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stablished in 1795, German ship- yard Meyer Werft is still family owned and currently operated by


the sixth generation of the Meyer family. And although MARIN’s relationship doesn’t date back quite that far, the two have worked closely together since the early eighties. Many model tests and simulations have been carried out on behalf of Meyer Werft and this has included tests on some of the most well-known cruise vessels.


As well as its long history, perhaps one of the most famous things about Meyer Werft is its location in Papenburg, along the River Ems. The extremely long 10-hour voyage from the yard to open sea has been the focus of MARIN over the years, with many model tests looking into the optimisation of this notorious river passage.


Henning Luhmann, Meyer Werft Head of Department Naval Architecture and a frequent visitor to MARIN, talks about the shipyard and MARIN’s relationship and explains what makes the journey down the River Ems so special. Henning has been with the yard since 1986 and now heads up a 15-strong naval architecture department.


Notorious river passage He tells Report: “There is no second chance on the River Ems, no clearance in any direction - length, beam, draught and height - as well as considerable wind limitations. Therefore it is vital we work with a test centre with vast experience, we must have 100% confidence.” Pretty much each ship’s passage has been simulated at MARIN and this has included intensive pilot training.


In the early nineties the partners’ relation- ship intensified when the first simulation tests on the full bridge simulator of MARIN took place when the passage along the river was modelled for the legendary Oriana.


As the partnership evolved, work moved on to full-scale tests as well. The River Ems pi- lots working for Meyer Werft train at MARIN and then they are on board the ships when the full-scale river passage is carried out, together with MARIN experts. This full-scale experience can be used to improve the accuracy of simulation software and to extend the boundaries of models, adds Mr Luhmann.


Training pilots, crew and captains is another important part of the work done at MARIN. “It is vital they understand the impact of wind speeds and weather conditions and how to manoeuvre the ship during the passage,” he stresses.


The measures that have to be taken to ensure a smooth passage are already quite extraordinary, with the shipyard having to close the Ems barrier so there is no current


when vessels leave the yard, a railway bridge has to be dismounted and high voltage cables that go across the river have to be switched off. This shows the impor- tance of getting the voyage planned and scheduled well in advance by investigating different scenarios at MARIN, he says.


Challenging flow behaviour For a long time, he admits, the yard and MARIN had focused on the bends of the river


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