Kaiwo Maru (1930)

Kaiwo Maru

Kaiwo Maru (海王丸) is a Japanese former training barque. She was built by Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation in Kobe, and was launched on 27 January 1930 alongside her sister ship Nippon Maru.[1] She was operated by the Tokyo Institute for Maritime Training to train officers for Japan's merchant marine.[1] At the beginning of World War II, her sailing rig was removed and she served as a training and postwar transport motorship.[1] In 1955, her rig was reinstalled and she resumed her training voyages until she was replaced in 1989 by her successor, also named Kaiwo Maru.[1][2] In August 1955 the ship was filmed by Mike Todd for the movie Around the World in 80 Days. She is now a museum ship located in Imizu, Toyama.[3]

Kaiwo Maru measures 97 metres (318 ft) long, with a beam of 12.95 metres (42.5 ft) and a draft of 6.90 metres (22.6 ft).[1] Her gross tonnage is 2,286.[1] She is rigged as a four-masted barque, with 32 sails covering 2,397 square metres (25,800 sq ft), and two 600-horsepower diesel engines for auxiliary functions.[1] During her career as a training ship, she was crewed by a complement of 27 officers, 48 sailors, and 120 trainees.[1]

Today the ship is on static display. Trained local volunteers unfurl the sails several times a year, usually on public holidays.[4]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Schäuffelen, Otmar (2005). Chapman Great Sailing Ships of the World. Hearst Books. ISBN 978-1588163844.
  2. ^ "Outline of Kaiwo Maru". National Institute for Sea Training. Archived from the original on 28 January 2010. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  3. ^ "Sailing Ship The Kaiwomaru". Kaiwomaru Park. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
  4. ^ http://www.kaiwomaru.jp/en/