[2][3] At about the end of November 1893, Detmar sailed from the island of Ibo, Mozambique for Hamburg, Germany, under command of captain Marks, with a cargo of sesame seeds and ebony.

[4][5] Marks died during the voyage before reaching the English Channel, and was buried during an intermediate call at Falmouth, England.

[6] H. Schacht from Hamburg became captain,[1] but as it was not possible to find a German helmsman, a British pilot was taken onboard and the ship continued its voyage from Falmouth on 24 February.

[6][7] During the late evening of 26 February, Detmar was stranded at Noordsvaarder [nl], on the western part of Terschelling, the Netherlands.

[23] On 22 March a sale was held in Amsterdam of 287 pieces of grenadilla wood with a total weight of 13000 kg,[24] which fetched ƒ4479.

[2] On 3 April 1894 the office of the Maritime Board of Inquiry (in German: Seeamt) in Hamburg ruled on who was responsible for the ship's stranding and sinking.

[25][1] The Dutch fishermen who saved the ship's crew received a reward of ƒ250 from the Emperor of Germany in November 1894.