The first sailing ships in Memel date back to the 13th century and served the Livonian Order's castle. It was not until the mid-16th century, when Klaipėda was part of the Prussian state, that the wealthy citizens of Klaipėda began to build larger sailing ships themselves, which were used to reach the shores of Spain.

In 1721, there was only one shipbuilder in Klaipėda, so the townspeople were assisted by some of the best Dutch shipbuilders of the time. The golden age of the sailing ship era, associated with the mass export of timber, began in the mid-18th century. A ship carpenter's workshop was established and the Klaipėda fleet grew to 98 sailing ships. At the same time, ship nailers, anchor smiths, rope and flax winders, and sailmakers' workshops were established. And in 1829, the Royal School of Navigation was opened to train sea captains and stevedores. Sailing ships from the port of Klaipėda transported mainly timber and agricultural produce, which was transported along the Nemunas not only from Lithuania, but also from Belarus and Ukraine. Seafarers' journeys were long and complex, with cargoes travelling not only across the Baltic Sea, but also to England, South America and even Africa and Australia. Technological advances were relentless for sailing ships, which were displaced by steamships in the late 19th century. Steamers could carry ten times heavier loads with a much smaller crew, were almost independent of wind direction and had a higher speed. By 1901 Klaipėda no longer had a single seagoing sailing cargo ship.

In the exposition you will learn the peculiarities of sailing ship construction, find out how to chase the propellers, what are the secrets of tying sea knots. There is also a challenge - you will become a captain and try to sail the ship into the harbour.