Posted by Andrew Craig-Bennett on March 20, 2007 at 19:53:52 from 195.93.21.42 user ACB.
In Reply to: Re: Pommern exists posted by Laurence Monkhouse on March 20, 2007 at 18:18:49:
"Pommern" and her sisters in Gustaf Eriksson's fleet based at Mariehamm in the Aland Islands occupied a special place in the thoughts of yachtsmen between the wars - they were the very last fleet of square riggers still trading under sail. Eric Newby's "The Last Grain Race" describes a voyage in the Eriksson fleet.
(My late father crewed for Ralph Swann aboard his 29ft cutter "Marie Michon" from Lowestoft to the Aland Islands to see the Eriksson fleet come in and lay up in 1928 - they won an RCC Cup for this (Ransome was an RCC member). They were recieved very hospitably and left the boat with Eriksson's chief Bosun to lay up for the winter. As they left on the ferry back to Stockholm they were surprised and delighted to b saluted by Captain Eriksson himself at the helm of Marie Michon - he thought the little boat was great fun!)
Seeing the "Pommern" would have had quite a resonance for AR and his readers.