A DIY ship that was washed ashore when the engine broke and the builder apparently forgot to include an anchor has become a tourist attraction in Germany.
The deserted vessel washed up off the coast of the German island of Norderney, after its 75-year-old captain, whose name was not disclosed, allegedly refused help when the ship’s engine broke on Monday, 6th November.
Aurich Police spokesperson Wiebke Baden confirmed the ship did not have an anchor and the engine had broken when it started to drift towards the shore and then ended up beached.
The captain had reportedly built the eight-metre-long (26 feet) vessel himself before heading on a journey to the city of Groningen in the Netherlands a few weeks ago, before heading to the harbour of the island of Juist, in the German state of Lower Saxony, last week.
However, he claimed that he was not wanted on Juist and they forced him to leave even though he was experiencing engine trouble.
He told German newspaper Bild: “They didn’t want me on Juist and chased me away.”
Without a functional engine, the skipper said there was little that he could do and eventually ended up stuck on the Norderney beach.
But despite not possessing a permit to leave the vessel there, he claims he cannot afford to have it towed away.
Explaining that he has no idea what will happen next, the captain who was not named said the officials have been to the site and probably wanted him to pay some money but he wasn’t too worried about the situation at the moment.
Germany’s Sea Rescue Society (DGzRS) spokesperson Ralf Baur said: “We radioed him via emergency channel 16. He said he didn’t need help and since there was no immediate danger to him, we didn’t need to do anything.”
It is unclear for how long the vessel will remain stuck on the beach.
Locksmith Dennis de Boer, who runs a towing ship business on the island, said: “In this situation, we would probably have to transport it away with a crane. But we won’t take action without an order.”
Revealing that there are still no ongoing investigations into the skipper, Baden said: “We are in contact with our colleagues on the island, but there are no proceedings yet.”
Nordeney Mayor Frank Ulrichs said: “One thing is certain, the ship will not lie on our beach for weeks.
“It’s storm surge season and that’s one of the reasons we have to find a solution soon. Communicating [with the captain] is difficult.”
Maritime law lawyer Klaus R. from Hamburg, said: “In the end, it is no different than with a car.
“If law enforcement decides that the ship has to go, then they’ll get it out of there too. The skipper’s consent is not required for this.”
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Story By: Georgina Jedikovska, Sub-Editor: Georgina Jedikovska, Agency: Newsflash
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