length of only 18 meters, a width of just under four meters and a total sail area of ​​120 square meters, the small two-master was not the most impressive of all the windjammers present. But with this performance, this crew clearly stole the show from all the other sailing actors.

Because that's how it could have been more than 300 years ago, when the real mail ship of the same name (German: Hirsch) was still sailing between southern Sweden and Western Pomerania. From 1692 to 1702, the sailing ship transported passengers and goods between the southern Swedish port city of Ystad and the Stralsund post office. The opening of this route is said to have taken place on July 20, 1683 as the first mail route between Swedish Pomerania and the motherland.

Of course, this first visit was worthy of an official greeting. The warm welcome to the Swedish guests and representatives of the Karlskrona Naval Museum was extended by the then President of the Citizens' Assembly, Dr. Gerd Zielenkiewitz, on behalf of the Hanseatic city.

The crew had a stormy crossing behind them

Respect for the volunteer crew. No one noticed the previous hardships they had endured during the three-day, sometimes stormy crossing. The trip from southern Sweden to the Bay of Wismar was austere and spartan. Crushingly cramped conditions below deck, just one washbasin, one on-board toilet and sleeping places that had to be folded up for use. And a stay on board only for enthusiasts. The deck offered no protection from the weather for anyone.

But now the sailing ambassadors on a mission to unite nations had finally reached their destination, to be guests at the Hanseatic city's Swedish festival. It didn't need to be emphasized that these were seasoned, thoroughbred sailors. “Anyone who sails here fully identifies with the goals of uniting nations,” said captain and head of the mission, Göran Snaar. This time he was accompanied by his experienced daughter Anna. As a sports and geography student, she likes to identify with such trips.

It was interesting to note that the scale replica of the real mail sailing ship from 1692 was built between 1996 and 1998. The cog builders near their shipyard in the harbor were still very busy so that the Swedish boat builders could already get this done. The “Wissemara” only started sailing in 2006. The maiden voyage of the “Hiorten” replica was also legendary. According to tradition, it took place on May 5, 1999 from Ystad to Stralsund. Later, the ship was mainly a guest at the Rostock Hanse Sail.