Hulk (ship type)
Hulk or, more rarely, holk refers to a decommissioned ship that no longer has a drive, especially sailing ships whose masts have been lost or removed. Also steam and motor vessels that without functional drive in port or at anchor lie are called Hulk. The name comes from the medieval type of ship Holk .
Hulks serve many purposes, for example as living ships , prisons , storage rooms or as coal bunkers. In the 19th century, Hulks were used in the first branches of trading companies on the African coasts.
A mine hulk serves as a floating depot for sea mines . Due to its location in the roadstead, the Hulk is deployed away from the sensitive port or urban area and can be dragged further away in case of danger. The mine hulk itself is not intended to be used as a weapon.
The German Navy uses the former Cologne frigate (F 220) as a training hulk in the Marine Damage Defense Training Center in Neustadt in Holstein . There crews of the maritime units are trained in fire fighting and leak prevention.
In contrast to the Hulk, vehicles that have only been temporarily taken out of service and have their own drive are referred to as trailers .
See also
literature
- Jürgen Gebauer, Egon Krenz. Marine encyclopedia from A – Z. 4th, revised edition, Siegler Verlag, Königswinter 2007, ISBN 978-3-87748-657-3 .
