en.wikipedia.org
Groote Beer is a 52 foot long (LOD) wooden yacht with design elements of a
barge, built in
Huizen,
Netherlands during
World War II. Rumored to be built for
German Air Marshall Hermann Göring. (Actual customer was a German industrialist named Temmler profiting from the war efforts.) The design is based on the shallow draft,
leeboard equipped, sailing vessels designed as workboats in the North Sea and capable of carrying goods far inland on the canals of the
Netherlands and elsewhere. WWII ended before the boat was completed, awaiting a new customer. In 1947, it was sold to William Greeve, who completed the stunningly ornate construction to match the original design rumors, sailed the boat, and eventually sold it to Charles M. Donnelly (Director of Feadship, Inc.). It was shipped across the
Atlantic to the
East Coast of the United States to be used to show the talents of
Dutch shipbuilders. During his ownership, it was seen in a number of events and ports but also was involved in a storm incident that damaged a few beach houses and the boat.
I am Groote Beer
