Gorch Fock I (German Sail Training Ship)

The Gorch Fock I (ex Tovarishch, ex Gorch Fock) is a German three-mast barque, the first of a series built as training ships for the German Reichsmarine in 1933.  She was taken by the USSR after World War II as part of war reparations and renamed Tovarishch.

After a short period under the Ukrainian flag in the 1990s she had a prolonged stay in British ports due to lack of funds for necessary repairs.  Following this, the ship was acquired by sponsors and sailed to her original home port of Stralsund.   Here, her original name was also restored to her. 

Gorch Fock's restoration was finished on November 29, 2003.  She is now a museum ship.  Following further extensive repairs in 2008, she is now seaworthy again and has since visited the Port of Belfast  (8 to 12 April, 2009) ,where the public were allowed to board and view the vessel.

The Federal German government built a replacement training ship, the Gorch Fock II (1958), which is still in service.