Sailing Yacht Crashes Into Tanker’s Wake At Lock, Skipper Injured

A skipper was injured when a training sailboat was caught in the wake of a tanker while entering a lock at Brunsbüttel, Germany, on the evening of Saturday, May 24.

The powerful water movement from the tanker pushed the sailboat, causing it to crash, break its mast, and trap the skipper under collapsing rigging.

The incident involved the 11.5-meter-long (38-foot) Elbe Express, a sailboat built in 2016 and used by Hamburg-based sailing school Yachtschule Eichler for training purposes.

The vessel is certified by the German Maritime Accident Insurance Association (Seeberufsgenossenschaft) and is regularly used for instruction on the Elbe River, as well as trips to the North Sea, Baltic Sea, and Atlantic Ocean.

The school describes Elbe Express as an agile and responsive boat that gives learners a real sense of dinghy-like sailing.
The accident happened at one of the entrances to the Kiel Canal (NOK) lock in Brunsbüttel.

According to the school, Elbe Express was heading into the lock when it got caught in the “screwwater”—a churning current created by the tanker’s propellers. A tanker was already secured inside the chamber when the sailboat lost control due to the water disturbance. The mast of the sailboat hit the rear port side (backboard rear) of the tanker and snapped.

As the mast broke, rigging parts collapsed and pinned the skipper against the railing of the boat. The Brunsbüttel fire brigade responded quickly, using a lathe to carefully free the injured skipper. She was then airlifted to a nearby hospital.

Yachtschule Eichler later confirmed that the skipper had suffered a broken rib and bruising but avoided any life-threatening injuries. She has since been discharged and is now recovering at home, reportedly feeling bored but doing well.

Initial inspection of the Elbe Express was carried out by the Ship Safety Department of BG Verkehr the following morning. The vessel was declared safe for navigation and returned to Hamburg with a skipper named Svenja at the helm.

All sailing sessions planned for the week were cancelled. The school is now waiting for a replacement rig being supplied from Denmark and expects the boat to resume service by the middle of next week.

In a public update, the sailing school thanked its onboard crew, the Brunsbüttel water police, the fire brigade, and the officials from BG Verkehr for their professional and timely response.

The school also addressed some incorrect reports in the media, stating that while the incident looked serious, such situations in lock entries are common. They added that similar wake-related issues have occurred before, often without major consequences.

The tanker involved had large fender tires positioned where the sailboat made contact, which helped prevent more serious structural damage. Despite this, the mast still broke under the impact.

Yachtschule Eichler confirmed that no investigation will be carried out by the German Federal Bureau of Maritime Casualty Investigation (BSU). The company carried out its own internal review and stated that the skipper acted appropriately under the circumstances.

According to their analysis, when there is no escape route left inside a lock and the vessel is at risk, accelerating and passing through may be the only option left.

The sailing school is currently in discussions with the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration (WSV), which includes many experienced water sports professionals, about how such incidents can be avoided in the future.

Until clearer solutions are developed, the company is urging all its vessels to avoid entering any lock chamber unless the situation inside is clearly safe.

In the meantime, the school continues to receive numerous get-well messages for the injured skipper and remains focused on ensuring the safety of its vessels and crew.

Reference: Yachtschule Eichler

Source: Maritime Shipping News