Sailing boat stranded on Norderney salvaged without any problems
The sailing boat that ran aground on the island of Norderney and became a tourist attraction has been salvaged. Employees of a specialist company loaded the "Wibo" onto a trailer at low tide on Friday and brought it close to the island's harbor, as a photographer reported to the German Press Agency. Pictures showed how the ship was attached to an excavator.
On Monday, a 70-year-old sailor ran aground on the island's western beach with his boat "Wibo", which was no longer maneuverable. Since then, the ship had attracted numerous tourists.
The sailing boat, which the man had built himself, threatened to damage the coastal protection. As it is storm surge season, it could have washed up even further. The boat has a defective engine, a broken anchor and a damaged rudder. It was not possible to tow it out to sea.
A private initiative of islanders is collecting donations to cover the costs of repairing the ship. They have published an appeal on the Facebook platform.
However, it is not yet clear what will happen to the sailor from Freiburg. He has been living on the beach on his ship for the past few days. "He is physically unharmed, but a little stressed because of the many onlookers," said an island spokeswoman on Thursday. Before his abrupt stop on Norderney, he had sailed from Hooksiel near Cuxhaven to Spiekeroog and Juist, among other places.
The salvaged "Wibo" sailing boat, famous for its colorful design, now requires extensive repairs due to its damaged engine, broken anchor, and damaged rudder. Due to shipping constraints, the vessel cannot be towed out to sea, so emergency measures are needed to avoid further damage during the storm surge season.
Source: www.dpa.com
