Catamaran Friedrichshafen – Konstanz

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The catamaran
The catamaran Logo.svg
Basic information
Company headquarters Friedrichshafen
Web presence www.der-katamaran.de
owner Technical works Friedrichshafen, Stadtwerke Konstanz 50% each
Managing directors Norbert Schältke, Christoph Witte
statistics
Passengers 451,437 per year (2016)
Fridolin in front of Friedrichshafen

The Friedrichshafen – Konstanz catamaran connects the two Lake Constance cities of Friedrichshafen and Konstanz every hour . It runs between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. (departure; in summer on weekends also every 2 hours until midnight) with a scheduled journey time of 52 minutes. The operator is the catamaran shipping company Bodensee , a subsidiary of Technischen Werke Friedrichshafen (TWF) and Stadtwerke Konstanz (SWK).

history

Shipping routes on Lake Constance
Catamaran "Ferdinand" in the evening in Constance
Ferdinand leaves the Friedrichshafen ferry port backwards
Fridolin 2013 in Friedrichshafen
Constanze in front of the port entrance of Friedrichshafen
inner space

The shipping company was founded on November 28, 1998 with the aim of using such a connection to improve local public transport on Lake Constance. After working out various ideas, the Bodan shipyard in Kressbronn on Lake Constance began building the first catamaran on December 15, 2004. The second catamaran followed a month later. After a few test drives, the two ships were christened on July 1st, 2005 under the names Constanze (home port: Konstanz) and Fridolin (home port: Friedrichshafen). Five days later they were officially put into operation by the then Federal President Horst Köhler , and scheduled traffic began the following day. The third catamaran with the name Ferdinand (home port: Friedrichshafen) was christened on January 28, 2007 and has been used since February 2007 mainly for charter and excursion traffic and as a reserve.

Originally, all three ships were painted uniformly white , as is usual with the German White Fleet . Since 2012, Fridolin and Constanze have been in the brand colors of the two shareholders: Fridolin in the colors of the Friedrichshafener Stadtwerke am See green and blue, Constanze with the color of the Stadtwerke Konstanz red.

In 2016, the catamaran caused a serious accident for the first time.

use

According to the catamaran shipping company, around 1.7 million passengers were carried over 45,000 trips in the first five years of operation. In 2016 451,437 people used the three ships, that is 1,236 passengers a day. The five millionth passenger was welcomed in March 2018. Commuters use the catamaran as well as locals and vacationers. In 2018 there were a good 1000 regular customers.

capacity

The interior of the catamaran can accommodate up to 182 passengers and 30 bicycles. There is also a WiFi hotspot and power supply as well as an on-board bistro. In addition, there are open decks at the bow and stern, some with seats.

Fares and cost recovery

In addition to the names, the ticket prices were also criticized before the start of operations, at 8.50 euros - now 10.50 euros - for a single journey. Furthermore, the profitability of the company was criticized, the aim of which was to make profits in 2009. After a deficit of 500,000 euros in 2005 and around one million euros in 2006, the shipping company reported a deficit of just 30,000 euros in 2016 and was able to cover costs in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Weather-related restrictions

The catamaran cannot operate in high winds and waves over 1.20 meters high. In the event of a breakdown, the ticket for the catamaran is alternatively valid on the Konstanz city bus, on the ferry and also on the regional bus transport Bodenseekreis.

Alternative routes

According to shipping company reports, the number of commuters has increased significantly. The catamaran connection with a journey time of 52 minutes and a fare of 10.50 euros (winter timetable 2016) can be used against both the rail connection with a change in Radolfzell (65 minutes, 12.80–16.50 euros) and individual transport via the ferry connection Constance – Meersburg claim (approx. 60 minutes, approx. 15.90 euros; example VW Golf). However, the Friedrichshafen – Konstanz city express bus (line 7394) is still an inexpensive alternative for commuters (approx. 67 minutes, approx. 6.70 euros). You can also take line 1 from Konstanz train station to the Staad ferry, then take the ferry to Meersburg. With the lake line bus 7395 to Friedrichshafen train station.

The catamaran is currently not involved in regional transport associations, and the Euregio day ticket is not valid on the catamaran.

Technology and interior

Technical specifications

The three double-hull ships are identical.

