Ship people don't need much space. At the stern of the former cargo ship "Ahoy" there is a small apartment: on 50 square meters there is a living room, bedroom, toilet, shower, kitchen, cabin and terrace. In the past, the captain lived there with his wife and two children.
In 2020, artist Sabine bought the ship. The Ahoy was built in 1914 as a cargo ship and temporarily used as a hotel during the summer months, until at some point it was finally converted into a hotel and passenger ship. In the process, seven cabins were created in the belly of the ship, each with two or four beds.
Despite its very good condition, "Hafen-Sabine", as it calls itself, spent nine months modernizing and lovingly furnishing the Ahoy. A completely new paint job with flexing, sanding and repeated painting. She has completely retained the charm of the old ship.
The rockabilly motif runs through the entire ship. Mermaids and mermaids are everywhere. She sewed the curtains herself, upholstered the chairs herself, printed the lamps from the 3D printer - Sabine designed almost everything herself.
Sabine didn't buy the ship naively. She knew exactly how much work she would have to do, because the Ahoy is not her first ship - and probably won't be her last. Compared to life on land, ship people necessarily need a lot of technical knowledge: ship engines, machine pumps, control systems, electrics and much more.
The Ahoy is 39 meters long, 5.25 meters wide, weighs 175 tons and is completely roadworthy. An unusual sight on the Neckar. Sabine has been spending her life on the water for 14 years now. She owns two large ships, a small one and a sports boat. The artist also bought the Ahoy as a retirement plan - as a self-employed person, she can make beds into old age.
Thanks to the photovoltaic system and the wind turbine, it is possible to live self-sufficiently on the boat. But if the wind doesn't blow or the sun doesn't shine, you have to be economical, otherwise the battery will run out quickly. This is important to Sabine, because she is an eco-queen - everything she uses in her boats should be recycled and reused.
The great advantage of living on the water is that you don't need a building permit to redesign the ship according to your own ideas. There are no limits to your imagination. But life as a ship owner is not really cheap: every five years, the ship has to be visited by the factory - the last one cost 20,000 euros and a lot of personal effort - 8,000 euros of special paint alone.
Nevertheless, Sabine is already thinking about a new ship project. Life in a houseboat or on the water is just too beautiful and varied, she thinks.
A film by Julius Schmitt (editing), Enno Endlicher (camera), Tobias Neufeldt (sound) and Daniele Guida (editing). Production: EIKON Media GmbH, on behalf of SWR.
00:00 "Ahoy": Harbor-Sabine's ship
03:08 Bedroom
04:30 Bathroom
05:05 Kitchen
05:44 Wheelhouse
06:24 Stern
08:21 Saloon
09:18 Sleeping cabins
10:27 Engine room
14 июл 2024
