Tuesday, September 20, at 11.00 a.m., the Mircea school-ship will moor at the military quay of Constanta port after a training march through the Mediterranean, the Atlantic and the North Sea. It cruised for about 9,000 miles with calls in ports in ten European and African countries.

The march started on June 9, and successfully accomplished the goals of representing the Romanian Navy in the world and of training 19 students from Mircea cel Batran Naval Academy and 49 cadets from Amiral Ion Murgescu Navy Petty Officers Military School who continued their theoretical study and improved their naval drills in real conditions.

Alongside the Romanian students and cadets, two Bulgarian cadets were on board for two months. The re-shaping works made on board allowed for the accommodation of eight women - officers who got involved in all activities.

The Romanian sails ship participated in jubilees and nautical festivals in Belgium, France, Great Britain, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands. Mircea represented Romania and its Navy at the 175th anniversary of the Kingdom of Belgium's Independence (Zeebrugge), the Centenary of Norway's Independence (Fredrikstad), at the Tall Ships Race 2005, the Sail Bremerhaven and Sail Amsterdam regattas.

The presence of the ship was remarked in all the ports where it called.

The mutual visits by the ship's command and the local civil and military authorities, as well as the participation of the Romanian students and cadets in cultural and sports activities organised by the hosts were unanimously praised. During its calls in ports, the ship was visited by more than 10,000 people who expressed positive opinions on its qualities, the professional training of the crew and the hospitality of the personnel on board.

The participation of Mircea school-ship to this training march, an internationally appreciated nautical event, was a very useful experience to the crew and proved that the present and future Romanian military seamen are capable of fulfilling their tasks wherever necessary, all around the world.

Navy Staff