The Bark DORETTE

The bark DORETTE was built by Hermann Friedrich Ulrichs, in Vegesack/Fähr, for the firm of Carl Pokrantz & Co., Bremen, and launched on 3 November 1855.

242 Commerzlasten/503 tons register; 40,5 x 9,0 x 5,1 meters (length x beam x depth of hold); International Signal Code: QBLS.

Her captains were: Joh. Grabau,Vegesack; Joh. Hinr. Gätjen, Bremen (1860); Cord Gustavus, Vegesack(1861); B. Schumacher, Bremen (1863); Lüder Schulken, Bremen (1864).

The vessel was primarily engaged in the transatlantic freight and passenger service.

A short history of the DORETTE:
German text

On December 19 1859 there arrived on the DORETTE 9 castaways, among them 5 women, who a few days before were sunk when the SILAS HOLMES sunk in the proximity of the Florida keys on its return. Under Captain Gustavus the DORETTE in November 1862 had a collision with the EXPRESS, Captain Unruh, who incurred a broken mast. The DORETTE evidently remained undamaged.

Louis Haesloop (later Captain of the bark LOUIS HENRY) when, as a sailor with the DORETTE under Luder Schulken in the year 1867/68 made several trips from Bremerhaven to NY by way of New Orleans, kept a record of the condition of the emigrant passengers at that time:

This time the trip to New Orleans and back with about 300 passengers .... the primitive conditions for the passengers present! No windows, no ventilation! When, in bad weather, the hatches had to be closed, the atmosphere below was terrible.... There was no doctor on board. Water for all these people was in barrels. Everyone had a small ration of drinking water, most keenly measured. At night a rigourous guard was kept that no provisions could be stolen. During this trip there were 8 births and 1 death.

On the next trip of the DORETTE from Bremerhaven to North America Louis Haesloop took part in:

Once again going with nearly 300 passengers to New York. On March 8 we sailed down to the lighthouse, and here again had to anchor and endure a heavy Nor'easter. We positioned before it with two anchors with 9 fathom chains. The following days we sailed where the southwest wind was, again north around England. During this trip numerous storms and wretched weather. The poor passenger were often kept in, not allowed to come on deck for days because the hatch had to remain closed. On this trip also our colleague Christopher Seebeck from Ronnebeck fell overboard. Amid stormy weather and high seas he plunged from the top to the sea. Under mortal danger a boat was put out, but after searching in vain again came back. With much toil and by the skin of our teeth the boat was received on board. Shortly after the boat with its crew was safely on board, a heavy storm set in. Our poor friend was not seen again. A very tough and arduous trip ended on May 15, we came into New York. Outside of our comrade Seebeck we also had a number of passengers, mostly children, that had to be laid in the sea.

On the return trip, which lasted from June 23 until June 5, 1868, the DORETTE brought a load of petroleum to Bremerhaven.

In 1870 the DORETTE was sold to a Norwegian. She received the name NORDSTJERNEN and operated for H. Chr. Gron out of London. In 1880 the bark was finally acquired from L.G.S. Larsen out of Hauan (Sandefjord).

Not until 1904 was the NORDSTJERNEN (formerly DORETTE), after 48 years running time, condemned in Lisbon and sold for scrap.


This is from Peter-Michael Pawlik, _Von der Weser in die Welt; Die Geschichte der Segelschiffe von Weser und Lesum und ihrer Bauwerften 1770 bis 1893_, Schriften des Deutschen Schiffahrtsmuseums, Bd. 33 (Hamburg: Kabel, c1993), pp. 279-280.


Thanks to Michael Palmer for providing this information.