MISSUNDE III

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Unsuitable ferry to be converted

Due to the ongoing difficulties with the 'Missunde III', the old Schlei ferry 'Missunde II' is back in service. The state had to spend 100,000 euros to buy back the old ferry, which had previously been sold to Denmark for just 17,000 Euros. The new ferry, costing 3.3 million Euros, was supposed to replace the old one at the beginning of the year, but it turned out that the much larger new vessel was not able to cope with the wind and current conditions. The i ferry has now to be rebuilt, with autumn 2025 being given as the new date for commissioning. The old ferry will continue to run between Kosel and Brodersby-Goltoft. The traffic situation in Missunde has eased somewhat, as the "Missunde II" has been given a license until 2028. The state was initially able to buy the ferry back for 46,000 Euros. However, the Danish owner was granted a right of repurchase until autumn 2024. When it became apparent that the commissioning of the new ferry would be delayed, the state also bought this right of first refusal from him for 50,000 Euros. Including VAT. The state has therefore paid more than 100,000 Euros to buy back the old ferry. The new "Missunde III" is now in Olpenitz. The tender for the conversion work has not yet been issued, but construction work is planned to be completed by late summer 2025. The "Missunde III" is scheduled to go into operation in autumn 2025. The cost of the conversion is estimated at more than one million Euros. In the meantime, the state has commissioned a law firm to examine claims for damages against the engineering firm due to design errors on the 'Missunde III'.

Old ferry re-installed due to ongoing problems with newbuilding

Due to the ongoing problems with the 'Missunde III', the prececessor ferry “Missunde II” returned to operation on the Schlei. The State Office for Coastal Protection, National Park and Marine Protection (LKN) had already sold the old ferry for a scrap value of 17,000 Euros. During test operations, various problems arose when using the new, significantly larger ferry. The authority has now bought back the old diesel ferry for around 50,000 Euros. Since last week it has been operating again on its old route between Kosel and Brodersby. 3.3 million Euros were spent on the new ferry with electric propulsion and solar cells on the roof. The new ferry was originally scheduled to start operating in April 2023. But the transfer from the shipyard in Derben initially failed due to delivery difficulties, then due to low water on the Elbe and finally due to flooding on the Schlei. A January opening date was canceled due to additional work on the jetties. The new start date was March 2024. But further problems arose during test sailings which have shown that some modifications were necessary to the ferry's cable guide. The ferry can no longer be docked when the wind is three to four Beaufort. While the old ship, which is 21 meters long, has a load capacity of 22.5 tons, the new, 34 meter long ferry can transport 45 tons. so it is almost twice as big. The rope is obviously under heavy strain due to the greater weight. In order to be able to catch the much larger new ferry even in stronger winds and guide it safely to the ramps, additional thicker bollards are required. In order to be able to ram this, a soil report is first required. In addition, another rope will be laid through the Schlei. and the “Missunde III” will also receive bow and stern thrusters. Two rows of dolphins on the route across the Schlei are intended to make maneuvering the ferry easier. To do this, the fairway will have to be narrowed.

New ferry still troubled

The new Schlei ferry "Missunde III" cannot start operating as planned. The new concept clearly has design flaws. The ferry was supposed to start operating between Kosel (Rendsburg-Eckernförde district) and Brodersby (Schleswig-Flensburg district) in March 2024. According to ferry lessee Rüdiger Jöns, the new concept for the “Missunde III” obviously has design errors. It doesn't hook onto the feeder properly. The rope is also obviously under heavy strain due to the greater weight. The hope of a temporary solution with the old ferry “Missunde II” has also been dashed. The old ferry, which is in need of maintenance, is still on the Schlei and it was suggested that it be reactivated. However, the “Missunde II” no longer has a valid ferry certificate. The cost of getting it fit again for a certification would be 1.8 million Euros. On the other hand, the “Missunde II” has already been sold. The old ferry had already remained in operation longer than intended. The planned start was originally April 2023. Supply chain problems and low water on the Elbe during the transport of the new ferry from the shipyard to the Schlei delayed the delivery, and flooding on the Schlei delayed the renovations to the piers. The “Missunde II” received a temporary operating license until March 2024 to continue operating. However, operations have been suspended since January 2024. The ship is currently in Maasholm, but no longer owned by the Schleswig-Holstein State Office for Coastal Protection, National Park and Marine Protection. The deployment largely depends on whether the Technical Ship Safety Department of the General Directorate of Waterways and Shipping (GDWS) in Mainz is prepared to make a further compromise with regard to the ferry certificate. The 'Missunde II' was examined and approved in Oct 2023. There is currently a valid certificate in the form of a provisional ferry certificate. The ferry can therefore currently continue to operate until April 10, 2024. As soon as the defects identified during the examination have been corrected, the certificate can be extended. Regarding the “Missunde III”, operation should be tested with a lighter rope. The trials that have taken place over the last few weeks in various wind conditions have shown that some modifications were necessary to the ferry's cable guide. In addition, the ferry should be better guided with additional dolphins in order to improve the mooring maneuvers. However, a soil report and permits are still required for the piling work which will take a few more weeks. The 'Missunde III' is significantly larger than its predecessor and can carry significantly more weight. Instead of six, up to ten cars, even heavy vehicles such as coaches, tractors or trucks can be transported. Report with video: https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/schleswig-holstein/Schleifaehre-Missunde-Politik-und-Anwohner-machen-Druck,missunde166.html