Maritime Circle Line (MCL) was the first Hamburg-based barge company to retrofit its entire fleet in accordance with the new safety regulations – and was able to implement its own ideas in the process.
The ships now comply with the new safety guidelines that all operators had to implement by 2012. The conversion costs amounted to around 80,000 euros per boat – a new launch costs at least 700,000 euros.
Not a solution for most operators. MCL shipowner Gregor Mogi wanted to continue using his historic launches – the oldest of which dates back to 1909 – for passenger transportation. For this reason, the hull of each ship was divided into five sections by installing four bulkheads. If water enters one section through a leak, this section is closed and the others prevent the boat from sinking quickly. “And in the meantime, guests can be disembarked in peace,” explained Mogi.
In addition, at least a third of the passenger compartment should be open. To achieve this, the heated interior of some barges had to be reduced in size. But Mogi has also come up with a solution here: “We now have a tarpaulin so that our guests don’t have to sit in the typical Hamburg bad weather.” This automatically opening canopy can be retracted in seconds in the event of imminent danger – and therefore meets the high safety requirements.
At the same time, Gregor Mogi used the conversion to take further measures: The heating systems were modernized, the interior redesigned and the insulation and weather protection improved.
A.) Sink safety – 3 watertight areas
The hull must be divided into three watertight areas.
In the event of a leak, it must be ensured that the vehicle can still be carried by the two dry areas in the event of a flooded area.
Measures: In order for experts to simulate and plan these requirements using special computer programs, the vehicles first had to be measured at great expense.
Two metal walls with watertight bulkheads were installed in the hull. The work on the rounding system and drive shaft feedthroughs was particularly difficult here.
The bulkhead between the passenger compartment and the aft deck can be opened and closed automatically; manual bulkheads were installed to the foredeck and the toilet.
B.) Open passenger compartment
One third of the passenger compartment must be open. In many launches, the heatable interior had to be reduced for this purpose.
C.) Automatic tarpaulin
A weather protection (tarpaulin) in the open part of the passenger compartment may only be used if it can be opened automatically by the skipper at the helm and on site.
The tarpaulin previously used, which could only be opened manually, may no longer be used when carrying passengers.
Launch Tokyo after conversion
Mode of operation: The new tarpaulin is automatically raised in less than 1 second using rubber ropes. The tarpaulin is closed again without much effort using the hand crank and the rubber ropes are re-tensioned. The opening of the tarpaulin is triggered by a lever on the aft deck or by a switch in the steering position.
