20 October 2023: A day on which the Baltic Sea showed what it is capable of. Eleven force winds from the east and a storm surge that reached record heights. In Flensburg, the water level rose to over 2.27 metres above sea level - a new record. The consequences: Dykes burst, large areas were flooded; stone piers and harbour facilities suffered severe damage. The devastation was enormous.
Harbour operators and boat owners were particularly affected. Pleasure craft were washed ashore or sank at several locations in Schleswig-Holstein. According to Sporthafen GmbH, 48 ships sank in the Olympic harbour in Kiel-Schilksee. There were 24 in the harbour in Schleswig and several ships also sank in Grömitz and Damp.
Early end to the season and plenty of work in sight
The event is obviously still having an impact. Many sailors are still very unsettled. They are taking their boats out of the water earlier than in previous years. The closer the crucial date comes, the faster the berths in the harbours along the Schleswig-Holstein Baltic Sea coast are emptying. This impression is also confirmed by harbour and shipyard operators when asked.
Philipp Mühlenhardt, Managing Director of Sporthafen Kiel GmbH, says in an interview with YACHT: "It still seems to be in everyone's bones. The boat owners are all hectic ahead of the date." That's why the harbour masters have their hands full at the moment.
There is also still work to be done off the harbours. The remains of the damaged stone jetty off Schilksee are to be repaired in the coming weeks. This work began back in July and 3.5 tonnes of stone were laid. But that was not enough, says Mühlenhardt. This is now being made up for. Otherwise, the jetty facilities and the electrics were fully repaired at the start of the season. "The shambles has been cleared up as best we can," says Mühlenhardt.
More on the current situation in the harbours:
Financially difficult times due to Baltic Sea storm surge
However, there is one problem: the storm surge has caused financial difficulties for private operators in particular. Mühlenhardt estimates the damage to the nine harbours of Sporthafen Kiel GmbH at around 2.5 million euros in total. "We now have to see how we can compensate for the whole thing within our means."
Part of the support comes from the state of Schleswig-Holstein. As soon as the storm had passed and the considerable damage was visible, the state promised extensive aid to those affected. A special fund was set up for this purpose, which will be used where damage is not covered by insurance. Priority will be given to repairs in municipal harbours and jetties. The reconstruction of dykes will also be supported.
For private individuals and companies, such as privately operated ports, there is the "Storm surge bridging aid" programme. Those affected can receive a low-interest loan to facilitate the reconstruction of damaged buildings or business premises (details: here).
The storm surge damage in figures:
- 430 Damage have been registered by Pantaenius alone. The insurance experts estimate the total number of yachts affected at between 1,300 and 1,700
- 73 Ships has classified Pantaenius as a total loss. There could be up to 300 yachts in total
- 28 days salvage team members were out and about in the harbours, with only one night on the job
- 90 per cent Funding to be provided for coastal protection projects
More from the insurance expert:
In the podcast of our sister magazine YACHT, Dirk Hilcken from Pantaenius talks about the effects of the Baltic Sea storm surge and why yacht insurance has been in even greater demand since then:
Higher fees for berths after Baltic Sea storm surge
Sporthafen Kiel GmbH is also still hoping for support from the state. However, nothing has been received yet, says Mühlenhardt. "We are relying on it coming." But he is confident: the ministries are endeavouring to do so, he says. The money from the state should then also enable the regular repair work to be carried out.
However, it is already clear that the fees for berth holders will increase, according to Mühlenhardt. He is not yet able to say how high this increase will be. However, he does not believe that the berth holders will be displeased. According to Mühlenhardt, many will be understanding and, above all, grateful that everything has been restored for the start of the season.
Good to know in stormy times:
"Not all storm surge damage has been processed yet"
Meanwhile, the mood in the shipyards is good and the order books are full. Ralf Petersen, Managing Director of the Schleswig-Holstein Boatbuilding Guild, says in an interview with YACHT: "Most shipyards already have a good order situation due to normal business - i.e. repairs, extensions and conversions, winter storage and harbour operations. "And then a wave of damage hit the shipyards with the storm surge," says Petersen.
The damage has not yet been fully repaired. He does not have any concrete figures, but he estimates that around 20 per cent of the storm damage is still being processed. In addition, the distribution of damage varies greatly. In some harbours, such as the Ancora Marina in Neustadt in Holstein, there was not a single one. In Damp or Grömitz, however, there were all the more.
Most read about the storm surge:
Strong cohesion in Großenbrode after the Baltic Sea storm surge
Or in the privately run marina in Großenbrode - the destruction there was also enormous. After the storm hit the harbour with full force, a field of rubble was left behind. But instead of remaining anxious, the Großenbrode Yacht Club responded to the disaster from the outset with a plan and active commitment. Many members came together, collected rubbish and helped to salvage damaged boats. Rebuilding the boat on their own initiative brought the members closer together.
A report from on site:
More storm surges expected
But the storm surge has changed things here too: The chairman of the Großenbrode Yacht Club, Lars Kremp, told the editorial team that the outlook for the future has changed. It is now expected that such weather phenomena will occur more frequently. That's why better preparations are planned for the summer, says Kremp - through more stable and higher jetties as well as organisational measures.
The situation is similar in Kiel. The plan there is to replace fixed jetties with floating jetties in the near future. The breakwaters are also to be raised, explains Philipp Mühlenhardt, Managing Director of Sporthafen Kiel. However, this cannot be realised immediately. Due to the financial scale of such a project, long-term planning is required. Mühlenhardt: "These measures need to be initiated now."
