Bodan Shipyard makes it an even dozen

The new ship, about 80 m long, will be the biggest in service on the Lake, which is in turn the largest in Germany and located on the border between Germany and Switzerland. It will carry a 400 ton payload.

Keel laying is scheduled for this Autumn following the delivery of the first 500 tons of steel for the newbuilding. Operation will start in Spring 2010, when the current ferry, the 1970 built Fontainebleau will be taken out of service.

The year 2010 will also mark the 80th anniversary of the Konstanz-Meersburg ferry service, on which the newbuilding will operate. Called the floating bridge, the 4.2km crossing forms part of the main B33 highway and takes 15 minutes, with a ship leaving each side four times an hour.

Although the new ship will be recognisable as a sister of the Tabor, which went into service in 2004 and also carries some 700 passengers, the newbuild’s design may differ. It will also carry 64 cars, a few more than Tabor‘s 60, and be longer than its 72m LOA predecessor. She will also incorporate design features requested by customers. They include easier access, more outside seats, improved seating materials, a better view from the passenger deck and the optimal exploitation of the ship’s four car lanes which will give the increased car capacity.

The latest ship will, in the words of its owners, ‘make a contribution to the environment.’ It is planned to install modern propulsiontechnology which will reduce soot particle emissions by 90% and CO2 content by about 10%. As yet there are no details of specific propulsion plant or suppliers.

By Tom Todd