Arkona overhaul tops small German yard work

Nobiskrug’s Christian Meier-Kothe told MJ the latest work on Arkonatook nearly six weeks to complete. It involved the revamp of the ship’s command centre, work on the propulsion system, the exchange of the port pod unit and overhaul of the starboard pod system as well as work on the underwater hull and on the air conditioning and ventilation systems.

No further information was provided by Nobiskrug on the propulsion and pod work, but the 2,056gt Arkona has diesel electric drive comprising two Schottel Type SEP 2 pod propulsors and an SPJ 220 bowjet providing 1000kW with total propulsive power put at 3,700kW.

The ship’s multi-purpose character helps explain its long yard stay. It was completed in 2004 for €44 million at Peene Werft in Wolgast primarily as a Baltic oil pollution combat ship. However, it also has emergency towage and fire-fighting capability and can tackle buoy tender, police support, ice-breaking and rescue work.

Drawing 4.5m and with a top speed of 13.1 knots, Arkonais operated by the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration. Its maintenance, like that of other Government owned vessels, rotates around the country’s shipyards. Arkona was last at Nobiskrug in 2009 for repair and maintenance.

Elsewhere, repair and maintenance is proving a welcome fillup for German shipyards as small ships and boats go in for winter lay-ups and overhaul for the coming season.

Among such vessels at the Bremerhavener Dock (BREDO) late this year have been the trawler Kiel and other fishing vessels. All called for regular annual dockings to prepare them for the coming fishing season.

BREDO said it had also carried out major gear and engine damage repair on the 65m tug Janus , which is powered by four MaK Diesels, two of type 6 L 32/40 and two of type 8 L 32/40, jointly providing 14,000kW and driving Schottel SPC 119-4 XG controllable pitch propellers. The 100.6m Bundesmarine auxiliary Donau called for regular dock work carried out in cooperation with the small Elsflether Werft, which regularly leases BREDO docks.

Despite ongoing insolvency, Lindenau Schiffswerft also reported a respectable slew of small and not so small ship and boat repair and maintenance contracts of late.

Callers included two sail training ships, the 50m German brig Roald Amundsen and the 49.8m training schooner veteran Thor Heyerdahl. Others include the 65.9m police coastal patrol boat Bad Bramstedt, the 36.05m Stralsund icebreaker Görmitz, the 17m customs boat Amrum, and the 29.9m local Kiel tug Bülk. BREDO also said it had completed fire damage repair on the 81m Russian seismic research ship Akademik Lazarev.

By Tom Todd