Maritime Topics On Stamps :

    Sailing vessel 'Preussen'

Preussen 2
The PREUSSEN, well-known as the Queen of the Sea,
Germany's largest sailing vessel and the largest
sailing vessel of the world to that time!
Build 1902 on the dockyard of Joh. C. Tecklenborg at Geestemuende
Type five-mast-full-rigger, 48 sails which measured 5560 squaremeters !
Length 132 meters, width 16.4 meters, highest mast 68 meters
Deplacement 11150 tons, cargo 8000 tons, Crew 45 men
highest speed 17 knots, the best average speed per day 15.3 knots,
normal speed 8 knots, more than most trampsteamers to that days.
There were steam winches aboard, but no auxiliary engine.


Preussen 1
Preussen 6
The PREUSSEN belongs to the german shipping company Ferdinand B. Laeisz, Hamburg
All names of the Laeisz-ships began with a 'P'. They were called
Flying P-Liner !
As all Laeisz ships the PREUSSEN was busy in the salpetre run to Chile. On her fastest voyage the 'PREUSSEN' needed only 57 days from the English Channel to Iquique.
Other famous Flying-P-Liner were the POTOSI, the PASSAT, PAMIR, POMMERN, PRIWALL, PEKING, PADUA, PONAPE etc.


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Preussen 5
The PREUSSEN was running only 8 years.
In November 1910 the PREUSSEN had a collision with an British steamer, which miscalculated the speed of the PREUSSEN. The steamer tried to cross before the bow violating every rule of the sea.
After the crash the PREUSSEN tried to reach the port of Dover with tug support. But the drag ropes broke, the 'PREUSSEN' ran ashore at the cliffs of Dover. Again 12 tugs tried to tow the PREUSSEN in deep water, but they failed. The PREUSSEN was totally destroyed by the next storm.


Preussen 4

© 1998 - 2003 Bjoern Moritz, all rights reserved.

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