Kalmar Nyckel, Tall Ship of Delaware, recruits new volunteer crew

In January, the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation begins the 14th year of training new crew to sail this venerable icon of Delaware.

No sailing experience is necessary, and training is open to people ages 18 to 75-plus years old, or 14 to 17 with a parent.

Those who join Capt. Sharon Litcofsky for the 10-week class will learn to sail this magnificent tall ship. Graduates can assist with day sails in Delaware and voyage with the ship to other ports along the East Coast.  Classes will take place on 10 Saturdays, Jan. 14 to April 14.

Those who are interested or who want to register should contact the captain at CaptainSharon@kalmarnyckel.org for more details.

Kalmar Nyckel is an authentic re-creation of a 17th century Dutch vessel, one of America's pioneering Tall Ships that brought some of the earliest permanent settlers to the American colonies. Her historical significance mirrors that of the Mayflower. The original Kalmar Nyckel sailed from Sweden to the New World in 1638, leaving her passengers to establish the first permanent European settlement in the Delaware Valley, at Fort Christina in present-day Wilmington.

Kalmar Nyckel was featured in April in National Geographic Television's "Return of the Ghost Ship," which aired in 124 countries around the world. This documentary explored a 17th century ghost ship found intact at the bottom of the Baltic Sea. Kalmar Nyckel and her crew were selected for the live shots, given the ship's strong resemblance to the sunken vessel.

Kalmar Nyckel was also used by the British Broadcasting Company for a documentary about the 18th century, presented by historian Dan Cruickshank. This program explored the experience of thousands of children who were shipped over to the American Colonies as indentured servants during the 17th and 18th centuries, many against their will. The BBC documentary explored what life was like for the children, who were sold to planters on arrival for terms of up to seven years and worked on Colonial farms across Delaware and beyond.

The Kalmar Nyckel Foundation preserves and promotes the cultural and maritime heritage of Delaware for the education and enrichment of all.