MEIN SCHIFF 4, 7th September 2015, Part 3

Sunday 6th September 2015
This morning at breakfast I was pleased to meet up with two more friends joining the OLS group trip on MEIN SCHIFF 4; we are doing different things today but arranged to meet back at Stella Maris this evening to walk to the other hotel for dinner. I am joining a 'Walk to Miniatur Wunderland' little group and I soon fell into step in the morning sunshine. I do love visiting the many floors of this old warehouse - it is a place of absolute wonder to anyone who likes transport of all kinds, models, physical geography, miniatures, etc. Officially it is described as "The World's Largest Model Railway". A group booking visit had been arranged for an early time slot so we simply had to pay for the entry tickets and enter whatever part of the world we first fancied seeing in miniature (www.miniatur-wunderland.de).

I soon found my way to the Hamburg airport and just love the way this has been developed. Where else could I see Concorde land, or the Space Shuttle for that matter? (That is, apart from the Specsavers television advertisement in the UK.) The arrivals and departures board is fun to read, as well as watching all the movements around the airport too. Watching the model planes actually land and depart is so enjoyable.

Miniatur Wunderland in miniature

Cap San Diego

Black Prince in dry dock

Black Prince welding

The water looks so realistic

Crowd scenes

Queueing for take-off at the airport

Evening take-off under a rather menacing sky

Concorde arrives!


After a couple of hours seeing the happenings in many parts of Europe in miniature, it was time for a snack lunch in the Cafeteria followed by a visit to the International Maritime Museum. This again is another 'must' for any ship lovers visiting Hamburg I think, and my heart was gladdened by seeing several tiny models of Union-Castle Line ships, as well as many European and Baltic ferries I had been on. The Museum has several floors of many amazing exhibits and displays, and a shop.

Several of us decided to take a ferry home so tickets were bought on the nearby quayside and arrangements made to meet for a final meal in Hamburg this evening.

Ovelgonne


The ferry journey was soon done and I enjoyed seeing other ferries around the river before heading home to the Stella Maris.

Rickmer Rickmers and the dreaded Halunder Jet

Tollerort, amongst other vessels on the River Elbe

Wolfgang Borchert

Harburg

Blankenese


Then it was time to change and go out for dinner at the other hotel and enjoy the evening.

This is the front of the Reception desk at the Hotel Stella Maris, which always amused me.


Ships seen: Blankenese, Jan Molsen, Harburg, Wolfgang Borchert, Ovelgonne, Tollerort, Halunder Jet, Rickmer Rickmers, Cap San Diego, and Black Prince in dry dock and being welded (!) in Miniatur Wunderland.


To be continued...

MEIN SCHIFF 4, 7th September 2015, Part 2

Saturday 5th September 2015
After an early breakfast at the Stella Maris hotel in Hamburg I was collected by some of my friends, ready to pick up a hire car and drive up to Brunsbuttel. This is the town at the end of the Kiel Canal, on the River Elbe. We planned to sail on the 12.10 ferry across to Cuxhaven, near the mouth of the River Elbe.

The route from Brunsbuttel to Cuxhaven

Locks at the start of the Kiel Canal

Red arrow marks the linkspan pier on the plan

The pier and linkspan

A passing ship

Saaremaa arriving

About to drive on board

Builders plate


The weather was bleak, grey and wet, with occasional sunshine. The ferry was late arriving at the pier linkspan because of the strong wind so we didn't leave until 1.10, but hot soup and rolls in the ship's cafe soon restored our spirits. The ship was SAAREMAA, built in Norway in 2010, and joining this route only on 20th August this year.

Anne Marie Bistro, serving goulash soup

Life ring

OOCL Montreal heading into the Kiel Canal

In the cafe

Godmother

Ship details

Neuwerk

The big Pilot mother ship Weser

Waiting to disembark


Once in Cuxhaven and in sunshine we could be tourists and enjoy coffee, apple strudel and ice cream, before driving around to see the famous ATLANTIS at her berth.

