German cadets return from Romanian Navy sail training ship

Following an intensive training with German Navy’s cadets, the Romanian Navy’s sail training ship Mircea returned to its homeport of Constanta on September 20, 2018.

Photo: PIZ Marine

Around 100 German cadets trained in two groups with the Romanian Navy for five weeks.

Last year, Germany decided to lease the Romanian ship as a replacement for the Gorch Fock which is undergoing extensive repairs. This is because Mircea, which was built at Blohm+Voss shipyard in 1938, is based on the same design as Gorch Fock.

During the recent training, Mircea remained under the Romanian flag with her regular crew onboard.

The sail training ship Gorch Fock is expected to become operational again in 2019. Until then, training of the ship’s permanent crew is of particular importance taking into account the long dry dock works, the navy said.

Following the repair works, the vessel will be able to sail throughout 2040, according to the German Navy.