Is brought to the Baltimore pier in the old harbor for scrapping: the Seute Deern – already without masts – with the climate house in the background. (Helmut Stapel)
–
For decades it was the maritime figurehead at the entrance to Bremerhaven’s city center: the 76-meter-long “Seute Deern”. After the fire on the wooden three-master a good year ago and the subsequent sagging to the bottom of the harbor, the ship is now being scrapped. Extensive preparations are necessary for this, which are expected to begin in the middle of this week. The “Seute Deern” will be hauled to the so-called Baltimore pier a good 150 meters away from her current berth in the Old Harbor. The costs for this: 600,000 euros.
A historical circle closes with the place of scrapping. The very first ship ever moored at the Baltimore Pier in Bremerhaven in 1830: the full-rigged ship “Draper”, a three-master from the USA. The history of the Bremerhaven port colony began with it. With the “Seute Deern”, a three-master from the USA is now lying on the stone harbor wall of the Baltimore pier – this time, however, to end a long voyage and ship history. The “Seute Deern” celebrated its 100th birthday last year.
Waiting for the second project phase
“For various reasons, the ship cannot be scrapped where it is now in the old port,” explains Holger Bruns, spokesman for Bremenports. The state-owned port company received an order from the German Maritime Museum (DSM) as the owner of the “Seute Deern” to transport the tall ship. Bremenports could then organize and monitor the scrapping of the ship – as soon as the DSM has placed the order for this second project phase.
“The hull is not stable at the current berth because water is getting in. Since the ship was salvaged in September, the pumps have been running around the clock so that the Seute Deern doesn’t sag again, ”says Bruns. That costs a good 100,000 euros every month. Moving the ship to the Baltimore pier using a winch would eliminate these costs. “As soon as the ‘Seute Deern’ is there in the narrow and flat harbor basin, filler material is brought in from land. The ship is then stable and safe in a bed of sand for scrapping, ”explains Bruns.
–
–
