© navigabel

Ship & trip
page 1

The ship was build as Käthe Ritscher by Sietas Yard in Hamburg and delivered in 1964.

Particulars:

Length overall 61,42 m.

Width 10,55 m.

Depth max. 3,60 m.

433 brt/ 1070 dwt.

Engine KHD 900 bhp (671 kW).

Speed 11 knots.

In 1974 it was sold to Potkamp & Bruins, IJsselmuiden and got the name Eendracht. Above owners had ordered a new vessel at Barkmeyer Yard in Stroobos and were able to exchange the vessel on the newbuilding in 1980. As Barkmeyer was not acting as ship-owner, the vessel was managed by Holwerda Shipmanagement in Heerenveen, under the name of Navigabel.

As Eendracht (photo Louis Meylof)

As Navigabel (photo Louis Meylof)

The Navigabel had mainly sailed in NW-European waters,  until managed by Holwerda. I joined the vessel in Rotterdam  where she was loading for Benghazi - Lybia.

The ship was equipped according the year of building.

Deck:
4 derricks for loading/discharging, SWL 1,5 ton each, wooden hatch-covers with support beams and tarpaulins.

Engine-room:
Klockner-Humboldt-Deutz main-engine, 6 cyl. line, 900 hp, reversible with gearbox direct on propeller-shaft, bridge-control by Sempress air-system. Built on "automatic" air-compressor.

2 air-cooled Deutz auxiliaries, 60 hp each, with generators each 40 kW, 3 phase 380 V, full synchronized!
1 air-cooled Deutz auxiliary, 30 hp with 20 kW generator for harbour use. Not synchronized.

In forecastle also 1 similar harbor-set.

Ventilation was original by 2 pcs. adjustable air-tubes placed on deck, but one of them was later adapted with a built-in ventilator.

Bridge:
Magnetic compass, no gyro-compass, 1 radar with 3-5 miles reach, medium-wave radio direction-finder, auto-pilot coupled to magnetic-compass, short-range VHF-radio, sextant and chronograph.

Accommodation:
Main-deck, on front-side huge Captains quarter with office, living-cabin, sleeping cabin and bath-room.

Common mess room with fridge, galley and dry-stores. Common washing-room with 2 showers, double wash-stand and 2 toilets. Also a washing-machine.

Lower-deck, 2 single officer-cabins, PS Chief Officer,
SB Chief Engineer, each cabin about 3X3 m, equipped with single bed, small table, small couch and a locker.

4 double cabins for crew, each equipped with a double stacked-bed.

Whole accommodation had port-hole ventilation only.
All other equipment, nowadays normal on ships, was not present.