Vandalism: Partying with consequences - sanitary facilities on Heligoland closed during North Sea Week
Ursula Meer
· 01.08.2023
YACHT: Why do you closethe sanitary facilitiesoff?
Paul: I didn't want to find the sanitary facilities after the North Sea Week like they were last year: some people had partied a little too hard at night and ripped the washbasins off the walls, smashed beer bottles in the showers, left cocaine residue on the toilet lids and stole the sea rescuers' donation boat at the entrance. The damage was immense and we, as the property owners, had to pay for it. The sailors couldn't shower here for four days - at a time when you could cross the harbour basin without getting wet, there were so many boats in the packet. I didn't want to do that to us or our guests a second time.
Do you also conclude contracts on other occasions?
As good as never. We are open around the clock all year round, except in winter when the weather is bad. If sailors do come, I leave a key for them. Most of them then clean up and lock up again. I always warn them not to lock anyone in, because that has happened before.
How did it come about that you operate the sanitary facilities for sailors here under a holiday apartment building?
In the mid-nineties, my employer bought the building to build holiday flats. The lease agreement for the property included the condition that we offer this service to sailors. The land belongs to the federal government, and at that time Heligoland was still an emergency harbour, so this pragmatic solution was an obvious choice. There is no marina in this harbour and therefore no infrastructure for sailors. They only rent a cleat here to which they can moor their ship. But there is a great demand: We have around 300 guests per week during the season. On the whole, however, everything runs smoothly here. In the past, even a small plate on which visitors deposited their entrance fee was sufficient.
What would have to happen for you to unlock your door again for the next North Sea Week?
I already asked the organisers this year to put staff at the entrance and take care of the cleaning, then I would be open. After all, most regatta boats don't have a toilet on board. Instead, the organisers set up shower and toilet containers on the lawn by the harbour. Unfortunately, that didn't quite go to plan ...
What happened?
The sewage pipe was broken. Even the use of a flushing lorry could not save it. Only the showers were still working reasonably well. I then opened them sporadically for a few hours during the day and made sure that nothing happened. There are also public toilets in containers on the way to the village in the lowlands. The sailors could have gone there. The municipality quickly put up signs to this effect - but did not adjust the opening hours: The containers were locked until eight or nine in the morning. Quite tight for the regatta crews, who had to be at the starting line at nine, nine-thirty ...
