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carriers nor rail transport<br />
can compete with this level<br />
of consumption.<br />
Who actually cooks on<br />
board? „Whoever has time<br />
and can cook,“ explains<br />
helmsman Maik Mayer as<br />
he washes the lunch dishes.<br />
„There used to be a cook<br />
here,“ he adds. Presumably<br />
no one can afford such luxury<br />
any more today in view<br />
of the prices on the inland<br />
waterway shipping market.<br />
Thus, the crew presents itself<br />
to viewers as a smoothly<br />
functioning group of men<br />
sharing a household.<br />
While cows graze on the<br />
banks of the Rhine, bustling<br />
traffic prevails on the river.<br />
After all, „Franz Haniel 15“<br />
operates on the most frequented<br />
waterway in the<br />
world. Motor vessels con-<br />
16 � IMPERIAL NEWS<br />
stantly pass by in both directions.<br />
In spite of their actual<br />
length, when viewed from<br />
above, these vessels appear<br />
like small cars from the<br />
point of view of a truck driver.<br />
Otherwise much is reminiscent<br />
of a highway, only<br />
on water.<br />
„The actual hazards are<br />
not above, but below the<br />
water surface,“ says Captain<br />
Schmitz. „At many places<br />
along the river there are<br />
shallows where the water<br />
ripples on the surface.<br />
Shallows demand<br />
precise navigation<br />
Despite the stipulated<br />
navigation channel, special<br />
care must be taken when<br />
navigating in shallow water.<br />
In certain sections the multiple<br />
barge convoy moves<br />
only half a metre above the<br />
bottom. Then you can see<br />
how the ship churns up the<br />
sand to the water surface.“<br />
Schmitz and the other captains<br />
know this section like<br />
the back of their hand.<br />
The heart of „Franz<br />
Haniel 15“ is the engine<br />
room. The vessel has three<br />
engines, each a 16-cylinder<br />
turbo diesel as large as a<br />
VW van. During the last<br />
servicing the engines were<br />
given a general overhaul.<br />
Broken down into individual<br />
parts, they were examined<br />
thoroughly and all wearing<br />
parts replaced. Now they are<br />
to give the vessel new thrust<br />
for at least another 60,000<br />
operating hours.<br />
Punctually as planned,<br />
„Franz Haniel 15“ arrives at<br />
the port in Schwelgern. Just-<br />
in-time. The harbour basin<br />
extends, straight as a die,<br />
over a length of about one<br />
kilometre. As of here the<br />
harbourmaster in his lofty<br />
control station takes over<br />
command of the cargo.<br />
Brief instructions and boatsmen<br />
and heimsmen loosen<br />
the thick wire ropes that<br />
held the convoy together for<br />
24 hours. The four barges<br />
are cast off. Meanwhile in<br />
the river the empty pushed<br />
barges already await their<br />
downstream voyage to Rotterdam.<br />
●<br />
Three 16-cylinder turbo diesel engines generating a total power of up to 4,800 hp make Haniel multiple barge convoys<br />
powerful enough to be able to push six loaded barges upstream.
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