Kalmar Nyckel
{{Short description|Swedish ship built by the Dutch}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2015}}
| {{Infobox ship begin
| display title = ital}} {{Infobox ship image | Ship image = Kalmar Nyckel by Jacob Hägg cropped.jpg | Ship caption = Calmare Nyckel oil painting by Jacob Hägg, 1922 }} {{Infobox ship career | Hide header = | Ship country = Sweden | Ship flag = {{Shipboxflag|Sweden|1562}} | Ship name = {{lang|sv|Kalmar Nyckel}} | Ship owner = The Ship Company ({{lang|sv|Skeppskompaniet}}) | Ship route = Gothenburg, Sweden — New Sweden, North America | Ship builder = | Ship original cost = | Ship laid down = | Ship launched = c. 1625 | Ship completed = | Ship acquired = 1629 | Ship fate = Sold to Swedish Navy, 1644 }} {{Infobox ship career | Hide header = yes | Ship acquired = | Ship commissioned = 1644 | Ship decommissioned = June 19, 1651 | Ship struck = | Ship reinstated = | Ship homeport = | Ship identification = | Ship motto = | Ship honours = | Ship fate = *Sold into merchant service, 1651.
| Ship notes = | Ship badge = }} {{Infobox ship characteristics | Hide header = | Ship type = Pinnace | Ship tonnage = | Ship displacement = | Ship length = | Ship beam = | Ship height = | Ship draft = | Ship depth = | Ship hold depth = | Ship decks = | Ship deck clearance = | Ship sail plan = Full-rigged ship | Ship speed = | Ship boats = | Ship capacity = | Ship crew = 40 sailors & 28 soldiers (in Naval service) | Ship armament = *12 × 6-pounder cannon
| Ship notes = }} |
{{langnf|sv|Kalmar Nyckel|Key of Kalmar}} was a Swedish ship built by the Dutch{{efn|Technically speaking, she was a Naval auxiliary during this period.}} famed for carrying Swedish settlers to North America in 1638, to establish the colony of New Sweden. The name {{lang|sv|Kalmar Nyckel}} comes from the Swedish city of Kalmar and {{lang|sv|nyckel}} meaning {{gloss|key}} in Swedish. The name was also a tribute to Kalmar Castle which was a symbol of power during the time of the Swedish Empire when Sweden was a military great power. A replica of the ship was launched at Wilmington, Delaware, in 1997.
History
{{lang|sv|Kalmar Nyckel}} was constructed in about 1625, and was of a design called a pinnace. The ship was originally named {{langnf|nl|Sleutel|key}}, and to distinguish it from several other ships called Key it was known by the name of the city of Kalmar, which purchased the ship in 1629, as its contribution to a state-sponsored trading company, {{lang|sv|Skeppskompaniet}}. It was later purchased into the Swedish Navy. When Sweden decided to establish a trading colony in the New World under the direction of Peter Minuit, {{lang|sv|Kalmar Nyckel}} was chosen for the voyage. A smaller vessel, {{lang|sv|Fogel Grip}} {{gloss|mode=def|Griffin Bird}}, accompanied her.
The ships sailed from Gothenburg in December 1637, commanded by Jan Hindriksen van der Water, but encountered a severe storm in the North Sea and had to divert to the Netherlands for repairs. They departed on New Year's Day 1638, arriving in North America in March 1638.{{cite book |first=Amandus |last=Johnson |title=The Swedish Settlements on the Delaware, 1638–1664 |location=Philadelphia |publisher=Swedish Colonial Society |year=1911}} They built a fort on the present site of the city of Wilmington, which they named Fort Christina.
