The ship attained an iconic status among the peoples of Yugoslavia in this role, as well as among the many diverse nations and members of the Non-Aligned Movement.

Galeb was built in 1938 in Genoa as the auxiliary cruiser Ramb III, destined for service in the banana trade between Africa and Italy.

Tito embarked on it the first time in 1952 in Podgora, where he conducted an inspection of the boats in the YWN from the deck of the ship.

[1] The ship first came to international attention in March 1953 when it brought Tito from Yugoslavia to the River Thames, following the invitation from the British Government headed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

Proposals for the ship to dock at Malta en route to Britain were refused by the islands' Governor.

The Croatian authorities placed a preservation order on Galeb in the hope of acquiring the vessel to become a museum ship.

Funding of EUR 4.5 million was secured as part of Rijeka's successful bid to become European Capital of Culture in 2020.