# fate of missing sailing vessels



## SteveT (Jul 6, 2005)

Hi folks,

I'm hoping someone out there might know what has become of a few sailing vessels I'm interested in.

For starters, there are two Russian built topsail schooners, the Volchitsa, and the Elena Maria Barbara. Volchitsa was the first of five sisterships, apparently moved to Spain for charter work, and has since disappeared. I assume she was either lost, or has undergone a name change. One of her sisters is in Spain, the Sadko. Pandora, the former Anna, is now in Italy. HMS Pickle, formerly Alevtina Tuy, is listed for sale currently. The last sister, Elena Maria Barbara, had been scheduled to become a Welsh tallship, Cymru, but when plans changed, she was supposedly sold to Spain also. I'm trying to track down her name now.

Golden Plover is another vessel I'm interested in. She was a brigantine rig, based in Australia. She had been doing charter/dive work in the Whitsundays, but has also been hard to track down. 

Does anyoone know if Druzhba is still around? She is the largest of the vessels I'm trying to track down, being one of the Polish built sisters to Dar Mlodziezy. The last I heard she belonged to the Ukraine, but has not been seen in quite some time.

Valentine was a pretty schooner based in Norway. Her website has died, and I'm trying to track her down as well.

Eugene Eugenides, formerly Sunbeam II, is a vessel certainly deserving a better fate. She seems to have been lying in Greece awaiting funds to restore her. Dose anyone know if she is still around?

Finally, the JI Fung, formerly of Hong Kong, was sold. I have been able to track her progress to the mideast, where she had some work done, and was renamed John Player, to be used in commercial work. After that, there was a picture of her grounded in the Med. Does anyone know if she survived, or if she is lost?

I try to keep track of all the significant sailing vessels from around the world, but it's always frustrating when some seem to fall off the face off the earth. I wish there was some way to track the ultimate fate of them.

Thanks to any who might have any information on these vessels.

Steve


----------



## treeve (Nov 15, 2005)

Hi Steve, looks like you have your work cut out, as they say.
Welcome to ShipsNostalgia; it takes a lot of effort to track 
down these sailing ships.
I see that http://www.gloucesterdocks.me.uk/home/newsarch05.htm
says that Elena Maria Barbara will remain in Gloucester for overhaul in winter of 2006. And http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northwest/sites/amlwch/pages/tallships2.shtml
says she was renamed Cymru and in Cardiff under that name.
All manner of old and totally incorrect information on the Pickle abounds on the net. Not at all sure as to how you would go about this without writing endless letters or travelling miles. Lets hope someone here has heard something for you.
Best Wishes, Raymond


----------

