New Slovak coaster series for Germans

Tom Todd writes: The 89.9m gearless single-decker RMS Rotterdam is the first of four new Amisia Class ships to go into service. The vessel is being followed by RMS Berlin, which has also already been completed by SLK. As of late November however the vessel’s delivery downstream to Constanta on the Black Sea was being held up by low water.

The Amisia Class ships are 12.8m wide and of 3,785 dwt drawing maximum 5.56m. Maximum loading volume (grain) is put at 4,750m3. They are each driven by a 1520kW MaK 8M20 main engine from Caterpiller of 1520kW and max 1,000 rpm and have shaft generators from Volvo Penta and CCP propellers from Schottel. Auxiliary equipment includes two Diesel gensets type MAN D2866 LXE 22f kVA and a Cummins 95kVA emergency/harbour genset.

Both of the ships have been chartered long-term to Rhenus subsidiary Rhein, Maas und See Schifffahrtskontor (RMS) and are owned by Rhenus and Captain Hermann Lohmann of Lohmann Shipping, who designed the type with SLK.

The final two ships, Santa Helena and Marten are due for delivery up to April in the new year. Thorsten Mansveld, spokesman for H. Lohmann Bereederungen said they will be KG projects – funded and owned by investors. He said no lucrative charter deal had as yet been clinched for them. His company will handle the technical management of three of the newbuilds.

The new SLK ships can carry general and project cargo on the weather decks as well as grain and baled cargo in their single 57.85 x 10.2 x 8.15m box-shaped hold with three bulkheads.