Environmentally friendly solutions

When developing the catamarans , emphasis was placed on environmental friendliness in order to have only a minor impact on the lake in this regard. This was mainly achieved through the low swell and the quiet driving style. In 2017/18, according to the shipping company, the drive technology of the boats was adapted to the stricter water regulations and a maximum permissible cruising speed of only 32 instead of 35 km / h: the two 750 hp V8 MAN diesel engines were replaced by two 6-cylinder in-line engines replaced by MAN with 560 hp. Together with improvements to the propellers and the drive train, this reduced fuel consumption from 417 to 373 liters per 100 kilometers with unchanged travel time per route. The power reserve is sufficient to temporarily achieve the maximum speed of 22 knots permitted on Lake Constance , corresponding to 40 km / h. The more efficient measures were supplemented by the installation of a passive, unregulated diesel soot filter system. As a result of the concerns of many water sports enthusiasts, the catamarans are not allowed to carry the “green ball” on their “high-speed route” outside the Bay of Constance according to the Lake Constance Shipping Regulations, which marks them as liner ships with right of way. They are therefore considered normal motor boats for the longest part of their journey and have to avoid sailing boats, for example.

Naming

The names for the first two catamarans were clearly assigned to the two cities that are connected, Fridolin for Friedrichshafen and Constanze for Konstanz. The naming of the third ship with Ferdinand is intended to remind of Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin , who was connected to both cities - Constance as the place of birth and Friedrichshafen as the place of activity.

criticism

Naming

The name Fridolin was particularly controversial among the Friedrichshafen population, as the similarity with the city name was not felt to be sufficient. The name Friederike would have been preferred by the population .

economics

At the end of November 2010, the catamaran had generated a deficit of over four million euros since its launch in 2005, despite 335,000 passengers. Because of this, there is criticism of the ship connection in the Konstanz municipal council. The shareholders, Stadtwerke Konstanz and Technischen Werke Friedrichshafen, refer to the cost recovery rate of 75 percent. You both stand further to the ship line. According to the shipping company report, the cost recovery rate was 95.5 percent.

Environmental sustainability

Even during the planning phase, the environmental compatibility was questioned. However, the action submitted against the water law permit was rejected by the Baden-Württemberg Administrative Court.

Web links

Commons : Ferdinand  - collection of images, videos and audio files
Commons : Fridolin  - collection of images, videos and audio files
Commons : Constanze  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. The catamaran . In: Bodensee Ferienzeitung. Edition 2/2009. Südkurier GmbH Medienhaus, Konstanz 2009, p. 7.
  2. A forceful impact: How the investigation is in the catamaran accident . Südkurier, September 30, 2016.
  3. ↑ The catamaran has carried 1.7 million passengers. In: Südkurier , July 1, 2010. And on line across Lake Constance . In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung , August 26, 2012, Technik & Motor.
  4. Friedrichshafen: Catamaran shipping company reports a good passenger year . In: Südkurier Online . ( suedkurier.de [accessed on November 29, 2016]).
  5. Five millionth passenger on the catamaran . Press release from the City of Konstanz, March 5, 2018
  6. Katy Cuko: The catamaran keeps going well. In: Südkurier , January 29, 2019.
  7. ^ Article on price criticism, Südkurier, February 24, 2005.
  8. Südkurier's report on the 2005 deficit, July 31, 2006
  9. ^ Report of the Südkurier on the situation of the Stadtwerke Konstanz, February 3, 2007
  10. Ralf Schäfer: In 2016, the catamaran is making fewer deficits than ever before . In: Schwäbische.de . ( schwaebische.de [accessed on July 13, 2017]).
  11. ↑ The catamaran is growing significantly. In; Südkurier, February 14, 2010. Author abbreviation (ebr).
  12. Katy Cuko: The catamaran keeps going well. In: Südkurier , January 29, 2019.
  13. ↑ The catamaran is growing significantly. In; Südkurier, February 14, 2010. Author abbreviation (ebr).
  14. ↑ The catamaran makes traffic history . In: Schwäbische Zeitung . Friedrichshafen April 20, 2016.
  15. Svenja Graf: Commuters are spoiled for choice. In: " Südkurier ", June 24, 2019.
  16. Official Lake Constance chart
  17. Catamaran fast ferry connection still approved . Baden-Württemberg State Sailing Association. December 2013. Archived from the original on March 3, 2014. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved March 3, 2014. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.seglerverband-bw.de
  18. Press reports on naming - applause for “Constanze” boos for “Fridolin”.
  19. Further reports on naming
  20. ^ Josef Siebler / jos: Catamaran continues subsidy business . In: Südkurier from November 23, 2010
  21. ↑ The catamaran makes traffic history . In: Schwäbische Zeitung . Friedrichshafen April 20, 2016.
  22. Report of the Schwäbische Zeitung on the lawsuit against the water law permit, January 15, 2004 ( memento of the original of September 27, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF) @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.worldspiritforum.org
  23. Baden-Württemberg Administrative Court: Press release dismissing the lawsuit against the water law permit