The cutter soap kept Zandvoort busy for weeks. A spontaneous attraction arose after a shrimp trawler stranded on a sandbank on the coast of Zandvoort. Three previous attempts were made in vain to pull the cutter free. With extra strong tow rope from Friesland, we finally succeeded this afternoon. The shrimp fisherman’s daughter is ecstatic: “It’s unbelievable.”
The soap opera surrounding the stranded shrimp cutter began a few weeks ago, on November 22. The ship then got stuck on a sandbank on the coast of Zandvoort. It soon became clear that the cutter was stuck. For example, the Royal Dutch Rescue Society (KNRM) had the utmost effort to refloat the ship.
Third time lucky
A few days later things went from bad to worse, then one tugboat foundered on the sandbank on the coast of Zandvoort. Although the ship was able to be refloated, the cutter was stuck.
In the meantime, a fundraising campaign for the ship’s fisherman raised more than 100,000 in a short time 64,000 euros on. Yet there were also less beautiful moments, as it turned out when the cutter sailed target of theft became. Unknown persons stole the so-called rigging of the cutter. “I think it’s sad,” the owner’s daughter Lisette Reker said at the time. “It’s unfortunate that this adds to the misery we already have.”
Three ultimate attempts were made to refloat the ship. Different companies from the region supplied personnel and equipment last Thursday to get the stranded shrimp cutter JM 22 back to sea.
Tears everywhere
Today, twenty-four days and three futile attempts later, we finally managed to free the cutter from the sandbank. To loud applause from the audience, the cutter sailed back to familiar territory, the open sea. With a strong tow rope from Friesland the ship could be pulled out to the open sea.
Daughter Lisette cannot believe her happiness: “It is unimaginable. Unbelievable. Tears everywhere.” The mayor of Zandvoort also responds from the beach and is happy that the cutter is free. He congratulates everyone involved.
The cutter, including its owner, is now sailing towards the port of IJmuiden where Lisette will joyfully await her father.