In Germany last month we took the time to go to the nearby Baltic seaside resort city of Travemunde. This place is just  short ride by train or car from Luebeck, where our son is a student. Our first weekend in town was the anniversary of a very famous boat, the Passat. It was celebrated with a festival of tall ships which are in a special sisterhood together, they are the great sailing ships of the centuries gone by.

The famous landmark, the Passat, celebrated its 100th birthday the weekend of May 12th thru the 15th, 2011. In 1911 the Passat, known as the legendary Flying-P-Liner was completed by Blom and Voss in the Hamburg shipyard. The maiden voyage was between Hamburg and around the Cape Horn to Chile. The Passat could sail up to 18 knots and successfully met the competition that the steam boat sector was then providing.

The ship, which weathered many a dangerous storm is anchored in this seaside/resort town since 1960 and is now a museum. 

The huge birthday party included many fascinating tall ships, sailors and actually ship lovers from all over the entire world. There were what is called, "shanty choirs", from all over providing entertainment. We listened to a Polish group of singing sailors. 

There was a giant marzipan birthday cake, which we missed, but we sipped beers and tea with strawberry cake at a outdoor seaside table. The tall ships there were the Kruzenshtern, the Mir (which we boarded), Sedov, Dar Mlodziezy, Alexander von Humboldt and the Greif and also about 20 more restored ships that participated. 

The shipwrecked Pamir is considered a sister ship to the Passat. The Pamir is memorialized in a church in Luebeck, St. Jakob's, where her lifesboat is displayed.

 You can read more about the Passat ship here:

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passat_(ship)

 You can read more about the Mir ship here:

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STS_Mir

 The sky provided a dramatic backdrop to the day's events. 

 One of the food huts available to feed hungry visitors.

 You could easily access many of the ships and board them from the docks.

 A wonderful view of a flag adorned ship.

 A couple of very young cadet sailors aboard the Mir, which we boarded.

 A view of one of the doors aboard the Mir, notice the height of the sailor and the height of the door!

A view of the historic Passat.

 The curve of the land lined with ships.

 More ships in view.

 The festivities.

 Small sail boats also lined the waterfront.

 A view from the Mir of the fairgrounds.

My son and I aboard the Mir.

A closer view of the Passat. 

 The passage outside the bay ( Lubecker Bucht) to the Baltic Sea.

Sailors working on the rigging.

More ships and view of the sailors working the rigging.

 One of the Kiosk signs about the 100th Anniversary at the waterfront. 

 Copyright 2011 by SheilaTGTG55 words and photography.