The "Ethel von Brixham" is history. On 31 January 2026, the over 135-year-old traditional sailing ship ran aground on a breakwater off Cuxhaven. Her new owner let the deadline for salvage pass. The Waterways and Shipping Authority finally initiated a wreck removal operation, during which the wooden ship broke in two in a huge dredging bucket.
Interview: Timm Kruse
YACHT: Mr Bialek, how are you feeling after seeing the pictures of the salvage?
Gerhard Bialek: Heartbreaking - that word sums it up quite well. I think it was clear to anyone who has anything to do with old ships that this was not the end you would have imagined for a ship like this. She was on her way to Lowestoft in England. There was a young man who had got involved and told us all about his plans for the ship and how he would manage the restoration. Unfortunately, he didn't finish it.
You didn't sell the ship, but gave it away?
That's right. The boat was given away for a symbolic euro because, after 30 years, it was very important to me that the ship was given a chance for another life. And the chance was much greater in England with crowdfunding than in Germany.
So a young Englishman was supposed to take the boat back to England and restore it there with donations. Did he then drive it onto the dam off Cuxhaven himself?
That is not entirely correct. After enquiring, I only found out that he had already passed the ship on - I couldn't find out whether he had sold it or given it away. A very dubious story. Contact with the first buyer, William Lund, was completely broken off. The new owner, also a young man called Tom Simpson, then seems to have had bumblebees up his arse and set off from Cuxhaven on 31 January.
I don't want to comment on what led to the accident - something can always happen. But to leave the safe harbour of Cuxhaven on 31 January with a ship you don't know, in freezing cold weather, a water temperature of two degrees and a peak wind of 25 knots - that was simply idiotic. It's hard to understand what the devil had possessed this young man.
You can now listen to the full interview with Gerhard Bialek about 30 years with the "Ethel von Brixham", the background to the sale and his plans for the future in the YACHT podcast.
So you already had the feeling when the accident happened that this old wooden ship would not survive the salvage operation?
I knew that from experience. We were in Turkey with the ship in 2023 for the Guy Ritchie film "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare". The crane operation onto the cargo ship and back showed that you have to treat this ship like a raw egg. If the ship then lies in the mud for 14 days with the ebb and flow of the tide and waves from passing ships - it is clear that this cannot end well.
What would have been the solution?
Not to set off. The moment it left the harbour in these conditions, the death sentence was pronounced. The idiotic departure was perhaps compounded by bad luck. It's rarely just one thing that goes wrong - after one comes the next and the next. And then it's a disaster.
The track shows that he was travelling along the fairway and suddenly turned 30 or 40 degrees to the south, directly towards the causeway.
I would be happy if the young man would get in touch with me. I have not been able to locate him. I would like to ask him a few questions - not reproachfully. It's important to me that young people are courageous and take on projects like this. But they should listen to the advice of older people from time to time or ask them for advice so that such projects end successfully. That's the message I'd like to get out there - also to give other old ships another chance.
You said years ago that the "Ethel" was no longer economically viable for you. What were the reasons?
There are many points that come together. Ships are getting older and older, maintenance costs are increasing and shipyards are not getting any cheaper. Then there are the additional safety requirements, which all cost money and take a bite out of income - they are necessary, but expensive. Corona as a fire accelerator has reduced income even further. And the crews are also getting older. I'm turning 70 this year, so you don't think about making the ship fit for the next 30 years.
The bigger problem is that we in Germany have not managed to show young people a way into seafaring. I would cite my Dutch colleagues as a positive example. They have a maritime school in Enkhuizen where training takes place. The seafarers on traditional Dutch ships have patents that are recognised worldwide and therefore have prospects. That is completely lacking in Germany.
The "Ethel" was your life for 28 years. You also made films with her and travelled with politicians and actors. What do you remember?
That's very important: we want to remember the great things we experienced with the "Ethel" - not get stuck on these heartbreaking images of the end. For me, the Turkish experience with the film footage was the icing on the cake. After so many great things, perhaps that also made it easier for me to leave in 2024. Hollywood quality, great actors - it was a "once in a lifetime" experience.
But the sunsets with great people on board, in small bays, in small Danish harbours will stay with me just as much. I would recommend everyone to take part in something like this - unfortunately not on the "Ethel".
What is Gerhard Bialek doing now that the "Ethel" is no longer there?
Life goes on. I'll keep sailing - colleagues are asking if I can take on one or two trips. So I'm not going to quit completely. Otherwise, my wife and I want to explore the land side of this beautiful country. I've never been more than three boat lengths away from the ship - it was a 24/7 job. Now we have a Sprinter at the door, which I'm currently converting into a small motorhome. We'll be travelling around Denmark, Germany and the surrounding countries with it.
There were hints about where the ship was now moored and whether I wanted to look for nameplates again. No, I certainly don't want to. The pictures are heartbreaking enough. I think that would be off-limits for me. I've always learnt in my life that you have to put something down so that you can pick it up again. And I think now is the time.
