Construction continues on the mammoth Götheborg.

GOTHEBORG, SWEDEN — The age of sail lives on at the Terra Nova shipyard in Sweden where a team of shipbuilders continues to construct a replica of the eighteenth century East Indiaman Götheborg. The ship's colorful history is partly responsible for her reincarnation. After a successful trip to China in 1745, the ship struck a well-known submerged rock outside the city of her namesake, was holed, and sank. Shortly after the shipwreck, efforts were made to salvage as much of the load as possible. Fabrics and tea were recovered from the holds, and although these had to be dried before they could be later sold, sales from the salvaged goods went so well that the voyage made a profit even though the ship was lost. Certain parts of her hull were recovered in 1906, and approximately 3,000 porcelain objects were found intact.
A marine-archaeological excavation of the shipwrecked Götheborg began in 1986 and continued through 1993, giving birth to the idea to build a new East Indiaman. The ship's main specifications, rigging, armaments, and a number of parts were based on archive information and measurements of the excavated Götheborg for an historically accurate replica which will be constructed in much the same way these ships were over 250 years ago.
Fourteen shipbuilders have been working on the project, shaping and moving gigantic pine laminated frames and oak planks. The ship's 66 frames weigh 3,500 pounds each and are fastened with forged nails and other fasteners from the blacksmith operation at the shipyard. Construction progresses with an eye toward a 2002 launch and a historic voyage back to China in 2004. The 190-foot vessel will carry a crew of 80 and enough supplies for 60 days at sea, with a reserve supply for a further 30 days. For more information: www.soic.se