The traditional ship "Norden" was lifted out of the water by two cranes in the municipal harbour of Neustadt/Holstein on Tuesday. After 152 years, the history of the Norske Jagt ship has come to an end and restoration is no longer possible. She was one of the oldest sailing ships in the world.
After the traditional ship had become increasingly quiet in recent years, it was in danger of sinking in July. A quick rescue operation and the use of submersible pumps were able to delay the end a little. Originally, the former freighter was to be lifted out of the water to assess the extent of the damage. However, it quickly became clear that the "Norden" was in a bad way. Shortly afterwards, the scrapping of the ship began.
The pictures of the wreck of the "Norden"
YACHT presented the "Norden" 2020 in detail
She was last moored in Neustadt in Holstein, where owner Peter Fleck asked YACHT 2020 on board and was available for a portrait of the "Norden". Fleck was a sailor in the coastguard and obtained his captain's licence in 1985. He sailed as a captain until 1988, when an advert in the YACHT magazine started a new chapter in his life as an enthusiastic yacht and dinghy sailor. The then 32-year-old bought the advertised "Norden" in Bremerhaven from Otto Mertens. The ship had already been in Germany for ten years.
As early as 1870, the "Norden" was built from local pine in Skonevig in Norway (spelt Skånevik since the beginning of the 20th century). Between Stavanger and Bergen, numerous hunts were built on the Skånevikfjord and the smaller tributaries Åkrafjord and Matersfjord. The ship, which is called "Norden" throughout, is one of the four Norske Jagten still sailing outside Norway. Alongside the Bremerhaven-based "Grönland" ( see below ) from 1867, one of two under the German flag.
After its construction in 1870, the almost 20 metre long and six metre wide ship was used to transport freight. From Bergen, timber, but also mail and other everyday goods were shipped northwards along the Norwegian coast. Once the cargo had been unloaded, dried stockfish or rockfish was loaded on the Lofoten Islands for the return journey to Bergen. Even back then, the "Norden" had a reputation for being an excellent sailor.
Norske Jagt: fast ships for hunting and cargo
Even the type designation promises speed: Norske Jagt is the generic term for fast and manoeuvrable ships from Norway, which differ slightly depending on the construction region. Jagten were used in a variety of ways: as cargo ships, by authorities or pilots, for fishing or for seal hunting. The best-known representative of this type is the Hardanger Jagt "Gjøa", in which Roald Amundsen was the first to sail through the Northwest Passage at the beginning of the 20th century. In the 19th century, hundreds of Norske Jagten sailed in Norway.
"We know of 20 examples built in Norway that are still sailing under the Norwegian flag today," reports Morten Hesthammer from the Fartøyvernsenteret in Norrheimsund. The centre for ship preservation on the Hardangerfjord has its origins in the restoration of the 1884 "Mathilde".
Timber cargo saved the "Norden" from sinking
In 1935, the 90-tonne displacement ship received its first engine. At the beginning of the 1940s, the "Norden" sprung a leak off the Norwegian coast. "The only reason she didn't sink was because the loaded timber kept her afloat," says Peter Fleck. The owners at the time then had the ship completely overhauled. With a new stern and sharper lines, it sailed even faster from then on. However, the rig was removed in 1952. As a coaster with a large wheelhouse, the Jagt continued to sail as a merchant ship until 1978. In 1956, she was once again fitted with new planking.
"Back then, the ships were built to be used for 20, maximum 30 years," says Fleck. "If they were still to be used after that, they were re-planked." After the "Norden" was laid up in Norway at the end of the 1970s, German owners bought the aged wooden boat. After several changes of ownership, it belonged to Otto Mertens. He sold the "Norden", which was now a sailing ship again with a 26 metre long mast, 13 metre long main boom and almost nine metre long bowsprit, to Peter Fleck in 1988.
"Nothing was finished, a lot was broken," he recalls. "I estimated that I had to rebuild 50 per cent of the ship." Fleck brings his "Norden" to the museum harbour in Lübeck. The extensive restoration takes place here and at the J. Ring-Andersen shipyard in Svendborg, Denmark. Half of the pine planks on the pine frames are renewed. The stem is rebuilt, the mast is replaced and a 170 hp diesel engine is installed as the third engine in the ship's history. "Back then, I put the equivalent of a detached house into the ship," says Fleck in the rustic, cosy mess room. Outside, the rain is pelting down on the wooden deck to such an extent that it is dripping from the ceiling in several places.
"Sailing today like yesterday"
Unnecessary luxury was dispensed with when converting the former hold. There are eight generously sized berths in the foredeck, two of which are double berths. In front, in the bow, are the chain locker and storage space. The galley is located amidships to port, with a massive table and benches to starboard. Next to the steep companionway stairs to starboard is the wet room with toilet and washbasin. On cruises, Captain Fleck and his wife Heike live in the aft cabin with a wide berth to port, a small navigation table and a narrower berth to starboard, where Johnny the dog feels at home.
After the restoration of the "Norden", this became Peter Fleck's main occupation. The nautical engineer only occasionally sails as a helmsman on commercial vessels. "My wife at the time had a well-paid permanent job. So I was able to concentrate fully on the boat." Under the motto "Sailing today like yesterday", Fleck teaches trainees traditional sailing on the "Norden". The many trips over the next few years will take them to the North and Baltic Seas, the Irish Sea and the northern Atlantic on the coasts of France and Spain.
