Pelican of London

Summary

Pelican of London is a sail training ship based in the United Kingdom. Built in 1948 as Pelican she served as an Arctic trawler and then a coastal trading vessel named Kadett until 1995. In 2007 an extended conversion to a sail-training ship was completed.[1]

TS Pelican at sail in 2010
History
Norway
NamePelican
BuilderChantiers et Ateliers Augustin Normand, Le Havre, France
Launched1948
FateArctic fishing trawler
NameKadett
Acquired1968
FateReclassed as a coastal trading vessel
History
United Kingdom
NamePelican of London
Acquired1995
In service2007
Identification
StatusIn use
NotesRebuilt as sail training ship, 1995–2007
General characteristics
Tonnage226 GRT
Length45.0 M (148 ft.) LE; 34.6 M (114 ft.) LOA hull
Beam7.03 M (23 ft.)
Draught3.95 M (13.0 ft.) (aft)
PropulsionVolvo Penta TAMD 120A-CC 290HP. Reconditioned 2000. Load Test 310 HP 2004.
Sail planMain mast barquentine
Pelican at Liverpool, 2013

History edit

Built in 1948 in Le Havre, France, Pelican was originally a double-beam Arctic fishing trawler,[2] one of five identical ships built in Chantiers et Ateliers Augustin Normand, the shipyard founded by the Normand family. She was sold to a Norwegian firm and spent the next 19 years fishing the Arctic.

In 1968 Pelican was converted from a trawler to a coaster. Her owners renamed her Kadett. She remained Kadett for 27 years until in 1995 she again changed hands.

She was bought by ex-Naval Commander Graham Neilson who transformed her into a tall ship and renamed her Pelican of London. He had already undertaken a similar project with the TS Astrid. Working in Portland Harbour, Dorset, UK, Neilson and his team spent 12 years stripping back the trawler and rebuilding her as a main mast barquentine.[3] A moderate rearrangement of the mainmast standing rigging enables the yards to be braced to half the traditional angle when on the wind, giving the ship unusual windward ability for a square rigger. A trainee on the ship won the 2010 Torbay cup.[4]

As of 2012, Pelican of London is operated as a sail training vessel for young people, by the charity Adventure Under Sail.[5] Sail Training International ranks it is a Class A tall ship.[6] In autumn of 2012, Pelican of London was scheduled to become the first sailing ship in a century to make a trans-Atlantic voyage from the Port of Liverpool with fare-paying passengers.[7] It's not clear if this voyage took place. Pelican has completed a number of transatlantic voyages.[8]

Pelican of London was advertised for sale in 2012, valued at £2.45 million.[9][10]

In June 2015 it was noted as an attendee of Tall Ships Belfast 2015.[11]

Since 2018 the TS Pelican of London is regularly sailing from Europe to the Caribbean and back in cooperation with the German project Ocean College. The voyage takes place in the Winter month between October and April.

In 2021 the ship embarked upon a thirteen-week research cruise organised by charity City to Sea and environmental research group Darwin200 to survey the extent of plastic pollution in UK coastal waters.[12]

References edit

  1. ^ "Tall Ship 'TS Pelican of London'". Weymouth Charters. Weymouth. Archived from the original on 6 August 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  2. ^ Adventure Under Sail. "Ship specifications". Archived from the original on 28 December 2011. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  3. ^ Adventure Under Sail. "About The TS Pelican". Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  4. ^ STI - Race Trophies and Awards.
  5. ^ Kitching, Laura (21 September 2011). "Local school children invited aboard Weymouth's tall ship Pelican". Dorset Echo. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  6. ^ http://www.tallshipsraces.com/vessels/vessel.asp?VesID=3296
  7. ^ Elson, Peter (3 January 2012). "Tall ship Pelican to sail from Liverpool on transatlantic passenger voyage - In The Mix Today - News". Liverpool Echo. Liverpool. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  8. ^ "At Sea - Tall Ships". www.atseasailtraining.com. Archived from the original on 3 September 2012.
  9. ^ Pelican of London
  10. ^ Adshead, Steve (3 May 2012). "Receivers pilot tall ship with view to sale". Smith & Williamson. Retrieved 22 September 2014. …have been tasked with securing a new owner for the 370-tonne sailing vessel, with offers around £2.45m.
  11. ^ "Tall Ships Belfast 2015: Explore the beauty and history of some of the ships sailing into town next month". 6 June 2015.
  12. ^ "Plastic pollution research ship moors in Bristol". BBC. 4 June 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2021.

External links edit

  • Tall Ship Pelican official website
  • Photos of Pelican
  • Pelican of London leaving southwick (worthing herald article)