Atlantis, well tied up at Cuxhaven

Atlantis


It was interesting to note that the ferries out of Hamburg today had been cancelled, because of the strong winds. It seems that even the never-to-be-forgotten HALUNDER JET has had to stay in port and not travel to Helgoland, in South Utsire!

Today's ferrying trip was in fact our Plan B because we had booked to travel today on the new HELGOLAND ferry from Hamburg to Helgoland and back. She was built but having problems, before being handed over to Casson Eils for use. We saw the advertisements for her in Cuxhaven but no starting date was now shown.

The new Helgoland ferry we should have been on


We three travellers had all experienced what felt like life-threatening sailings on other journeys to Helgoland and were really looking forward to a safe and enjoyable trip on the new ferry. Ah well, we each received refunds on our tickets and looked forward to being able to sail on her in the future.

Muhumaa back to Brunsbuttel (gross tons 1,700)

Nautica leaving the Kiel Canal for Amsterdam


Then it was time to catch the ferry MUHUMAA back to Cuxhaven, leaving at 5.05 p.m and arriving at 6.30 p.m. Once back in Brunsbuttel it was decided to head a few miles alongside the Kiel Canal because there was a tiny ferry there, just waiting to be used to take us across the Canal!

Our Stettin ferry route, shown on the map, just on the other side of Brunsbuttel


This was the little STETTIN, which held 4 cars and some pedestrians.

About to board the Stettin

Driving on

On board the Stettin

The Berlin passing us in the other direction


Then we returned to the main route back to Hamburg, following the end of a rainbow, under a grey sky. The hire car was returned and we made our way back to the hotel for a very satisfying dinner.


Ships seen: Saaremaa, Arabian Breeze, Elizabeth Rus of Transferrica, ER Athina, Yan Cux 2, Neuwerk (Coastguard), Blue Bella, Patricia Esberger, Blue Antares, Deo Volente, Neckar High, Atlantis, Flipper, WMS Groenigen, Muhumaa, Timbus, Wolf 7 tug, Seagard of Transferrica, Nautica the cruise ship exiting the Kiel Canal on her way to Amsterdam, APL Changi, OOCL Montreal, Stettin the tiny ferry across the Kiel Canal, St. Johannes, Berlin


To be continued...

MEIN SCHIFF 4, 7th September 2015

This trip is going to be quite different, as I will be sailing on a German ship, from a German port, with all my arrangements made in German on the TUI website. I was glad of the Google Translate website to help me book one of the few cabins available for single use: this year's Ocean Liner Society group cruise is to be 5 nights on the ship MEIN SCHIFF 4.

Friday 4th September 2015
I flew from London Gatwick airport on a supposedly early flight, delayed apparently by volume of traffic, direct to Hamburg in Germany. The queue for Passport Control after we arrived there was long but I was entertained by fellow travellers from the Apple Corp. I was soon on the S1 train heading for the River Elbe and the Landungsbrucken station. I was booked into the nearby Hotel Stella Maris for 3 nights so I could enjoy the sights of this delightful maritime city. Once again in my life I knew I was "Following in Father's Footsteps": he was here on the Blue Star cruise ship ARANDORA STAR as a junior engineer in the early 1930s.

Cap San Diego

Looking right

Looking left

Marie Frisium

Rickmer Rickmers

Rickmer Rickmers dressed overall

Schaarhornn


I joined friends for dinner and felt the holiday had started in a very convivial way, especially after receiving a gift from one of my friends.

Ships seen: Cap San Diego, various tugs and small river craft, the 3-masted Mare Frisium, the little white-hulled Schaarhorn with her yellow funnel, Rickmer Rickmers with all her flags out, many small river craft, Peter Pan (I sailed on her in January 2008) and Huckleberry Finn tiny ferry models


To be continued...