Smugglers, spies & escapes · 1944
Alar, the ship that missed its escape
Villagers of Õngu on Hiiumaa built this three-masted wooden motor sailer between 1937 and 1939 under master builder Peeter Himmi; about 35 metres long, she is the largest surviving wooden ship of her type in Estonia. The Alar first carried timber, and from 1940 building materials for Soviet bases. Near the end of the Second World War her owners and crew planned to escape with her to Sweden, but the plan was discovered: they were arrested and the ship's officers jailed in Tallinn. The Germans seized the vessel, renamed her Kurland and took her to Germany. Found later in Hamburg, she was rebuilt in England, sailed under the Swedish flag and was restored in Denmark. In 1998 she came home to Sõru harbour, renamed Ernst Jaakson, and she lies there today.
Open it on the map See the spot on the old maps and as it is today
Eesti keeles
Selle kolmemastilise puust mootorpurjeka ehitasid Hiiumaa Õngu küla mehed aastatel 1937–1939 meister Peeter Himmi juhtimisel; umbes 35-meetrine alus on suurim säilinud omasugune puulaev Eestis. Alar vedas algul palke ja alates 1940. aastast ehitusmaterjale Nõukogude baasidele. Teise maailmasõja lõpu poole kavatsesid omanikud ja meeskond laevaga Rootsi põgeneda, kuid plaan tuli ilmsiks: nad arreteeriti ja laeva juhtkond pandi Tallinnas vangi. Sakslased võtsid aluse ära, nimetasid selle ümber Kurlandiks ja viisid Saksamaale. Hiljem Hamburgist leitud laev ehitati Inglismaal ümber, sõitis Rootsi lipu all ja restaureeriti Taanis. 1998. aastal jõudis ta tagasi Sõru sadamasse uue nimega Ernst Jaakson ning seisab seal tänini.
Source: Military Heritage Tourism ↗