Research vessel Atair. This impressive shipyard model of the original „Atair“ from 1987, which was built by the Schiffsmodellbau Reiche workshop on a scale of 1:50, is part of the exhibition on oceanography on deck 7 of the museum.
This is the „Atair“, a German research vessel that had been in service for the BSH (Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency) since 1987. The Kröger shipyard in Rendsburg had completed the ship in less than a year. It specializes in mapping the seabed and searching for sunken shipwrecks in the North Sea and Baltic Sea – especially in coastal areas. In addition to scientific interest, this type of research is particularly important for safety at sea. Proper underwater mapping helps to identify the exact depth of the sea and the presence of obstacles that could cause accidents. The long and successful career of this „Atair“ has come to an end in 2020. The German state had already been planning the construction of a new ship for several years to continue the work of the „Atair“. In 2014, a project tender was published and in December 2016, the ship was commissioned from the Fr Fassmer shipyard in Bern. The construction of the hull and main structures of the ship took place at the German Naval Shipyard in Kiel. This work was completed in early 2019 and the ship was brought to Bern for completion. In September of the same year, this ship was also christened „Atair“ and testing of its systems began. All tests have been successful, but the Covid 19 pandemic slowed down the process. The commissioning of the „Atair“, which was supposed to take place in 2020, had to wait until April 2021. However, the wait was worth it. Not only is she the most modern and largest ship in the service of the BSH, but she also has a state-of-the-art dual-fuel propulsion system that significantly reduces pollutant emissions compared to her predecessor. She is powered by LNG (Liquified Natural Gas) and her auxiliary diesel engine operates with a series of filters that reduce pollutant emissions to a minimum. In addition, the new „Atair“ has a treatment system to purify the water from her ballast tanks and is a Silent-R vessel, avoiding acoustic pollution of the underwater environment.
This impressive shipyard model of the original „Atair“ from 1987, which was built by the Schiffsmodellbau Reiche workshop on a scale of 1:50, is part of the exhibition on oceanography on deck 7 of the museum.