A mast broke down on a charter ship on the IJsselmeer yesterday afternoon while it was on its way with about twenty German schoolchildren. No one was injured. That reports the NOS.
The accident happened in the middle of the IJsselmeer. The ship, the Unicorn, was on its way from Lemmer to Enkhuizen. The ship is now moored in the latter place. The police report that the mast has been seized for investigation.
The aft mast is still standing. Photos show that the mast is damaged at the top. This mast may have been hit when the mainmast broke. Often the masts are connected with a line.
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It is not yet clear what exactly went wrong, reports the NOS. The Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) is conducting an investigation. A spokesperson expects more to be known next week.
A year ago, a 12-year-old girl in Harlingen died in a similar accident on a charter ship. Then the boom broke off, as it turned out later due to wood rot. As a result of that accident, the ILT has investigated the certificates of the so-called ‘brown fleet’.