Krake ZK 14

''Krake'' was a Dutch sailing ship with the identifier ZK 14. It was bought by the German progressive pedagogue, bard and writer Martin Luserke. The former fishery vessel was deployed as his floating poet's workshop. It cruised the shallow coastal regions of The Netherlands, (Germany), Denmark, Southern Norway and Southern Sweden as well as channels and rivers between North Sea and Baltic Sea. In harbours it was visited by a larger quantity of mostly younger people who attended readings and taletellings. ''Krake'' became very well-known during 1934 and 1938 and still is a topic in German literature, scientific literature, local museums, libraries, archives, encyclopaedias, and lectures. One of its later well-known visitors was German pilot Beate Uhse.

History

''Ebenhaëzer'' ZK 14 (ex ZK 74)

The Dutch fishery vessel ''Ebenhaëzer'' with the identifier ZK 14 (ex ZK 74) was formerly owned by Betto and Maarten Bolt of Zoutkamp, The Netherlands. The ship's original name referred to Eben-Ezer. Between 1911 and 1934 the open ' was used to trawl fish, especially mussels, plaice, prawn and some herring. The ship's early history is not documented in its port of registry or home port. When Luserke bought the ship on 25 February 1934 it had reportedly been laid up for a long time. Despite its construction of solid oak the ship was unkempt and already in a rather shabby condition. On its four-day-conversion tour to East Frisia in Northern Germany the cabin under deck broke down.

''Krake'' ZK 14

Luserke renamed the ship ''Krake'' (= octopus), inspired by many stone jars (in old German language called ''Kruke'') he found aboard. Similarly, the ship's pet parakeet's name was named ''Kraki'', which is a diminutive of ''Krake'', later modified to ''Karaki''.

On wharf in Oldersum, East Frisia, the Blazer ''ZK 14'' was completely restored, renovated and newly developed with superstructures like a wheel house and an elevated cabin roof on its foredeck to gain a bit more headroom for its crew and guests under deck. The vessel also got a new 2-cylinder Deutz engine. The ship's former identifier ''ZK 14'' was inherited on its gaff sail while the identification on both sides of its bow was overwritten by its new name ''Krake''. The vessel was partly painted white but its flat floor plate was painted in black. Any metal panelling was silvery.

On Sunday, 15 July 1934, the ship was ready for the maiden voyage with its all-new engine. Martin Luserke and his fifteen-year-old son Dieter (1918–2005) boarded in Oldersum and went back to their home on the island Juist, which is one of the sandbanks which delimit the Wadden Sea. Dieter had been sailing since the age of six, and already had basic sailing skills. In September 1934 Luserke registered his ship in Emden, East Frisia, which became the ship's new home port. Its registration shows an incorrect typification as a Tjalk. The reason for it might be the ship's modification with superstructures which a Blazer typically lacks. However, Blazer and Tjalk are still not identical.

Martin Luserke was dedicated to the fine arts but also possessed a hands-on mentality. In 1906 he was co-founder of '' Freie Schulgemeinde Wickersdorf'' ("Free School Community of Wickersdorf") in Thuringia and in 1925 had founded ''Schule am Meer'' ("School by the Sea") on Juist Island, both progressive boarding schools, the latter with the motto ''education by sea''. He enabled his pupils to learn about sailing with the school's own sail boats ( dinghy cruisers) or to signal using the flag alphabet. One of his educational goals was to encourage his pupils to develop earthiness, comradeship and a sense of team responsibility, leading to an autonomous personality. The latter turned out to be incompatible with Nazism. (See Volksgemeinschaft)

In spring 1934 Luserke's school had to close against the background of "Gleichschaltung" (Nazification) and Antisemitism. Martin's wife Annemarie had died in 1926, so he asked the youngest of his four children if he wanted to follow him at sea. With a talented teacher as father his son Dieter felt he could easily quit school.

To prepare, his son went aboard the 100-ton-sailship "Ostfriesland" (East Frisia) which anchored near Juist at that time, until July 1934. In 1931 his father had already completed a mate's certificate in Leer, East Frisia. Until August 1934 father and son both used Juist as their home port whilst school matters had to be cleared.

Later their trips with ''Krake'' went from the Dutch West Frisian Islands along the German East Frisian Islands and North Frisian Islands to Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the German islands in the Baltic Sea like Fehmarn, Hiddensee and Rügen, through Dutch, German and Danish channels, rivers and lakes like ''Lake Schwerin

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