New pilot ship 'Hamburg Pilot 3' in the Port of Hamburg

The almost 18 metre long vessel is the first of two new pilot ships in the Port of Hamburg.

Mar 18, 2025 - 22:32
New pilot ship 'Hamburg Pilot 3' in the Port of Hamburg

Dr Melanie Leonhard, Senator for Economy, Transport and Innovation, inspected the new pilot vessel 'Hamburg Pilot 3' in the presence of Jens Meier, CEO of the Hamburg Port Authority, Karsten Schönewald, Managing Director of the Flotte Hamburg, and Henrik Lüders, Senior Pilot of the Hamburg Harbour Pilots' Association

After a construction period of about one year at the Estonian shipyard Baltic Workboats AS, the vessel was transported by sea to the Port of Hamburg. Following completion of sea trials and crew training, the new vessel will enter service in April this year, replacing the existing pilot ship 'Lotse 3'.

The vessel was purchased following a European-wide tender. The procurement process was carried out by the Newbuilding and Innovation Department of the Hamburg Fleet in close cooperation with the Hamburg Port Pilots' Association.

When selecting the new vessel, we were looking not only for high performance but also for technical equipment. As with the existing newbuildings, we are also focusing on environmental protection with 'Hamburg Pilot 3': the new pilot vessel is therefore equipped with the latest exhaust gas treatment technologies and runs on synthetic GTL (gas-to-liquid) fuel," says Karsten Schönewald, Managing Director of Flotte Hamburg. In addition, the ship has been designed to be able to run on climate-neutral e-fuels in the future. In this way, it will make an important contribution to the Hamburg fleet's goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2040.

The Hamburg Harbour Pilots' Association is pleased to have started the modernisation of the pilot launches in Hamburg with the pilot boat after the handover. It is impressive to see how quiet and low-vibration the launch is and how well the boat sits in the water. New standards have been set here for crews, pilots, the environment and safety in the port,' says Henrik Lüders, 1st Elder of the Hamburg Port Pilots' Association.

Technical specifications HAMBURG PILOT 3

  • Length overall: 17.93 m
  • Beam overall: 5.88 m
  • Maximum draught: 1.50 m
  • Speed: 20 knots

Special features

  • Exhaust gas after-treatment (catalytic converter and particle filter)
  • Wave-piercing bow for particularly smooth handling in rough seas
  • Automatic trim system for increased comfort and reduced fuel consumption