A second voyage, which departed on February{{nbsp}}7, 1640, and arrived at Fort Christina on April{{nbsp}}17, brought additional settlers for New Sweden. One of them was Reorus Torkillus, the first Lutheran clergyman in New Sweden. The {{lang|sv|Kalmar Nyckel}} made four successful round trips from Sweden to North America, a record unchallenged by any other colonial vessel.{{cite web |url=http://www.icyousee.org/kalmar.html |title=A History of Kalmar Nyckel and a New Look at New Sweden |accessdate=2010-02-01 |last=Henderson |first=John R. |date=2007-09-05 |publisher=Ithaca College |archive-date=March 31, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160331201336/http://www.icyousee.org/kalmar.html |url-status=live }}
Between colonial voyages, the ship was used by the navy as a transport and courier. She was sold out of Swedish service to Dutch merchants in 1651. At the outbreak of the First Anglo-Dutch War, she was employed as a fisheries protection vessel under Captain Dirk Vijgh. The ship was sunk off the coast of Scotland in action against Blake's squadron on July{{nbsp}}12, 1652.{{cite book |title=Dutch Warships in the Age of Sail 1600–1714 Design, Construction, Careers and Fates |last=Bender |first=James |year=2014 |page=62 |publisher=Seaforth |isbn=978-1-84832-157-1}}
File:Delaware swedish tercentenary half dollar commemorative reverse.jpg, designed by Carl L. Schmitz]]
Modern replica
| {{Infobox ship begin |display title = ital}}
{{Infobox ship image | Ship image = | Ship caption = The replica of the Kalmar Nyckel when filming the 2019 documentary Kalmar Nyckel - the pursuit of North America's riches for Swedish Sveriges Television SVT. }} {{Infobox ship career | Hide header = title | Ship country = United States | Ship flag = {{USN flag|2012}} | Ship name = Kalmar Nyckel | Ship owner = Kalmar Nyckel Foundation | Ship operator = | Ship registry = Wilmington, Delaware | Ship route = | Ship ordered = | Ship awarded = | Ship builder = Allen Rawl, Wilmington, Delaware | Ship original cost = | Ship yard number = | Ship way number = | Ship laid down = | Ship launched = September{{nbsp}}28, 1997 | Ship sponsor = | Ship christened = | Ship completed = | Ship acquired = | Ship maiden voyage = | Ship in service = May{{nbsp}}9, 1998 | Ship out of service = | Ship refit = | Ship struck = | Ship reinstated = | Ship homeport = | Ship identification = *Call sign: WCY3589
| Ship motto= | Ship nickname= | Ship fate= | Ship status= {{Ship in active service | 2024 | url=}} | Ship notes= | Ship badge= }} {{Infobox ship characteristics | Hide header= | Ship type= | Ship tonnage= | Ship displacement= {{cvt|298|LT|t|0|lk=on}} | Ship length=*{{cvt|141|ft|m}} (sparred)
| Ship beam= {{cvt|25|ft}} | Ship height= {{cvt|105|ft}} | Ship draft= {{cvt|12|ft|5|in}} | Ship depth= | Ship hold depth= | Ship decks= | Ship deck clearance= | Ship power= | Ship propulsion=2 × {{cvt|180|hp|0}} Caterpillar 3208 diesel engines | Ship sail plan=*Full-rigged ship
| Ship speed=*{{cvt|9.25|kn|lk=in}} under power
| Ship range= | Ship endurance=6 days | Ship capacity=49 passengers | Ship crew=24 | Ship sensors= | Ship armament= | Ship notes= }} |
In 1986, a group of citizens of Wilmington, Delaware, established the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation, whose primary source of funding is from the taxpayers of the State of Delaware, plus donations from corporations and individuals. The foundation designed, built, and launched a replica of Kalmar Nyckel. The modern ship, designed by naval architects Thomas C. Gillmer and [http://www.IverFranzen.com Iver Franzen], with additional help from Melbourne Smith, Joel Welter, and Ken Court, was built at a shipyard in Wilmington on the Christina River near the original 1638 Swedish settlers' landing site at Fort Christina. She was launched on September{{nbsp}}28, 1997, and commissioned on May 9, 1998. The re-creation measures {{cvt|94|ft|m}} on deck and {{cvt|131|ft|m}} overall, with a {{cvt|25|ft|m|adj=on}} beam, a {{cvt|12|ft|m|adj=on}} draft, and a displacement of 300 tons.{{cite web |url=http://www.kalmarnyckel.org/aboutshipspecs.asp |title=The Kalmar Nyckel Ship Specifications |publisher=Kalmar Nyckel Foundation |accessdate=2010-02-01 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100507090534/http://www.kalmarnyckel.org/aboutshipspecs.asp |archivedate=May 7, 2010 |df=mdy-all}}
