It was a small but fine shipyard - specialising in special boats. But as of midday today, Janssen & Renkhoff is no more. The business in Kappeln an der Schlei, which is adjacent to the large Ancker Yachting site, burned down completely.
Despite the efforts of several fire engines, the hall could not be saved. However, the firefighters successfully prevented the fire from spreading to neighbouring buildings and yachts stored outside.
The damage to Janssen & Renkhoff was immense, running into the millions. Seven customer boats in the hall were destroyed in the fire, as were machines, tools and storage racks. The pictures taken by YACHT reader Dirk Kehrhahn show the full extent of the inferno. Huge clouds of soot and smoke loomed over Kappeln and were visible from afar.
A beacon for many owners in the region who were preparing their boats for the season at the time - including Henning Mittelmann, head of Mittelmann's shipyard further south. He has his own yacht not far from Janssen & Renkhoff, separated from the affected hall only by a wall. However, it was spared from the fire.
It is not yet known how the fire started. The police are investigating whether a technical defect, carelessness or arson was the cause.
