The Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship wants to spend twelve million zlotys to make a great dream come true. Thirty meters long, two masts – it will be a yacht, and a seagoing one at that. The lack of access to the sea is of no great importance to the voivodeship authorities.
The decision was made during the December budget session of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship assembly. The sea yacht called “Dar Kujawy and Pomerania” is to cost twelve million zlotys plus an additional three million zlotys for operation and is to sail in the waters of the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and even the Atlantic. PLN 5 million has already been voted on at the December session of the regional council. The yacht is to have a 26-meter-long hull, two yard masts and sails with a span of 350 square meters. It will take 23 people on board.
– We decided to build a sailing ship because in the next few years it is cheaper than both chartering and buying a used vessel. We estimate the purchase cost at PLN 12 million and we have guaranteed this amount for this investment in the voivodeship budget, but we assume that 85 percent. this sum will ultimately come from European Union funds. We also plan to finance the current operation of the Gift of Kujawy and Pomerania from EU funds (approximately PLN 3 million per year), but we also hope that local governments in our voivodeship that run educational institutions will join us – says the Marshal's Office of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship.
The construction of the yacht will cost PLN 12 millionSzymon Zdziebło/tarantoga for UMWKP
A yacht for young people
As the voivodeship marshal Piotr CaÅ‚becki explains, “the project is dedicated primarily to young people from communities at risk of social exclusion, as well as young people with disabilities.”
– We also dedicate it to young sea enthusiasts, students of schools in our region, because maritime education is a school of character. This will not be a yacht for the rich! I think that this undertaking is the greatest thing in the world that we can implement as part of our innovative education project – says CaÅ‚becki.
Doubts arose
However, the investment is controversial. Law and Justice councilor Marek Gralik considers it a “whim”.
– In my club speech at the budget session, I called this task an extravagance or even a whim of the voivodeship board, to which the marshal was offended. I do not withdraw these words, because the voivodeship board could have implemented another task included in the development strategy of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, the so-called key project, also related to swimming, which is the program to popularize sailing in Kujawy and Pomerania. This would involve the purchase of one hundred sailboats and four cabin yachts along with equipment for sailing clubs and associations. If such a task was proposed by the marshal and would cost much less and bring much more results for people who actually use this type of equipment, it would be a much better and more profitable task than spending twelve million zlotys on the construction of a seagoing yacht – he says in an interview with tvn24.pl Gralik.
According to Marek Gralik, there are also doubts about who the yacht will actually serve. – Not only the marshal, but members of the voivodeship board are confused in public statements about who this is supposed to serve. There is a provision in the budget resolution that it is intended for water sportsmen, students, young people achieving some success in the voivodeship, which would be a form of reward, and for people from dysfunctional families. The priority for the marshal is that the investment is dedicated to students of special schools, for disabled people, and recently I read that for seniors. Now we are faced with something like this: how can we refuse a yacht to people who have such needs? The question is whether they have such needs. These basic needs are not being met, but they should be in the first place. It's just an eyewash – adds a former education superintendent from Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship.
The construction of the yacht will cost PLN 12 millionOffice of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship
And he emphasizes: – This is due to the fact that the marshal has been a marshal for eighteen years and feels quite comfortable in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian waters, if one can use such a metaphor. Board members should pay attention to him. Now we hear about the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship in various memes and other mocking statements. This is not the promotion of the voivodeship. An interesting investment that could be implemented for a rich voivodeship. Our region is not like that – concludes Marek Gralik.
The Marshal denies the allegations
What does Piotr CaÅ‚becki say about this? At a meeting with the media, when he talked about plans to build a yacht, he also referred to this issue. – Of course, there will be those who think that it is money badly spent and that it could be spent on something else. But let them tell it to disabled people, young people from communities at risk of social exclusion, and all those for whom we are implementing this project. We are building an inclusive voivodeship, we think not only about those who can afford everything, said CaÅ‚becki.
The former president of GrudziÄ…dz, councilor of the Civic Coalition, Robert Malinowski, also has some doubts. As he says, this is an investment with some risk. He himself finally raised his hand for her.
– There are obvious and clear investments that no one discusses. However, there are also high-risk investments. Who wouldn't want to have a yacht? The question is how much it costs. We had a special meeting at which the cost estimate was presented, not only for construction, but also for operation. In the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship we have many competitions in various categories addressed to young people. There are a lot of young people who would benefit from various stays. That makes some sense. On the other hand, if there are no controversial investments, you cannot give flowers. This is a controversial investment, but those who raised their hands for it did so with the hope that everything would work out. We will monitor this. The Marshal dispelled our doubts, but there is some risk in the back of our minds – admits Robert Malinowski in an interview with tvn24.pl
Read also: He is building a yacht from mesh concrete
When will the yacht be ready?
The unit will be launched three years from the start of the investment.
“We are currently preparing a tender procedure to select the shipyard where the unit will be built. The tender will be announced in the next few weeks,” informs the Marshal's Office of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship in ToruÅ„.
Main photo source: Office of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship