The Hamburg fleet had two reasons to celebrate in Estonia: the new pilot transfer vessel HAMBURG PILOT 3 was successfully launched and is about to be delivered. At the same time, construction of the HAMBURG PILOT 4 started at the Estonian shipyard ‘Baltic Workboats AS’. Both vessels will replace the existing pilot vessels LOTSE 3 and LOTSE 4, further strengthening the environmentally friendly modernisation of the Hamburg fleet.

The two vessels are so-called type ships, which are strongly based on globally proven pilot vessels. In contrast to the last five newbuildings of the fleet, they are deliberately not equipped with a battery-electric hybrid propulsion system, as this is less suitable for the very specific operating profiles of pilot transfer services. Instead, both vessels are designed to switch to climate-neutral e-fuels as soon as possible.

The laying of the keel marks the official start of construction. Traditionally, a ‘good luck charm’ in the form of a €2 coin depicting Hamburg’s Michel church was attached to the keel. The ceremony was performed by future crew members Christian Schwieger and Dirk Lange.

Delivery of the HAMBURG PILOT 4 is scheduled for later this year.