A place where a grey navy ship had been standing in the harbor of Neustadt, the berth of the former frigate Köln, which had served as a training and education platform for sailors, had been empty for many months. The ship is now back in its original place at the Maritime Safety and Security Training Centre.
The ship had been towed away from her berth to Nobiskrug’s sister shipyard Lindenau in Kiel in May 2015. The ship now consists solely from its hull. All other systems, like the engine, operating deck, weapons or even the chambers, are empty. What is left of her is the so-called hulk.
According to the German Navy, after many years of minor reparations the ship finally had to be overhauled. An estimated 200 tones of weight have been either replaced or augmented within diverse reparations on the hull, removal of unnecessary piping and many other undertakings.
Additionally, a modern training facility has been installed. This facility should meet the demands of the Maritime Safety and Security Training for the new Class 125 frigates. The works were expected to last for two months, but a detailed inspection revealed that the underside of the ship required much more work.
The works, however, have been successfully completed during the first days of October and Köln was returned to her original standing place. The old ship, having undergone such an extensive procedure, is once again ready for its training task.
[mappress mapid=”17218″]
Naval Today Staff, Image: NOBISKRUG GmbH