It took six years, now the “Gorch Fock” is on the move again. The naval training ship has been extensively overhauled. However, the first test drive does not go smoothly.
Bremen – The refurbished naval training ship “Gorch Fock” went under its own steam for the first time in almost six years in the shipyard. Driven by the engine, the tall ship cast off at the Lürssen shipyard in Bremen on Wednesday.
However, the “Gorch Fock” had to end the test run on the Weser and North Sea, which was actually planned for two days, prematurely due to a technical defect. Actually, the ship should not come to Wilhelmshaven until Thursday in order to be equipped with the final equipment at the local naval arsenal. Since the damage could not be repaired en route at sea, the “Gorch Fock” headed for the port of Jade City on Wednesday evening, as the Lürssen shipyard announced in the evening.
First test drive doesn’t take long
Shortly after departure, the “Gorch Fock” had to be towed by tugs. The crew had discovered a defective control valve that provides the fresh water supply to the drive diesel engine. In order to change the valve during the test drive, the machine was stopped for the time being and the accompanying tugs took over. “Shipyard test drives are carried out for exactly such processes,” said a shipyard spokesman.
Initially, it was planned to continue the journey on our own after the repair. On Wednesday evening, however, it turned out that the valve could not be replaced while driving. The “Gorch Fock” should therefore arrive in Wilhelmshaven in the evening, depending on the tidal range. There, the defective component will then be replaced as part of the final equipment that is already planned, said the shipyard spokesman. On September 30th, the Bundeswehr will officially receive the three-master back.
Before that, everyone involved was very happy: “We are incredibly proud to have brought this special ship onto the home straight and to hand it over to our customer in a few weeks,” said Lürssen Managing Director Tim Wagner. On the banks of the Weser, onlookers watched the 63-year-old ship’s first voyage. “We are looking forward to the first sea voyage as part of the shipyard test drive and the first real impressions on the” new “ship,” said Captain Nils Brandt.
The Lürssen shipyard had been the second shipyard to build on the “Gorch Fock” since autumn 2019. The previous contractor, Elsflether Werft, had to file for bankruptcy. They were responsible for the enormous cost jumps that drove the price for the general overhaul from the planned 10 million euros to 135 million euros.
The Navy trains its offspring in seamanship on the “Gorch Fock”. The renovation began in December 2015. After almost six years, the ship is scheduled to return to its home port of Kiel on October 4th. dpa
