Irmgard – the boat wreck at Grosse Bucht

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Antoinette De Chavonnes Vrugt launches her new cook book
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Hardap Resort expected to open its doors again
November 10, 2015

Compiled Sanet van Zijl | Main photo Peter Stenglein

If you’ve ever visited Lüderitz and came across the boat wreck at Grosse Bucht, you may have wondered what the story behind it is…

 

The wreck is called the “Irmgard” and belonged to the father of Mr Ulf Grünewald of Lüderitz Nest Hotel.

Mr Hans Küstner built the boat in his garage in the space of a year, so that he could catch crayfish from it. He named it after his sister – Irmgard; and used it a long time before selling it and moving to Windhoek. Upon its initial launch, it was the first flat-bottomed steel boat to be built in Lüderitz.

Unfortunately, the new crew was asleep on the boat one night when a terrible storm caused the anchor to break off from the boat which was then strewn onto the rocks and eventually onto the beach at Grosse Bucht. This was in 1978/ 1979. Now only a skeleton of the boat is left.

Luderitz,_Diaz-Point,_Gr._Bucht

The Irmgard at Grosse Bucht. Photo ©Peter Stenglein

2 Comments

  1. Pieter says:

    Hi, is there any information on a wreck in Luderitz harbour? Apparently its name is Magna.

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