A replica of the historic Norwegian ship ‘Restauration’ has docked in Funchal harbour in honour of the first major emigration to the USA.
The ‘Restauration’ is a faithful replica of the ship that transported the first Norwegian emigrants to the United States in the seventeenth century. Its visit to Madeira will recreate a curious episode of its historical crossing.
The Honorary Consul of Norway, Andrew Zino, explained that this initiative aims to honour the first great wave of Norwegian emigration.
“This vessel is a replica of the original ship,” he explained to journalists, stating that the ship started sailing on the 4th of July, with its departure witnessed by the King and Queen of Norway.
The route so far has included stopovers in Falmouth (United Kingdom) and northern Spain, with the crew arriving in Funchal on the 29th.
Just like 200 years ago, Madeira is once again a stopping point. According to Andrew Zino, “the story goes that, on the first trip, the crew found a barrel of Madeira wine that saved the group from dehydration, although it made them drunk.”
This historic moment will be symbolically recreated in the coming days. The sailboat is scheduled to stay in Madeira until the 6th of August.
The vessel must meanwhile pass through a dry dock for a technical check before the re-enactment of the kite collection. Although access to the interior of the ship is limited due to its size, visitors will be able to see the deck and possibly tour the vessel by asking the crew.
The project, which includes this visit, is led by a small team of eight people who have been working to preserve the memory of the Norwegian diaspora.
“About 800,000 Norwegians emigrated in the 19th century, and today there are more Norwegians outside the country than inside,” said the consul, drawing a parallel with Madeira’s migratory history.
The stopover in Madeira takes place with the support of the Norwegian company Wilhelmsen.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
