The
Polish ferry Jan Heweliusz capsized in the Baltic sea
14.January 1993 after having sailed in strong western
winds. With strong winds and a cargo which misplaced
itself under deck, this was more than enough for her to
capsize, even if the crew did their best to correct the
listing that had started to occur. For several days the
ferry laid upside down in the water before she went down
in the deep 21.January 1993. When Jan Heweliusz capsized,
54 people perished. The wreck rest today on a depth of 27
meter at Cape Arcona outside the German island of Rügen.
Name:
|
Former names:
|
Dimensions: |
Jan
Heweliusz
|
|
125,66 x 17,02 m
|
|
|
|
Tons: |
Built: |
Home
Port: |
3015 grt |
Brevik ( N ) 1977 |
Gdynia ( PL ) |
|
54°
36' 28.6" N , 14° 13' 5.8" E

Picture: Jan Heweliusz
Originally from skovheim.org

"The wreck of the Jan
Heweliusz, the Polish ferry which sank two years ago off
the shores of the German island of Rugia, is being
systematically plundered. Swedish television recently
showed photographs taken with an underwater camera by
German diver Dirk Hartman, which clearly show that on
the port stern side of the hull, a huge hole has been
made with a blowtorch. The entry gate on the stern has
also been removed. Trucks and containers which were
lying close to each other after the wreck capsized have
disappeared and in the interior of the ferry only some
remains can be seen. Amateurs would not be able to
execute such a major operation, for which pontoon cranes
would be necessary. A loaded truck weighs from 15 to 20
tons; even considering its "lighter" weight underwater,
it would still be very difficult to bring up from an 11m
depth. The German authorities which control the seaway
under which the wreck is located doubt that whole trucks
could be surreptitiously removed, though they
acknowledge what the Swedes have shown on television:
that a huge hole has been cut in the hull"
|