German yards bulge with ferry work

Among the latest to be revamped before new national safety rules go into force were three ships of the Nordseebad Spiekeroog, all more than 30 years old and part of a renovation investment costing nearly €3m. A fourth ship was among vessels from Reederei Adler-Schiffe making yard calls this year.

Cuxhaven’s Muetzelfeldtwerft was revamping the 47.9m Spiekeroog 11 up to April. Apart from regulatory fire-fighting, seals and rescue equipment changes including a new Fog-tec sprinkler system, the vessel got new radar, upgraded interiors, lengthened sun and boat decks and hull cleaning.

The work followed similar regulatory work and an annual refit, completed in March, on the 45.5m Spiekeroog 1V. The 46.7m Spiekeroog 1, completed at the end of last year, underwent the same work and also got a new radar and a lengthened promenade deck. As far as is known, no engines were exchanged on any of the ships.

Also on the North Sea, the Husumer-Dock & Repair shipyard HDR was extensively modernising the 53.6m long island ferry veteran Adler Dania up to April.

MD Helmut Walzl was quoted as saying excursion and ferry ships make up the bulk of yard business and the 35 year old Adler Dania ferry was just one caller this year.

It was spending more than two months at HDR not only for regular class work including unspecified propulsion and safety equipment renewal, but also for interior conversion into a universal event and functions ship. The main and upper decks were being extended as the vessl will also undertake North Sea and Baltic coast party excursions and trips to Hamburg and Kiel ports.

Adler operations head Tobias Lagmöller was quoted as saying the firm was investing “a six figure sum” in the modernisation.

Adler Dania was built by HDR and is a Baltic sea veteran. It joined Adler in 2005 as an excursion and charter ship.

The vessel is 10.1m wide, draws 2.15m and carries up to 500 passengers. Propulsion is provided by two MWM 12cylinder four-stroke diesels, each of 695kW, over two fixed propellers to provide a top speed of 15 knots. The ship also has a 100kW bow thruster and carries three gensets for onboard power.

Reederei Adler-Schiffe currently lists 25 small ships in its fleet of which Adler Dania is one of the biggest. Some of the other ships have also been at HDR this year for regular seasonal overhauls, among them the 25.2m Adler 11, the 31.7m Adler 1V and the 35.8m long Adler V. They were also all built at HDR.

By Tom Todd