Background sound: calls one of the crew members: “Chief supply officer, prepare for the reception. I repeat: “Chief supply officer, prepare for the reception”.

CHIEF SUPPLY OFFICER: We are on the main deck; much time has been spent here. I am Vitalijus Aleksandravičius, the ship’s boatswain. I have been a part of this ship for ten years, since 1999, when we brought her to Lithuania.

CHIEF SUPPLY OFFICER: I miss that youth, when we felt like being immortal, everything was interesting, we had fun, though we knew each other’s limits and didn’t cross them. At sea, we were not only sailors, but also a team working towards a common goal, bound together by work and belief in what we were doing. When someone didn’t do his job, it affected all of us: one person’s negligence could undermine the efforts of five or six people. Doing our jobs honestly and responsibly was like an unwritten rule that we all felt deep in our hearts. There was no room for simulation. The ship was our home and the sea was what connected us.

Background sound: “Your service is over.”

SHIP: Let’s head towards the stern of the ship.

SHIP: We approached an afterdeck. Two underwater robots rest here, waiting to be released into the deep, mysterious sea. Their task is to submerge into the darkness, where the human eye can never reach, and identify what lies beneath, on the seabed. A crane situated on the afterdeck gently lowers them into the water like using a hand, and then gently and slowly returns them to a safe place. This crane is not only a tool, but also a bridge connecting different worlds: the ship and the depths of the sea, the ship and the outside world. The crane carried food supplies on board, lifted boats, rafts or other heavy objects off the boat deck.

CHIEF SUPPLY OFFICER: Mooring of the ship is art and I have always been engaged in it: watching from the deck, letting us to know when we were getting too close. Nevertheless, even the most experienced commanders have left a mark – a small dent in the bow. All the commanders of “Sūduvis” knew which dent was theirs, and they would tell me about it with a smile.

SHIP: Every dent is a silent mark of history. Ships, like people, carry the weight of all the moments of the past. But at the same time, every bump, every mark, every calm day at sea joins the great ocean of history, where every event is a wave that leaves its mark on the shores of eternity.

SHIP: Let’s go inside the ship.

PROLOGUE: Today, you will embark on the story of the “SAGA OF THE SEA”, an audio time travel to the life of the museum ship M52 “Sūduvis”. This audio experience tells the story of the ship’s history, her mission and her adventures at seas. The ship, as a character, invites you to explore her past – from the service in Germany to the arrival in Lithuania. The audio narrative of the journey in time is made up of educational scenes specially created for each space, and the direction of movement will be guided by the ship, telling you where you will be travelling to. The ship’s spaces will be animated by the voices of the crew members who will tell you about themselves and their service on board.

Close your eyes. Breathe in, breathe out. Open your eyes, now you are a crew member of the ship.  

SHIP: Built in 1958 in Bremen, Burmester Shipyard, I initially served in the German Navy, back then I was called “Koblenz”.
My grey painted hull may give an impression that I am made of metal, whereas in fact I am a wooden, military “Lindau” class ship. Brazilian oak hull, mahogany trim and decks made of natural teak. I am not a cheap ship. All the equipment was state-of-the-art at that time. That is probably why I served for so long. The question is, why does it matter? Wood and non-magnetic metal allow me to avoid the danger of magnetic mines. While I was still navigating the seas and oceans, looking for mines in the depths – that was my mission! 
In early December 1999, Hurricane Anatoly is raging in the Baltic Sea, the waves are rising as high as 5–6 metres, and I am navigating from Germany to Klaipėda, heading for the harbour that will become my new home. I remember it was very dark, the waves were rolling over the ship and the stern of the ship was constantly submerged, the water surrounded us on all sides. Having overcome this storm, we reached the shores of Lithuania, and I became “Sūduvis”, joining the service at the Lithuanian Naval Forces.