Do you want to be a rower on a ancient Greek trireme? The Hellenic Navy offers exactly this opportunity to the public, to anyone who wants to fulfill a hidden dream.
Following the successful trips of the Trireme OLYMPIAS in summer 2016, the Greek Navy invites citizens to join voyages with the ancient trireme also in summer 2017.
Everyone between 15 and 75 years old can take part in this unique sail trip to the past. Feel the thrill of rowing an ancient Trireme in the waters of the Saronic Gulf.
Scheduled are 7 voyages in July and September 2017.
The set dates for the trips of “OLYMPIAS” are as follows:
1. Sunday 02 July 2017 09: 00-11: 00
2. Sunday 09 July 2017 09: 00-11: 00
3. Wednesday 12 July 2017 17: 00-19: 00
4. Sunday 23 July 2017 09: 00-11: 00
5. Wednesday 26 July 2017 17: 00-19: 00
6. Sunday 10 September 2017 09: 00-11: 00
7. Wednesday 13 September 2017 17: 00-19: 00
Ticket is just 3 euros for each rower.
Accompanying person go on board free of charge. See below.
Trireme Olympia starts its voyages at Palaio Faliro in south Athens, close to Flisvos Marina.
The booking process is defined as follows:
1. Telephone booking at 6940 471218 from Tuesday to Friday 09: 00-13: 00 for registration of rowers’ data. Booking started on Tuesday, June 27, 2017.
2. Fill in form after phone reservation HERE.
To fill in the form in English click HERE
3. Replying email from the Trireme office, to which Responsibility Statement and Safety Guidelines will be attached.
4. On the designated day of the voyage, a signed and signed Declaration of Responsibility shall be submitted by each rower before boarding.
Each boat will have a specific number of passengers under 15 and over 75, who will be able to board without rowing.
In order to meet the maintenance needs of Triers “OLYMPIA”, the ticket for each rower is set at three (3) euros.
People under 15 and over 75 will participate free of charge.
Olympias is a reconstruction of an ancient Athenian trireme and an important example of experimental archaeology. It is also a commissioned ship in the Hellenic Navy of Greece, the only commissioned vessel of its kind in any of the world’s navies.
Olympias was constructed from 1985 to 1987 by a shipbuilder in Piraeus. She was built to drawings by the naval architect John F. Coates which he developed through long discussions with the historian J. S. Morrison. The work was also advised by the classics teacher Charles Willink and drew on evidence gained from Greek literature, history of art and archaeology above and below water. Finance came from the Hellenic Navy and private donors.
The bronze bow ram weighs 200 kg. It is a copy of an original ram now in the Piraeus archaeological museum. The ship was built from Oregon pine and Virginia oak. The keel is of iroko.
She underwent sea trials in 1987, 1990, 1992 and 1994, but one of the most informative was a 1987 exercise crewed by 170 volunteer oarsmen and oarswomen. Olympias achieved a speed of 9 knots (17 km/h) and was able to perform 180 degree turns within one minute, in an arc no wider than two and a half (2.5) ship-lengths. These results, achieved with an inexperienced crew, suggest that ancient historians like Thucydides were not exaggerating about the capabilities of triremes.
Olympias is an exhibit in a dry dock in Palaio Faliro, Athens, Greece.
Videao uploaded by the Greek Navy on April 2016
Because organizers have also an application form in English, KTG understands that also foreigners can joint with wonderful experience. Just give it a call and ask for details.
