Let's set new sails for "Shtandart" together!
12.03.2014
Frigate Shtandart is a training tall ship and, at the same time, a sailing museum, it is a project open to all. It carries the dream of adventurous sailing into reality. The ship was built by hand by a group of enthusiasts from St-Petersburg back in 1999. The sails, used from 2003, are now in need of replacement. The cost of material to make the new sails for Shtandart is half a million roubles (£8 500 or 10 000 Euros). If you care about the future, if you think there is room in our future for maritime adventure and dreaming – let’s give Shtandart a new set of sails together!
Who knows, perhaps one day you too will want to sail to far away shores onboard a three-mast frigate?
After 14 years of sailing, thousands of miles and participation in numerous European tall ship events new Shtandart has become a recognisable symbol of the beautiful St-Petersburg. In 2003 the famous three-mast frigate became the main character during the celebrations of the city's 300th Anniversary. For a few years it played a key role in an annual ceremony for school graduates, greeting thousands of young people with a display of its fabulous special scarlet sails at dawn.
Nowadays many towns and cities have young sailors clubs, yet Shtandart is the only tall ship in Russia open to everyone, with its active, ongoing and engaging sailing programme.
In the meantime, new sails for Shtandart require 1000 square meters of cloth plus a serious amount of labour to turn the material into 15 sails of 620 square meters in total.
Especially good material for making historic sails is called Duradon and it is produced in the United Kingdom. The total cost for material is 450 000 roubles (£7 500 or 9 000 Euros). The biggest mainsail requires 170 square metres at the cost of approximately 85 000 roubles (£14 200 or 17 000 Euros). Each of the smallest sails (fore topgallant, main topgallant and bowsprit sails) require almost 30 square metres of cloth at a cost of 14 000 roubles (£230 or 280 Euros). Each rouble collected is a step forward for us. It is a big challenge, but together we can achieve our goal. And if we end up receiving more funds, then we’ll be able to pay for the work of the Dutch sail-masters, who are known to make the best sails for historic tall ships.
If we succeed, new dreams about far away lands and new discoveries and adventures will still be possible…
‘Shtandart Project’, the owner of the ship, is a non-government, non-commercial organisation, created to promote interest in maritime history and to enable young people to take part in a worthwhile endeavour.
Volunteers who prepare the ship for sailing and work on the project are entitled to sail on Shtandart for free. Training and sailing on gigs, naval schooling and woodworking classes in our St-Petersburg workshop are also free.
In order to pay for the upkeep of the ship and the shipyard, Shtandart is rented out for filming, it attracts sponsors, takes on paying crew members and offers commercial programs. Unfortunately such earning opportunities are not regular and do not provide sufficient income. A wooden tall ship commands enormous expenses each year. These include annual dock repairs; regular replacements of wooden parts, their painting and special treatment; insurance and new equipment.
In the last four years the ship has not been able to return to its home in Russia due to some bureaucratic issues. The absence of a shore base makes maintenance work even more difficult and expensive. Volunteers come from all parts of Russia in order to help with the annual scheduled maintenance. New parts have to be carried across the whole of Europe or they must be produced on location, which also requires a lot more time, effort and money. That is why we really need the support of all those who care about the future of Shtandart.
In 2011 and 2014 the famous barque Sedov brought to Norway and Germany new masts for Shtandart. In 2013 the Mexican tall ship “Cuauhtemoc” brought decorative wooden wreaths from St-Petersburg to Szczecin. Spring preparation was done in Holland, at the shipyard De Delft, where a new replica of an 18th century tall ship is currently being built.
But, despite the difficult situation Shtandart is still flying its Russian flag and again and again is invited to various tall ship events as an honoured quest and a symbol of new Russia.
If you ever dreamt about the sea and adventures, if you ever admired the elegance of a tall ship, please do not walk away. If you, like us, believe in the importance of Shtandart helping young people to become stronger and more successful, please support us in funding the new sails for Shtandart and help the world to see a little bit more beauty and happiness. It is this very kind support that allows us to keep the ship open to all people. Everyone, despite their age, profession, experience can come aboard and discover a whole new world. But without the sails it will no longer be possible.
For the sake of the future sailing of Shtandart, for the new opportunities and for the beauty it brings into the world, we invite you to help give Shtandart new sails. Please join in! Let the part of your dream and your energy go sailing across the seas and the oceans, inspiring people, bringing them joy and new experiences and possibilities.
To join in the crowdfunding project you can here:
https://boomstar
It is the Russian crowdfunding platform and it runs in Russian but they accept all types of donations.
You also may visit our donations page at http://www.shtan
