The light of Zeerijp

Not every storm. Only storms in which a ship on the Ems is in distress — so the tradition runs. The sexton sees it from his house across the churchyard. Yellow-white, bright as a good oil lamp, burns as long as the ship is not safe. When the ship reaches Delfzijl harbour or sinks — the light dies. In 351 years the light has been seen 157 times: 89 ships safe in Delfzijl, 52 ships sunk, 16 unknown.

In 1923: skipper Jurjen de Boer sailed the storm of 14 November and saw the Zeerijp light. He steered for it and came safely to Delfzijl. He went to Zeerijp to thank the sexton. Sexton Sikko Knol said: «Thank the tower, not me. I lit no lamp. I only saw the light as you saw it.» Sikko Knol died in 1947. De Boer survived until 1969. The Zeerijp light was last seen on 28 January 2024 during a storm when an inland ship near Termunten was washed away — all three crew were taken into Delfzijl alive.