Friday 29 June 2012

Tall Ship KAJAMA (Revisited)

Whether you're gliding along the shoreline in a day-sailer, or tightening the main in a stiff breeze on a sailing cutter on British Columbia's St. George's Strait as I vividly recall doing as a young sea cadet in the 60's, the lyrics from Christopher Cross's 1979 hit "Sailing": 'The canvas can do miracles just you wait and see' - basically says it all. Dreams of sailing into paradise can also happen even while simply taking an excursion around the bay like during Canal Days in Port Colborne on the EMPIRE SANDY or around Toronto Island on the 164’ former European cargo schooner KAJAMA. 
When launched in 1930 at Nobiskrug Shipyards in Rendsburg, Germany, her name was WILIFRIED and she traded general cargo from Northern Spain to the Baltic while owned and operated by Captain Wilhelm Wilckens from her homeport of Hamburg, Germany.

Packed to the gunnels sightseers KAJAMA heads out to the Eastern Passage - August 27, 2011

In 1960, she was purchased by Captain Andreas Kohler Asmussen of Egersund, Denmark and was renamed KAJAMA, was an acronym for his two sons and wife: KAywe-JAn-MAria. KAJAMA continuesd to work under sail into the mid-70’s when she was converted to strictly a motor ship. Until 1998 she continued to trade dry bulk goods along Western Europe and Scandinavia, and to ports in Northern Norway and above the Arctic Circle
In 1999 she was purchased by the Great Lakes Schooner Company of Toronto and ever since KAJAMA has operated as a day-sail excursion vessel capable of carrying up to 225 passengers around Toronto Island on Lake Ontario and in the inner harbour like where I saw her again last Sunday, September 2.
"Yes, just a dream and wind can carry me, and soon I will be free. 
I love that song and so miss the experience of SAILING ⛵😊⛵









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