BJØRNSUND CHRONICLE
formerly C. F. Tietgen, Falkland, Slugen, Vikefjord
Year of construction: 1929
In: Esbjerg/Denmark (Jensen & Lauridsen)
Length on deck: 18m
Overall length: 25m
Displacement: 50t
Hull: Oak on oak
Sail area: 220 m²
Engine: VolvoPenta TMD 100A (220 hp)
Owner (since 2018): Sebastian Hentschel
Home port: Museum harbour Greifswald
Extensive restoration underway since autumn 2018 on the premises of the Museum Harbour Greifswald (Greifswalder Museumswerft e.V.)
BJØRNSUND is one of the so-called „Shark Cutters“, the sailing fishing cutters of Denmark that were fitted with additional engines at the beginning of the 20th century. With these auxiliary engines, they are superior in performance and manoeuvrability to the older, mostly single-masted fishing boats that had to rely solely on their sails. No wonder that they were so much more successful in their catches, hence the name “Shark Cutter” - voracious as sharks.
BJØRNSUND is built in 1929 at Lauridsen & Jensens in the Danish port of Esbjerg as „C. F. Tietgen“ under the designation E 312 as a gaff ketch, from oak planks on oak frames. She remained with her first owner for over 40 years. The ship is used for Danish seine fishing in the North Sea.
In the 1960s and 1970s, BJØRNSUND remained under Danish flag but changed hands several times. In 1968 she was named BJØRNSUND for the first time, but her name was changed again after that. In 1977 she is sold to Sweden where she is used in the Herring fishery for two years as „Vikefjord“ (designation LL 425).
The two swedes Björn Wetterlund and Per Ekstrand bought the now 50-year old fishing vessel in 1979 and gave her back the name BJØRNSUND. They carry out an extensive restoration over the following years in Gothenburg, where they convert the ship to be used for leisure and guest trips.
The fish-hold gives way to a saloon; the original engine from 1929, a two-cylinder Tuxham, is replaced; by 1989 the engine room and large parts of the deck and deck houses are renewed;
100 metres of planks are renewed in 1992 and the entire hull is given a make-over; Bjørnsund also receives a new rudder.
Finally, in 1995, Wetterlund and Ekstrand also renew the rig, which was until then a simple working rig for easy handling. Now a sail-plan is designed which is not only much prettier and more in harmony with the lines of the hull, but which also gives the ship much better sailing characteristics.
In the year 2006, BJØRNSUND is sold to the Saltö Skuta GmbH of Per-Inge Lindqvist. Karlskrona is now her new home-port. From now on, six sailing enthusiasts not only take care of the ongoing maintenance of the ship, but also pass on traditional seamanship.
After damages caused by a storm, nearly one entire side of planks are replaced at the Ekenäs Shipyard in Kalmar. Lindqvist also has the engine installation checked and the the rudder system renewed.
During this period, BJØRNSUND sails with guests from southern Sweden and also takes part in the „Hanse Sail” in Rostock. Above all, mentally handicapped can experience the „the scents and winds of the sea“ on board.
Olaf Tober from Berlin buys the ship in 2013 with the idea of organising sailing tours close to nature in and around the „Barther Bodden“ and takes BJØRNSUND to Stralsund.
In 2014, a defect in the heating system causes a fire on board. BJØRNSUND is taken to the yard „Volkswerft Stralsund“ and into the big shipbuilding hall there, where she is painted above and below the waterline. All seams are re-caulked, but in many places also only repaired temporarily.
Ole takes the ship into the Greifswalder Museum-Shipyard in order to repair the actual damage caused by the fire. Here, deck beams are reinforced, parts of the scorched beam clamp replaced and a section of the bulwark and deck exchanged.
The Museum-Yard in Greifswald is known for its small collection of „Shark Cutters”. Among insiders, the self-help shipyard is also called „shark cutter centre of competence”. During the following time, Ole, helped by his brother and supervised by the local master boat-builder, works on restoring the deck covering. In 2016, Bjørnsund is admitted into the association of the museum harbour and finds a new and her present home-port in Greifswald.
The Greifswald-based sailmaker Sebastian Hentschel buys BJØRNSUND in 2018 and founds „BJØRNSUND segeln“ to fulfil his dream of a sailing canvas workshop.
As an ambassador for the preservation of the traditional crafts of sailing, sailmaking and shipbuilding, BJØRNSUND shall once more sail the waters for which she was once designed in all her glory, both at home and abroad.