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SWATH Pilot Tender GRODEN
Scale: 1/250
Skill Level: difficult
Size (LxW): 103x52 mm (4x2 inch)
Our model depicts the GRODEN, built by Abeking & Rasmussen and commissioned in 2014 by the Elbe Pilots' Brotherhood. Since then, it has been used in station and feeder services in the North Sea between Cuxhaven and Helgoland. Its deck height and boarding platforms often allow for a direct transfer without the need for a pilot ladder.
| Product type | Papermodel |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | KMK Verlag |
| Scale | 1/250 |
| Designer | Dr. Henning Budelmann, Heinrich von Waechter |
| Difficulty | difficult |
| Sheet size | DIN A4 |
| Sheets | 2 |
| Parts | 462 |
| Parts without alternative parts | 379 |
| Length | 103 mm (4.06 inch) |
| Width | 52 mm (2.05 inch) |
| Bauanleitung | German, Pictures |
Pilot tenders perform up to 20 "collisions" daily, maneuvering firmly against the hulls of receiving vessels to facilitate pilot transfers. Due to their small size, they are highly susceptible to wind and waves, making the transfer hazardous for pilots. Consequently, receiving ships often must slow down (reducing their maneuverability) or change course to provide a sheltered leeward side. In excessively heavy seas, pilots must ultimately be winched down by helicopter and remain on board until the next port.
For several years, tenders featuring a SWATH (Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull) hull have increasingly been used in pilot services. This specialized design minimizes contact with the water surface by using two torpedo-shaped buoyancy hulls that sit entirely below the waterline. These are connected by narrow struts to a superstructure that is unusually wide for its length. As a result, these vessels remain exceptionally stable and calm in the water, even in heavy seas.