Range of new boat types for German owners

Due into Easter service for Bremerhaven’s HaRuFa Maritime Tourismus is a second novel ‘glass palace’ river and harbour excursion boat from the Bolle Shipyard in the former GDR.The 26.1m long and 5.1m wide as yet unnamed boat, for 120 passengers, is a sister of the

Lady Sunshine,

delivered to HaRuFa in 2007 at a cost of ¢450,000. The unusual feature of the Type Aqua Cabrio vessels are their telescopic retractable glass sunroofs over two thirds of the boat length.

The type is driven by a 180kW IVECO diesel and a 42m long version is also available. Like its predecessor, the newbuild will be delivered to the Weser along the German inland waterway network via Magdeburg, Brunswick and Minden.

Another East German shipyard, Peene-Werft in Wolgast, has meanwhile launched the Meerkatze, the second of two ultra-modern new fisheries research boats for the Federal Institute for Agriculture and Food (BLE).

Seefalke, the first of the 72.8m long, 12.5m wide vessels, was completed last November. Together costing ¢63m, the vessels are each driven by two 3,600 kW diesel-electric engines providing some 19 knots.

Finally, Germany’s top shipping body, the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) has revealed that it will invite tenders for a new research ship for service from 2012 to replace the 1987 built Atair.

BSH president Monika Breuch-Moritz said the tenders could go out late this year or early in 2010. Acquisition will, however, depend on financing being made available by the German Government and, as spokeswoman Eva Pelz told MJ in early March, no approval for a new research ship had yet been received. The BSH currently operates five research vessels.