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The Götheborg was built
in 1738 at the Terra Nova shipyard in Stockholm, under the leadership of
shipbuilder William Machett and with the help of 100 craftsmen as well
as another 300 hired help. It took almost 2 years to build.
The 18th
Century East Indiaman vessel Götheborg made 3 voyages to China but on
the third, she wrecked at the entrance of the Swedish
port of Göteborg (Gothenburg harbour) on 12 September 1745 after a several years long
voyage, its hull full of tea, silk,
spices and Chinese porcelain.
The Götheborg replica was
built according to traditional methods and with the same raw materials
as were used in the 18th century. No plans of the ship have been
recovered so the replica is a result of long hours of research and
innovation. The steering wheel has the same construction as the
original, that us no hydraulic steering, just simple mechanical transfer
to the rudder. However, for safety reasons, the new ship is equipped
with a model propeller. The replica flies a two-tongued Swedish flag,
which in the past was used to give the impression to pirate ships that
the Götheborg was a warship.
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