Christmas Tree Lights Up Dar Młodzieży
On 6 December, St Nicholas Day, the tallest Christmas tree in the Tricity, once again lit up Dar Młodzieży. At 16:00 sharp, HM The Rector of Gdynia Maritime University, Professor Adam Weintrit; the Mayor of Gdynia, Aleksandra Kosiorek; the Director of the Maritime Operations Department, Dariusz Jellonnek; and the captain of Dar Młodzieży, Mirosław Peszkowski, turned on the impressive Christmas tree light decoration on the mainmast of the University sail training ship.
Dar Młodzieży also opened its decks to visitors, welcoming on board locals and tourists who wished to take a closer look at the famous tall and talk to the crew. Visitors to the ship and those on the quay were treated to the maritime sounds of the Zawisza Czarny shanty choir - the biggest men’s choir of its type in Poland.
Dar Młodzieży is a three-masted frigate. The ship’s tallest masts - the mainsail and foresail - are 49.5m tall, whereas the cutter mast is a little shorter at 46.5m in length. Christmas lights decorate the tops of all the masts. At their tallest point, the lights reach a height of 60m above sea level. The tallest Christmas tree in the Tricity needed 200 metres of cable and more than 200 bulbs. The turning on of the lights was watched by many on Pomeranian Quay at the end of the South Pier in Gdynia.
The tradition of illuminating the Dar Młodzieży during the Christmas season began during the Independence Voyage in 2018 when the sailing ship spent December on the Los Angeles coast.
