Last Saturday (31 January 2025), the the 135-year-old Brixham trawler "Ethel von Brixham" ran aground on a breakwater off Cuxhaven. Friends of traditional shipping know it from Kiel, where it was moored at the Blücherbrücke for decades. Its new owner now wanted to transfer it to England. The voyage came to a sad end on the Elbe, within sight of the Cuxhaven Kugelbake.
The once proud ship is badly battered
The old, wooden ship lies heavily on its starboard side. The masts point towards the Elbe, the keel towards the stone dam. At low tide, broken planks reveal the extent of the damage so far. At high tide, ice floes and the heavy, dark stones of the dam continue to scrape at the hull. Thick ice has covered the shrouds, ropes, sails and superstructure, and the door to the cabin is wide open. The traditional ship is defenceless against the cold, snow and wind, the Elbe current and the tide.
Kai Ewers is the press spokesman for the Waterways and Shipping Authority (WSA) in Cuxhaven. The WSA is not yet able to assess the exact condition of the ship, he says. "We have not yet been close to the ship. We would have to have it examined by experts and, above all, look inside the ship, at the frames and their condition," he explains.
From the outside, however, serious damage is already evident. Bert Frisch, base manager of Trans-Ocean e. V. in Cuxhaven, has Pictures of the accident victim in the "Cuxhavener Nachrichten" newspaper seen. They were taken at close range. He is certain: "The ship is lost, I have no doubt about that." A plank on the side was broken and there was also a hollow section in the keel, where the keel had moved inwards. This observation also corresponds to the DGzRS report of what happened the night the crew was rescued from the schooner: "When the workboat took the sailor on board, the skipper had the impression that the keel of the wooden staysail schooner was bulging slightly and threatening to break apart," it says. "It's a pity about the ship," summarises Bert Frisch.
It is not yet known how the accident occurred. The Cuxhaven waterway police are investigating, but are not yet able to make any definitive statements.
This video shows the "Ethel von Brixham" at the edge of the Elbe:
No salvage concept yet
The WSA Cuxhaven is in contact with the owner. Kai Ewers explains the current status: "We have ordered him to submit a concept by Friday as to how he envisages the salvage operation there and are still waiting to hear back from him."
First of all, they are waiting to see whether the owner's concept is convincing. However, if he does not take action "because he does not have the means to do so", the office would intervene and "eliminate the danger there". There are initially differing figures on the environmental risk posed by any fuel on board - the figures range from 200 to 750 litres of diesel in the two tanks, each of which can hold 1,000 litres. In order to minimise the risk of water pollution, the tanks were to be pumped empty on land tomorrow Friday.
Conditions are extremely unfavourable
The weather and water level will have to be taken into account when salvaging the traditional ship - and neither is playing ball at the moment. The situation on the Steindamm prohibits the approach of larger, deeper salvage vessels, even at high tide. In addition, the persistent easterly wind is not only putting pressure on the stricken vessel and jeopardising other boats approaching it. It is also causing the water level in the Elbe to be significantly lower than usual; today the BSH is even reporting one to one and a half metres less than the mean high tide. Although not consistently at this level, according to the current forecast the water levels in the Outer Elbe will remain significantly below average until at least Tuesday of next week. Snow and freezing rain are also making salvage attempts more difficult.
The "Ethel of Brixham" and her owners
The "Ethel of Brixham" looks back on 135 eventful years. Launched in the south of England in 1890, she was originally designed for tough fishing under sail between the North Sea and the Bay of Biscay. In the 1920s, she came to Norway, where she transported "stones and pigs" as a fishing and cargo ship, according to a former crew member.
In 1981, she was transferred to Germany and re-rigged as a staysail schooner; in 2011, she regained her characteristic gaff schooner rigging. From 1996 to 2025, the "Ethel" belonged to Gerhard Bialek from Kiel, who gave up his career in the automotive industry for her. With her striking red hull, she was moored at the Blücherbrücke for decades and became an integral part of Kiel's fleet of traditional ships. In 2023, she played the leading role in the Guy Ritchie war film "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare".
Increasing legal requirements forced Bialek to sell in 2024. In August 2025, a new British owner was found in the form of the British organisation "Wine Dark Sea Research". Bialek transferred the ship to her free of charge so that the money planned for the purchase could be channelled into its refurbishment. The new owner wanted to bring the ship back to England, but the "Ethel" was already in danger of sinking in October after taking on water in Brunsbüttel harbour.
According to "Cuxhavener Nachrichten", "Wine Dark Sea Research" has now made it clear that it is no longer the owner of the "Ethel"; the ship passed into new hands on 29 November 2025. In fact, in December 2025, a young British man announced on Facebook that he was the new owner. The WSA also confirms that the owner is British, but is currently unable to provide any further details.
The young Brit immediately launched a crowdfunding campaign. "I want to bring her home and restore her so that our great British community can enjoy her for many years to come," he wrote. The ship was in Germany at the time and was to be taken across the North Sea to Den Helder, where it was to be prepared for the crossing to the UK.
After 120 years in Norway and Germany, he wanted to bring the "stunning wooden structure" back to British waters. Once restored, the ship would not only sail again, but also "raise funds for other maritime history projects". He invited donors to visit the "Ethel of Brixham" during the renovation or after its completion. It is more than doubtful whether this ambitious plan will come to fruition after the new accident.
