2024-03-20 03:59:13
- From 1984 to 1990, when Toma Tomov was her captain, more than 600 people were trained
- A workable option is being sought for the ship to return to sea
Exactly 40 years have passed since the launch and raising of the Bulgarian flag on one of the most beautiful and fastest sailing ships in the world – “Kaliakra”.
Barkentina – emblem of maritime Bulgaria, was built in Poland and brought many successes from the most prestigious sailing competitions in the world for years. Now
the sailing vessel was abandoned at dock #13 of a harbor Varna-east
and waits for his salvation. Its captain, Toma Tomov, tells his memories and the ideas that could bring the legendary sailing ship back to sea.
The training sailing ship “Kaliakra” was launched in the winter of 1984, and on June 29 of the same year, the Bulgarian flag was raised at the shipyard in Gdansk.
The ship is part of the “Bulgarian Navy” Steamship, and immediately before the privatization of the steamship in 2008, it was transferred to the assets of the Bulgarian Maritime Qualification Center (BMKC).
Since 1986, it has participated in the major international regattas for training sailing ships – the so-called Tall Ships regattas, in the waters of the Baltic, North and Mediterranean seas, where he won numerous trophies.
The ship is unique for Bulgaria, it is built as a training vessel,
and not as a tourist. Everything is planned to be done by hand by 50 people on board, of which 12-14 are full-time crew and the rest are interns.
From 1984 to 1990, when Toma Tomov was its captain, more than 600 people went through training.
“I meet some of them – I don’t remember them, of course, but they often stop me to congratulate me, they are already captains, two fleet commanders have even been to me.
We sailed all over Europe and Scandinavia. Training at “Kaliakra” is something special that is remembered for a lifetime – this is what cadets who were lucky enough to experience it shared.
By placing them in more spartan conditions, in an extreme marine environment, they must learn order, discipline and self-discipline. To know what they have to do and fit into the collective work.
The sailors came down changed after the experienced adventure and journey. Many boys have told me: “This has stayed with me for life!”, says Captain Tomov.
However, the maintenance and management of a training sailing vessel proved to be too much for the qualification center and so after 2010.
“Kaliakra” has only two sailings, each about 20 days,
and the crew is reduced to a few guards.
BMCC has a completely different status of activity – conducting postgraduate qualification courses and does not have the financial power to support the ship and it is slowly losing its luster and functions.
“The ship can be saved, there are some that are 100 years old and still sailing. We can become like many countries in Europe, where there is a boom in the construction and use of similar ships,” Tomov is optimistic.
One of the options for saving barkentine is
to transfer to sea school
or to create a non-profit legal entity and include the two municipalities of Varna and Burgas, the maritime school, the maritime high schools from Burgas, Varna and Ruse, as well as the BMCC, suggests Tomov.
Thus, children and young people will be able to study according to programs.
This is very popular in the countries of Western Europe and especially in Scandinavia. There, each municipality has one or two such courts, and even though their summer is short, they are trained.
They help retired captains who give their labor at a symbolic price
and the system works. A large part of them also train ordinary people, not professionally connected with the sea. The ships are maintained with funds from the municipality and labor – from the children.
If the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Defense increase the money for the departments that will have a relationship with the ship, they will also be able to contribute funds to the company, and its owner will remain the coordination center.
Now the barquentine crew is scattered, and it is very important because of the specifics of management.
“When you have a good crew, training programs for sailors and a technically prepared ship – the three elements of its existence, the work goes on,” adds Capt. Tomov. He goes occasionally to dock #13 at the harbor.
“I’m sorry when I saw her, everything passed before my eyes, I took care of everything, there is no hope for her standing like this.
The condition is not so bad as to be discarded,
it’s just a little abandoned,” the captain thinks.
There is already an initiative to find a working variant for the ship, which is expected to mark its 40th anniversary at the end of June.