A “Segelgig” was a local boat class in the Berlin area between 1906 and somewhen in the 1920th. Afterwards the boat type disappeared and the boats where scrapped or used as motorboats. It has always been a small class, but many innovations happend due to very open regulations. It is said that those “Segelgigs” and sailing canoes are the predecessor of nowerdays racing dinghys. We have two “Segelgigs” in our collection. They have around 8 to 11 sqaremeters of sail area and, like ours, are often rigged as a ketch with sliding gunter sails.
Peter was build in 1911 by Franz Wetzel at the Bootswerft Germania in Stralau, what nowadays is a part of Berlin, GER. We do not have a lot of information of its life afterwards. Peter got a new bottom at one time and when we got it in 2010 it was equipped as a motorboat with parts from the GDR. We started a full restoration last winter (2021/22). Because we more or less only had the hull, we reconstructed everything around it, for example the centerboard case.
After finishing the restoration last summer we went to the Raid Extreme in the Netherlands. The boat is challenging and wet to sail , but also a lot of fun. We also competed in the Klassiker-Rendezvous on the Baldeneysee in Germany.
Last year also an other owner in Berlin finished her Segelgig, so for the first time in around 70 years not only one, but two Boats of this class are under sail again. We are looking forward to race each other at one time. Maybe we also finish our second Segelgig in the following year.
Please feel free to ask any question.
If you want to learn more about this boat or our club (Classic Boat Club Mülheim e.V.), please visit us for all news on Instagram. If you want to have a look at our collection of far more than onehundred classic rowing boats please visit our Webside and click on the word “Sammlung” which is German for collection.