Greifswald/Stralsund (dpa/mv) – The hull of the traditional sailing ship “Greif” is to be repaired in Stralsund. The city of Greifswald, as the owner of the ship, announced on Tuesday that the Stralsund dock company had agreed to take on the urgently needed work. At the shipyard in Stralsund, repairs should primarily be made to the outer skin. The ship is expected to be transferred from Greifswald in mid-October. The city of Stralsund, as the new owner of the shipyard and the technical facilities, also supports the project.
“Due to the corrosion of the ship’s hull, various steel plates and frames have to be replaced,” explains the manager responsible for the ship, Friedrich Fichte. “Intact steel plates are derusted and re-preserved in order to preserve them in the long term. This work is urgently needed and can no longer be postponed.”
According to the city, the 35-meter-long sail training ship has been unseaworthy in its home port in the Wieck district since 2020 and was almost completely gutted inside by the regular crew and with the help of a development association. The “Greif” is still roadworthy, but official special permits are required for the crossing under its own power.
A Europe-wide tender for a complete refurbishment was unsuccessful in the summer, now the individual trades are to be requested separately. This included other steel work, for example for the renovation of the deck, the renewal of the rigging, the machinery and the interior fittings.
According to the city, the “Greif” was built in 1951 and put into service on the occasion of the 75th birthday of the President of the GDR, Wilhelm Pieck. The ship bore his name until 1991.
