Whether you like Halloween or not, this ship is an attraction in Gotha. At 23 metres long and 14 metres high, it would even be easy to spot on Google Maps. However, it is not only the location in the middle of a residential area that is unusual, but also the building material. And what can visitors expect inside the ship? We asked the new owners Marco Schneider and Stefanie Gladrow.
Why do you have an oversized pirate ship in your front garden?
Quite simply. Last year, we built a small spooky castle for Halloween. Every year we work on a new project, and every year it gets bigger. We started with a skeleton and a few pumpkins.
And how did you get on the ship?
We watched "Pirates of the Caribbean" on television. We liked the "Black Pearl" so much that we decided to lay the keel of our own pirate ship in the front garden.
Scaffolding is also a rather unusual building material for a ghost ship ...
I (Marco) am a civil engineer and my brother is a scaffolder. So the building material is obvious, especially as we have easy access to it. A woodworker friend of mine helped with the portholes and the anchor.
The ship extends over two front gardens. A size smaller was out of the question?
The others can be smaller. And as my brother lives next door, that wasn't a problem either. In total, we spent almost ten weeks building it.
Do you need official authorisation for this?
Why? It's on private property - and I just wanted to paint the skylights ...
Are there any complaints from neighbours about noise or visual disturbance?
On the contrary! The neighbours stop and motivate us to keep going by donating crates of beer and wine. Just yesterday, four people came and gave us four crates of Störtebeker.
How long should the ship stay in the harbour?
Until a week after Halloween, so that anyone who wasn't able to make it in time can still take part. Word has now spread through local newspapers, radio and social media. Last year, we had around 1,000 visitors to our spooky castle. Today we are expecting far more people. The Lord Mayor has already paid a visit in advance.
Is it possible to walk on the ghost ship?
Of course it is! The "Black Locke" has two decks, across which a creepy path winds. Skeletons and other artefacts will give visitors a fright. I'll be slipping into a costume too!
How much does admission cost for visitors?
Admission is free. Each child also receives a pirate gold piece as a gift.
When will the spook start?
The ghost ship will be open from 17:00 to 21:30 and we invite everyone to our Halloween party at Finsterberger Straße 5.
