M/Gl. Erik from Egernsund, 41 GRT. Built in 1906 of steel. On a voyage from Pøls Rev to Sonderborg with a cargo of coal.
Sunk on 04.05.33 in the Flensburg Firth.
Sea protest in Gravenstein on 13.05.33. Notice of loss dated Gravenstein on 18.05.33.
Around 00:00, the “E.” anchored at Pøls Rev, where the ship had taken on a cargo of coal from a vessel that had run aground there. The weather was calm and fine. At 01:30, the anchor was weighed and an easterly course was set, without the hatches being battened down (sealed weatherproof).
Immediately afterwards, fog rolled in, and the “E.” anchored again. The forward hatch was now battened down, while the cargo at the main hatch still protruded in a cone shape. At 03:30, the weather cleared, and the anchor was weighed once more. During this work, the wind suddenly freshened from the SE, causing the ship to lie broadside to the current and wind. As a result, the vessel took on water over the deck and through the open main hatch.
Attempts were made in vain to find a heading on which the ship – which was taking on an ever-increasing list – would ride steadily in the sea. Since sinking seemed inevitable, the crew — 2 men — jumped into the lifeboat, and immediately afterwards, the “E.” sank.
Note: By a judgment passed on 13.11.33 by the Maritime Court of the Lundtofte and Nybøl district (Harde), the master of the “E.” was sentenced to a fine of 150 Kr., payable to the state treasury. The reason was the breach of his duty under § 26 of the Maritime Act to batten down the hatches before the start of the voyage – a circumstance which, due to the wind and swell that arose later, caused the sinking of the ship.
The dive
I scanned the wreck in May 2026
https://dive3d.eu/baltic-sea-may-2026/
Model
