Heading home
On the 12th of September 1745, the swedish East Indiaman Götheborg headed for her home port after almost two years of sailing the world´s oceans. The ship suffered heavily from storms, and the crew were exhausted but full of expectations. But the triumphant homecoming would end in catastrophe. With a pilot on board and before the very eyes of encouraging spectators in small boats and on shorelines, the ship ran aground in the middle of the entrance to Gothenburg harbour - and sunk with her entire cargo.

What happened outside Gothenburg?
Thanks to all nearby boats, all the crew survived. Repeated attempts with varying success were made to salvage the valuable cargo, which was worth as much as the national budget. Speculations was fervent. An insurance fraud? Rudder problems? A drunk captain? Eventually the Swedish East Indiaman Götheborg was forgotten, until 240 years later when a diver rediscovered her and began a marine-archaeological excavation. The attention surrounding the find and the excavation whetted people´s appetites, and led to the slightly crazy idea of rebuilding the entire vessel - in full scale using traditional techniques - and sailing to China once again. All ingenious ideas have a degree of madness. It is therefore good to know that adventure lives on, and madness still flourishes at the Terra Nova shipyard. The very same madness takes the replica "The Swedish Ship Götheborg" to China.

Map over China