Save s/y Joseph Conrad
SAVE SAILING LEGENDS
Help bring s/y Joseph Conrad back to sea
Built at the Gdańsk Shipyard in 1958, s/y Joseph Conrad is a pioneering Polish ocean-going sailing yacht and the first vessel of the J-140 series. After decades of voyages, sail training and shared memories, she now requires extensive restoration.
Our goal is clear: to preserve her identity and bring her back to safe, active sailing.
A yacht built for the ocean
Joseph Conrad was designed by Polish engineer Henryk Kujawa and his team as a robust steel ketch intended for offshore passages, long-distance expeditions and sail training.
Her story is not only about steel, timber and sails. It is also the story of captains and crews, watches at sea, demanding weather, distant ports and the first ocean horizon seen by many young sailors.
For them, Joseph Conrad is not simply a historic vessel. She is part of their own lives.
Why this yacht matters
Joseph Conrad represents an important chapter in the development of Polish ocean sailing and post-war shipbuilding in Gdańsk.
She is also a living archive. Photographs, documents, logbooks and personal accounts connected with the yacht preserve stories that might otherwise disappear.
Once restored, she can again teach seamanship, teamwork, responsibility and respect for the sea.
Where we are today
After years out of regular service, Joseph Conrad needs a systematic technical assessment and extensive restoration. The work is being organised step by step, with safety, documentation and preservation of the yacht’s identity at the centre of every decision.
Current priorities include:
• inspecting the steel hull and measuring plate thickness,
• improving watertightness and stopping further corrosion,
• assessing the engine, electrical, hydraulic, steering and deck systems,
• preparing the technical documentation, schedule and budget for the next stages.
We publish progress updates so that supporters and partners can follow the work and understand how their support is being used.
A living ship, not a static exhibit
Our goal is not to preserve Joseph Conrad as a motionless museum object. We want her to return to sea as a safe training and educational vessel.
Her deck should once again bring together young people, students, experienced sailors and those setting out to sea for the first time.
In the future, we also want to create inclusive sailing opportunities for people with disabilities. Joseph Conrad should return to major maritime events, including The Tall Ships Races and Baltic Sail, representing Gdańsk and Poland’s maritime heritage in ports around the Baltic Sea and beyond.
How you can help
You can become part of the crew bringing Joseph Conrad back to sea:
• support the restoration financially,
• become a project partner or sponsor,
• provide technical expertise, materials, equipment or services,
• share photographs, documents, logbooks and memories from former voyages,
• tell other sailors, maritime organisations and potential partners about the project.
The restoration is led by Stowarzyszenie DyNaMo. The yacht is currently moored at Polski Klub Morski, near Wisłoujście Fortress in Gdańsk, Poland.
Technical data
Year built: 1958
Shipyard: Gdańsk Shipyard, Poland
Design: J-140
Hull and rig: steel ketch
Length overall: 18.00 m
Beam: 4.08 m
Draught: 3.50 m
Displacement: approximately 32 tonnes
Sail area: 144 m²
Berths: 12
Engine: PZM Puck Rekin SW 400, 97 hp
Join the crew bringing Joseph Conrad back to sea.
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https://zrzutka.pl/pierwszy-polski-jacht-oceaniczny-ocalmy-joseph-a-conrad-a
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