Albatros (1899)

The "Albatros" is a sailing ketch built in the Netherlands in 1899. Now used as a sail training vessel, she was the last sailing ship carrying commercial cargo in Europe.

History

1899-1987

"Albatros" was built at Kapelle aan den IJssel in the Netherlands in 1899 as a "Nordzee Klipper" or "Galliot". Her first captain was Johannes Muller of Middelharnis, near Rotterdam. In 1920 she was sold to Captain Lolk from Svendborg. In 1941, Lolk sold "Albatros" to Captain Rasmussen from Hobro. During the Second World War, "Albatros" was used to smuggle Jews and political dissidents from Nazi-occupied Denmark to neutral Sweden and smuggled weapons for the Danish Resistance hidden amongst her cargo on the return journey. Her rigging was reduced in 1964 and the rivetted steel below the waterline replaced with welded steel,cite web | url = http://www.norfolkbroads.com/focus/historical/albatros| first = | last = | origyear = | origmonth = | publisher = Norfolk Broads| work = | title = Albatros - A Dutch Sailing barge| accessdate = 2008-03-10] and a more powerful engine fitted to replace the engine that was fitted in 1933. Rasmussen retired in 1978, and "Albatros" was laid up in Copenhagen. In 1980, Antonius "Ton" Brouwer bought the "Albatros", and made Amsterdam her new home port. She was restored by Germanischer Lloyd between 1983 and 1987 and recommissioned as a sailing cargo ship.cite web | url = http://www.albatros.eu.com/intro.html| first = | last = | origyear = | origmonth = | publisher = The Albatros Project| work = | title = Introduction to the albatros| accessdate = 2008-03-10]

1988-1996

Her first cargo after restoration was soya beans to Macduff Scotland. Between 1987 and 1996, she was often to be seen at Wells next the Sea delivering her cargo of soya beans. With the closure of Wells as a commercial port in September 1995 her career as a cargo ship was finally over. The final load of 100 tons of soya beans were delivered on 5 September 1996. During this time, her cargos included corn, phosphates and timber. Apart from the regular run between Ghent and Wells, "Albatros" visited ports in the Channel Islands, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Norway, Poland, Scotland and Sweden, sometimes making faster passages than motor driven ships.cite web | url = http://www.albatros.eu.com/ship.html| first = | last = | origyear = | origmonth = | publisher = The Albatros Project| work = | title = The Ship| accessdate = 2008-03-10]

ince 1996

"Albatros" was converted to a passenger ship in 1997-98. Between 1998 and 2000, she was chartered by Greenpeace and used as a sailing classroom. In 2001, she returned to Wells, and "The Albatros Project" was created to support the upkeep of the ship. On 22 August 2004, a passenger on board the "Albatros" died when he fell from the rigging. "Albatros" was in the Thames Estuary at the time, and an investigation was carried out by the MAIB. Three recommendations were made.cite web | url = http://www.maib.gov.uk/cms_resources/Albatros.pdf| first = | last = | origyear = | origmonth = | publisher = Marine Accidents Investigation Branch| work = | title = Report No 7/2005| accessdate = 2008-03-10 (PDF)]

References

External links

* [http://216.109.125.130/search/cache?ei=UTF-8&p=Albatros+ship&fr=slv8-bkt1&u=www.maib.gov.uk/cms_resources/Albatros.pdf&w=albatros+ship&d=XQg5GPH_QZY4&icp=1&.intl=us HTML] version of MAIB report.
* [http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/cns/cns80702.htm Scale model] of the "Albatros".