The ship is operated and maintained by a volunteer staff, under the leadership of a paid captain, boatswain, and chief mate. In November 2006, the captain of the Kalmar Nyckel, David W. Hiott, who had commanded her for nine seasons, died from the effects of recurring melanoma. Captain Lauren Morgens took over on April{{nbsp}}1, 2007, with Sharon Dounce as Port Captain/Relief Captain. Volunteers maintain the ship, run the education program, and sail her from port to port.{{cite book |first=C. A. |last=Weslager |title=A Man and His Ship: Peter Minuit and the Kalmar Nyckel |location=Wilmington, Del. |publisher=Kalmar Nyckel Foundation |year=1989}}
Since 2016, the ship has served as the official tall ship of Delaware. It was adopted as a state symbol for serving "as Delaware's seagoing ambassador both at home and at many ports of call, raising awareness of the First State for thousands who see her and come on board."{{Cite web |url=http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2016/09/09/kalmar-nyckel-becomes-tall-ship-delaware/90113736/ |title=Delaware Online: Kalmar Nyckel becomes official Tall Ship of Delaware |date=September 9, 2016 |accessdate=2016-09-09 |archive-date=August 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200808071032/https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2016/09/09/kalmar-nyckel-becomes-tall-ship-delaware/90113736/ |url-status=live }}
= Ship's cats =
Toolbox was the senior ship's cat and official warrant officer with the title of 'Captain's Assistant'. The offspring of a feral cat, she was born in a toolbox while the ship was under construction in 1997. She had always lived on the ship and therefore had the greatest accumulated sea time of any member of the crew. A celebrity in her own right, she is the star of two books.{{cite book |last1=Mayers |first1=Barbara |title=Toolbox: Ship's Cat on the Kalmar Nyckel |date=2007 |publisher=Bay Oak Publishers, Limited |isbn=978-0-9741713-9-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q3LvHwAACAAJ |accessdate=January 23, 2015}}{{cite book |last1=Ireland |first1=Charles E. Jr. |title=Toolbox |date=2006 |publisher=Cedar Tree Books |location=Wilmington, Delaware |isbn=978-1-892142-30-6 |url=http://cedartreebooks.com/catalog/1-books/29-toolbox |accessdate=January 23, 2015 |archive-date=January 23, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150123222915/http://cedartreebooks.com/catalog/1-books/29-toolbox |url-status=live }}
Unfortunately, due to her failed eyesight, Toolbox retired from her position on Kalmar Nyckel in November 2012. A retirement party was thrown in her honor, and many past and present crew members came to celebrate her 16 years on the ship.{{cite web |last1= |title=A 'Purrrfect' Retirement for a Servant of the Sea |url=http://townsquaredelaware.com/2013/01/30/a-purrrfect-retirement-for-a-servant-of-the-sea/ |date=January 30, 2013 |website=townsquaredelaware.com |publisher=Town Square Delaware |accessdate=January 23, 2015 |archive-date=January 23, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150123221757/http://townsquaredelaware.com/2013/01/30/a-purrrfect-retirement-for-a-servant-of-the-sea/ |url-status=live }}
In addition, a number of other cats have served with Kalmar Nyckel at various times, including Clew Garnet, Lagan, Sven, Timmynocky (nautical equivalent of thingamajig){{cite web |title=Terms beginning with 'T' |url=http://www.diy-wood-boat.com/Boating-terms.html#Boating_Terms_begining_with_T |website=DIY Wood Boat |accessdate=January 9, 2015 |location=Boating Terms and expressions |archive-date=January 9, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150109234940/http://www.diy-wood-boat.com/Boating-terms.html#Boating_Terms_begining_with_T |url-status=live }} and Ditty. The last ship's cat was called Chester, a full-grey American shorthair, who retired during the COVID pandemic, and currently lives on land with a volunteer.
