Shark cutter
Shark cutter is a certain type of Danish fishing vessel called in Germany, of which over 9,000 were built between 1900 and 1940.
Name and construction
The frames and planks are usually made of oak, and the hull length is between 12 m and 19 m. The slightly convex bow and the overhanging, elliptical stern are characteristic . The term shark cutter has nothing to do with catching a shark . Rather, these cutters were the first in Danish sea fishing to be equipped with auxiliary machinery. With their help, the safety nets (Snurrewaden) could be deployed independently of the wind and without the use of dinghies and, while at anchor, they could be retrieved using deck winches. Even today, a heavy disc over which the anchor cable ran can be seen on the starboard ("right") side of the stem of many shark cutters. This technical advantage brought the fishermen better catches in a shorter fishing time, which is why the non-motorized colleagues gave them the name hajer : These ships were voracious at the fishing site like sharks. A special type of net used here is the Snurrewade , a ring-shaped net that was not dragged, but rather pulled in over the bottom towards the anchored cutter. That is why the cutters are sometimes referred to in the literature as Snurrewadenkutter . Shark cutters were among the fastest and most seaworthy fishing vessels in this size class and are considered first-class sailing vessels.
history
The first ships of this type were built around 1900, probably based on English fishing vessels (fishing smacks). They were powered by petroleum glow-head engines. The larger ships were ketch rigged, with a much smaller mizzen mast. The long jib boom jutted forward almost parallel to the water. From the 1920s, sailing lost its importance compared to machine power. Shark cutters were built until the 1940s, and many continued to operate as pure machine vehicles for a long time, without any sails. A few are still in the fishery. Most shark cutters today sail as recreational vehicles and traditional ships. In Germany there are still 21 pieces (as of November 2009). In addition to the traditional ketch rigging, you can see many schooners and cutters.
Known ships
- Alexa in Laboe ,
- Carmelan in the museum harbor Flensburg ,
- Dagmar Aaen , Arved Fuchs' expedition ship. It was specially converted for trips to arctic regions.
- Dana , the last remaining shark cutter with clinker cladding is in the museum harbor in Flensburg,
- Hanne Marie , Greifswald,
- Hansine in the museum harbor Lübeck ,
- Nordwind , Greifswald ,
- Olander , a shark cutter flying the Polish flag, built as a fishing vessel in Esbjerg in 1931
- Olga von Skagen , ex- Liguban , Museum Harbor Flensburg; sunk September 2013,
- Victor Jara , Greifswald,
literature
- Niels Bach: History of the shark cutter using the example of Dagmar Aaen , RKE-Verlag, Kiel 1992, ISBN 3-924381-36-4 .
- Volker Pesch: With Motor and Snurrewade , in: Piekfall No. 99–101, 2009/2010.