Dar Młodzieży Returns to Gdynia

On 23 September 2026, the Gdynia Maritime University training frigate berthed in Gdynia. The white frigate was welcomed by Rector Professor Adam Weintrit; Dariusz Jellonnek, Director of the Ship Management and Maritime Training Department; Thomas Mandeville, Special Agent of the US Naval Criminal Investigative Service representing the US Embassy; as well as numerous Gdynia residents, friends, and family members of the crew and students completing their practical sea training.

The transatlantic expedition, which formed part of the overall voyage lasting more than five months, began on 16 April 2026. The Dar Młodzieży left Gdynia, setting course for the Isle of Man and then Cadiz. The route then led across the Atlantic to the Bahamas and the United States, where the frigate visited Norfolk, New York and Boston. One of the main objectives of the voyage was participation in the international Sail 250 events organised to mark the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States.

The departure date held symbolic significance. Exactly 50 years earlier, on 16 April 1976, the Dar Pomorza set sail on a voyage connected with the celebrations marking the bicentenary of the United States. Half a century later, the Dar Młodzieży followed in the footsteps of her predecessor, recalling the event of 50 years earlier.

Sea Training Above All

The most important task of the Dar Młodzieży remains training future maritime professionals. The transatlantic expedition was divided into three stages, during which different groups of trainees took turns on board.

The first stage, from Gdynia via the Isle of Man to Cadiz, involved students from the GMU Faculty of Marine Engineering and pupils from the Maritime School Complex in Świnoujście.

In Cadiz, more than 100 first-year students from the GMU Faculty of Navigation came on board. They completed their practical training during the Atlantic crossing via the Bahamas and onward to the United States. On 18 June, the Dar Młodzieży, under the command of Captain Michał Sadowski, entered Norfolk, marking the beginning of the American leg of the voyage.

A further change of trainees took place in New York. A group of second-year students from the GMU Faculty of Navigation boarded the frigate to continue their practical training during the remainder of the voyage.

4 July – Dar Młodzieży Represented Poland in New York

The culmination of the voyage was the participation of the Dar Młodzieży in the international tall ships parade in New York on 4 July 2026. The Gdynia Maritime University training frigate was among the vessels taking part in celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States.

The date held additional significance for the Dar Młodzieży. Exactly 44 years earlier, on 4 July 1982, the white-and-red ensign was formally hoisted on the frigate for the first time. On the 44th anniversary of that occasion, the sail training vessel thus represented Poland at one of the major commemorative events marking the United States' anniversary.

The presence of the Dar Młodzieży in American ports had not only a training dimension but also a symbolic one. Once again, the frigate served as a floating showcase for Poland and Gdynia Maritime University, promoting Polish maritime traditions and maritime education abroad.

Across the Atlantic to Europe

Following the conclusion of the American leg of the voyage, the Dar Młodzieży began its return passage to Europe. Commanded by Captain Krzysztof Kocyba, the frigate departed Boston and set course across the Atlantic.

After the ship sailed from New York to Boston, damage to the propeller blades was identified, most likely caused during a storm in the New York roadstead on 3 July. A technical assessment confirmed that the voyage could continue safely.

Following the Atlantic stage of the practical training, the frigate entered the GRYFIA Shiprepair Yard in Szczecin on 16 August, where essential maintenance work was carried out. The ship's arrival at the shipyard in Szczecin also marked the end of the Atlantic stage of practical sea training for the second-year Navigation students who had boarded the Dar Młodzieży during the vessel's call in New York.

After the maintenance work was completed, the Dar Młodzieży departed for Hamburg on 29 August, arriving there on 2 September. The next port of call was Stavanger, where the vessel stayed from 11 to 14 September. From there, the Dar Młodzieży set course for her home port of Gdynia, arriving on 23 September 2026.