Symphony
In 1986, composer Benjamin Lees was commissioned to write a symphony to honor the founding of Wilmington, Delaware. Lees named the resulting work Symphony No. 5: Kalmar Nyckel. The piece was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2003, following release of a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zt2InFK7xw recording] by the German orchestra Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz.{{cite news |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9906E6D61E3EF934A35755C0A9669D8B63 |first=Margalit |last=Fox |date=2010-06-07 |title=Benjamin Lees, 86, Versatile Classical Composer |newspaper=New York Times |page=A-19 |access-date=February 10, 2017 |archive-date=September 19, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919234553/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9906E6D61E3EF934A35755C0A9669D8B63 |url-status=live }}
Gallery
File:Kalamar Nycel bow figurehead.jpg|The bow of the replica Kalmar Nyckel including a two-tailed lion figurehead, one tail symbolizing the old ship and one symbolizing the new ship.
File:Kalmar Nyckel Chesapeake Bay.jpg|In Chesapeake Bay, 2008, flying from foretop to stern the Finnish, Swedish naval, Dutch and American flags.
File:Kalmar Nyckel stern.JPG|Stern of the replica
File:Toolbox of the Kalmar Nyckel.JPG|Toolbox, the former senior ship's cat of the Kalmar Nyckel
File:Wilmington Riverfront.JPG|The Kalmar Nyckel with the Wilmington skyline in the background
See also
- Måns Andersson
- Ship replica (including a list of ship replicas)
- Götheborg, a sailing replica of an 18th-century Swedish East Indiaman
- American Swedish Historical Museum
- Swedish colonization of the Americas
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
= Other sources =
- {{cite web |url=http://www.thebrandywine.com/attractions/kalmar.html |title=Kalmar Nyckel: Delaware's Tall Ship |accessdate=2008-11-09 |year=2008 |work=TheBrandywine.com}}
- {{cite web |url=http://townsquaredelaware.com/2013/01/30/a-purrrfect-retirement-for-a-servant-of-the-sea/ |title=A 'Purrrfect Retirement for a Servant of the Sea |date=January 30, 2013 |publisher=Town Square Delaware |access-date=April 28, 2013 |archive-date=January 23, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150123221757/http://townsquaredelaware.com/2013/01/30/a-purrrfect-retirement-for-a-servant-of-the-sea/ |url-status=dead }}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.kalmarnyckel.org/}}
- [http://www.colonialnewsweden.org/littlekey/ Kalmar Nyckel ship's boat, the shallop "Little Key"]
- [http://www.iverfranzen.com/ Iver Franzen, naval architecture & marine consulting]
{{Coord|39|44|12|N|75|32|13|W|region:US-DE_type:landmark|name=Kalmar Nyckel replica|display=title}}
Category:17th century in Sweden
Category:Economic history of Sweden
Category:Tall ships of the United States
Category:Individual sailing vessels
Category:Age of Sail naval ships of Sweden
Category:Auxiliary ships of the Swedish Navy
Category:Age of Sail naval ships of the Dutch Republic
Category:Tourist attractions in New Castle County, Delaware
Category:Ships built in the Netherlands
Category:Ships built in Wilmington, Delaware
Category:Wilmington Riverfront
Category:Shipwrecks in the North Sea
Category:Maritime incidents in 1652