"In 1989, we were one of the first ships flying the German flag to arrive in Wismar in the former GDR at the turn of the year," recalls Fleck, lighting another cigarette. In 1992, the first of several voyages took him to Brittany - to the premiere of the now legendary Fêtes Maritimes de Brest. From then on, the "Norden" was also a regular guest at many other major national and international maritime events: Kieler Woche, Hanse Sail Rostock, Tall Ship Races.
The "Norden" as a TV star in "Küstenwache" and "Buddenbrooks"
After the first visit to Skånevik in 1993, Norway is visited again and again. Fleck sailed up the coast as far as Bergen. Three decades with his Norske Jagt are full of memorable events. "A tracheotomy was once performed on the saloon table," says Fleck with a grin. Fortunately, it was only performed by actors; filming for the German TV series "Küstenwache" took place on board. In "real life" there were no serious injuries on any of the trips. For the fourth film adaptation of Thomas Mann's "Buddenbrooks" by director Heinrich Breloer, the "Norden" glided through the harbour of historic Lübeck in 2008.
The ship is not only very seaworthy, but also manoeuvrable and fast. The classic hunting rig consists of a gaff mainsail measuring around 130 square metres, four headsails and a gaff topsail. The approximately 260 square metres of sail area downwind can be supplemented by 113 square metres of broad jib. The high rig in combination with the pronounced positive deck leap, the elegant transom and the pleasing bow make for a truly classically beautiful ship.
On deck, large items of equipment are reminiscent of the working ship's past: robust mooring bollards, the rustic bilge pump, the old winch for the 80-kilogram anchor. Peter Fleck replaced the long, solid tiller 20 years ago with a hydraulic wheel steering system, which made manoeuvring much easier. The tiller is now at the owner's home. This - as well as the ship's permanent berth - has long been in Neustadt.
Things have become quieter around the "Norden" in recent years
This is also where the last longer voyage of the "Norden" begins in 2015 - once again to Norway. In May 2017, the Norske Jagt took part in the celebrations to mark the 150th anniversary of its sister ship "Greenland" in Bremerhaven. "By then, however, things were already much quieter for us," Fleck recalls. Health problems slowed him down. It was also becoming increasingly difficult to find helpers. For years, it was only possible to maintain his boat thanks to the support of many "crazy people" who also love his "Norden" with all their hearts. Now both of Fleck's daughters have long since grown up and are in professional life. His nephew Jasper Simon, who was infected with the wooden ship virus on board the "Norden", is a master wooden boat builder and himself the owner of a Norwegian pointed galley from 1919 - to name just two examples.
After 30 years in which the "Norden" logged an average of 3,000 nautical miles per year, the wooden ship, which is one of the oldest in Germany, has remained in harbour more and more frequently in recent years. It gradually fell into disrepair. In spring 2018, the Ship Safety Division of BG Verkehr no longer renewed the traditional sailing ship's safety certificate.
No longer safe, no longer affordable
"A major overhaul is urgently needed," reported the owner of the YACHT 2020. "The first planks that I once replaced are already over 30 years old." In addition to the new planking, the deck would have had to be sealed and the mast pulled. Extensive painting work was also necessary. The new Ship Safety Ordinance (SchSV) for traditional ships also required a collision bulkhead, a "fireproof" companionway and new stability calculations. The
Peter Fleck estimates the cost of a corresponding shipyard visit to be at least 300,000 euros. Even with the funding promised by the Federal Ministry of Transport for the innovations required by the SchSV, this was no longer affordable for the private traditional ship operator. So he has only been using his "Norden" privately since 2018.
"My time with the 'Norden' is over," Fleck realised soberly at the time. "I was able to give this wonderful ship another chapter in its life. Now I'm hoping for someone who is ready for the next chapter." He hoped to find an interested party in his home country of Norway. This hope has not materialised.
Technical data Norske Jagt "Norden"
- Rigging: Gaff cutter
- Year of construction: 1870
- Construction site: Skonevig, Norway
- Building material:Pine on pine
- Owner:Captain Peter Fleck
- Berth: Neustadt in Holstein
- Length over everything: 28,50 m
- Torso length:19,80 m
- Torso width: 5,95 m
- Depth: 2,40 m
- sail area: 260 m² upwind and 113 m² wide jib
- Machine:Scania diesel, 170 hp
The sister ship "Greenland"
The "Greenland", built in Norway in 1867, served as an operational vessel for the first German polar expedition in 1868. The group under Captain Carl Koldewey made it to 81 degrees and 4.5 minutes north latitude, still the record for an unpowered ship, which, according to contemporary witnesses, "lay particularly well with the wind and travelled exceptionally well". The ambitious voyage, which incidentally took place without scientists, failed to achieve its goal of proving that there was an ice-free sea beyond the pack ice belt in the north - so the ship and its crew were denied great fame. Back under the Norwegian flag from 1871 to 1973, the "Greenland" has since belonged to the German Maritime Museum. In 2020, she spent months in the shipyard in Hvide Sande.
Parts of this text first appeared in 2020 in the section"The special boat" in the YACHT
