NAVTOR AS joins the circle of companies sponsoring the Hamburg-based historic steam ice breaker STETTIN by providing digital charts and publications as well state of the art back-of-bridge passage planning software.
STETTIN was built in 1933 and ranks among the largest operational steamships worldwide. Since 1982, German authorities have considered the vessel to be a ‘technical cultural heritage’. She is lovingly taken care of by “Dampf-Eisbrecher STETTIN e.V.“ ( www.dampf-eisbrecher-stettin.de ), a non-profit membership association of maritime enthusiasts and volunteers. Financial backing and technical support is supplied by established companies from the German maritime industry, such as main sponsor HOPPE Marine GmbH ( www.hoppe-marine.com ) and other hardware makers. Such partnerships are a longstanding tradition for the association.
STETTIN’s nautical superintendent Nils Herforth is delighted to have his vessel well-positioned for the age of digital navigation. He says: “Until now, passage planning for STETTIN’s summer cruises was still done very much the same way as 20 or 50 years ago. But the ongoing phase-out of navigational paper charts gives us no other option than to follow the digital tide. It will take some time to get used to the idea that, thanks to the sponsoring by NAVTOR, this historic vessel now has more sophisticated passage planning tools than quite a few professional cargo or passenger vessels!”
“The German shipping industry is among the most important markets worldwide, and a key focus for NAVTOR, and we are glad to participate in the team effort required to keep such a lovely piece of maritime history alive and operational,” says Terje Jorgensen, NAVTOR’s global sales director, who visited the vessel during her preparations for the upcoming Hamburg port birthday.
“There’s so much maritime knowhow connected to this particular vessel that we agreed to the sponsorship immediately when the request was posed via our German branch office. We are proud to see NAVTOR products on board this vessel. The fact that the old lady is equipped with modern sensors and equipment from trusted industry partners is a perfect match for us - NAVTOR AS & HOPPE Marine GmbH signed a collaboration agreement during SMM 2022 in order to boost integration between HOPPE sensors and NavFleet, our software platform for vessel performance. Being sponsors of the same vessel will be a great chance for the two companies to test out new developments in the months and years to come.”
See images from the visit in this gallery:
For interested enthusiasts who want to learn more about steamships and modern-day maritime sensors and software, on most days STETTIN is open to the public at her berth in the museum port in Hamburg-Oevelgoenne, directly next to the line 62 ferry stop. There is still limited availability for some of STETTIN’s summer cruises.
NAVTOR, which provides innovative digital solutions to over 18,000 vessels in the world fleet, has a dedicated office in Hamburg to serve its growing German customer base.
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