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World
No. 5 Elbe: Hamburg's historic sailing ship restoration delayed to 2027 after collision
World Desk · · 30s summary · 2 min read
The essentials
The No. 5 Elbe, a pilot schooner built in 1883 and designated a historic monument in Hamburg, will not have its restoration completed until 2027. A collision that occurred during restoration work has forced the Stiftung Hamburg Maritim, the Hamburg port museum managing the project, to postpone completion initially scheduled for summer 2026. This wooden sailing ship, one of the rare survivors from its era, previously sank in June 2019 following a collision with the container ship Astrosprinter on the Elbe River, before being refloated and transferred to Wewelsfleth for restoration.
- The No. 5 Elbe's restoration completion has been pushed from summer 2026 to 2027 at minimum
- A collision during restoration work forced the project delay
- The 1883 wooden schooner holds historic monument status in Hamburg
- The ship previously sank in June 2019 after collision with container ship Astrosprinter
What we know
The restoration of the No. 5 Elbe—a pilot schooner built in 1883 and designated a historic monument—will not be completed by summer 2026 as originally announced. According to a spokesperson for the Stiftung Hamburg Maritim, a port museum founded in 2001 in Hamburg and the project manager, the completion of work is now postponed to 2027 at minimum.
The cause of the delay is a collision that occurred during the restoration phase. The extent of the additional damage caused by this incident has not been specified.
Context: A sailing ship marked by collisions
The No. 5 Elbe is a schooner—a sailing vessel with two or more masts, whose heyday dates from the 18th and 19th centuries—and a former pilot boat. Built in 1883, it is one of the rare survivors from the era of wooden shipbuilding in Hamburg.
In June 2019, the sailing ship sank following a collision with the container ship Astrosprinter on the Elbe near Stadersand. It was refloated several days later and transferred to Wewelsfleth to begin restoration work.
Timeline
- 1883Construction of the No. 5 Elbe in Hamburg. A wooden pilot schooner with two masts, it would become one of the rare survivors from Hamburg's wooden shipbuilding era.
- June 2019The No. 5 Elbe sinks following a collision with the container ship Astrosprinter on the Elbe near Stadersand. It is refloated several days later and transferred to Wewelsfleth for restoration.
- Summer 2026Originally scheduled completion date for the restoration work, announced by the Stiftung Hamburg Maritim.
- July 2026The Stiftung Hamburg Maritim announces the postponement of the work completion to 2027 at minimum, following a new collision that occurred during restoration.
What remains uncertain
The exact circumstances of the collision that occurred during restoration, its severity, and the nature of the additional damage caused to the sailing ship are not specified by available sources. It is also not confirmed whether 2027 represents a final date or if further delays are possible.
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