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The crew of the "Nordkaperen," a 97-year-old Danish sailboat currently docked in Shanghai, is filming a documentary about China's coast and interior for the Danish Broadcasting Corporation. Dwarfed by the glittering Oriental Pearl Broadcasting & Television Tower and berthed in the shadows of mammoth ocean liners, the 17-meter-long sailboat, Nordkaperen, is an anachronism. But what the 97-year-old boat lacks in modern conveniences she makes up for with rich history - and in China, another chapter is being added. The Nordkaperen -- the Danish word for a type of whale -- is the oldest sailboat to weigh anchor at the Shanghai International Passenger Transport Wharf and the first to be permitted to transport a foreign-documented crew in China. Captain Troels Klovedal and his crew arrived last Tuesday on a unique mission: They are in the process of filming a documentary of the China coast and Yangtze River, capturing the cities, towns and people along the way. They will spend 16 days filming the program for the Danish Broadcasting Corporation. Unlike most television crews, who fly into Shanghai and stay in hotels, the Danes' method of traveling has offered them a different perspective. The crew sailed from Hong Kong in May. "When you sail a boat, you encounter your fellow seamen along the way," explains Else Marie Meldgaard, production manager of the Skandinavisk Film Kompagni and Klovedal's wife. "You might not share the same language, but you still understand each other because you're sharing a similar experience. It gives you a sense of community." This trip marks the third time that 59-year-old Captain Klovedal has sailed the world on this boat. This trip is a special one, however. Klovedal, who is a well-known navigator, author and TV producer in his native Denmark, is realizing a longtime dream of visiting China - and he's doing it with his new wife, Meldgaard, and their 5-year-old son Asbjorm. Klovedal and his wife started the journey by getting married in Hong Kong in May, giving the project an auspicious beginning. Son Asbjorm, who has been sailing since he was eight months old, climbs the boat's masts like a little monkey. It's quite a departure from Chinese sea-going children, whose parents fasten ropes around their waists and hold on firmly for fear of an accident. "We're also documenting the sailing," explains 44-year-old Meldgaard. "So far we have been to Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Xiamen, Fuzhou and Wenzhou. From Shanghai, we will sail along the Yangtze River to the Three Gorges." The crew shot six episodes on this trip, including two on the Yangtze River and one on Shanghai. "Shanghai is such a buzzing city and people here are very friendly, showing their interest in our documentary. They are very supportive," says Gitte Rosholm, a reporter and researcher. Captain Klovedal is unimpressed, however, by the tall buildings, saying that he prefers to focus on the daily life of people here. "We hear a lot about China in the Danish press, but we want to use our own eyes to see how people live here. We plan on talking to people in music schools, factories and hospitals," he says. Klovedal and the Nordkaperen have had the same life mission since 1967: "To go and see the world." That, explains the captain, is why he and five friends bought the boat that year. "We were hippies back then," he recalls. "Long hair, rock music, protesting against the Vietnam War. We wanted to sail the boat to see the real world." And the Nordkaperen would be the perfect boat to do it in. The leg boat's first owner was a wealthy Jew who escaped from Nazi Germany to Sweden during World War II in what was then a recreational sailboat. Its second owner, Carl Nielsen, was the first round-the-world sailboat navigator, touring from 1946 to 1948. Klovedal, the third owner, toured the world twice on the Nordkaperen, in 1968 and 1980. His travels are documented in the 15 books he has published over the years, as well as videos that he began taping about 15 years ago. His dream to venture into "mysterious" China was made reality with the help of the former Danish Prime Minister and his friend Paul Nyrup Rasmussen, who came to China on an official visit two years ago. "Denmark has always had a good relationship with China, which helped obtain this valuable permission from the Chinese government," says Klovedal. The 20-ton diesel-powered boat has been renovated and overhauled many, many times over the years. For the China trip, a dragon and phoenix have been painted on either side of the bow. And while it doesn't have the gadgetry of a modern boat, Meldgaard says it's a vessel with "soul" whose history helps them to "look into the future." Klovedal says that the boat's simplicity is actually an asset. "In more primitive places like the Pacific islands, you may not have the opportunity to find modern spare parts. Since ours is a simple boat, it is very easy to repair anywhere." Asked about how they cope in stormy weather, Klovedal replies that keeping abreast of weather forecasts helps them avoid dangerous situations. That sometimes means making adjustments to their itinerary. "China's East Sea is tough. We had to cancel our trip to Japan this time, because a typhoon was forecast there," he says. "As we travel into China's hinterland, we're looking forward to seeing a different side of China from the modern cities. We're interested, too, in learning how this enormous country is shouldering their responsibility of bridging the wealth gap among the people," says Meldgaard. Once the crew has finished filming in November, they will return to Shanghai, and fly back to Denmark. The Nordkaperen will be rented out to some of Klovedal's countrymen for two years, during which time the captain will finish editing his documentary and write a book about his China tour. And when that's done, it might be time to take the Nordkaperen on the high seas again.