A former fireship and icebreaker will race on the Bega. The vessel was built in 1948 in Germany PHOTO

A spectacular ship built in 1948, in Germany, will be restored and prepared to be put on the Bega canal, from Timișoara. For now, it is in a city yard for repairs.

Dan Eftimie and the ship PHOTO Ștefan Both

The Bega Canal in Timișoara is slowly starting to be repopulated with boats. Boating enthusiasts dream of sailing up to or after the lock at Sânmihaiu Român, others think that maybe the Romanian-Serbian border on the Bega could be opened permanently, not just on special occasions, as is happening now.

The old ship “Pelican”, restored and put back on the water in 2021, is “king” in Timișoara for now, but soon it will not be alone anymore, because a spectacular ship built in 1948, in Germany, will be ready to be put on Bega. For now, it is in a city yard for restoration and repairs.

The ship built in 1948 in Germany PHOTO Ștefan Both

The ship was bought by Dan Eftimie, known in Timișoara as the “Pirate from Bega”, the owner of the “Pirate Ship” – which runs races with children from the Children’s Park area.

“Initially, it was an icebreaker in Hamburg, in the port. Then, it was converted into a fire-fighting ship, on the Danube, in Austria. The person who bought the boat converted it into a sailing ship. He wanted to go with her to the North Sea, he didn’t get to, poor thing, because he died. His son sold it, and the last owner, from whom I bought it, was passionate, had some money, but no time. So he sold it“, declared Dan Eftimie.

The ship bought by Eftimie PHOTO personal archive

It cost more to ship

A great boat enthusiast, Eftimie found an ad for sale of a boat in Austria on the internet. It was neither easy nor cheap to get to Timisoara by boat.

“The last owner put pictures of her when she was beautiful. And it said 5,000 euros. I said that’s great, let’s buy it. I quickly fled to Austria, to Linz. On the spot it wasn’t quite as advertised. He left some of the price, he promised me that he would help me set it up, so that I could go with it to Romania. I went from Romania with a minibus of tools, parts, I worked there for about ten days, after which I left for the Danube. It went ok until the Serbs, where a transmission broke and I stayed there. It was October, it was cold, and after three days some Serbs dragged me to Old Moldova. From there, we brought the ship to Timișoara by land. All the transport, on the Danube and on land, cost me about 10,000 euros. I can’t tell you how much money I’ve spent on repairs so far. Accounting is a loss, but when it’s passion you don’t do calculations anymore“, said Dan Eftimie.

The ship bought by Dan Eftimie PHOTO Ștefan Both

The ship is almost 18 meters long, 3.60 meters wide, one meter draft, and about 20 tons. It has a 120 horsepower Ford engine. The former fire boat will race along the entire navigable length of the Bega.

“I hope that in two months we will put Bega on. We direct all the money into it. There will also be a period of tests after we put it on the water. Some inspectors from Turnu Severin came to see the works, they said it’s ok, and after we finish we will register it. I’m thinking of doing small events, a name day, a small dinner on the canal, on the way to the Sânmihai lock“, added the “Pirate of the Bega”.

Dan Eftimie’s steamer PHOTO Ștefan Both

Pirate ship on the Bega

Dan Eftimie has been sailing on Bega with the “Pirate Ship” since 2013. Children can ride this boat every weekend.

“The story of this passion is simple. I was a fisherman and I said to buy a boat. Then I bought another one. And I couldn’t stop anymore. We were selling them, buying others. One day I decided to do something that would bring me some money. I was a sales manager at a company, I worked from morning to night, my boss called me at 12 at night, and I said I couldn’t do it anymore. That’s when I came up with the pirate idea. There is nothing for children. I took the boat from Italy, painted it, drew some mermaids on it, left everything with wood, rustic. He has been sitting on Bega for 11 years and walking children“, said Dan Eftimie.

Dan Eftimie and the Pirate Ship PHOTO personal archive

Barge Zaza

Dan Eftimie is also responsible for the Zaza barge, set up on the Begăi bank as a terrace. Interestingly, that steamer was working when it was bought.

“She was a barge and registered in the Netherlands. I put an engine on it and came with it on the Danube, all the way to Old Moldova. It took me ten days to get there. It is now approved only as a pontoon-terrace. You can’t put an engine on it, drive around with it“, also declared Eftimie, who also owns a fishing boat, which he keeps in Greece.

Barja Zaza Personal PHOTO archive

“I took the boat from France. It was without an engine and decommissioned, and the owner could no longer keep it. I got it for free, I only had to pay 2,000 euros for shipping. I brought it in and fixed it. I keep it in Thessaloniki, I pay 600 euros a year for parking. I go three or four times a year to the boat, to fish“, added Eftimie.

By ship in Greece PHOTO personal archive

Trouble with the city hall’s shuttles

The small community of people who own steamboats in Timișoara complains about the navigation style of those on the Societăță de Transport Public (STPT) steamboats, which run on the Bega.

“I am a private person who put in some money and I suffer when I see that we are thrown ashore by the waves. Many times they called me from the Zaza barge, they were the customers whose wine glass was knocked over. It happened I don’t know how many times. We talked to the canal administration, the captain’s office and the STPT, it’s like you’re hitting a wall. They go at legal speed, but there is a rule that says that when meeting ships moored to the shore, the speed is reduced to the point of stopping the engine, so as not to disturb the waves. In any civilized country you will not see ships with passengers making waves and hitting you against all the walls“, Dan Eftimie also said.

Dan Eftimie’s steamer PHOTO Ștefan Both

Recently, the Egreta boat appeared on the Bega, restored by the people from Ecluze on the Bega, which was a donation made to the association by Dan Eftimie.