By BEVERLEY WARE South Shore Bureau

LUNENBURG — Class Afloat is afloat once again.

The school has leased the Sorlandet, Norway’s national tall ship for at least the next two years.

The oldest, full-rigged ship in the world still in operation, it replaces the Concordia as the school’s floating classroom.

The Concordia sank off Brazil in February. All 64 students, teachers and crew were rescued after spending 40 hours in life-rafts.

The Sorlandet is "absolutely gorgeous," said school spokeswoman Kate Knight.

She spent last weekend in Norway with two other school officials signing the contract, which can be renewed.

However, the ship won’t be in Lunenburg Harbour any time soon, nor will the uniformed students who are usually seen about town during the school year.

As part of the agreement, the students will be at sea from September to May. That means Class Afloat will not use the classroom space it rents in Lunenburg Academy. An office will remain there for now.

Knight said the school wants to resume a classroom presence in Lunenburg at some point.

The school was surprised it could secure a suitable vessel so quickly, but the fact they have "feels good," Knight said. "These months of struggle have absolutely been worth it."

The school’s administration started their search for a new floating classroom in March.

"We looked all over the place," Knight said.

After speaking with nine groups, the school realized the Sorlandet was perfect for the school’s immediate needs. It was available because the ship, which takes part in races and offers sail training programs from May to September, isn’t used from October to April because the waters off Norway at that time of the year aren’t suitable for sailing a tall ship.

Both sides will review the contract in January 2011.

The Concordia was built to accommodate 48 students; the Sorlandet can accommodate 70.

Its owners, a non-profit foundation, will provide a captain and two boatswains while the school will hire a cook, medical officer, first and second mate and engineer. Those jobs will be offered to Concordia staff first.

Built as a merchant marine cadet training ship in 1927, Sorlandet was taken over by Nazi Germany during the Second World War. It was sunk up to her mast in an air raid. It was restored and used again as a training vessel from 1948 until 1974. The non-profit foundation took over in 1981.

Class Afloat students will fly to Norway in September to begin their first semester. Lunenburg student Sarah Mack will be one of them. The Grade 10 student at Park View Education Centre is the first student in Atlantic Canada to receive a full year’s scholarship to attend Class Afloat, valued at $42,500.

The Transportation Safety Board is continuing its investigation into the Concordia’s sinking. Initial reports indicate it was sunk by a microburst, an intense blast of downward air.