Lightship Elbe 3, The German Maritime Museum, Bremerhaven, Germany
The ELBE 3 is 114 years old and has been moored in the Old Port since 1967. This makes her both the oldest ship in the museum harbor and the one with the longest berthing time on site. The historic lightship, once manned by a crew of 16, has had an eventful history: built between 1908 and 1909 by the "Königliche Wasserbau-Inspektion" as the station ship EIDER for the Eider estuary, it served as a lightship at the minefields of the North Sea during the First World War. Under the name of BÜRGERMEISTER ABENDROTH, it belonged to the Cuxhaven Water and Shipping Authority and was berthed in the Baltic Sea during the Second World War. Afterwards it was used as a beacon and pilot station until 1966 at the position ELBE 3 in the German Bight, the sea area with the highest traffic density in the world. The steel sailer could be maneuvered with a storm sail in case of emergency. Initially, the beacon consisted of kerosene lamps, but later a diesel-powered generator and accumulators were installed for more powerful electric lighting. The foghorns, which had been operated by hand until then, could then be replaced by a large foghorn.
Another lightship designated as "Elbe 3" was also seen docked in the Elbe River.
Lightship Elbe 3, The German Maritime Museum, Bremerhaven, Germany
The ELBE 3 is 114 years old and has been moored in the Old Port since 1967. This makes her both the oldest ship in the museum harbor and the one with the longest berthing time on site. The historic lightship, once manned by a crew of 16, has had an eventful history: built between 1908 and 1909 by the "Königliche Wasserbau-Inspektion" as the station ship EIDER for the Eider estuary, it served as a lightship at the minefields of the North Sea during the First World War. Under the name of BÜRGERMEISTER ABENDROTH, it belonged to the Cuxhaven Water and Shipping Authority and was berthed in the Baltic Sea during the Second World War. Afterwards it was used as a beacon and pilot station until 1966 at the position ELBE 3 in the German Bight, the sea area with the highest traffic density in the world. The steel sailer could be maneuvered with a storm sail in case of emergency. Initially, the beacon consisted of kerosene lamps, but later a diesel-powered generator and accumulators were installed for more powerful electric lighting. The foghorns, which had been operated by hand until then, could then be replaced by a large foghorn.
Another lightship designated as "Elbe 3" was also seen docked in the Elbe River.