112-year-old tall ship topples over in Cape Town

The 112-year-old tall ship, Bark Europa, fell on its side at the at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town on Saturday morning. One sailor has been injured.

The accident occurred during the maintenance period in Cape Town, resulting in Bark Europa partly falling over while attempting to be placed back into the water from the drydocks.

In a statement, the company said the injured sailor is currently in stable condition and receiving ‘appropriate medical care’.

The accident has come less than a month before the vessel was scheduled to embark on a 53-day sail training voyage to the Azores on 13 June.

The extent of the damage to the ship is still being assessed, and the company is still to decide on an exact timeline for resuming its sailing operations.

The Europa was built in 1911 on the Stülcken wharf in Hamburg, Germany. She was first named as Senator Brockes. The original client who ordered the ship was the State of Hamburg. The ship was built to serve as a light ship on the German river Elbe. Called ‘Elbe 3‘ she served as light ship and later she was first reserve. 

In 1986 the ship was brought to the Netherlands and over eight years the ship was completely renovated and re-rigged. Since 2000, the Bark Europa has been crossing oceans and seas on a regular basis, taking adventurers around the world on voyages and she also participates in tall ship regattas.

Images courtesy of Bark Europa/ info@barkeuropa.com