Götheborg of Sweden, a full-sized replica of a Swedish East Indiaman, sailed home today from Stockholm to her homeport in preparation for a voyage to Asia in April of next year.  

The nearly 60-meter (197-feet) long East Indiaman is billed the world’s largest operational wooden sailing vessel and is modeled after the Götheborg that sank off Gothenburg, Sweden in 1745 while approaching the harbor on her return from a third voyage to China.

The ship’s planned itinerary on its Expedition 2022 includes stops in London, Lisbon, Palma de Mallorca, Athens, Alexandria, Djibouti, Muscat, Chennai, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, and Shanghai.

If all goes according to plan, Götheborg will arrive in Shanghai sometime in October 2022. The voyage is intended to promote Swedish-Asian trade and create new business opportunities.

The original ship’s wreckage was found in 1984, triggering the idea to build a replica. Work started in 1995, and the vessel was launched eight years later. A maiden voyage from Goteborg to Stockholm was made in 2005.

Between 2005-2007 the ship sailed the historical route to Asia and back. The latest of several voyages around Europe was in 2015.
 
“Since our last expedition to China we have been looking forward to this,” said the ship’s captain, August Jansson. “Now it seems it will become true so we are all very happy.”