During this year's Days of the Sea over 50 watercraft from the whole of Europe will come to Szczecin. Let's get acquainted with the largest of them.

The biggest city event near Waly Chrobrego (the Chrobry Embankment) has been attracting thousands of residents and tourists for 62 years. Last year the main pop music star concert was replaced by the Sea Battle "Znak Gryfa" ("the Sign of a Griffin"). This time we will also see a unique show - "Chopin on Chopin". Compositions by the most eminent Polish composer will be performed by renowned pianists Leszek Możdżer and Krzysztof Jabłoński, as well as by the Beethoven Academy from Cracow and the Maria Pomianowska Chamber Orchestra, and they will be accompanied by ballet performances, a parade, a light show, and screenings on big broadcast screens. These all will be held on the Szczecin sailing ships "Fryderyk Chopin" and "ORP Iskra" and "STS Pogoria".

"Fryderyk Chopin" was put into operation in 1992 and is distinguished by its original rigging. It is the largest sailing ship of the brig type in the world. It is the only ship in Poland with a 6-yard mast, and in terms of displacement and total length, it is the second largest sailing ship under the Polish flag after Dar Mlodziezy. The sailing ship is 55.5-metres long and 8.5-metres wide.

The next large watercraft that will come to Szczecin is "ORP Poznań". It is a minelayer-landing ship and it is 95.8-metres long and 10.8-metres wide. This ship has taken part in several international training exercises related to allied interoperability, including Strong Resolve 2002, Blue Game 2003, Baltops 2004, Baltops 2005, and, while participating in the exercise Anakonda 2006, Poznań served as the flagship for the commander of the 8th Coastal Defence Flotilla. In 2003, on the 13th anniversary of Poznan's commissioning, a plaque bearing the City of Poznan's coat of arms was placed on the ship.

However, it is not the only large naval ship which we will see during the Days of the Sea. "ORP Wodnik", 72.3-metres long and 11.9-metres reaches the speed of 16.8 knots. The ship has participated in an operation against Iraq, known under the name "Desert Storm", during which it travelled about 18 000 nautical miles and was the biggest action in which it has taken part. The crew consists of 56 people, complemented with teaching staff and cadets (another 100 people).

The ships described are literally only a drop in the ocean of all the ships that will dock at Szczecin port in the second weekend in June. Among them one will find breathtaking sailing ships and stylish Oldtimers, i.e., vessels built before 1950, with the traditional rig, as well as motor ships - originals and built on the basis of the former watercraft; in the past they were working vessels.