Lühring sister ships meets

In 1998 Christian Eckardt writes the following in the Seereise magazine issue 3//2019:

Eye of the Wind (photo, courtesy of Christian Eckardt)

Historic tall ships meet for a rendezvous in Bremerhaven

Lühring sister ships at the SeeStadtFest

The historic two-masted EYE OF THE WIND has been sailing the world's oceans for 108 years. At the upcoming SeeStadtFest in Bremerhaven from May 23 to 26, the tall ship will meet its younger sister ship ANNY VON HAMBURG. Both ships were once launched at the legendary Lühring shipyard in Hammelwarden, just a few kilometers up the Weser. As part of an open ship event, sailors and viewers interested in the maritime world can visit the EYE OF THE WIND, which has already achieved screen fame several times as a film set in Hollywood productions, with free admission.

A legend under sail - built on the Lower Weser

With its visit to Bremerhaven, the 40-meter-long and 7-meter-wide EYE OF THE WIND returns to the vicinity of its construction site after four years. Its maritime history began at the Lühring shipyard in Brake in 1911. Built as a gaff schooner, the ship was initially christened FRIEDRICH and entered in the Hamburg shipping register. After several changes of ownership and name, English sailing ship enthusiasts began to completely re-rig the hull in the 1970s. In 1976, the two-master was ready to set off on great adventures at sea under its new name EYE OF THE WIND.

The majestic appearance of the tall ship attracted attention in the film industry, and the EYE OF THE WIND defied wild storms, ran aground or sank in front of the cameras. Well-known Hollywood stars such as Brooke Shields and the two Oscar winners Tommy Lee Jones and Jeff Bridges take the helm on the seaworthy brig. The sailing Hollywood diva serves as the setting and backdrop for the films “The Blue Lagoon”, “White Squall” and other adventure films. For its 100th birthday in 2011, the EYE OF THE WIND was even allowed to lead the world record ship parade for the inauguration of the Bremerhaven Kaiserschleuse as the flagship.

Maritime history: meeting the sister ship

It is not known how long the courses of the EYE OF THE WIND and her almost identical sister ship ANNY VON HAMBURG have not crossed. However, one thing is certain: the younger sister of today's EYE OF THE WIND was built in 1914 according to the same construction plans as one of seven cargo sailing ships and was initially given the name ANNY. On its first voyage to Saint Petersburg, the three-masted gaff schooner was caught up in the events of the First World War and confiscated by Russia. It was not until the 1920s that the sailing ship returned to Hamburg. After various conversions and renamings, it was sold to Sweden and later to Finland in 1957. The three-masted gaff schooner, which is now 38 meters long, has been operated by the German company Timbercoast GmbH since 2018.

This means that the two former Lühring schooners will probably meet in Bremerhaven for the first time in over a century. "It is not documented whether the two have ever been in the same port at the same time before," says Frank Anders. The 48-year-old from Flensburg works as a ship's cook on the EYE OF THE WIND, previously served for years in the same role on the ANNY VON HAMBURG and is therefore probably the only German sailor who knows both Lühring ships from personal experience. His anticipation of the SeeStadtFest is evident: "It will be a very special moment for me to see these two sailing legends side by side," says Anders, "and the visitors will experience maritime history up close!"

From Bremerhaven on a long journey

The EYE OF THE WIND is now used worldwide for sailing trips and management training at sea for a maximum of 12 guests. The next stop after the SeeStadtFest is the Kiel Week in June. During the summer months, the square-rigged ship will call at port cities and islands in Sweden, Norway and Great Britain. After crossing the Atlantic under sail in the autumn, the windjammer will then spend two months traveling in the Caribbean.

Open Ship: Traditional seafaring up close

The ship is expected to arrive in Bremerhaven on May 21. All SeeStadtFest visitors are invited to get to know the square-rigged ship and its crew at the "Open Ship" event. The ship can be viewed in the New Harbor as part of the major maritime event.

Open Ship is on Thursday, May 23, 2019, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the berth in the New Harbor. Open Ship event at www.eyeofthewind.net · Christian Eckardt