From the new-build to the repair and modification dockyard
Tradition and modernity affiliate in our company. Many years of experience in the building of new ships, repair of ships, maintenance and modification reflect themselves in the Elsflether dockyard.
Since the reestablishment and restructuring of the dockyard in 1996, we are no longer active in the building of new ships, but countervail our emphases to your advantage: Today we present ourselves to you as a company with the core competences in the repair, modification and maintenance of different types of ship.
On premises of more than 150.000 m² - direct on the Weser and only 25 kilometres downstream from the Hansestadt Bremen - we realize the most difficult of customer individual requirements and desires. Superior craftsmanship in the various trades, the most modern workplace and equipment, as well as a provident company management, guarantee our customers an optimum of satisfaction. Not unavailingly is the navy training ship SSS "Gorch Fock" a "regular guest" of our dockyard.
The growing trust, as well as our long-standing and new customers, confirms our commitment.
Our customers profit from our many years of experience in shipbuilding, maintenance and repair. The Elsflether dockyard looks back on a history of more than 90 years:
In 1916, founded as a public limited company, the business was primarily operated as a new-build dockyard for merchant shipping. During the second world war, the fishing vessels were modified to patrol boats for the former navy. Both before and after the war, the product range consisted of: Merchant ships, freight ships, drilling-platform supply ships, passenger ships, fishing vessels, hospital ships, container ships, tankers and navy units (tenders, general purpose boats "medium" and "small").
After the end of the war, as for many companies, a hard time also began for our dockyard - because the military government regarded ships as munitions, building of new ships was no longer permitted. Only in 1950, through circuitous authorized building of new ships, was life injected into the development of new ships. At the end of the 70's, this branch of the merchant shipping business deteriorated so much, that the dockyard concentrated, amongst other things, on the construction of oil collection ships, as well as luxury yachts and higher class clippers.
In 1994 the first large, German passenger clipper used worldwide, the "Lili Marleen", was delivered to the shipping company Deilmann. The planning and construction phase was monitored by the captain of this large clipper, captain Immo von Schnurbein, who also as former commander of the "Gorch Fock", accumulated many years of valuable experience. Together with our highly qualified specialist, an excellent, creative and constructive team could supervise the "Lili Marleen". The excellent sailing characteristics of this triple-mast barquentine remain highly valued by the owner and also the crew.
But not only by the "Lili Marleen" could we exhibit our extensive expertise relating to clippers. For many years, the clipper "Großherzogin Elisabeth" also regularly comes to the Elsflether dockyard for maintenance and repair tasks. In 1993, "Lissy" was fully restored in our dockyard after a total write-off from the impact of a fire. It is always a special type of experience, to assist a traditionally rich, old clipper to retain its previous splendidness.
In 1996, the public limited company was transformed into a GmbH & Co. KG (limited partnership with a limited liability company as general partner). Since then, we are no longer active in building new ships, but concentrate our core competences on repairs and modifications. In 1998/1999 we were active in the major modification of the "Bodo Supplier", for the Bohlen and Doyen shipping company. A supply ship was transformed into a fully automatic, satellite-guided cable-laying ship.
Furthermore, besides extensive maintenance of merchant shipping, we are employed with the repair of ships owned by contracting authorities, tendency increasing. Especially in the repair processing of ships from the German navy we have achieved a big reputation as a competent and reliable dockyard.
The contract for the maintenance and extension of the service life of the SSS "Gorch Fock" in 2000/2001 definitely represents the high point of the continuously increasing share in the maintenance for the German navy. Thereby, our much experienced, highly qualified team is the guarantor for the quality of the workmanship and adherence to schedules. So far, the Elsflether dockyard has been awarded the contract for the maintenance tasks for the SSS "Gorch Fock" in 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006 und 2008.
The repeat tasks on the "Gorch Fock" were exclusively also decisive for the awarding of the contract to carry out modification of the youth ship "Salomon" (2002/2003) for a Swiss youth centre.
