Dar Młodzieży’s Transatlantic Voyage to the USA

2026

16 April

The Dar Młodzieży set sail on a transatlantic voyage on 16 April 2026. Gdynia Maritime University's sail training ship will take part  in Sail 250 – maritime celebrations to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence. At approximately 14:00, Gdynia Maritime University’s sail training ship put out to sea from its home port in Gdynia, setting a heading for the Isle of Man. 

The departure of the Dar Młodzieży was preceded by a press conference held on board with the participation of Gdynia Maritime University leaders and representatives of the Ministry of Infrastructure. The University was represented by HM The Rector, Professor Adam Weintrit, and the Director of the Maritime Operations Department, Captain Dariusz Jellonek. Giving a speech on behalf of the Ministry of Infrastructure was Minister Dariusz Klimczak. The City of Gdynia was represented by Mayor Aleksandra Kosiorek.

In bidding farewell to the ship, GMU Rector Professor Adam Weintrit spoke of the GMU students and secondary school pupils on board:

I hope the voyage will prove to be a proper test for these young people. For the majority of them, it will be the first voyage of their lives. Therefore, it will be an opportunity to discover whether the choice they made a year or two years ago was the right decision.

During the 131-day expedition, the Dar Młodzieży will leave in its wake around 12,000 nautical miles. The ship is captained by Captain Michał Sadowski.

The Dar Młodzieży was waved off from the quay in Gdynia by University leaders, national and local government officials, representatives of the maritime community, the families of students and pupils taking part in the first stage of the voyage, and many Gdynia residents.

The ship is scheduled to reach the US in the second half of June and will take part in the global gathering of tall ships on 4 July in New York.

20 April

The Dar Mlodzieży rounds the ‘Horn of Europe’

First Officer Tomasz Maracewicz wrote:

Today at 13:45 UTC, the Dar Młodzieży, under the command of Captain Michał Sadowski, sailing under sails, rounded the Pentland Firth – the body of water between the Orkney Isles and the coast of Scotland.

The ship made a similar passage under the command of Captain Leszek Wiktorowicz during its historic circumnavigation of the globe from 1987 to 1988. The passage through the Pentland Firth is one of the most difficult to navigate on account of the strong tidal currents, which often exceed 10 knots.

The strait has instilled fear in sailors for centuries. Here, the waters of the Atlantic and the North Sea meet, creating chaotic currents, whirlpools and short, steep seas. In the age of sail, the passage often had to be planned down to the minute – it was essential to catch the tidal window exactly.

To this day, navigating the Pentland Firth is regarded as one of the most demanding passages in Europe. Photos: Michał Sadowski