Training sailing ship Gorch Fock 2 (1958)

The Gorch Fock 2 is a tall ship utilized by the German Navy, launched in 1958 as a successor to the original 1933 vessel of the same name.

Both ships are named in honor of Johann Kinau, a German author who wrote under the pseudonym «Gorch Fock» and perished during the Battle of Jutland in 1916. The 1958 Gorch Fock, often informally referred to as Gorch Fock II, was constructed by Blohm & Voss in Hamburg and commissioned on December 17, 1958. She serves as a training vessel for naval cadets and is assigned to the Naval Academy at Flensburg-Mürwik.

The ship is a three-masted barque with a steel hull measuring 81.2 meters in length and 12 meters in width. She has a draught of 5.2 meters and a full load displacement of 1,760 tonnes. Originally equipped with 1,952 square meters of canvas sails, she later received slightly larger sails made of synthetic materials. The tops of her fore and main masts can be lowered to navigate under bridges in the Kiel Canal.

Since her commissioning, Gorch Fock 2 has undertaken numerous training cruises, including a global circumnavigation in 1988. As of October 2006, she had completed 146 cruises. Over the years, more than 14,500 cadets have received training aboard the vessel. She also participates in sailing parades and Tall Ships' Races, fostering friendly rivalry with ships like the Italian Amerigo Vespucci.

After extensive renovations, Gorch Fock 2 returned to service on September 30, 2021. The refurbishment, initially estimated at €10 million, escalated to €135 million, leading to investigations into financial misconduct. Despite these challenges, the ship continues to serve as a symbol of maritime tradition and naval training excellence.