The Lightship Gedser Rev is built in 1895 at N. F. Hansen’s Shipyard in Odense.
The lightship is now docked in Nyhavn in Copenhagen, and is part of The Danish National Museum, which in 2013 completed a total restoration of the ship. It is original wood from this restoration, that I use for guitars.
Gedser Rev functioned as a lightship from 1895 – 1972, after which it was taken out of service and stationed at the Holmen in Copenhagen.
During the Cuban Missile Crisis, the lightship had a central role, as it reported about the Warsaw Pact sailing with nuclear missiles to Cuba.
The lightship was located midway between DDR and Denmark. During that period about 50 refugees came from the former East Germany to the lightship. When it was realized that the GDR followed the communication from the lightship, the ship just sent the message ” we need more water.” It was a message that Danish authorities could pick up refugees from the lightship.
In 2009 the Danish National Bank produced a 20 kroner coin with Queen Margrethe II on the front and the lightship Gedser Rev on the back. Each guitar has embedded a copy of this coin.
