Above picture of "Nordstjernen" is taken in June after she arrived to Middelfart in May 2006.
She is believed to be the oldest, still existing ship built in Middelfart.
On this picture she does not look much like a beautiful old sailing ship, because of extensive modifications, - like the somewhat misplaced and mistaken deckhouses.
They might be fine as a garden pavilion or chicken house, but was obviously not made with much love, "feeling" and respect for a fine old ship.
 
 

Here she looks much better - - - -
The ugly deckhouses have now been removed together with the nameplates.
Also the previous green hull has now been painted black, which might not be historically correct, since those old cutters could have gaily painted stripes along the hull, which can be seen on the same type of ship, - the "Jensine" from 1852.
See picture of "Jensine" below - - -
 
 

"Jensine" is the oldest ship in active service in Denmark, and together with "Nordstjernen", she is also the only remaining ship of this particular cutter type - - -
 
 

The future of "Nordstjernen"????
Well, - I guess that it is too early to say for sure what is going to happen with this fine, old ship when she is restored to her original appearance, but there have been a lot of talk about using the ship as basis for various exhibitions, and a sponsor has already offered a permanent mooring facility for the ship.
It is of course great, that the future of the ship is secured, and she will be preserved for the future, but when the idea is, that she will be moored at an ultra modern building containing library, restaurants, tourist office, movie theater and other facilities, surrounded by a new marina stuffed with modern fiber glass boats, - of which several does not even look like boats, but more like space craft -, then I am very much afraid, that this wonderful old ship will be totally misplaced in such unsuitable surroundings.

Meanwhile we must just hope, that this great mistake eventually will be corrected, but the problem is that the unsuitable mooring place is financed with sponsor money, and sponsors rarely do things with the heart, - but with the brain - - -
But where should "Nordstjernen" be moored instead???
The obvious answer to that question is "Gammel Havn", - "Old Port" -, where she is moored at the moment while she is being restored.
Here you have old houses, cobblestones on the road, a couple of smaller traditional boat types already moored, fishermen with their boats and gear, - and last, but not least, you have the old, historical ship yard, - "Lillebælt-Værftet" -, which makes the environment for a fully restored "Nordstjernen" near perfect.
Everything is there at "Gammel Havn", - except some more old ships -, and "Nordstjernen" will for sure be a great asset if "Gammel Havn" will be made into a "museum port", - which is actually what the area already is.
"Gammel Havn" is simply "the real thing" and will be the perfect home for "Nordstjernen" - - -

Also the idea of using the ship as a facility for various exhibitions is, - to put it mildly -, a disaster.
A ship like "Nordstjernen" is of course totally unsuitable for exhibitions, which is much better to arrange ashore in proper and suitable surroundings.
It must be borne in mind, that an old ship is an "exhibition" in itself, which should not be obscured by irrelevant things that will spoil it.
Such a traditional ship is full of wonderful details that all serve an important purpose for the proper function and operation of the ship.
A lot of these details are often very beautiful, - almost like pieces of art -, and demonstrate the great skill, innovation and craftsmanship of the old shipbuilders.
Also it must be borne in mind, that all those wonderful details that make up the complete ship, very likely have taken a thousand years of accumulated experience to develop to perfection.
Therefore the ship itself is actually a fantastic exhibition item, and it would be a great shame to spoil such an important and rare cultural asset, by using it for other purposes than originally intended.
The problem might be, that so-called normal, average, land based people that have spent their entire life time in an office, - or in shops, - or are farmers, - or industrial  workers, - or whatever, - might have some difficulty in "understanding" ships - - - -
Guess that only old, sailors understand, - because we look at ship like if it they are living things, that require the highest love and respect.

Well ,- let's see what happens, - but wouldn't it be wonderful if "Nordstjernen" one day could come back to life, and  fly over the ocean again, - like its older "sister" - , as you can see on the picture of "Jensine" shown above on this page????
This is true sailing, - and this is what ships are for - - - -
I hope that the owner, the sponsors and the port authorities will come up with some solution that does not just make pop and disney-land out of it by letting money being the most important and decisive factor.
In that respect I hope that the responsible people will listen to what old sailors have to say, because old sailors know ships, and can for sure "feel" something that "landlubbers" cannot feel, - and do not know, -  and do not understand.

Well, - enough about that - - -

Instead, - let's now see some of my impressions of the unusual scenario, when the newest addition to Middelfart's merchant fleet, - the "Fionia Swan" -, met with the oldest, - the "Nordstjernen" -, while at the same time Middelfart's biggest ship, - the "Great Swan" -, anchored outside the city - - -
 
 

People who looked down along "Brogade" on June 30, 2006, would NOT be rewarded with the usual sight of blue water, lots of boats and the green coastline of Jylland, - Jutland -, on the other side - - -
Instead of the usually very beautiful view of "Mother nature", you now looked at a massive, black ships side with a red brown deck tank on top - - -
It was the latest addition to Middelfart's merchant fleet, - the "Fionia Swan" -, of the local shipping company "Uni-Tankers".
Middelfart is not a tanker port, and the purpose of "Fionia Swan's" visit was therefore not to load or discharge cargo, but to go through a traditional naming ceremony for the new ship.
Quite an unusual event that did create some attention with the locals.
 
 

"Fionia Swan" with her tonnage of 15,609 Dwt. has just about the maximum size for how big ships can be when moored at the open pier of "Gammel Havn".
With her length of 148 m. she was actually too long, so that both bow- and stern sections were free of the pier, and her draught of 8,5 m. made her scrape the bottom - - - -
Other technical details:  Breadth: 21,6 m., Propulsion:7200 kW, -Speed: 15 knots.
 
 

Note that her name has been covered.
This is in order to keep it a "secret" until the christening ceremony, when the champagne bottle will be crushed against the hull.
The Danish flag in the middle of the picture is for decorating the stage, from where the ceremony will take place.
 
 

Page initiated:   Dec.31.2007
Page updated:   Jan.01.2008
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