Cinematic action! Norway’s largest sailing vessel looks like a real film set: The Statsraad Lehmkuhl has an impressive and romantic appearance with the length of 98 metres and over 2000 m² of sail – you’d better roll up your sleeves! All of this under supervision of Captain Marcus A. Seidl and his 22-man crew. The Statsraad Lehmkuhl takes daytrips, but also cruises of 10 days. Naturally the Ship regularly competes in the Tall Ships Races. This Nordic giant often finishes in the top three.
The three-masted bark Statsraad Lehmkuhl was built in 1914 as a trainee ship for the German commercial shipping, carrying the name of ‘Grossherzog Friedrich August’. After the First World War the ship was taken by the British army as a trophy of war and sold in 1921 to the former minister of Norway; Kristoffer Lehmkuhl. That explains the name, Statsraad Lehmkuhl, which literally means ‘Cabinet Minister Lehmkuhl’. With the exception of both World Wars the vessel has always served as a training ship. Ship tycoon Hilmar Reksten bought her in 1967 to prevent Statsraad Lehmkuhl from falling into foreign hands. Twelve years later he donated the ship to the foundation ‘Stiftelsen Seilskip Stadsraat Lehmkuhl’. The foundation has been the owner and manager since.
The interior of Statsraad Lehmkuhl is spacious and comfortable. There are two lower deck floors, where you will find the sleeping quarters that facilitate hammocks for everyone. Also on the lower deck there are large day rooms where at times the crew members give theory lessons or teach you how to make knots. There is also plenty of space to relax in between the action.
Shipping type: Bark
Homeport: Bergen (NO)
Date built: 1914
Restored: 1990
Capacity: 150
Length: 98m
Beam: 12,6m
Draught: 5,2m
Sail: 2026 m2
Height of mast: 48 m
Engine capacity: Bergen Diesel, 1125 BHP
Displacement: 1516 ton
Make sure to bring towels, a pillow and pillowcase (unless you can sleep without!), a sleeping bag and a refillable water bottle.
Towels and bottles with the ship’s logo can be bought in the little souvenir shop on board.
Since you’ll be sharing the sleeping space with many people, a sleep mask and earplugs are recommended, unless you’re a very heavy sleeper! The hammocks are close together, so expect some noise from your shipmates.
All meals are included – breakfast, lunch and dinner – as well as a simple meal for the night watch and a snack for afternoon “three o’clock coffee.”
The ship can cater for general diets (meat-based), vegetarian, gluten-free, and lactose-free diets. Let us know about your dietary requirements in the health form!
The ship may also accommodate some mild food allergies; however, due to shared food preparation areas, it is not possible to guarantee complete separation, and therefore severe allergies cannot be catered for.
A vegan diet cannot be accommodated on board the Statsraad Lehmkuhl.
As voyage crew, you will serve two fixed four-hour watches per day:
– Full rig access: Either 1 standard pull-up or 5 Bravo pull-ups, followed by a 10-second dead hang. See video of the Bravo pull-up (YouTube).
– Limited access: Hanging freely by the arms for 10 seconds allows access to the lower shrouds, lower yards (up to the first platform, but not above it), and the bowsprit.
If you do not meet the requirement of dead hang for 10 seconds, you are unfortunately not permitted to enter the rig of Statsraad Lehmkuhl, including the bowsprit.
There is a total ban on alcohol and other intoxicants on board – including when the ship is docked – except during specific permitted events. Violation of this policy will result in immediate dismissal from the ship.