Pre-Christmas service for new German ferry

It left Kiel harbour and passed the Kiel Canal to sail through the North Sea. The vessel was scheduled to begin service in the Wadden Sea on the Dagebüll-Föhr-Amrum ferry line before Christmas, with the christening ceremony held on 30 December in Wyk auf Föhr.

Operator Wyker Dampfschiffs-Reederei (W.D.R.) is putting this second double-ended ferry into service on the Föhr-Amrum line in only 18 months. The Schleswig-Holstein follows Uthlande, commissioned in 2010. It will have a transport capacity for 1,200 passengers and 75 cars.

The vessel was built by Neptun Werft shipyard in Rostock in only ten months of construction time. The €17.5m investment in a second vessel within such a short time frame allows W.D.R. to present a new overall concept on the shipping line between the North-Frisian islands of Föhr and Amrum, significantly improving transport capacity and the amenities for passengers.

The Schlesweg-Holstein’s design, with an identical stern and bow onto which four Voith-Schneider propellers are mounted, allows the ferry to navigate in either direction without having to go through time consuming turning manoeuvres in the harbour. Pedestrians can reach the lounges and decks via special passenger doors on the side of the ship.

The double-ended ferry is 75.88m long, with a 16.40m beam. It has a cruising speed of 12 knots and is able to carry up to 360 tons. At capacity, its draught is a mere 1.75m, permitting the vessel to operate irrespective of the water level in the Wadden Sea.

Both the Schleswig-Holstein and the identical Uthlande have a 100% barrier-free construction, for which the Sozialverband Deutschland association (association of German social organisations) nominated the two W.D.R. ferries for a special award for ships that are suitable for disabled passengers.