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Peter von Danzig.

 

The yacht Peter von Danzig was named after the privateering kogge of the 1470s and was built at the l)anziger Went as Hull No.S-76. Decks were constructed of 4 cm. Oregon pine and the other major wood consisted mainly of teak. The yacht displaced 30 tons with the following dimensions: 2.50 meters deep x 17 meters long x 4.20 meters wide. Sail area was 140 square meters. With cooperation of the Danzig Senate, the Technischen Hocliscliule and the Danziger Went, all material and financial requirem ents were met. Construction was completed within just 53 days, thanks to the expertise of DipI. Ing. Henry Gruber. With its 9-man crew, the Ii’1er had its trial cruise on 7th May, 1936, and on the 15th it left Kiel, slipping through the Kaiser Will iclmn Canal to Tlamburq, where it was met by the U.S. freighter Gapulin for transport to Boston. Arrival  the U.S. was on 5th of June, after which the masts and sails were reassembled.

On 10th of June, 1936, the Peter sailed to Cape Cod for the Bermuda Regatta with forty-two other yachts. The race began on 4th July. 1936, as noted in the original logbook entry on page 5.

In June, 1986, Klaus Böhm wrote an article in the ArGe Danzig Bulletin 125, explaining that it was the 50th anniversary of the 1936 ocean race from Newport (Rhode Island), to Hamilton (Bermuda) and finally to Cuxhaven (Germany). Böhm’s interest in this yacht and race can be explained by this note in the article: ‘Wenn Sie sich nun die Mi.Nr. 284 mit einer scharfen Lupe genau betrachten, werden Sie vielleicht sogar meiner Vater an Deck erkennen, er ist 1936 als Takelmeister mitgesegelt.” (Essentially: “If you look closely at the stat imp with a strong mnaqimifying glass, you will see my father, the TakeImeister of  the midsail.”)

The Peter von Danzig won honors in the 1936 ocean race and also competed in the Easter races fronm Helgoland to England, as well as in numerous Baltic regattas. She eventually became the property of the Akadeinischen Seglerverein. Somehow, the Peter survived the war, although in disrepair. It was not until summer of 1948 that the Peter von Danzig again flew new sails and put out of Kiel, where today she is the ASV flagship.

 

Danzig Report  Nr. 88 - July - August - September - 1995, Page 4.