Update 10 November 2023, 2:56 pm
It's done: the "ghost ship" was transported to Norderney harbour this afternoon. According to media reports, the yacht belonging to the 70-year-old owner from Freiburg had previously been lifted onto a low-loader on the beach using two excavators. The rudder and engine are to be repaired in the coming days. In order to support the owner and the ship, islanders have opened a donation account, which they say has already received 1,500 euros in less than a day.
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The rescue in the video:
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Update 09.11.2023, 15:07 h
It appears that the "ghost ship" that washed ashore on Norderney is about to be removed sooner than initially thought. Yesterday, in an interview with the "Bild" newspaper, the owner stated that he would not co-operate and would not accept any help instead: "The public order office has already been there. I'm sure they still want money from me. But I'm quite relaxed about it." Nevertheless, he asked the mayor for help on the same day, according to the city. They are currently investigating when and how the yacht can be salvaged. This could possibly be as early as tomorrow Friday. "The ship must be taken off the beach at short notice so that the risk of further drifting or damage to the coastal defences is averted," said Mayor Ulrichs.
Under ideal conditions in terms of water level, wind and waves, the "ghost ship" could even be towed back out to sea by tugboat. This may require preparatory work such as dredging a channel. If the salvage is successful, repairs to the steering gear and engine will also be necessary to bring the ship back to its home harbour.
If salvage by water is not possible, salvage by land is also being considered. Mayor Ulrichs has already met with a local company to discuss this option. The ship would then have to be repaired on land and brought back to its home harbour. The final option would be to dismantle and dispose of the yacht.
Original article from 08.11.2023:
Accident: stranded "ghost ship" off Norderney causes mystery
The sailing ship that washed ashore on Norderney on Monday morning is not a backdrop for the next instalment of "Pirates of the Caribbean", but rather a shipwrecked self-built vessel. According to media reports, the skipper of the sailing yacht, who was around 70 years old, was unable to navigate to the harbour. He is said to have had difficulty stopping the ship and ended up stranded in the middle of the bathing area of the island's western beach.
The German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS) wanted to prevent the accident, was already on the water with its rescue cruiser "Eugen" and made contact. At this point, there was no acute danger and the German-speaking skipper did not want to call for help, according to the DGzRS. Although he was unable to avert the accident, he remained unharmed. A police spokeswoman told NDR that the boat had no functioning engine, no anchor and had suffered rudder damage when it ran aground.
The creepy self-build attracts onlookers on Norderney
The stranded "ghost ship" is said to be a self-built vessel, which seems plausible given its appearance. Not only does it look long abandoned and derelict, but the shape of the hull is also unique. While the bow is reminiscent of a Roman galley with a ramming spur and eye motif, the rest of the hull comes closest to that of a motorsailer. The stern is open and has an interesting rudder recovery mechanism, and a red inflatable canoe or similar appears to function as a dinghy.
More mysterious strandings and ghost ships:
Last week, the creepy yacht is said to have been moored in the harbour of the neighbouring island of Juist. According to other reports, the boat was also spotted in Groningen a few weeks ago. Since stranding on Norderney, the "ghost ship" has been attracting numerous onlookers and has unexpectedly become a new tourist attraction. According to the owner, he has often spent long periods of time on the sailing boat and continues to live on his boat, as a photographer reported. He tells visitors stories about his life at sea.
Although it is not a ghost ship in the literal sense of the word, as it is still inhabited, the associations with an abandoned yacht can hardly be denied.
According to the DGzRS, there is no danger of the stranded yacht drifting back out to sea and the environment is not under threat either. Nevertheless, the owner is obliged to remove the mysterious yacht from the beach at his own expense. However, it is still unclear how this is to be done.
Can you simply take over a stranded ghost ship?
As long as the owner does not show a clearly recognisable will to relinquish ownership, the "ghost ship" remains in his hands and under his responsibility. Should this change, however, the ownership expires and the yacht is henceforth an ownerless object. So if it is clearly recognisable that the owner wants to give up his property, the ship can also be taken over by third parties without further ado. Whether a ghost ship is stranded or drifting at sea makes no difference in Germany.
