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Repair of the Poeler cog Wissemara”: maritime heritage in danger!
The Poeler cog “Wissemara” is being transferred to Stralsund for repairs in order to ensure its seaworthiness as a maritime monument.
Repair of the Poeler cog Wissemara”: maritime heritage in danger!
In Wismar, the Poel cog “Wissemara”, a replica of a medieval trading ship, suffered a bitter setback. The hope of the fans and the Poeler Koggen Club to have the legendary cog repaired promptly was dashed when a Rostock shipyard canceled the event. According to Wismar FM, an appointment has now been made at the Strela ShipRepair shipyard in Stralsund for mid-November. This journey to the shipyard will take around two days and must be carried out under the ship's own power.
The “Wissemara” is not only a maritime landmark of the Wismar region, but also a popular attraction for harbor festivals and traditional seafaring. Unfortunately, the current situation is rooted in serious safety deficiencies discovered during an inspection. The ship's wooden exterior was found to be defective, leading to its immediate decommissioning. This means that planned trips for the current season had to be canceled. The club is now facing significant financial losses, as Boote Magazin reports. Chairman Gerd Lemke describes the closure as a “hard defeat” for the club, which lives primarily from membership fees and donations.
Financial challenges and repair plans
The absence of the cog from the waters has a heavy impact on the coffers of the Poeler Cog Association, which has around 450 members. They now face the challenge of closing the financial gaps and covering the repair costs. The time-honored cog was built in the 1990s based on historical models and was intended to keep the heritage of Hanseatic shipping alive.
An application from the “Citizens for Wismar” parliamentary group in the city council recently had the potential to have the repairs carried out by Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS). But Senator for Construction Michael Berkhahn made it clear that TKMS does not have the necessary specialists for wooden ships. The application was ultimately rejected and a request from the Coggen Association to TKMS remained unanswered. This increases concerns about the future seaworthiness of the ship, which is of great importance to the region as a floating monument.
The opposite could be the case if the repairs are carried out in a timely and professional manner. This is the only way to ensure that the “Wissemara” will soon be able to conquer its very own element, water, again. Until then, the club will continue to look for solutions to preserve this ancient piece of maritime tradition and to one day make the dreams of regular trips on the cog come true again.