 Noorderlicht during the winter season, intentionally frozen in ice as an expedition base camp | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name |
|
| Owner |
|
| Operator |
|
| Builder | Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft |
| Yard number | 300 |
| Launched | April 1910 |
| In service | 2 July 1910 |
| Out of service | October 1963 |
| Identification |
|
| Status |
|
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Schooner |
| Tonnage | 140 GRT, 60 NRT, 250 DWT (155 GRT as built) |
| Displacement | 255 t (251 long tons) (as built) |
| Length | 46.20 m (151 ft 7 in) (36 m (118 ft 1 in) as built) |
| Beam | 6.50 m (21 ft 4 in) |
| Draught | 3 m (9 ft 10 in) |
| Depth | 3.20 metres (10 ft 6 in) |
| Installed power | 360 horsepower (270 kW) |
| Propulsion | Sails and diesel engine |
| Sail plan | Schooner |
| Speed | 7 knots (13 km/h) |
| Capacity | 20 passengers + crew |
| Armament | 2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft gun (1940) |
SVNoorderlicht (Northern Light orAurora Borealis) is a two-masted schooner built in 1910 as a light sailing vessel for theImperial German Navy. Since the 1990s, she has served as one of the expedition cruise vessels forOceanwide Expeditions, and from 2021 she is owned by Swan Expeditions, sailing to some of the most remote locations in the Arctic, particularly the archipelago ofSvalbard.
Noorderlicht is a steel two-masted schooner built in 1910 inFlensburg, Germany, byFlensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft for theImperial German Navy.[1] The ship was originally namedFsKalkgrund II, rigged as a three-masted schooner, and used as a light vessel (Feuerschiff) on the Kalkgrund station off theFlensburg Firth. It also functioned as a weather ship and pilot station.[2]
The middle mast was taken out to improve stability during World War II, when the vessel was in the service ofNazi Germany'sKriegsmarine and namedFlensburg. An anti-aircraft gun was also fitted to it. After the war, the vessel continued to serve as a light ship until it was retired in 1963.[2]
Between 1963 and 1992, the vessel had a number of owners. It was used as a workers' hostel for a time, and from 1967 to 1986, as a clubhouse for the sailing associationMöltenorter Seglerkameradschaft atHeikendorf. Afterward, it was sold to the Netherlands.[2][3] In 1991, the vessel was found inLeeuwarden, Netherlands, Ted van Broeckhuysen and Gert Ritzema. They had the ship re-rigged, restored, and equipped with an auxiliary engine. After renaming itNoorderlicht, the ship entered service as an expedition cruise vessel. Since 2011, it first has been operated in Svalbard by Oceanwide Expeditions, based inVlissingen, Netherlands. From 2021 she is owned by Swan Expeditions, who continued sailing the vessel in Arctic sailing areas.
On 31 May 2016,Noorderlicht ran aground on the north coast ofVlieland. The 28 children on board were taken off by aKNRM rescue boat.[4] On 18 September, she ran aground again atTrygghamna, Norway. She was re-floated with assistance from a tug deployed by the NorwegiantugPolarsyssel.[5][6]
On 23 March 2023, she ran aground off Rugholmen, Norway. Twenty-four of the 26 people on board were rescued. Her captain and mate remained aboard awaiting the assistance of a tug.[7]
Noorderlicht's schedule is based atLongyearbyen,Svalbard. It runs voyages in the archipelago, theLofoten islands, and to mainland locations within the polar regions. Ten cabins provide accommodation for up to 20 passengers, and tworigid-hulled inflatable boats are carried to enable close-up viewing of wildlife and landscapes in otherwise inaccessible areas.
Between 2002 and 2015,Noorderlicht was intentionally ice-locked at Tempelfjorden, Svalbard, during the winter months to provide base-camp accommodation for Arctic journeys.[8][9]
Media related toIMO 8650813 at Wikimedia Commons
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