Life Boats by Ernst Hatecke Make the Plunge

One hundred years ago, German master boat builder Wilhelm Hatecke founded a shipyard in Dornbusch on the banks of Germany's Elbe River. In the early days, work focused on repairing and building wooden boats. Today, Ernst Hatecke's freefall lifeboats are saving lives on ships and off-shore oil plat- forms, and the wood has been replaced by reinforced plastic or composites, becoming one of the leading manufacturers of lifeboats and davit (crane) systems in Europe.

Survival craft must withstand extreme strains, especially when hitting the surface of the water from heights of almost 100 feet and plunging far below the water when escorting passengers to safety.

A Hatecke freefall survival craft can vary in weight up to nine tons, depending on the size of the model, and can hold a capacity of up to 60 passengers.

Ernst Hatecke's freefall lifeboats provide a rapid and safe means of emergency escape for all on board. The boats vary in length between four and nine meters, with widths over 2.5 m constructed of glass fiber laminate with an inside duplicate wall made out of foam.

Hatecke uses Reichhold's NORPOL 420-M880 and NORPOL 850-M851 resins to create these life-saving vessels.

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Maritime Reporter Magazine, page 90, Nov 2003

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Maritime Reporter

First published in 1881 Maritime Reporter is the world's largest audited circulation publication serving the global maritime industry.