Audio By Carbonatix
David Moeneclaey and his friend Simon were sailing off the coast of France when disaster struck. Their rudder broke, and suddenly their 26-foot boat was bobbing helplessly in the Atlantic. They sent an SOS message over the radio, and suddenly a vision materialized in the fog — a three-masted, 190-foot wooden sailing ship. Moeneclaey later admitted, “We wondered if we were dreaming. What time period was it?”
No, the crew of the Corto hadn’t entered some mid-ocean time warp. They hadn’t drifted onto the set of the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Their SOS had been picked up by the Götheborg, a 21st-century replica of a Swedish ship from 1738.
The original Götheborg was built by the Swedish East India Company. It was a cargo ship with three masts and 30 cannons, which made three voyages to China to trade for tea, porcelain, and silk. Though the original ship sank in 1745, various Swedish companies (including Volvo) and historical societies banded together and built a replica, which launched in 2005. The Götheborg replica is 190 feet long and requires a crew of 80 sailors. It made a repeat expedition to China and attends wooden ship events worldwide.
A broken rudder and desperate SOS
Skipper David Moeneclaey remembers his sailboat was 50 nautical miles from land when its rudder broke. He says, “The three-masted sailboat Götheborg quickly responded to our call, offering to tow us to Paimpol (France).”
He was skeptical at first. “We feared being towed by a boat that was too large and at too fast a speed that could damage our boat.” Then one of the largest wooden sailing ships on the planet arrived. “The arrival of the Götheborg on the scene was rapid and surprising, as we did not expect to see a merchant ship from the East India Company of the XVIII century. This moment was very strange, and we wondered if we were dreaming. Where were we? What time period was it?”
Reaching France required sailing all night and into the next day. “The crew of the Götheborg showed great professionalism and kindness towards us. They adapted their speed to the size of our boat and the weather conditions. We felt accompanied by very professional sailors. Every hour, the officer on duty of the Götheborg called us to ensure everything was going well.”
The crew of the Corto will never forget their wooden ship rescue
When the two vessels reached the French coast, the Corto had to wait for a rescue boat. “The Götheborg approached us as closely as possible and stayed by our side until the arrival of a French rescue boat.”
When the sailing ship disappeared again, Moeneclaey still hadn’t met its crew face-to-face. But he did send them a message. “Dear commander and crew of the Götheborg, your kindness, and generosity have shown that your ship is much more than just a boat. It embodies the noblest values of the sea, and we are honored to have had the chance to cross your path and benefit from your help.”
Later, when the Götheborg was at port, Moeneclaey was finally able to come aboard and meet up with his saviors. The crew shared a picture to the ship’s official Instagram. “Our Second Officer Marielle Cocozza, who was the first to receive the distress call, met up with him and took him for a tour around the ship… It was wonderful having you on board, David. Thank you for visiting!”
