Tour ferry "Mandøpigen"
It is said that it is quite impossible to move in the Wadden Sea: There is too little water for sailing - and too much water for driving. That's a shame because there are so much to see and experience in the vast area, the Wadden Sea National Park, which is on UNESCO's world heritage list.
B & B Mandø is well underway with a larger project that can bring our guests much closer to the Wadden Seas many experiences. The tour ferry "Mandøpigen", is a purpose-built highly specialised, relatively light vessel that effortlessly moves through the shallow waters, while remaining stable in the deeper tide currents flowing through the Wadden Sea.
Due to the shallow Wadden Sea there is no harbour at Mandø. It is therefore necessary that "Mandøpigen" can sail in shallow water and drive/wade the last few hundred meters in to dry beach. Such a craft does not exist on the market today. B & B Mandø has therefore in cooperation with the Dutch ship design company "Bruce Roberts Europe", developed our ideas and wishes in to construction plans.
The plans have now been approved by the Danish Maritime Authority and construction of the hull has just begun.
07/07/2018
The construction of this special vessel is now well under way. The hull takes shape in aluminum at the yard in Germany, while components in stainless Duplex steel for wheel suspension are manufactured here in Denmark. Water jet propulsion turbines from Italy has arrived at Svendborg where the finished hull will be equipped with motors and various other technical installations.
As said, the hull itself is designed in Holland, while suspension and all other technical installations on board the vessel are designed and developed by B & B Mandø's own design department. One of the major challenges has been the development of moving wheel suspension for this large vessel, as it has been a condition that the wheels should be lifted clear off the water when the ship sails. Many different models have been tested and computer simulations have been run with the forces and impacts that the wheels can be exposed to, thus achieving the most optimal design.
08/08/2018
Inspector from Danish Maritime Authorities inspecting the near finished hull.