Sailing training ship "Greif": Schooner brig leaves the shipyard with a new deck

It took around two hours for the "Greif" sailing training ship to arrive at its new location on the grounds of the Volkswerft Stralsund shipyard. At a speed of around two metres per minute, hydraulically driven carriages moved the schooner brig, built in 1951, from the shipyard hall to the slipway of the shipyard. According to the Support organisation Rahsegler "Griffin" the next few weeks before it is watertight again after final assembly of the propeller shaft system.

"Greif" to return to the water at the end of January

In December, the craftsmen completed the final work on the new wooden deck. They laid it using a special composite process made from cork and wood. First, computer-milled cork panels levelled out the unevenness of the underlying steel deck, followed by the deck planks.

The final assembly of the propeller shaft system and the rudder blade is scheduled for January. This step will make the ship's hull completely watertight. After around three years at the Volkswerft Stralsund shipyard, the "Greif" is due to return to the water at the end of January, according to a press release from the Hanseatic city of Greifswald. The remaining work will then be carried out there.

Fundamental refurbishment well advanced

In the course of the renovation, the steel hull underwent a thorough refurbishment and was newly preserved. The shipyard installed new deck superstructures, while the masts were restored at the same time. This was followed by the new wooden deck.

Increased refurbishment costs

As the owner, the city of Greifswald bears part of the refurbishment costs, while subsidies and donations cover the rest. Lastly the costs rose to 7.7 million euros - a good three million more than originally calculated. Sharp increases in material and labour costs drove up the price.

At times, it was unclear who would bear the additional costs. The refurbishment threatened to stall. However, at the beginning of December, the Greifswald city council passed a resolution: it provided a further 2.9 million euros for the sail training ship so that work can continue.

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The history of the "Greif"

From the "Wilhelm Pieck" to the "Greif":

• 1951Keel laying of the Greif at the Warnow shipyard in Rostock-Warnemünde. The occasion was the 75th birthday of the then GDR President Wilhelm Pieck, in whose name the ship was christened.
• 1952The Gesellschaft für Sport und Technik (GST) takes over the ship. On board, it trained the next generation of sailors for the merchant fleet, deep-sea fishing and the People's Navy.
• 1990Greifswald residents protest against the planned sale - with success. The Hanseatic city buys the ship for a symbolic mark.
• 1991The "Greif" is given its current name, modernised and is now open to interested parties.
• 2020The ship loses its seaworthiness due to its ageing condition. Once again, the plan for a general refurbishment is widely supported. The federal government, the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, foundations, associations and private donors have since supported the project.
• Since the end of 2022 the "Greif" will undergo a general overhaul on the grounds of the "Volkswerft" Maritime Industrial and Commercial Park.

Read more you will find here on the website of the "Griffin"-support association.