Joseph Conrad (ship) facts for kids
 |
|
| History | |
|---|---|
 Denmark |
|
| Name | Georg Stage (1882–c.1930) |
| Namesake | Georg Stage |
| Builder | Burmeister & Wain, Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Launched | 1882 |
| Fate | Sold 1934 |
 United Kingdom |
|
| Name | Joseph Conrad |
| Namesake | Joseph Conrad |
| Owner | Alan Villiers |
| Acquired | 1934 |
| Fate | Sold 1936 |
 United States |
|
| Name | Joseph Conrad |
| Namesake | Joseph Conrad |
| Owner |
|
| Out of service | 1945 |
| Homeport | Mystic Seaport, Mystic, Connecticut |
| Honors and awards |
|
| Status | Museum and training ship |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Sailing ship |
| Length |
|
| Beam | 25 ft 3 in (7.70 m) |
| Draft | 12 ft (3.7 m) |
| Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
The Joseph Conrad is a famous sailing ship made of iron. It was first launched in 1882 and was called Georg Stage. Back then, it helped train young sailors in Denmark. Later, in 1934, it sailed all around the world as a private yacht. After that, it became a training ship in the United States. Today, you can visit it as a museum ship at Mystic Seaport in Connecticut.
Contents
The Ship's Early Years
The ship, then named Georg Stage, had a sad accident in 1905. It was in Copenhagen harbor during a fireworks show. The crew turned off the ship's lights. A larger merchant ship then crashed into it. This caused a tragic loss of life for many young sailors on board. The ship was later raised from the water.
During World War I, the Georg Stage stayed in the harbor. It was used more as a merchant ship. It did not move much from its spot.
Sailing Around the World
An Australian sailor and writer named Alan Villiers saved the Georg Stage. He bought it to stop it from being scrapped. He renamed the ship Joseph Conrad. This was to honor a famous sea writer. Villiers planned a trip to sail all the way around the world. Most of his crew were young boys.
The Joseph Conrad started its journey on October 22, 1934, from Ipswich. It sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to New York City. Then it went south to Rio de Janeiro and Cape Town. After that, it crossed the Indian Ocean and sailed through the East Indies. The ship made stops in Sydney, New Zealand, and Tahiti. Finally, the Joseph Conrad sailed around Cape Horn. It returned to New York on October 16, 1936. The ship had traveled about 57,000 miles in total.
New Owners and Training
Alan Villiers lost a lot of money because of this big trip. But he did write three books about his adventures. He then sold the ship to Huntington Hartford. Hartford was very rich and used the ship as his private yacht. He even added an engine to it.
In 1939, Hartford gave the Joseph Conrad to the United States Coast Guard. They used it to train sailors for the merchant marine. This training was based in Jacksonville, Florida. The ship went on a training cruise through the Caribbean in late 1939. It also sailed in a yacht race in 1941. This was just before the United States joined World War II.
The Coast Guard later gave the ship to the Maritime Administration. This happened when merchant marine training moved to a new group. The Joseph Conrad kept training sailors until the war ended in 1945.
A Museum Ship Today
After the war, the ship was not used for two years. Then, on July 9, 1947, it moved to Mystic Seaport in Stonington, Connecticut. It was meant to be a "museum and youth training" ship. It has been there ever since.
Today, the Joseph Conrad is a floating exhibit at the museum. It is also used as a training vessel. Mystic Seaport uses it to house young people attending the Joseph Conrad Sailing Camp.
Awards and Honors
The Joseph Conrad received several awards for its service. These honors recognize its role during its time as a training ship.
American Defense Service Medal
American Campaign Medal
Merchant Marine Atlantic War Zone Medal
World War II Victory Medal
Merchant Marine World War II Victory Medal
