Joseph Conrad (ship)

The "Joseph Conrad" is a sailing ship originally launched as the "Georg Stage" in 1882 and used to train sailors in Denmark, then bought in 1934 and renamed by Alan Villiers for a round-the-world cruise, and later used for training by the United States. "Joseph Conrad" is now a museum ship at Mystic Seaport in Connecticut.

Villiers saved "Georg Stage" from the scrappers and renamed the ship in honor of famed sea author Joseph Conrad. Villiers planned a circumnavigation with a crew of mostly boys. "Conrad" started from Ipswich on October 22, 1934, crossed the Atlantic Ocean to New York City, then down to Rio de Janeiro, Cape Town, and across the Indian Ocean and through the East Indies. After stops in Sydney, New Zealand, and Tahiti, "Conrad" rounded Cape Horn and returned to New York on October 16, 1936, having travelled a total of some 57,000 miles.

Villiers was broke as a result of the expedition (although he did get three books out of the episode - "Cruise of the "Conrad", "Stormalong", and "Joey Goes to Sea"), and sold the ship to George Huntington Hartford, who added an engine and used her as a yacht. In 1939 he transferred the vessel to the Maritime Commission, who used her for training until 1945. After being laid up for two years, the ship was transferred to Mystic Seaport.

In addition to her role as a museum, she is also a static training vessel.

A Haunting

It is said that the Conrad is haunted by the ghosts of 22 male cadets who died on board the ship in 1905 when it was run down by another ship. The Conrad was salvaged and now serves as barracks for the Conrad Camp sailing program at the seaport.

External links

* [http://www.mysticseaport.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.viewPage&page_id=B3AF7031-E022-6432-8AE3F674FA3026CA Description at Mystic Seaport website]