Lisette (German schooner)

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Lisette was a German cargo ship built in 1881. It was a three-masted iron schooner about 50 meters long and 390 BRT, owned by Johan Georg Oestman from Blankenese. The name Lisette honored the wife of Captain Hans August Oestman. On its maiden voyage in August 1881, Lisette sailed from Hamburg to Arica, Chile, carrying general cargo such as glassware, rice, beer bottles and iron goods. During the night of 14–15 August, the ship was driven ashore and wrecked at Terschelling in the Netherlands. The crew were rescued by local fishermen. By 2 October the ship lay buried in sand, and salvage began. The tug Hercules helped pump water out, and salvagers unloaded and dried cargo. Lisette broke up on 19 August and its masts lay on the beach. From 21 to 23 August, cargo and inventory were sold at auctions; some cargo was damaged. The wreck brought in some money, but much cargo was lost. The famous “Lisette glasses”—small engraved cups—became well known at Terschelling. In 1990 divers found the bow sticking out of the sand, recognizable by its large bowsprit. The wreck was buried again and resurfaced in 2000, but by 2001 much of the foredeck had been salvaged and is now part of a tree house at Wrakkenmuseum in Terschelling.