SCHOOLSHIP GANN AND TRAINING THE SEAFARERS OF NORWAY
On 24 January 1947 a group of men got together in Captain Claus M. Høie’s house to discuss the possibility of acquiring a modern motor vessel, to be operated as a schoolship out of Stavanger, Norway. This was the start of an adventure that is still going on today.
In 1947 Norway was one of the world’s major shipping nations, and experienced crew were much in demand for ships round the world. All the major cities in Norway had maritime schools where the students could learn, not just in the classroom but also on board ships, to acquire both theoretical and practical maritime knowledge.
Bergen had the well-known sailing ship and Oslo had However, one of Norway’s most important maritime cities, Stavanger, had no such ship. They wanted a schoolship they could be proud of, and, unlike the other schoolships, wanted a modern,
