Amicale Internationale des Capitaines au Long Cours de Cape Horniers was an exclusive club for seafarers who had rounded the notorious Cape Horn in a cargo-carrying sailing vessel.
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Cape Horn, South America’s southern-most point, is surrounded by the world’s most feared and challenging waters and the sailors who choose to take the way around the Horn must be prepared for unpredictable cross-seas and howling winds, enormous waves and treacherous icebergs. Despite this, the route around the Horn was frequently used by merchant sailing vessels for as long as they were plying the oceans.
The association was founded in 1936 with its headquarters in St Malo, France. Since the world’s last fleet of tall ships had Mariehamn as its home port, the Åland section of the A.I.C.H. had the highest concentration of true Cape Horners among its members. However, with the end of the sailing ship era the opportunity for recruiting new members disappeared, and at the 2003 World Congress, the membership of the A.I.C.H. voted to formally disband the association. To keep the memory of the A.I.C.H. and Cape Horn alive, the Åland Cape Horn Association was founded in 2003. A standing item on the association’s agenda is the buffalo luncheon, which is held the first Thursday of each month.
Highlights
The documentary ”We rounded the Horn” is running non-stop in the Cape Horn room. In the film, Åland sailors talk about their time on board sailing ships and what it was like to round the notorious Horn. The film is made by Per-Ove Högnäs, Pelago Film. C. 14 min.
More exhibitions
![detaljer](https://sjofartsmuseum.ax/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/detaljer-1024x682.jpg)
Shipbuilding
Despite shipbuilding never growing into an industry in its own right, hundreds of ships were built here.
![Sjosakerhet Plus](https://sjofartsmuseum.ax/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Sjosakerhet_Plus-1024x470.jpg)
Safety at Sea
The sea and the wind are powerful natural elements that no human can tame. That said, there is plenty that can be done to promote safety on board and ashore.
![](https://sjofartsmuseum.ax/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Natalia-Mikkola_To-Fly-683x1024.jpg)
Exhibition: Beyond the Sea by Natalia Mikkola
Natalia Mikkola’s beautiful photography fills the museum’s Small Gallery from 1 September to 13 October. In the exhibition Beyond the Sea, she shows the beautiful and frightening faces of the sea. Welcome to the opening on 31 August at 15.
![Maskin dagmar](https://sjofartsmuseum.ax/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Maskin_dagmar-1024x576.jpg)
Engine-powered shipping
Engine-powered shipping was late in coming on Åland but once it had been established, it became the motor for modernizing Åland society at large.
![Maritima Mariehamn sjomanshemskylt](https://sjofartsmuseum.ax/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Maritima_Mariehamn_sjomanshemskylt-1024x296.jpg)
Maritime Mariehamn
From the founding of Mariehamn in 1861 it has been a maritime town. This is were the professional shipping industry developed and this is were successful master mariners build their splendid homes.
![KapHorn klockor](https://sjofartsmuseum.ax/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KapHorn_klockor-1024x576.jpg)
The Cape Horn Room
Amicale Internationale des Capitaines au Long Cours de Cape Horniers was an exclusive club for seafarers who had rounded the notorious Cape Horn in a cargo-carrying sailing vessel.
![Kuriosa piratflaggan](https://sjofartsmuseum.ax/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Kuriosa_piratflaggan-1024x682.jpg)
Cabinet of Curiosities
A cabinet of curiosities is made up of an eclectic collection of object that becomes a representation of all the world’s wonders and oddities in miniature.
![Navigation foremal2](https://sjofartsmuseum.ax/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Navigation_foremal2-1024x346.jpg)
Navigation
Compass, chronometre, sextant, log and sea charts are in principally all a navigator needs to determine position and follow a set course.