The Modern Kalmar Nyckel
The Kalmar Nyckel leaves Lewes, Delaware, for an evening cruise |
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| Career (USA) | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Kalmar Nyckel |
| Owner: | Kalmar Nyckel Foundation |
| Port of registry: | Wilmington, Delaware |
| Builder: | Allen Rawl, Wilmington, Delaware |
| Launched: | 28 September 1997 |
| In service: | 9 May 1998 |
| Identification: |
|
| Status: | in active service, as of 2012 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 298 long tons (303 t) |
| Length: |
|
| Beam: | 25 ft (7.6 m) |
| Height: | 105 ft (32 m) |
| Draft: | 12 ft 5 in (3.78 m) |
| Propulsion: | 2 × 180 hp (134 kW) Caterpillar 3208 diesel engines |
| Sail plan: | Full-rigged ship 7,600 sq ft (710 m2) sail area |
| Speed: | 9.25 knots (17.13 km/h; 10.64 mph) under power 12.5 knots (23.2 km/h; 14.4 mph) under sail |
| Endurance: | 6 days |
| Capacity: | 49 passengers |
| Crew: | 24 |
In 1986, a group of citizens of Wilmington, Delaware, established the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation, whose primary source of funding is from the taxpayers of the State of Delaware, plus donations from corporations and individuals. The foundation designed, built, and launched a replica of the Kalmar Nyckel. The modern ship, designed by naval architects Thomas C. Gillmer, Melbourne Smith, Joel Welter, and Ken Court, was built at a shipyard in Wilmington on the Christina River near the original 1638 Swedish settlers' landing site at Fort Christina. She was launched on September 28, 1997, and commissioned on May 9, 1998. The re-creation measures 94 feet (29 m) on deck and 131 feet (40 m) overall, with a 25-foot (7.6 m) beam, a 12-foot (3.7 m) draft, and a displacement of 300 tons.
The ship is operated and maintained by a volunteer staff, under the leadership of a paid captain, boatswain, and a chief mate. In November 2006, the captain of the Kalmar Nyckel, David W. Hiott, who had commanded her for nine seasons, died from the effects of recurring melanoma. Captain Lauren Morgens took over on April 1, 2007, with Sharon Litcofsky as Chief Mate and Relief Captain. Volunteers maintain the ship, run the education program, and sail her from port to port.
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