Dinghy cruiser "Tümmler": Albert Einstein and his sailing boat - as reported by YACHT in 1929
YACHT-Redaktion
· 28.03.2024
YACHT presented the "Tümmler" in 1929 under the title "20-m² dinghy cruiser for Professor Albert Einstein":
From YACHT 50/1929:
The shipbuilding engineer Adolf Harms received the honourable commission from three owners of the Berlin trading company to design a boat that was intended as a gift for the famous scholar Albert Einstein on his fiftieth birthday. They agreed on a dinghy cruiser with an auxiliary engine and the smallest possible sail area, which also had to be easy to handle without any effort.
The design shown opposite was developed from these premises (see picture gallery, editor's note)which was built at the Berkholz & Gärsch shipyard under the supervision of the designer and delivered to Albert Einstein in the summer to his complete satisfaction. It was required that the engine, which was to be equipped with starter and alternator, should appear as little as possible in the boat. For this reason, the designer proposed a slightly larger freeboard, which made it possible to raise the floor in the cockpit so high that the engine could lie completely underneath; at the same time, the cabin superstructure could be kept relatively low.
Contrary to the original layout, the dinghy cruiser was equipped with a toilet room, the arrangement of which can be seen on the cover sheet. However, a buffet that was originally planned had to be omitted; it was replaced by a smaller glass shelf and a shelf for 3 shag pipes. With regard to the furnishings, which are essentially shown in the drawings, it should be noted that the two cupboards under the side deck on port and starboard were extended to accommodate cups, plates etc. for 4 people. All the necessary crockery, washing up bowls, brushes, leather cloths etc. were supplied so that the boat was really fully ready for use. The space under the aft deck is lockable and serves as storage space for fenders, buckets, spare petrol cans and the like.
A sideboard is installed in the cabin on the port side, in which a spirit cooker with a zinc pan is arranged in such a way that it can be seen when the upper panel of the sideboard is moved and is ready for use and cannot be seen at all when not in use. The engine, a 2-cylinder two-stroke 5/6 hp F.Z., was installed in such a way that it is completely fireproof, which was achieved by sealing it off all round. The bulkheads were covered with asbestos and sheet metal, so that the petrol tank, which was placed on the port side next to it, is completely separated from it.
The alternator and the starter motor are also located in the engine compartment. The engine is very easily accessible after removing the floorboards, which are also fireproof from below. The lever for the reversible propeller, which can be set to the sailing position, is removable so that it disappears completely when sailing, the required slot is closed by a brass plate. The floorboards are designed so that the engine cannot get wet in rainy weather. The engine proved itself very well during the crossing from the east to the west, it ran like a sewing machine.
The cabin contains two comfortable berths with blue covers, the colour of which matches the mahogany of the interior very well. The cabin roof consists of two layers of wood with a waterproof canvas wall in between. The lower layer is maple, which together with the triple-glued mahogany deck beams makes a good colour combination. The upper layer is natural mahogany. There is a spacious wardrobe on the port side, next to which there is a small cupboard in the superstructure that is used to hold removable electric position lights. The boat has performed well in all winds from around 0 to 10 metres per second under full sail and, despite its heavy weight for the sails, also runs excellently in calm conditions.
It was a special wish of Professor Albert Einstein that high rigging was used. In order to make it easier to lay the mast, the mast cheeks were mounted so high that the boom could be pivoted on them. This also meant that the lower end of the mast in the mast cheeks could be about 1.15 metres long and a lead weight corresponding to the weight of the mast could be attached to the lowest end. This meant that the mast could be laid very easily.
Einstein's "porpoises" in National Socialism and today
Einstein is said to have enjoyed life on the water and wrote with satisfaction in a letter to the designer in autumn 1929: "The boat has my highest praise and that of all those who have sailed in it. It combines great stability with relatively high manoeuvrability and ease of operation."
However, everything changed after the National Socialists seized power. Einstein, who was of Jewish descent, was in America in 1933 and returned his German passport shortly afterwards. His property, including the dinghy cruiser, was confiscated twice, once by the Prussian state and then by the Gestapo. Einstein tried to save his ship without success. However, as the police authorities were unable to find a use for it, the dinghy cruiser was sold again in February 1934 via an advert in the "Potsdamer Tageszeitung".
While Einstein's friends, the bankers Henry Goldman, Otto Jeidels and Siegfried Bieber, still had to raise 15,000 marks, according to Einstein's cousin and second wife Elsa Einstein, the dentist Dr Wilhelm Fiebig bought the boat second-hand for 1,300 Reichsmarks.
What happened after that is not known. The story of the dinghy cruiser "Tümmler" ends here. When Einstein enquired about the whereabouts of the boat from America years later, the enquiries led to no result. While Einstein remained loyal to sailing in the USA, the fate of the boat remains unknown to this day.
Technical data dinghy cruiser "Tümmler"
- Designer: Adolf Harms
- Shipyard: Berkholz & Gärsch
- Torso length: 7,00 m
- Width on planks: 2,35 m
- Draught (with sword): 0.33 m (1.25 m)
- Mainsail: 16,05 m²
- Tree jib: 3,95 m²
- Trysail: 8,25 m²
- Motor: 2 cyl. F.-Z. 5/6 hp
