Peter’s Top Tipp: Fast Track to Capitan

Did you ever wanted to know how it feels to steer a 50.000 GT container ship on the river Elbe? In the International Maritime Museum in the Hamburg Speicherstadt (Warehouse District) you can take over the bridge of the “Tokyo Express”, a 300 metre-long containership. How does it work? In the ship simulator! From Stade up the Elbe, navigating pilotage waters or manoeuvring the ship into the ports of Hamburg, Los Angeles or Singapore right up to the quay wall. It soon becomes very clear what ships’ captains, pilots and tugs have to do every day. Hold course, perform avoidance manoeuvres, cope with oncoming traffic, even in fog or heavy seas are just a few of the challenges to be mastered. If you think that powerfully spinning the wheel is what is needed, you would be very wrong. The course and speed are set by the captain with only one hand on the joystick. Have a try, the museum crew is on the lookout for you.
www.imm-hamburg.de