Seen at shipyard Meidericher Schiffswerft at Duisburg/Germany. This vintage special purpose vessel equipped with a diving bell is under restoration for the German inland shipping museum at Duisburg. She is the sole survivor out of five vessels built between 1859 and 1892, her diving bell could be lowered up to 8 metres below water level for inspections and works to be done at riverbeds.
Length 44,50m beam 9,33m draught 1,50m
Height : 14,30m
Tonnage : 400 tons
Home port : Bingen/Germany
Operated by Wasserstrassen- und Schiffahrtsverwaltung des Bundes (WSV) at Mainz/Germany until 2006
Engine : steam engine until the 1960's, subsequently a diesel engine used for the operation of the diving bell (the vessel didn't have a propulsion engine and had to be towed)
Sister vessels : KROKODIL (built in 1890 + three more, names unknown)
Built in 1892 by Maschinenfabrik Hanner & Comp. and shipyard Ewald Berninghaus at Duisburg/Germany
On 29/9/2016 the vessel was delivered to Duisburg by inland cargo vessel SINGA (ENI 02317703)
From 2006 until 2016 : Laid up on the River Rhine at St. Goar and Wiesbaden-Schierstein
From 1892 until 2006 : In service for the German waterway authorities
Ex- KAISER WILHELM (Flag : Germany, until ?)
ENI 05018400