Hamburg harbor launch
The Hamburger Hafenbarkasse is a type of small, motorized inland waterway vessel that was developed between the late 19th and early 20th centuries for the fulfillment of various auxiliary tasks in the port of Hamburg . This type of ship experienced its heyday from the 1920s to the 1960s. With the structural changes in port operations away from general cargo handling and the rise of container handling , they largely lost their importance for the port industry. Today, many visitors to Hamburg know the launches as vehicles for harbor tours and excursions on the Lower Elbe .
Design
The typical Hamburg port launch is an open motor ship with a small deckhouse only in the foremost area of the hull (typically about the first quarter of the length). The ratio of length to width is usually greater than 4: 1. Hamburg harbor launches were built in lengths of just over 10 meters to over 20 meters. The hull is a slim displacer in round-frame design and largely vertical stem, which merges with a short circular arc into a largely horizontal (or straight falling) keel. The keel ends in an oar hoe for the single oar blade. It is driven by a single, typically three or four-bladed screw. The engine is located amidships in a box behind the deckhouse. The hull and deckhouse are made of riveted or welded steel construction.
Motorization
Early Hamburg harbor launches were equipped with steam engines. In the 1920s, diesel engines came on for barges. These simplified their operation, since no heater was required any more and the ship could be operated by one person. The Hamburg Jastram shipyard with its own diesel engines has long been the market leader for propulsion systems for port launches. While smaller barges had engine outputs of 50 to 100 hp, the larger ones could easily reach 200 hp.
Deckhouse and steering position
At the beginning of the history of the Hamburg harbor launches, these were driven from an open steering position, which was let into the rear end of the deckhouse. The steering position was raised to such an extent that the skipper could see well over the roof of the deckhouse. The steering position only had a steering wheel with mechanical power transmission (via gear and chain) to the rudder shaft in the stern, as well as a throttle lever for the engine and possibly a lever for the reversing gear for reversing. In the 1950s, most of the launch boats still had an open helm. This gave the skipper a good visual and acoustic overview of the traffic in his vicinity.
However, there were barges with a closed steering position before. These were also let into the deckhouse, but provided with a front, side and possibly a rear window, a small roof and a rear double-wing door. All Hamburg port launches now have closed steering positions.
The door to the deckhouse is on one side of the steering position. The interior of the deckhouse is roughly trapezoidal and offers some seating - typically on side benches - and a little storage space. There is often a small toilet on the other side of the steering position. In the past, there was often only a simple bucket in this to relieve yourself. Later this was mostly replaced by a toilet.
deck
Behind the deckhouse is the free deck of the launch. Strictly speaking, this is not a deck, as the hull is open at the top - there is a loosely inlaid floor and, if necessary, side panels to protect the frames from damage.
In the deck area, the drive engine is located amidships behind the deckhouse and is located in a box. Depending on the size and equipment, there may be benches on the long sides of the deck area. When present, they usually extend the full length of the deck area.
The rudder mechanism is located in a closed structure at the stern. This can also be used as a raised platform to climb from the launch onto a staircase or the gangway of a ship. In order to be able to hold on to this surface, there is a special handle in the middle of the platform on some launches - a vertical tube with a small horizontal ring about 20 cm in diameter attached as a handle to the upper end.
Original usage
At the time of their commissioning, Hamburg port launchers typically had the following tasks:
- Towing of barges and maneuvering of smaller ships
- Fast transport of smaller quantities of general cargo within the port
- Transport of supplies to ships in port
- Passenger transport
- Transport of documents and mail (" Postbarkasse ")
Use for harbor tours
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Due to the extensive containerization of general cargo handling, the number of people employed in the Port of Hamburg has fallen sharply. At the same time, many auxiliary tasks in port traffic that were previously performed by barges have either been completely eliminated or are now carried out on the land side. Since the 1960s, Hamburg harbor launches have been increasingly used for tourism - they carry out harbor tours with passengers. Due to their low height, they can still navigate the canals of Hamburg's Speicherstadt during floods , which other port vehicles cannot do. Many launches have been converted for the tour operation. So their deckhouses were extended to behind the steering position in order to create more covered seats. A tarpaulin can often be stretched as a roof and on the sides behind the permanently roofed deckhouse for the cold season in order to close the passenger compartment almost completely.
Deviating from the usual regulations for passenger ships, it is sufficient for round trips with barges in the Hamburg port area according to § 12 of the Hamburg port vehicle ordinance if the barge is only manned by the skipper. For trips after sunset, however, the minimum crew always consists of at least two people (skipper and another person who is knowledgeable about shipping).
See also: He lücht
safety
The construction of the Hamburg harbor launch shows that it has little reserve of buoyancy in its classic design . Since the open deck area does not have a watertight deck, this section of the hull no longer contributes to buoyancy in the event of capsizing or a leak. Watertight sections can only be present in the forepeak (i.e. between the fore stem and deckhouse) and in the box for the rudder mechanics at the stern. It is rather doubtful whether these offer enough buoyancy reserve to keep a damaged Hamburg harbor launch buoyant. Hamburg harbor launches are quite well motorized for their own weight, slim built and agile. In their normal sailing area, they are rarely more than a few hundred meters from the shore. Compared to other passenger ships - for example, almost all large round-trip ships in the Port of Hamburg - barges have a very low center of gravity. Therefore, for their size, they are very stable in the water.
See also
literature
- Holger Patzer: The river and port shipping of the DDG Hansa . HM Hauschild, Bremen 2009, ISBN 3-89757-140-4 .
Web links
- Hamburger Hafenbarkasse Pony Private homepage about a restored small Hamburg harbor launch
Individual evidence
- ↑ Hamburg Port Vehicle Ordinance of March 20, 1984. Retrieved October 18, 2018 .